15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb

Reading Time: 16 min read

15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb features Alec Benjamin, Kate Bush, Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, The Weeknd, and YUNGBLUD.

Previously, we’ve published playlists on assorted landforms. Now, it’s time to give HILLS some love! That’s right, in this compendium, we proudly unveil 🎧 15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb. This playlist follows up a miniature list, Hill: 3BOPS No. 33 (2021).

🎧 15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb features music courtesy of 🎙 Alec Benjamin, 🎙 Kate Bush, 🎙 Kendrick Lamar, 🎙 Lauryn Hill, 🎙 The Weeknd, and 🎙 YUNGBLUD among others. Keeping things eclectic, we have pop, dance, rap, R&B, and alternative in the mix among the five featured artists alone! The men dominate this list, but we have a commanding female lead starting things off and another commanding female closing things out! So, prepare to climb musically on 🎧 15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb!

1. Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”

💿 Hounds of Love • 🏷 Noble & Brite Ltd • 🗓 1985

“Do you wanna know, know that it doesn’t hurt me? / Do you wanna hear about the deal I’m making?” Those lyrics hail from 🎵 “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”, the biggest hit from 🎙 Kate Bush. “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” experienced moderate success in the mid-80s, as the promo single from Bush’s 1985 album, 💿 Hounds of Love. That said, the opener received greater success in 2022 thanks to being featured in the fourth season of the beloved Netflix series, 📺 Stranger Things. In the United States, “Running Up That Hill” ascended up the Billboard Hot 100, eventually reaching the top five! Furthermore, Hounds of Love enjoyed new success on the Billboard 200.

The opener from Hounds of Love is idiomatic of the 1980s to the core! Nostalgic synths and pads stand out, as does the drum groove. Those drums pummel consistently, creating an intense soundtrack that matches the lyrics and overall aesthetic. Bush serves up a compelling vocal performance, exhibiting poise at times, but also digging in when things grow more intense. As this 80s classic progresses, we get additional rhythm (via rhythmic guitar), additional, vintage, boxy drums, and additional bite from Bush. And what about this deal she references in the first verse? Well, the chorus shed some light:

“And if I only could

I’d make a deal with God

And I’d get him to swap our places

Be runnin’ up that road

Be runnin’ up that hill

Be runnin’ up that buildin’

Say, If I only could, oh.”

Woo! I don’t think such deals go down, but give Kate Bush credit for trying, I suppose. The lyrics are incredibly captivating, including the likes of “Unaware, I’m tearin’ you asunder / Oh, there is thunder in our hearts.” Like, BOOM! 🎵 “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” is a prime example of a record being “old, but still lit!” It’s amazing this 1980s gem from Kate Bush unexpectedly found new life and relevance in 2022. Also, this is a tale to never give up on a song, ever, even if it doesn’t instantly ignite the charts. It took nearly 37 years for “Running Up That Hill” to receive just due in the US, haha.

Appears in 🔻:

2. Kendrick Lamar, “Silent Hill” (Ft. Kodak Black)

💿 Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers • 🏷 Aftermath / Interscope / pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment • 🗓 2022

“Head up, chest out / Silence, I’m stressed out / Shh, be quiet, I’m stressed out.” Ah, far too often we are forced to suppress and cope in other ways. 🎵 “Silent Hill” explores this to an extent. In the context of 💿 Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the long-awaited return of 🏆 Grammy/Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, 🎙 Kendrick Lamar, “Silent Hill” marks the third 🎙 Kodak Black appearance (“In the studio with K. Dot fresh out the feds / Yeah, you niggas can’t stand the rain, you niggas don’t stand a chance”). It should come as no surprise that Black is (1) controversial and (2) his appearance on a Kendrick Lamar album is controversial. Nonetheless, in his third appearance, Kodak and Kendrick collaborate – his biggest role on the album.

“Push these niggas off me like, ‘Huh’

Push these bitches off me like, ‘Huh’

Pushin’ the snakes, I’m pushin’ the fakes

I’m pushin’ ‘em all off me like, ‘Huh’

Pushin’ ‘em all off me like, ‘Huh’.”

