Ranking Kate Bush's Studio Discography
Kate has exactly 101 Studio songs, not counting bonus tracks, so I decided to rank them. List is subjective, so feel free to share your subjective opinions. No "objectivity" please lol. |
| 101 |  | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“The Infant Kiss”
The piano part is nice enough, her voice is nice enough, and there’s even cello! So what exactly makes this the worst studio Kate Bush song? The lyrics! I don’t care if it’s about her dead husband inhabiting a child she’s looking after, lyrics like “I've never fallen for a little boy before” and “Just a kid and just at school. Back home they'd call me dirty. His little hand is on my heart” are creepy in the worst way. It ruins an otherwise decent instrumental.
0.8/5 |
| 100 |  | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“The Song of Solomon”
The Red Shoes is a mess of an album and this has to the worst of them all. Her voice actually sounds at its worst when she chirps the line “don't want your bullshit, yeah. Just want your sexuality.” The instrumental is pretty boring as well and fails to capture any sort of interesting emotion. It’s Kate Bush though, so even at her worst, this isn’t exactly torture.
2/5 |
| 99 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Constellation of the Heart”
When she didn’t make cheesy 80s music in the 80s, but she did make cheesy 80s sounding music in the 90s, you know she messed up. More negative points for reminding me in the lyrics that I could’ve been listening to “The Big Sky” instead.
2/5 |
| 98 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Eat the Music”
When did Kate Bush become lame mom-music? Was she always like this? Did it take this travesty for me to realize it? Don’t get me wrong, her sexualization of fruit is kind of interesting. Or gross? Actually yeah just gross. The vacation island music is really stupid too.
2.2/5 |
| 97 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Big Stripey Lie”
I like jarring music, I like when Kate Bush is jarring, but her voice is pretty damn lame her honestly. The production is screwy too as things drown each other out. I wonder if Kate Bush was trying to do noise rock here? Whatever it is, it’s not a good example of it. Sorry…
2.3/5 |
| 96 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Top of the City”
In case you’ve made it this far, I just want you to know that I adore Kate Bush and it’s only really her bottom 12 songs that I’m ripping a new one. Why use this song to describe that? Well, maybe because this song is so damn boring that I have absolutely nothing to say about it. Yeah it’s about wanting your partner to take you metaphorically higher or something. The generic music doesn’t really help either.
2.4/5 |
| 95 |  | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Oh England My Lionheart”
It’s a nostalgic song about England that honestly seems really forced. It’s like she didn’t think Lionheart was long enough, so she squeezed on a song that should’ve been an outtake. It has some nice harpsichord though, and if you focus on that it may seem more interesting than it is on the whole.
2.5/5 |
| 94 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Egypt”
Another song about romanticizing a culture, but this time it’s critical! The character sees Egypt as this fantastic realm of culture, but ignores Egypt’s turmoils! No, seriously, Kate said so in an interview. Sure there’s a scary hectic part halfway through, but would you ever actually realize that the song was about this if Kate didn’t tell us? Be honest. The music is forgettable too honestly.
2.5/5 |
| 93 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“And So Is Love”
Emotional ballad guitar? Check. Slow pulsing lyrics about love? Check. Soulful chorus that’s harmonizing with yourself? Check. When Kate wrote this was she thinking “Hmmm how do I make this feel as generic as possible?”
2.5/5 |
| 92 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“In the Warm Room”
Her voice is pretty and sexy here, and the lyrics promise a lustful time, but I can’t help, but think that like “Oh England My Lionheart,” that this was a last minute tack on. The atmosphere is warm though, so it lives up to its name.
2.5/5 |
| 91 |  | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Houdini”
Easily the worst song on The Dreaming. Her weird gross voice that she uses in “Pull Out the Pin” really grew on me due to its urgency and how much it honestly fits the desperate tone, but there’s an even uglier voice in on this song and it’s far less warranted. Now don’t get me wrong, topic wise she’s excellent here. It’s about Houdini’s tragic death and its sung from his wife’s perspective. It’s an epic idea, but the execution is questionable… maybe just like Houdini’s water stunt.
2.6/5 |
| 90 |  | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Feel It”
Man, Kate Bush writes A LOT of song about sex. Whether she’s pulling apart fruits like vaginas, or claiming she wants your dick, not your bullshit, some of her sexier ideas end up feeling silly. This song is just as sexy, but it isn’t silly just boring. Feel the sex, feel it! Yep, the worst song on The Kick Inside for sure. Meh.
2.8/5 |
| 89 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Rubberband Girl”
Yup, it’s a song about rubber bands and bouncing back from trouble. Her voice is full of life and has a cutesy whimsical feel. It’s really not too ear catching beyond that though honestly. “A rubberband girl me” is awkward phrasing as well honestly.
2.9/5 |
| 88 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Why Should I Love You?”
