Cher Congratulates Kate Bush on Passing Her In U.K. Record Books – Billboard

When Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” finally reached the U.K. chart summit last Friday (June 17), Cher was there to welcome the new champion.

With Bush’s hit conquering the survey some 37 years after its release, the English singer broke at least third chart records, one of which saw Cher bumped from the record books.

At 63 years and 11 months, Bush becomes the oldest female artist to hit No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, eclipsing Cher, who was 52 when “Believe” led the chart in 1998.

There’s no animosity from Cher, just “mega respect.”

“Bravo Kate,” she tweeted. “Records are meant to be broken. Remember back in the day, when women had short sell-by dates We had to fight our way through the testosterone curtain, and we did it so the girls who came after us could sing as long as they want to.”

She signs off: “Mega respect.”

Bush is now the fifth oldest artist to score a U.K. No. 1 single, a list led by the late Captain Tom Moore who was 99 years, 11 months when the charity-fundraising song he appeared on, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” topped the chart in 2020.

Bravo Kate🙌🏼
Records Are Meant 2 Be Broken‼️Remember Back In The Day,When Women Had SHORT SELL BY DATES⁉️We Had 2 Fight Our Way Through The Testosterone Curtain,& We Did it So The Girls Who Came After Us Could Sing As Long As They Want To.
With Mega Respect
💋
Me

— Cher (@cher) June 18, 2022

Powered by its sync in season four of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, “Running Up That Hill” is a global phenomenon. It’s lifted to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, a chart peak; it’s held top spot on the ARIA Chart for the past two weeks; and it has led the Billboard Global 200 chart.

The extraordinary return of a mid-‘80s classic hasn’t been lost on Bush. The enigmatic artist has been watching the action unfold, and she’s thrilled with it.

“I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force,” she writes on her official website. “I have to admit I feel really moved by it all. Thank you so very much for making the song a No. 1 in such an unexpected way.”