Ranking All the Kate Bush Studio Albums
Kate Bush is a singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, and record producer who was born in Kent, England, on July 30. 1958. She began her career in the music industry in 1975. Before recording professionally, Bush’s family helped her to create a demo tape of 50 songs she had composed. Although record labels turned her down, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour was impressed, and he helped her to record a more professional demo tape. Bush’s first two albums were co-produced by Gilmour’s friend, Andy Powell. She was then signed to EMI by Terry Slater. During her career, Kate Bush went on to record ten studio albums, one compilation album, four EPs, and 33 singles. Here are all the Kate Bush studio albums ranked.
10. Lionheart (1978)
‘Lionheart’ was Kate Bush’s second studio album, and it was not as popular or commercially successful as its predecessor. However, it reached number six on the album charts in the UK. Bush later claimed that she was unhappy with the album as there were so many restrictions put on it, and she felt it was recorded and produced too quickly. After this album, she produced all her own albums.
9. Director’s Cut (2011)
‘Director’s Cut’ was Bush’s penultimate album and the first she released on her own label, Fish People. The album peaked at number two on the UK album chart. It is Bush’s only album to include no new material, as it consists of tracks from the albums ‘The Sensual World’ and ‘The Red Shoes.’ Bush released this album after not releasing any music for six years.
8. The Red Shoes (1993)
Bush’s seventh studio album was ‘The Red Shoes,’ which was released in 1993. It was most successful in the UK, where it reached number two on the album charts. ‘The Red Shoes’ was Bush’s most successful album in the United States, peaking at number 28 on the charts. Kate Bush was inspired by the 1948 film ‘The Red Shoes’. In addition to the title single, the other singles released from this album were ‘Rubberband Girl,’ ‘Moments of Pleasure,’ ‘Eat the Music,’ and ‘And So Is Love.’
7. Never for Ever (1980)
The first time Kate Bush topped the album charts in the UK was with ‘Never for Ever,’ which also topped the charts in France and was a top ten hit in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. It features the singles ‘Breathing,’ ‘Babooshka,’ and ‘Army Dreamers,’ all of which were top 20 hits. Kate Bush and Jon Kelly co-produced the album.
6. The Kick Inside (1982)
Bush’s debut album was ‘The Kick Inside,’ and it features the song for which Bush is probably best known, ‘Wuthering Heights,’ which was a number one hit in several countries, including the UK. The other singles released from this album were ‘Moving,’ ‘Them Heavy People,’ ‘The Man with the Child in His Eyes,’ and ‘Strange Phenomena.’ It became clear from the music on this album that Bush used cinematic and literary influences when writing her music.
5. The Dreaming (1982)
‘The Dreaming’ reached number three on the UK album chart, and it was a top ten hit on France and the Netherlands. It was Bush’s fourth studio album, and it features the singles ‘Sat in Your Lap,’ ‘The Dreaming,’ ‘There Goes a Tenner,’ ‘Suspended in Gaffa,’ and ‘Night of the Swallow.’ Artists such as Big Boi and Bjork have described ‘The Dreaming’ as one of their favorite albums of all time.
4. 50 Words for Snow (2011)
Kate Bush’s final album, and the second she had released in 2011, was ’50 Words for Snow.’ It was the second album she released on her own label, Fish People. There are seven tracks on the album, all of which are set against the sound of falling snow. Only one single, ‘Wild Man,’ was released from the album. Bush’s inspiration for the album was the Eskimo, who have 50 words for snow, and she started adding her own unique words and phrases into the songs to represent snow. All the songs feature Bush playing the piano in a jazz style and Steve Gadd on the drums.
3. The Sensual World (1989)
‘The Sensual World’ peaked at number two on the UK album chart, and it was a top ten hit in the Netherlands. From this album, Bush released the singles ‘The Sensual World,’ ‘This Woman’s Work,’ and ‘Love and Anger.’ Three of the tracks on the album feature the backing vocals of the Bulgarian vocal ensemble Trio Bulgarka. The album was originally released as an LP with ‘This Woman’s Work as the last track. It was then released as a CD with the addition of the track ‘Walk Straight Down the Middle.’
2. Aerial (2005)
‘Aerial’ is Kate Bush’s eighth studio album, and it was a top ten album in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Bush only released one single, ‘King of the Mountain,’ from this album. ‘King of the Mountain’ is about her son Bertie, and she performs the song against a backing of period instruments. The album was released in two parts, with the first disc having the subtitle ‘A Sea of Honey’ and the second disc being called ‘A Sky of Honey.’
1. Hounds of Love (1985)
According to Far Out Magazine, the best Kate Bush album is ‘Hounds of Love.’ It was Bush’s fifth studio album and her second to top the album charts in the UK, and it also topped the charts in the Netherlands. This album was released three years after her fourth studio album, and the gap gave Bush the time to write some of her most powerful songs. The opening track on the album is ‘Running Up That Hill,’ which was released as the lead single. ‘Hounds of Love,’ the title track, was also released as a single. The other two singles from the album were ‘Cloudbusting’ and ‘The Big Sky.’