Okay, this one is cheesy 80s music too, but it’s better than Constellation of the Heart” by a light year. Okay, I’ll be honest, most of this song is underwhelming. The last 35 seconds are fun as hell though! Wait the song is over 5 minutes…
2.9/5 |
| 87 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“L'amour Looks Something Like You”
Another love song, this time about a fleeting encounter. This time her singing pattern is really catchy, but she has much better tracks, so this score is appropriate enough:
3/5 |
| 86 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Wow”
This song is supposedly about a gay theater actor whose performances impress people in plays, but also how he’ll never make it big in the movies due to his flamboyance. He’d always have to be a funny gag character in any movie he’s casted in. It’s scathing, but true, for a long time openly gay characters had to be comic relief and that coming out at all could ruin your career. Thank god that changed. The music is okay though, so I can’t mark it too high, great lyrics though!
3/5 |
| 85 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Night Scented Stock”
An epic interlude that leads into one her best songs. It’s just an interlude, so why would I rate this higher?
3/5 |
| 84 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“In Search of Peter Pan”
With multiple interesting sections, this song actually grabs me pretty well. It’s about a little boy not wanting to grow up, to be whisked away to neverland. It even borrows from “When You Wish Upon a Star” to hammer in the point. Overall, it’s okay. Kate has better.
3.1/5 |
| 83 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“The Saxophone Song”
It’s an ode to the saxophone. David Gilmour produced this another 1 other Kate Bush song on The Kick Inside and the key solo at the end shows this. The fact that the keys outshine the saxophone though is kinda bizarre since it’s...a song praising the saxophone. Kate still has better.
3.1/5 |
| 82 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“You're the One”
It’s about having trouble moving on from a failed relationship, and while this yet again isn’t one of her more interesting topic, musically pretty really engaging and the backup goat sounds are oddly fitting. I’ve always been one to care more about instrumentation anyway.
3.2/5 |
| 81 |  | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“Among Angels”
I know this one is beloved by many fans and I do love the song’s atmosphere, but compared to the rest of the album, it’s only okay. It’s about having people who care about you, they’re your angels. It’s endearing, beautiful even, but maybe a bit simplistic compared to a lot of her best work.
3.4/5 |
| 80 |  | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Heads We're Dancing”
The music to it is intense and rattles around while she’s tempted by the ultimate evil, personified as Adolf Hitler. It’s a bizarre take on the “dance with the devil” trope. Wait, I just realized that this is the worst song on The Sensual World. Underrated album, right?
3.4/5 |
| 79 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“The Kick Inside”
These lyrics are so damn weird. Literary reference probably? Kate Bush does that a lot, y’know. It’s about a woman carrying her brother’s baby after an incestuous affair. The lyrics are her suicide note since she knows the entire situation is fucked. So much emotion in her voice and nice violins too. Though musically, it’s nothing too mind blowing.
3.4/5 |
| 78 | | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“Snowed in at Wheeler Street”
A song about reincarnated soulmates, or maybe an immortal pair. Vampires? Elton John’s voice pairs really well with Kate Bush’s. As fantastical as the lyrics are, the song overstays it visit by a long shot. On the album it doesn’t feel too long since every song on there is lengthy, but wow now that I’m hearing it as a stand alone...this song could’ve been only 4 minutes and nothing would be lost. Great concept though.
3.5/5 |
| 77 |  | Kate Bush
Aerial
“The Painter's Link”
Another transition track, but one with pretty strings. I don’t know why, but this one seems especially English in theme. Maybe it’s the male vocalist? Extra points for leading into Aerial’s best song.
3.5/5 |
| 76 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Rocket's Tail”
This song starts with such a buildup, one the could go anywhere, but when it finally takes off, it soars. The whole song seems to exist to be a buildup, which while wild and fun isn’t going to make for her best work. Which is still saying a lot since it’s great.
3.5/5 |
| 75 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“How to Be Invisible”
I won’t lie, this was way higher on the list before I listened to in context while doing these write ups. The instrumentation is nice, it’s almost glowing and and I like that scratchy part the happens halfway through the song, but the lyrics are mostly just Kate listing off fictional ingredients in a fun song filled with wordplay.
3.5/5 |
| 74 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“A Coral Room”
This song is a very touching track about the passing of Kate’s mother, so it’s difficult to hate. It’s very personal and a lot of the references seem hard to grasp to the public. But that’s the magic of Kate Bush, her lyrics aren’t there to relate to, they’re her own personal expression. Musically, it’s just accompanied by simple piano, so it’s not impressive in that way. You have to focus on the lyrics honestly to love it.
3.5/5 |
| 73 |  | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“And Dream of Sheep”
It may be my least favorite from Hounds of Love, but it’s very memorable. It’s an odd song about coping with dying as you drift to sleep and wow is it haunting. It’s simple, so I don’t actually have much else to say about this one.
3.6/6 |
| 72 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Never Be Mine”
A simple song about unrequited love. Pretty instrumentation brings an otherwise dull topic to life and her passionate chorus is memorable and sad. Too simple to say much else, but it ends up being fairly strong when actually hearing it.
