Is this the future of the music industry?Īs with other musical TikTok phenomena, Running Up That Hill might be more than a momentary flash in the pan. Halsey's record label won't release a new song until it goes viral on TikTok. Unlike streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify, users can take a more active and playful role interacting with music on TikTok. These platforms allowed users to draw from an internal library of popular songs, creatively add them to video creations, and use features like Duet to place themselves side-by-side their favourite artists. It takes advantage of musical innovations pioneered on earlier short video platforms, like Flipagram, Dubsmash, and Musical.ly. TikTok challenges and audio memes have helped catapult other classics back into vogue such as Harry Belafonte’s Jump in the Line, The Shangri-Las’s Leader of the Pack remixed into Oh No by Kreepa, and, of course, Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. The success of films like Guardians of the Galaxy have proven to be powerful tools to give older a reprisal on the radio and popular charts. Stranger Things is not the first to capitalise on the power of musical nostalgia.

Naturally when a beloved artist is found by Gen-Z audiences, it leads to gatekeeping by longtime fans as well as counter-gatekeeping by fans who are thrilled to see a younger audience connecting with one of their favourite artists’ music. The chances of going viral can be improved by choosing classic chart-toppers that may find a revival among younger audiences. Songs with short catchy hooks that are attached to eye-grabbing visual sequences in clips that are sixty, or better yet thirty, seconds maximum are more likely to be picked up on and shared on TikTok. The runaway resurgence of Bush’s 1985 classic could be a signal to film and TV producers to make clips more “TikTokable”. The song speaks to misfits and of desperation, themes as relevant to teens in 2022 as they were in 1985. Others engage less with Stranger Things and more with Kate Bush, in videos depicting connecting with parents over a shared love, recommending more of Bush’s music, and sharing joy that a new generation of audiences might be discovering the influential artist for the first time.

Videos featuring the song depict teens cosplaying as characters, acting out scenes from the shows, and making humorous meme videos (“my friends playing my favourite song trying to save me… my airpods die”).

Top tik tok songs