British music icon Kate Bush has revealed to BBC Radio 4 that she’s ready to record a new album, in what would be her first studio release since 2011.
Bush said: “I’ve got lots of ideas. I’m really looking forward to getting back into that creative space. It’s been a long time.”
The singer, who appeared on the show to promote her new charity short film, Little Shrew, added that while she was ready for new music, she’s “not there yet” when it comes to performing live again.
Widely regarded as a national treasure, Bush became the first solo British female artist to top the UK Albums Chart in 1980. She has won legions of fans for her eclectic musical style and has remained an elusive figure in music throughout the decades.
With new music on the cards, let’s take a look at the last time Bush released music and performed, and round up her most popular songs in the UK.
When was the last time Kate Bush released music?
The last time we heard new music from Bush was in 2011, with her album 50 Words for Snow. The record reached number 5 in the UK, cracked the top 100 in the US and spawned two singles, Wild Man and Snowflake – the latter of which was released recently alongside her new short film.
Although fans haven’t received any new music from Bush in thirteen years, she has released live albums, B-sides and box sets since her last studio album.
She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023
When was the last time Kate Bush performed live?
The singer has been famed for rarely appearing on stage in her career. Her only tour travelled around the UK and Europe in 1979 and didn’t take to the stage again – apart from sporadic TV appearances – until 35 years later in 2014, when she held a 22-night residency at the Hammersmith Apollo titled Before the Dawn. She hasn’t performed live since.
What are Kate Bush’s most popular songs?
1. Running Up That Hill (1985)
- UK chart: #2 (1985), #1 (2022)
- US chart: #30 (1985), #3 (2022)
- Worldwide streams: 1.28 billion (the sixth most streamed song in the UK in 2022)
2. Wuthering Heights (1978)
- UK chart: #1
- US chart: N/A
- Worldwide streams: 205.1 million
- UK chart: #5
- US chart: N/A
- Worldwide streams: 175.6 million
- UK chart: #16
- US chart: N/A
- Worldwide streams: 125 million
- UK chart: #20
- US chart: N/A
- Worldwide streams: 75.8 million