3.6/5 |
| 71 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“All the Love”
A lot of Kate’s more piano focused song end up getting lost in a sea and it takes me a longer time to dig into their lyrics than other songs by hers. This is a good example of one of those. The bass does stick out in a good way too though. It’s about appreciating your loved ones, but not feeling appreciated back, which sometimes is a stinging feeling. Depressing lyrics really.
3.7/5 |
| 70 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“All We Ever Look For”
The whistles sound like birds, the backups chant, and the harpsichord twinkles! When Kate really wants to her music can take you to another realm. I love the sound of footsteps that make it sound like she’s in a play, and of course that clapping! Lyrically it’s about how parents want the best for their kids and may guide them in the direction of what they wanted as kids, but that the kids instead want their own lives and meaning. The music is so cheerful, but the lyrics are sad. Good combo of everything.
3.7/5 |
| 69 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Prelude”
This song is really cool. Kate’s adorable son is talking about bird calls sounding like words as an intro to a suite. Short and sweet, it immediately makes me smile.
3.7/5 |
| 68 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Prologue”
This song is like the beginning of summer. Ready to enjoy the long time ahead. It’s slow, like honey, but builds up the expectation of a fantastic suite. It never really let’s down which would be a problem if it were an independent piece, but as a piece of larger puzzle, I don’t mind at all.
3.8/5 |
| 67 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Aerial Tal”
Kate sings with a bird as my heart melts. What a creative and fun lady.
3.9/5 |
| 66 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Oh to Be in Love”
Kate has so many love songs, I wonder if she sings them to her husband in private. Typical lyrics aside, the backup chorus and the strings really bring this song to life and make it feel like a theatrical spectacle. I love when her voice sounds floaty too and even the drums catch my ear. This is just a well written pop song. Maybe it should’ve been a single.
3.9/5 |
| 65 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“An Architect's Dream”
The bongos and strings make this song so calm, like a peaceful summer afternoon. A Sky of Honey in general is about summertime and an painter’s process. The bass is beautiful at the end too. I feel like I should listen to this in the sunshine.
4/5 |
| 64 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Under Ice”
In this song, Kate attempts to give me a heart attack with the intensity driven up to 100. It’s a nightmare about someone trapped under ice, drowning while getting hypothermia. Slow, painful, and terrorized, the violins brush forward. She soon realizes it’s her drowning! It’s surreal, looking at yourself dying while terrified. What the fuck Kate Bush.
4/5 |
| 63 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake”
Her voice is so damn high on this song, like higher than usual. Also get it “heartbrake” because it’s like she’s driving her heart car into love! Creative. And that pickup is an epic chant. She’s a force to be reckoned with! Her encouragement is infectious. Fantastic song!
4/5 |
| 62 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Mrs. Bartolozzi”
She washes and folds clothes while she thinks about her relationship with her husband and how much she loves him. It’s intimate and depressing. There’s an implication that Mrs. Bartolozzi’s husband is dead and that washing his clothes is a coping mechanism for her. I’ve also seen it interpreted as a maid who loves her employer, but that’s far less interesting in my opinion. Also that piano is super pretty.
4.1/5 |
| 61 | | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“Wild Man”
This song is about an encounter with a yeti. The character and her friends cover his footprints to protect him. The guitar has a tone to it that sounds very Eastern, which makes sense because the setting of the lyrics is Tibet. It has this magical feel to it, their need to protect this cryptid from an untimely demise.
4.2/5 |
| 60 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Between a Man and a Woman”
When you’re arguing (in this case with your partner) and some nosey person tries to butt in and it only makes the argument worse. Her anger is palpable and while the music doesn’t really grab me too much, the lyrics have me entranced honestly. Adult contemporary as hell though. I wonder if I’ll appreciate this one even more once I’m middle aged…
4.2/5 |
| 59 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Hello Earth”
This is the big climax of the Ninth Wave and I’ll be honest, while I love it, it’s shown up by most of the rest of the album. It may contain somehow the vaguest lyrics in the suite which leaves what the song’s about open to interpretation. Is she drowning? Is she in space? Does she die? Is she rescued? Overall, the cinematic element make this is pretty damn good song.
4.2/5 |
| 58 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Aerial”
Another buildup Kate Bush that exists mostly as an explosion, but this time it’s the climax to a 42 minute epic suite. The ecstasy filled laughter 3 mins into seems almost insane, and I’m not sure if that was Kate’s intention, but hey… side note: I never realized how many Kate Bush songs had guitar solos in them. God, a 3rd of this 8 min song is solo. Yet again, better in context of the album, than a stand alone.
4.2/5 |
| 57 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“The Man with the Child in His Eyes”
Kate Bush was only 13 when she wrote this song. That alone is impression since it stands out to many great ballads of its time. He’s sensitive and has a strong inner child and she wants to be with him forever. Another love song, but a really specific one that seems to really focus on what Kate specifically likes about her love interests. All set to elegant strings, trumpet, and piano. Also produced by David Gilmour.
