The one song Stevie Nicks has always been afraid to record: “That song I really loved”

Posted On November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

There are a few words saved for the talents of Stevie Nicks. She is a fearless performer and a confessional songwriter who has lived the majority of her life under the microscope. One other such set of words would be “Double Rock and Roll Hall of Famer”.

The truth is, there isn’t much one would expect Nicks to be cautious of creating, but there remains one track that feels too scary for her to attempt to record.

In 1978, punk was growling like an angry beast, but this new wave needed a poppy tonic to serve as a counterbalance. While critics might have lambasted Kate Bush as she broke onto the scene, too dazzled by the sideswipe of punk to recognise that two trends can pop up concurrently, John Lydon saw Bush’s art as a beautifully singular contrast, remarking: “Kate Bush and her grand piano, that is like John Wayne in his saddle. Thank you”.

At the time, Stevie Nicks’ world was also being turned upside down by the sudden fame that Rumours afforded in spades. The record-breaking Fleetwood Mac album proved that the public appetite for pop melodies and a bit of ethereal bravado was still strong. And at the time, Nicks fell head over heels in love with Bush’s bold femininity.

Fleetwood Mac even extended an offer to Bush to support them on tour, but that never came to pass. Nevertheless, Nicks continued to admire the young British phenom from afar and adored ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’ in particular. When she appeared on the BBC’s Tracks of My Years, Nicks eulogised the impact of Bush and her muted desire to tackle her favourite anthem: “That song I really loved because, what a great writer she is, and ‘Running Up That Hill’ was one of those songs that, when I first heard it, I went, ‘Oh I wanna record that song someday’.“

She continued: “As writers, we do that whenever a song comes on the radio that we love, we say, ‘Oh, I wanna record it and reinterpret it.’ Every once in a while, we do it, but you finally smarten up and go, ‘I can’t really do that song better than Kate Bush did, so I’m not gonna do it.’ Because if you can’t outdo her, then don’t bother”.

However, it wasn’t just the hits she was writing that Nicks loved about Bush; she felt empowered by her bold singularity, too. Nicks continued: “And I just really loved her because she was a woman songwriter, and she was really standing out from the fray… a real serious writer who could compare with any of the guys. And then you’d see her in her videos, she’s kind of like a ninja. So she was tough, and yet she was a beautiful dancer. And she wrote beautiful songs. She wrote interesting, on-the-edge songs. As a writer, I really respected her because of that.”

There is also a notable kinship in their work. Both artists relish an exultant escapism. As Nicks said when accepting a songwriting award in 2001: “I decided to try to make little worlds for you guys to come with me into for a little while.“ The joyous individuality of Bush helped to inspire her on this bold path.

This is continuing to be an inspiration to this day, as Katy J Pearson recently told us regarding her hero-worship of Bush and her recent resurgence: “I think it’s great that the younger generation are discovering these things“. Happily concluding: “She is truly just the best.“

Kate Bush helped to create a world in which female songwriters can feel free to walk down whatever path they feel free enough to do so. That path can be gilded with roses or thorns, can be of one’s own creation or a reflection of the world around. That path can be just about anything you want to be. But one thing is for sure: just because Bush has run up that hill, it doesn’t mean everyone will, or can, follow in the exact same way.

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