Edel Coffey: As Kate Bush reached number one, I felt the urge to play my guitar again

Seeing just how remarkable it is for an older woman to have a number-one hit got me thinking about the fact that sometimes it can feel like we are expected to give up our youthful pursuits after a certain age

Edel Coffey. Photo: Ray Ryan

So Kate Bush is number one again at the age of 63 with her 1985 hit ‘Running Up That Hill’. The song has hit the top of the charts 37 years after its release thanks to being featured in the Netflix hit show Stranger Things.

I wouldn’t ordinarily think the age of an artist is relevant to their achievements, but in this instance, Bush has broken a record. She is now officially the oldest female artist ever to have had a number one hit in Britain. The title was previously held by Cher who was the grand old age of 52 when her song ‘Believe’ topped the charts back in 1998. Cher tweeted to congratulate Kate, saying: “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.”