4.2/5 |
| 56 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Strange Phenomena”
The piano and organ are so ominous, and they fits the title so well. It’s all about everyday weird instances like bumping into someone you haven’t seen in years whom you were just thinking about the day before. Wanting to reject religion and spirituality, but wanting to know why unusual things happen. It’s a great concept really.
4.2/5 |
| 55 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“The Sensual World”
I feel like Kate Bush likes reminding people how much she likes having sex. Not just any sex, but passionate romantic sex with her boyfriend/husband. The song itself supposedly refers to James Joyce's Ulysses and refers to character Molly’s realization that she loves her husband or something. The atmosphere feels like a dense fog and the bagpipes and keys pop. It’s really a gorgeous song. Oddly, it feels super mature in an adult contemporary way. Take that however you like.
4.2/5 |
| 54 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Love and Anger”
This song’s about a repressed bottled up secret and needing to let it go. The music sounds triumphant as if the secret is coming out and that it somehow makes things better. It kind of reminds me of the idea of â€coming out of the closet.’ The chanting and guitar seem celebratory, it’s kind of weird that this is the 2nd song on the album since it sounds almost like it could be a closer or 2nd to last track on an album.
4.3/5 |
| 53 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Kashka from Baghdad”
A lot of people think this is about a secret gay couple in the Middle East, but Kashka is a woman’s name. I honestly interpret this song as a woman who’s no longer with her husband who found another man. Regardless the focus is mostly on the singer’s voyeurism and her wish to be as happy as the couple. Also the piano is really catchy and it ends quietly, but effectively. One of Lionheart’s better songs for sure.
4.3/5 |
| 52 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“π”
So there’s a lot of recurring themes Kate has. Theatrics, dedications to the dead, romantic passion, and listing things. This is one about the latter. Sure she tries making about some guy who likes math, but we all know it’s because she likes listing things. You can’t fool me Kate! Goofing aside: the keys are awesome on this song and it’s really catchy, so I’ll give it a 3.14! No actually a:
4.3/5 |
| 51 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Hammer Horror”
This song has an epic feel to it. It’s almost like the character’s friend is haunting them. Maybe their friend is dead the singer is having trouble coping with it. This one yet again sounds like it belongs in a play and has a nice double bass in it. Her voice goes deep and is filled with pained emotion. It’s an epic closer, but I don’t seem to love it as much as most people.
4.3/5 |
| 50 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Night of the Swallow”
Build up of this is amazing. The song is about a woman upset that her husband is leaving for war. Her pain knowing that he might not come back. Some of the lyrics sound like the husband trying to comfort her with overconfidence. The end is like an intense jig. She really knows how to bring out the emotions.
4.3/5 |
| 49 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Breathing”
Kate Bush is so weird. This song is about nuclear fallout as experienced by a fetus in the womb. The fetus wants to keep the poison away, but instinct says it’ll die if it does, so it keeps breathing it in. It’s depressing and Kate’s voice sounds so gentle for most of the song until she gasps for air in all of the intensity. The song gets all proggy and operatic at this point. Crazy song, but somehow not even close to my favorite.
4.3/5 |
| 48 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Jig of Life”
Kate Bush has a lot of Celtic influence in her songs and this one goes over the top with it. The Ninth Wave concerns life and death a lot in its lyrics. If the Ninth Wave is one long story about a woman drowning, this is the point where hope kicks in and she fights to live. The jig is her swimming to get out of the water. The violins and drums are so intense and it’s like they represent her adrenaline kicking in as she holds on for dear life. What a roller coaster of an album.
4.4/5 |
| 47 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Blow Away (For Bill)”
Kate likes to sing about dead people in her life a lot and this one is about her lighting director who fell to his death off a scaffold at the age of 21. Both the way she says “blow away” and “please don't thump me, don't bump me, don't dump me back there” is just so aesthetically pleasing. The piano follows her voice personally and is very theatrical. I almost feel like the fun cuteness of the song is ruined knowing about it’s relation Bill’s death, but instead my feelings towards it at now admirable that Kate would write a song honoring him.
4.5/5 |
| 46 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“The Fog”
Now this song is atmospheric as hell. I feel like I’m in a swamp when I hear this. Seriously though, the strings come in at the perfect time. The lyrics seem like a parent teaching a child how to swim, which in turn teaches the child independence. “The water is only waist high. I'll let go of you gently, then you can swim to me.” Yet again, a really unique concept with pretty instrumentation.
4.5/5 |
| 45 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“The Dreaming”
I don’t know what it is about Kate’s terrible Australian accent or the didgeridoo, but this song makes me laugh. It’s about the English colonization of Australian and the mistreatment of the aboriginal people. A psychedelic vocal effect and weird noises make it hard to take this song too seriously honestly, but that’s part of its charm. Kate plays so many different characters on The Dreaming, and this one has to be one of her most out there ones.