To be fair, most of “Silent Hill” finds Kendrick Lamar holding it down, including the chorus excerpted above 🔥. Has there ever been a time that Lamar needs someone to collaborate with him to elevate his game? HELL NAW! Black does, however, drop the second verse on this trap-oriented joint (“Beat the dope with a fork, I’m whippin’ up Sudafed, I’m doin’ scams in the lab”). Naturally, that’s a fit for Kodak. Besides cold, raw, violent references and materialism, both rappers address life.

3. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges, “Chocolate Hills”

💿 Texas Moon (EP) • 🏷 Dead Oceans / LisaSawyer63, Inc. / Columbia • 📅 2022

🎙 Khruangbin and the 🏆 Grammy-winning, Houston R&B artist 🎙 Leon Bridges joined forces in 2022 for an EP, 💿 Texas Moon. A highlight from the EP is the silky smooth 🎵 “Chocolate Hills.” Woo – sounds decadent! It’s safe to say that Khruangbin provides a marvelous instrumental for Bridges to paint his soulful, throwback vocals on. It’s worth noting that the music video is quite a sight to behold.

“I love the way you spend your time runnin’ through your fields / The way we play in your chocolate hills.” Hmm, those lyrics don’t sound so innocent Mr. Bridges! Chocolate hills, huh? He continues in the chorus, “Please stay forever, just stay forever / It feel like heaven, woah, kissin’ on your rose / Kissin’ on your rose-colored lips.” Clearly, “Chocolate Hills” is sexually driven. Also, before he clarified about those kissin’ on your rose-colored lips, it seemed Bridges was being even more naughty 😈… We’ll leave it at that.

4. The Weeknd, “The Hills”

💿 Beauty Behind the Madness • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2015

“I only love it when you touch me, not feel me / When I’m fucked up, that’s the real me…” Woo, woo, WOO! 🏆 Grammy winning Canadian R&B artist 🎙 The Weeknd had everybody on board with his 2015 album, 💿 Beauty Behind the Madness, which was chocked-full of hits. That said, Beauty Behind the Madness isn’t a clean, family friendly album in the least. A prime example of a huge hit being a bit edgy is the f-bomb laden, yet irresistible, dramatic slow jam, 🎵 “The Hills.”

In 2015, everybody was singing that glorious chorus, which commences with the lyrics, “I only call you when it’s half past five.” Besides the memorable chorus, there were a number of reasons why this record shined. First and foremost, the distinct, beautiful vocals by The Weeknd. As always, he sings with great expression, truly selling the lyrics. Also, the lyrics – well – they’re pretty strong, delivering a pretty compelling narrative (“Drivin’ through the gated residential / Found out I was comin’, sent your friends home / Keep on tryna hide it, but your friends know”). Throw in elite production work (🎛 Illangelo and 🎛 Mano) and a tuneful melody to match those notable lyrics, and “The Hills” literally has ‘hit’ written all over it.

“Hills have eyes, the hills have eyes

Who are you to judge? Who are you to judge?

Hide your lies, girl, hide your lies

Only you to trust, only you.”

Appears in 🔻:

5. Alec Benjamin, “Hill I will Die On”

💿 **(Un)Commentary • 🏷 Elektra • 📅 2022**

“Guess this is the hill I will die on / I woke up this morning, put my suit and tie on / Walked down to the bus that I ride on / The air felt so still, I guess this is the hill.” 🎙 Alec Benjamin has a way with his pen – an understatement. Alongside 🎼✍ Sacha Skarbek, he pens a brilliant song, 🎵 “Hill I will Die On,” that describes the happenings in the world and uses a classic metaphor. In the sixth track from his 2022 album, 💿 (Un)Commentary, Benjamin delivers a relatively light approach when it comes to vocals. His boyish tone continues to impress and please the ears. That said, there’s nothing light about the things he sings about – it’s incredibly thought-provoking.

