The artist Kate Bush described as her “big inspiration”
Over 40 years have passed since Kate Bush became the first woman to achieve a number one single with a self-written song, and artists are still desperately trying to emulate her ethereal sound today. Pairing impressive vocal control with swirling synths and literary lyricism, she created a truly timeless sound and forged art-pop as we know it. In the process, she inspired countless others with her work.
From Sharon Van Etten to Radiohead to St. Vincent, the influence of Bush’s innovative approach to melody and performance can still be found across the creations of contemporary art-rockers. London Grammar vocalist Hannah Reid cited Bush as a direct influence on her belief in her own vocals, while Björk has openly shared her love and admiration for her avant-garde elder. Her influence is wide-spanning.
But before Bush became a source of inspiration for budding singers and synth enthusiasts, before she made history in the charts and carved out a unique place for herself in music history, she was guided by the shimmering pop movements of her sunglasses-loving predecessor, Elton John. Though her sound would veer into slightly more experimental territory than John’s, she has cited him as a formative influence on her, particularly for his piano prowess.
“I’ve been a fan since I was a girl,” Bush once told Music Mag, “My biggest dream was to be able to play the piano like he does.” When she grew up and began making her own music, the piano became Bush’s instrument of choice. This was rare in the late 1970s, a time when rockers like Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac were winning over audiences far and wide with their guitar tunes, so Bush felt a connection to John due to their shared love for the keys.
“Again, when I first started writing songs, Elton was my big inspiration,” she remembered. “At that time most well-known musicians were guitar-based writers, so as a pianist I related to Elton.” Bush also stood out for her singing voice, which was faithful to her English accent, providing her with another connection to John’s style.
Though her music didn’t necessarily sound like John’s, his early influence bled into her melodic piano playing and perhaps into her distinctive fashion choices, too. Bolstered by John’s success behind the piano, Bush pushed pop into more experimental realms, pulling in strange synths and wandering vocal lines while still maintaining that catchiness that would endear her to the masses. In the image of John, she became one of the most important figures in pop.
She became so influential, in fact, that she would even get to work with the man she had once looked up to. In the early 1990s, she was recruited by John and his creative partner Bernie Taupin to contribute to a tribute album titled Two Rooms. She provided them with a reggae-infused take on ‘Rocket Man’, staying true to her unpredictable nature.
Two decades later, Bush found herself in the studio with the ‘Rocket Man’ himself, working on her tenth record, 50 Words for Snow. The record’s fifth tune, ‘Snowed In at Wheeler Street’, featured the legendary popstar on vocals in an experience Bush described as “special”. Bush had achieved something most budding songwriters only dream of achieving. She had earned the admiration of John, joined him as pop royalty, and turned one of her biggest inspirations into a close collaborator.