4.5/5 |
| 44 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Moments of Pleasure”
This song is about many of the people in her life who has passed. Even Bill who she sang about in “Blow Away (For Bill)” is references. She wants to remember the good times she had with them. While she has other songs about this, this one hits the hardest because she dedicates it to so many people. The strings again are gorgeous. It’s focus on the positives of people’s lives make me think this song would be an excellent choice for a funeral and I seriously mean it.
4.5/5 |
| 43 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“Lily”
The Red Shoes is a nightmare of an album, and not because it’s creepy. But in that string of poor tracks comes a triumphant track and one about angels! Supposedly this song is about the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and the singer is using it to protect herself. The music is kind of 80s pop, but I don’t mind it since the concept is so solid. The song is really cool in a spiritual way and is fairly exciting compared to most of the album.
4.6/5 |
| 42 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Room for the Life”
This song seems to be about women wanting to raise a family, but feeling she isn’t currently able to. The stress and pain of not being able to achieve your goals in a broader sense. It seems to take a position of femininity and womanhood are powerful force. I like the rhythm sticks and the piano. It’s another cheerful song. It’s probably not the kind of song most would put this high, but I have a soft spot for it.
4.6/5 |
| 41 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Coffee Homeground”
Okay, now we’re getting to the songs I absolutely adore. It’s goofy and paranoid and that old jazz style trumpet is honestly lovely. I think it’s about a woman being afraid someone is going to poison her with sweet desserts lol. Seriously, someone needs to take Kate’s more theatrical tracks and make a play out of them. I could see some goofy lady dancing to this in tights. I love any song that paints that vivid of a picture in my head.
4.7/5 |
| 40 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“The Wedding List”
A man named Rudy was murdered on his wedding day and his wife is coming for his killer! An epic tale of revenge set to a hard rock background and (of course) more strings! She’s so expressive, especially when she says “Rudy” and “the wedding list!” Yet again, the song is incredibly goofy in the best way. Although the fact she was pregnant when she committed suicide is kinda fucked...supposedly it’s based on a movie. Kate’s such a geek for media.
4.7/5 |
| 39 | | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“50 Words for Snow”
Remember when I told you that Kate Bush is silly and that she likes counting? Here she counts to 50 with Stephen Fry. Most of the words are made up and include some great nonsense like “aloop'njoompoola” and “shnamistoflopp'n.” I think in a way it’s also a testament to creativity and how many different ways you can express the same idea. The music to it is epic as hell too, especially the drums as if these 50 random words really make a lot to Kate. For that reason, I can’t help but be entertained.
4.7/5 |
| 38 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Symphony in Blue”
This song seems kind of scattered meaning wise. She’s wrestling with nihilism and existentialism and existentialism is winning. But the song is also about sensualism and fate. The music jingles for the most part which is nice and gives a positive vibe to it. Somehow she “blew it” though, so I guess the song doesn’t have a happy ending? Okay, this song actually confuses me, but I love it, so it gets a high score anyway.
4.8/5 |
| 37 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“King of the Mountain”
Supposedly this song is about Elvis Presley -another ode to the dead. More media references come with rosebud from Citizen Kane. I still need to see that movie. The music is chilling and even has wind in the background, which correlates to the lyrics about snow. It’s funny how an album whose second half is all about summer opens with a song set in winter. The bum bum bums in the background throughout the entire song is awesome too. Lovely song.
4.8/5 |
| 36 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Kite”
This song makes me think of a really dense wall of magenta. I think it’s a combination of her voice and the bass, but the song just seems to intensely girly. I think she wants to be the kite and fly carefree, which is a cool concept. Aesthetically this song is sugary sweet and I love it.
4.8/5 |
| 35 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“James and the Cold Gun”
Now this song is huge rocker, and the organ and guitar actually manage to seem as exciting as her voice. Her “ooohs” are lovely too. James goes to war and sees it as an escape from his life which he resents despite all of the praise he gets back home. At least that’s my interpretation. And wow is that ending’s guitar so Pink Floyd, but Gilmour isn’t credited to be on this one… hmmm it sounds straight out of “Dogs.”
4.8/5 |
| 34 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Reaching Out”
Now if any Kate Bush song captures magic, it’s this one! I feel like a fairy is dancing before my eyes when I listen to this, the violin jitters along during the chorus and I feel like I’m on another planet. It’s about a child’s wonderment about the world! Kate has this innocence about her that I can connect to you and tracks like these really bring out my inner child. Plus she holds one hell of a note at the end.
4.8/5 |
| 33 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Remember when I said that Kate’s 80s stuff didn’t sound too 80s stereotypically? I lied, at least a little. The production on this is sooo dated honestly, but I don’t care because the drum machine is so fun and her voice is so passionate. She wants to swap places with her love to see what it’s like in his shoes, so they can get along better. I feel like Kate is probably an excellent wife. She strives to understand her partner and his troubles and wants the same from him. It seems like the relationship in the song is in trouble, but not doomed and she’s trying super hard to save it. Her desperation is amazing and in a way reminds me of PJ Harvey, who often writes about desperate people. Perfect song in a sea of perfect songs.