“Some have fought battles in fields full of cattle

… Some men just want to be

Free from oppression …

… Some have fought battles from desks in Seattle…”

Everyone has different means of fighting for various things, something Alec references throughout “Hill I will Die On.” In the second verse, he kills it with the lyrics, “Some fight with rifles and some use the Bible.” As for him, he hopes after he’s gone – especially considering “this is the hill I will die on” – he’s still loved.

6. YUNGBLUD, “it’s quiet in beverly hills”

💿 weird! • 🏷 Locomotion Recordings Limited / Interscope • 📅 2020

“I sat inside a goldfish tank / Where people fix themselves with rubber bands / I don’t want them to believe that I am different,” 🎙 YUNGBLUD (Dominic Harrison) sings in 🎵 “it’s quiet in beverly hills.” “It’s quiet in beverly hills” appears as the penultimate track on the Gen-Z musician’s sophomore album, 💿 weird! (2020). Compared to other songs he’s released this record is more reflective and less in your face. That doesn’t mean Harrison isn’t profane (he drops an f-bomb) or as honest as he’s always been.=

With people trying to atone for their own issues with questionable means, YUNGBLUD has his own issues to cope with. He references suicidal thoughts, something he confirmed when commentating about “it’s quiet in beverly hills.” After previously praising California, Harrison, who is originally from Doncaster in the UK, changes his tune: “It’s quiet in Beverly Hills / I’m dying in Beverly Hills.” Despite his own issues – “And therapy told me my blood was orange” – Harrison makes it clear in the chorus he has mad love for his fans:

“I’ll love you all of my life

Until you close your eyes for good

I’ll love you all of my life, all of my life

All of my life, all of my life.”

7. Cheat Codes, “No Service in the Hills” (Ft. Trippie Redd, blackbear & PRINCE$$ ROSIE)

🎵 “No Service in the Hills” • 🏷 Too Easy / 300 Entertainment • 📅 2020

Los Angeles, California production team 🎙 Cheat Codes (🎙 Trevor Dahl, 🎙 Kevin Ford, and 🎙 Matthew Russell) know how to assemble a B-O-P. They shine on their 2020 bop, 🎵 “No Service in the Hills” featuring a star-studded cast including 🎙 Trippie Redd, 🎙 Blackbear, and 🎙 PRINCE$$ ROSIE. “No Service in the Hills” is short, but there’s plenty to like. The production (🎛 Jonas Jeberg and Dahl) is on-point. The next big win is the chorus, performed mostly by blackbear, with some ad-libs courtesy of Trippie Redd.

Blackbear’s unique vocals are perfect to carry the infectious, memorable chorus:

“It’s no service in the hills

I can’t hit you back, you gon’ have to chill

Tryna make another mil’

I just can’t relax, I might take a pill

I’ve been way up, got my bread up

Talkin’ like you hungry, bitch, I’m fed up, yeah

It’s no service in the hills

I can’t hit you back, you gon’ have to chill.”

Of course, those hills are Beverly Hills in Cali. Other notable happenings include a #WOKE first verse by PRINCEE$$ ROSIE, referencing Tom Ford, Tom Cruise, and Henny. Trippie Redd, meanwhile, gets his biggest contributions on the second verse, mentioning spending time “With a bad bitch, flirting in the hills,” threatening to “Commit murder in the hills,” and honestly, all things about – wait for it – THE HILLS.

Appears in 🔽:

8. Isaac Dunbar, “woman on the hills”

💿 Balloons don’t float here • 🏷 Isaac Dunbar • 📅 2019

“Don’t turn your back when you’re near / The woman on the hills / Taking photographs of you / Taking ahold of you.” 🎙 Isaac Dunbar intrigues on 🎵 “Woman on the Hills,” which appears as the second track on his 2019, eight-song project, 💿 balloons don’t float here. Dunbar wrote and produced “Woman on the Hills” – impressive for a teenager.

The lyrics hail from the chorus, which continues as follows:

“Don’t laugh or craft when you’re near

The woman on the hills

She needs more from you

She needs less of you.”

