So let me take y’all back real quick.
Before Stranger Things made it viral again…
Before TikTok flooded the feed with emotional edits…
There was a WWE promo package — Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels — that changed my life.
That’s where I first heard Placebo’s version of “Running Up That Hill”.
I didn’t even know it was a cover. I just knew it was dark, emotional, powerful — everything a wrestling promo should feel like. It hit like a truck.
🎧 Placebo – Running Up That Hill
Later on, I discovered the original by Kate Bush — released way back in 1985 — and no doubt, it’s iconic. Ethereal. Beautifully strange. And thanks to Stranger Things, it got the spotlight it always deserved.
🎧 Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
🔁 Two Versions, Two Different Worlds
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Kate Bush’s version feels like floating through a dream — haunting in a spiritual, almost mystical way.
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Placebo’s version is heavier, darker, more tortured — it pulls you into the abyss emotionally.
And maybe it’s because I grew up on WWE, but Placebo’s cover just hits harder for me. It’s linked to a time when wrestling promos felt like cinematic storytelling. That match — Taker vs HBK — legendary. The song? Just as legendary.
🎤 Credit Where It’s Due
Both are absolute bangers, no doubt.
Two completely different interpretations of the same message. That’s the magic of music — same lyrics, different feeling.
So shoutout to Kate Bush for creating it.
Shoutout to Placebo for reinventing it.
Shoutout to WWE for introducing kids like me to hidden gems through pure emotion.
💭 Final Take
If I had to choose: I’m sticking with the Placebo version.
But I respect both for what they are.
Because no matter which one you play — you’re gonna feel something.
What about you?
Which version do you run up the hill with?