4.9/5 |
| 32 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“This Woman's Work”
This song is clearly about grieving, and I think it’s about a mother dying. I know Kate’s mother died some time before The Red Shoes, but I’m unsure if she was still alive before The Sensual World came out. Maybe she was on her deathbed? Regardless this song makes me think of having to let go of a parent, which is something I’ve luckily not had to do yet. The music has a fairy like quality to it with twinkly instrumentation that makes it seem almost spiritual. Man this is another song that’d go well at a funeral. Kate, why are you making me sad?
4.9/5 |
| 31 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Somewhere in Between”
Another summer song about pure ecstasy. This song focuses on the evening, in between afternoon and night. The beauty of the day ending. Her voice is so soft and Gary Brooker of Procol Harum sings backups and he sounds wonderful as well. I love how mature this song sounds, Kate Bush really feels like the kind of artist that I’m not just going to feel nostalgic for, but instead the kind I’ll hold a genuine love for for my entire life. It feels like her maturity is genuine without even trying and this song is an expression of that even if not intentional. Also, the guitar has this lovely twang to it just makes me think of when I used to capture fireflies as a kid.
4.9/5 |
| 30 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Them Heavy People”
A song thanking therapists for what they do. Maybe they’re metaphorical therapists too like friends and family who listen to her problems, but I’m unsure. Her voice envelops the entire song, I swear this happens a lot on her first 2 albums, where her voice just fills up so much space that I can barely pay attention to the rest of the music, but at a closer look the music is cheerful and lovely and just adds to the overall texture. Those goofy male backups are great too. This one makes me smile so much.
4.9/5 |
| 29 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Delius (Song of Summer)”
A lot of people disregard this song because the lyrics are so arbitrary, but those people are missing the lovely instrumental. It clicks and jingles and plays around. It’s gorgeous really and hey voice is smooth as hell here. The male voice is goofy too in a great way as well. I feel like this song is from another planet honestly.
4.9/5 |
| 28 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Moving”
The song to open the career of a lifetime. I think this is another song about sex, I mean “you crush the lily in my soul” has to be a euphemism for… you know. The music is epic and piano specifically is haunting. Her voice on The Kick Inside carries this crazy timbre that I just can’t get enough of. I don’t even know how to describe it, but it’s truly at its best here.
5/5 |
| 27 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Bertie”
Artists who write songs about their children automatically gain bonus points. I bet she used to sing this to her son Albert all of the time as a kid. It’s amazing to see that he grew up to tour with her. Honestly, anyone who thinks this song is bad has no soul. The music is medieval too which is pretty cool. “You bring me so much joy and then you bring me more joy.” Adorable perfection. This song makes me want to raise kids someday honestly.
5/5 |
| 26 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“There Goes a Tenner”
Everything about this masterpiece is insane. The thick accent she puts on, the bank robbing theme, her theatrical “uh-ohs.” Seriously, Kate Bush themed play when? The drums and trumpet are urgent and playful. The way she says things like “Okay, remember” and “we got the job sussed” are goofy and awesome. Political unrest that seems timeless comes out in the “remember them? That's when we used to vote for him.” This song is such a crazy fantasy and I love it.
5/5 |
| 25 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Hounds of Love”
The “oooh ooohs” make me think of a howling hound. Another cello heavy song. I think lyrically it’s about being a young adult and not knowing how to be an adult. She wants to find someone to love her and feels lost and alone. It’s honestly pretty relatable at my age of 22. The hounds of love are hunting for a perfect match and they found a fox (a boyfriend?) Kate’s symbolism is awesome. It has such an epic feel to it to like it’s a big turning point in a coming of age movie. “Here I gooooooo.”
5/5 |
| 24 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Joanni”
Clearly this song is about Joan of Arc. The lyrics are simple and honestly not that interesting, however the instrumentation is insane. It’s probably her most electronic song and pulses like trip hop mixed with baroque pop elements. Musically, it has to be one of her most unique pieces and my ears are hooked. I especially love the ending when she does that weird hum thing. It makes me think that if Kate was born 20 years later that she’d still be making amazing music. When I first heard Aerial, this track was often put on repeat.
5/5 |
| 23 | | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“Snowflake”
Albert McIntosh, Kate’s son, opens this song singing as a snowflake falling from the sky. “The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.” Is it a metaphor for how Kate will always be there for her son, no matter what? The piano is slow and repetitive, and so are the lyrics, but it all wraps up to nicely, that it isn’t boring for a single moment.
5/5 |
| 22 | | Kate Bush
The Red Shoes
“The Red Shoes”
With so many bad decisions on The Red Shoes, this song sticks out like a sore thumb. Pretty tinny sounding strings in a Celtic rhythm set to a song about dancing, and damn is this danacable. Based on a fairytale of the same name, it details a girl who can’t take off dancing shoes as a punishment for her selfishness. She has to dance forever. Crazy song honestly. I’m a huge fan of it.
5/5 |
| 21 | | Kate Bush
Lionheart
“Fullhouse”
Is this song about schizophrenia or just about low self esteem? It’s really open to interpretation, but it being about low self esteem is a way more interesting angle. Ever berate yourself harshly for your mistakes, even old ones? You’re worthless, you can’t do anything right, people only pity you, you deserve all that comes to you. If so, you’ve had a full house in your head. But you have to fight the negative thoughts and remember who you really are: a decent person with both weaknesses AND strengths. The guitar and piano are pretty amazing in this song too.
5/5 |
| 20 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Pull Out the Pin”
This song’s goal is to encapsulate the sheer terror of war sung from the perspective of a Vietnamese soldier during the Vietnam war. He’s afraid of Westerners and afraid for his life. I used to detest the “I love life!” part, but it’s so integral to the emotion the sorry carries that it had to grow on me. The bass is amazing here and honestly those strings during the chorus are agonizingly tense. Shout out to the epic backup singers too. Send in the chopper!
5/5 |
| 19 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“The Big Sky”
Kate’s cheerfully singing about clouds makes me think of someone with a strong inner child, which I’ve noticed is a common theme in her music -childhood. The drums in this sound are fun as hell and make me think of someone running around staring at the sky. The refrain has to be one of the happiest things I’ve ever heard.
5/5 |
| 18 | | Kate Bush
The Sensual World
“Deeper Understanding”
I heard that a lot of people find this song corny or dated, but I don’t really look at it like that. If anything, I find it incredibly ahead of its time. It’s about computer addiction and the detachment it causes and it came out in 1989! The music is bassy in a great way on this one too. I love how slow and intimate it is. “Nothing else seemed to matter, I neglected my bodily needs, I did not eat, I did not sleep.” Maybe people who don’t like this one feel personally attacked. My mind is just blown that she came up with this 1 year before the internet even existed.
5/5 |
| 17 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Nocturn”
I feel like this song is has such a familiar melody, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. The bass, strings and piano are great like usual. The song seems to be about escaping the city to enjoy nature and how beautiful and relaxing that can be. Everyone is asleep except for her and her husband, who are sharing an intimate night outing at the beach. I feel like this is more fact than fiction and that Kate and Dan actually did this at one point. Kate’s later love songs seem especially genuinely as though she’s super happily married. Amazing song.
5/5 |
| 16 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Babooshka”
When your marriage sucks and don’t trust your husband, so you pretend to be another woman to see if he cheats and he does. Does he know it’s you in disguise? Either way the glass breaking sounds awesome and symbolizes their relationship breakdown and that rattling instrument makes me think they’re Eastern European even more than the song title, so good work Kate!
5/5 |
| 15 | | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“Misty”
The piano parts on this album are to die for. You might want to think it’s about a woman getting a man to open up emotionally and that him melting is him expressing his inner feelings, but you’re wrong. It’s about a woman fucking a snowman, and you need to get over that fact before you can truly love it. That’s right, Kate’s longest song, with sad ballady piano, is about making love to a magical snowman who dies in her bed because her room is too warm to keep him frozen. What the fuck Kate Bush. I really hope I’m wrong about this.
5/5 |
| 14 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Get Out of My House”
This song’s percussion makes me think of Stomp or something. This song is terrifying on multiple levels. Imagine living alone and coming home to hear a person in your house. Imagine that you’re the house and that someone is trying to understand you when you don’t want them to. It seems like the antithesis of “Leave It Open.” “I will not let you in, I face towards the wind, I change into the Mule.” HEE HAWWW.
5/5 |
| 13 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Violin”
An ode to the violin, Kate’s first learned instrument. She prefers the piano, but isn’t going to forget the violin lessons she took as a kid. What I find weird that the guitar gets even more attention on the song than the violin, but damn that guitar solo is amazing. Her voice is crazy on this song, possible someone of her craziest screaming in general. Music is Kate’s obsession and she isn’t afraid to show it.
5/5 |
| 12 | | Kate Bush
50 Words for Snow
“Lake Tahoe”
This song is about a missing dog who dies and meets his owner in heaven. It’s quite possibly the most depressingly heartwarming song Kate ever wrote. The Gregorian chant like vocals make this song feel spiritual. We all love our pets and would be devastated if anything happened to them. It’s sad enough to lose them to old age, but losing a pet early is so much worse, but it makes me feel good to know he’s happy in some sort of afterlife. I don’t personally believe in the afterlife, but if one does exist, dogs certainly belong there. God damn, I love my dog.
5/5 |
| 11 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Sat in Your Lap”
A song about how you can never know everything, but the more you learn the more you want to know. It’s puzzle you’re not allowed to complete! “Just when I think I'm king, I must admit (I just begin.)” The piano and trumpets are playful and her voice is all over the place and goofy. The backup chants are amazing honestly and so easy to sing along with. Seriously, Kate Bush musical when?
5/5 |
| 10 | | Kate Bush
Never for Ever
“Army Dreamers”
The poor are often pushed into being soldiers in wars that don’t benefit them. This poor Northern Irish boy died at 18-19 fighting some cause he probably didn’t have his heart in. Now he’s sent back to his mother in a box. The Celtic tune is very warm and pretty and the clicking sounds makes me think of the opening of a casket. The sarcastic “Mammy's hero” line is what really seals the deal -how soldiers are gloried for dying for what seems like a ridiculous reason. It’s a perfect war protest song really.
5/5 |
| 9 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Suspended in Gaffa”
The clicking part of the instrument makes me think of the inside of a clock for some reason and Kate’s voice goes from awkward to angelic. The strings are triumphant. “Gaffa” is actually Kate’s weird way of saying gaffer tape. She feels caught in tape because she can’t move when she sees the face of God. It’s truly a mesmerizing concept.
5/5 |
| 8 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Mother Stands for Comfort”
The bass is so melancholy on this song and that theremin type sound is so creepy. The drums and glass breaking seems really sinister too. The song is about a mother who loves her son so much that she’ll protect him to matter what he does, even if he murders people. On a larger scale, it could be applied to any protective figure shielding a bad person from prosecution even if it’s deserved. Mother in this case is an enabler, but she doesn’t care. What a wickedly good concept.
5/5 |
| 7 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Watching You Without Me”
This song seems to be about detachment from reality. Possibly even an out of body experience. As part of The Ninth Wave, it’s related to drowning, so here the character is trying to forget she’s drowning and go inside her head. I love how the bass sounds and the way her voice back masks and later glitches is subtle in its weirdness. It changes so much in the span of 4 minutes, yet it’s all seamless.
5/5 |
| 6 | | Kate Bush
Aerial
“Sunset”
Okay, so I’ve brought up beautiful bass tones a few times before, but here it’s hands down at its best. The pickup’s flamenco style is so exciting and warm and I just can’t help, but adore it. For me, this is the most amazing part of Aerial. The meaning here is super simple, it’s about a sunset during the summer. Just imagine a honey-yellow sunset.
5/5 |
| 5 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Waking the Witch”
The long “wake up” montage is humorous, but also pretty weird, but then it gets weirder. Glitchy vocals, discordant vocals, demon vocals. When she glitches while saying “Listen, baby, help me, baby! Help me, help me! Listen to me, talk to me!' it literally sounds like she’s drowning and the clamoring of “Guilty, guilty, guilty!” is nerve-wracking. This song is honestly a clusterfuck, but I believe it’s related to witchcraft and that despite certain doom, this somehow helps the character in the song survive the drowning. The hell if I actually know though.
5/5 |
| 4 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“Cloudbusting”
A song about psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich and how he was arrested. Reich invented a device called a cloudbuster that he believed manipulated energy to make rain (although seen in modern times as pseudoscience.) It’s sung from his son Peter’s perspective and his coming of age. The double entender of “sun/son” “coming out” is really neat since it refers to both his father’s weather machine and his maturity. The strings command the listener's attention and the drums are pretty bombastic. One of Kate’s best and a fan favorite.
5/5 |
| 3 | | Kate Bush
The Kick Inside
“Wuthering Heights”
Kate and her literary references are super obvious here. This song is about the famous book of the same name. Kate’s name is actually short for Catherine, just like Cathy in the song, so maybe she sees a parallel between the two of them. This was the first Kate Bush song I fell in love with and the reason I checked out her work and for that reason, this will always be one of my favorites. The twinkliness of the piano, the guitar solo, the strings, the bells and the rhythm stick all creative such a lush atmosphere. Also the voice pattern change when she says “Too long I roam in the night, I'm coming back to his side, to put it right” is genius and spices the song up so well.
5/5 |
| 2 | | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
“The Morning Fog”
The closer to The Ninth Wave is honestly pretty under appreciated. The guitar tone is quite possibly one of the most beautiful things ever. It’s like everything after “And Dream of Sheep” was just a dream and that she’s waking up to realize she was never drowning and that it was only her mind running while she was asleep, but because her dream made her feel so many scary emotions, that she has a new found appreciation for life and her family. She can be so pure sometimes, I swear.
5/5 |
| 1 | | Kate Bush
The Dreaming
“Leave It Open”
This song is about how as kids we’re ourselves in the public until we’re emotionally harmed, then we bottle ourselves up. Kate in this song is learning to open back up and be her weird self despite her past. With stomps, claps, a psychedelic vocal effect, villainous backup vocals, backmasking and cries of pain, she forces herself to leave herself open. It’s so relatable when you feel like you’ll be judged for being yourself, that others will harm you (mostly with words.) The message is very personal for Kate, and that’s what makes it so beautiful. She had to leave herself open to even who she is today, so with all of her love songs, this one seems like a love song to herself.
5/5 |
|