Sigh. Of “Woman on the Hills,” Dunbar told Apple Music that “‘The woman on the hills’ is a metaphor for Hollywood in a sense – someone who might want to change you for their own benefit. For me, it kind of has to do with the music industry, but it can apply to you.” The music industry side seems to seep through the lyrics from the second half of the brief second verse:

“She found me and tore me apart

And told me for the millionth time.”

Of course, both verses lead to a very telling section, the pre-chorus, where ‘the woman on the hills’ (fame), urges him “Take the whole world by the throat / Boy, you have something no one else has got…” Vocally, Dunbar sounds great.

Appears in 🔻:

9. Swae Lee, “Heartbreak in Encino Hills”

💿 SR3MM • 🏷 Eardruma / Interscope • 📅 2018

Rae Sremmurd, SR3MM

“I’m the one that won’t know how it feels / But I think we both know how it feels / Gotta make it so hot like fire drills / And took a ride ‘cause I spent cash on them wheels.” Okay… 💿 SR3MM, the 2018 triple album from 🎙 Rae Sremmurd (🎙 Swae Lee and 🎙 Slim Jxmmi), has its share of hits, but ends up being too long. The Mississippi-bred hip-hop brother duo drop 27 tracks and 101 minutes’ worth of music! While at times SR3MM suffers from a lack of inspiration and variance, there are some bright spots.

The record at hand, 🎵 “Heartbreak in Encino Hills,” appears on the second disc of the project, 💿 Swaecation, the Swae Lee solo portion of SR3MM which embraces mellower vibes. In the context of Swaecation, “Heartbreak in Encino Hills” continues the vibes of 🎵 “Touchscreen Navigation”. While the record is a bit repetitive in production and lyrical content, Lee still delivers a joint with a nice – wait for it – VIBE.

“Off the drink, baby, I’m a wreck, yeah
In the backseat, when I get the neck, yeah
Got me runnin’ to you for some sex, yeah
But for one night, don’t know how to feel
About a heartbreak story in Encino Hills.”

Appears in 🔻:

13 Songs That Address Matters of the Heart

10. Ed Sheeran, “Castle on the Hill”

💿 **÷ (Divide) • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2017**

“And I miss the way you make me feel, and it’s real / We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill.” 🎵 “Castle on the Hill” is one of the best songs from 💿 Divide, the third studio album by 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Ed Sheeran. The record embraces a singer-songwriter, pop/rock sound.

Sheeran, who co-writes with 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Benny Blanco, superbly constructs a narrative and autobiographical approach, particularly on the verses:

“When I was six years old, I broke my leg

I was running from my brother and his friends

And taste the sweet perfume of the mountain grass I rolled down

I was younger then, take me back to when I…”

The chorus – excerpted at the top – is the selling point, as he delivers enthusiastic, energetic vocals. Beyond thoughtfully composed verses and chorus, the bridge is also incredibly strong.

“One friend left to sell clothes

One works down by the coast

One had two kids but lives alone

One’s brother overdosed

One’s already on his second wife

One’s just barely getting by

But these people raised me

And I can’t wait to go home.”

Appears in 🔻:

11. Russ, “Cherry Hill”

💿 There’s Really a Wolf • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2017

“Feelin’ lonely in this room since I was 17 / Thought this bottle was supposed to drown my memory / But I’m still swimmin’ in your vision and it’s temptin’ me…” 🎵 “Cherry Hill” is one of the more intriguing moments from 💿 There’s Really a Wolf, the debut album from do-it-all musician, 🎙 Russ. In the context of There’s Really a Wolf, “Cherry Hill” marks the first time that the rapper exclusively sings. The record has more of an experimental vibe.

“Maybe I’m a fool

Maybe I’m fool for you.”

Also, worth noting, “Cherry Hill” slackens the pace on There’s Really a Wolf and eschews profanity. An element of romance rears its head throughout. That romance is directed toward music and, you guessed it, women.

“We should have been

What we said

When we were

At the top of Cherry Hill.”

Appears in 🔻:

12. Coldplay, “Violet Hill”

💿 Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends • 🏷 Parlophone • 📅 2008

“Was a long and dark December / When the banks became cathedrals / And a fox became God…” Say what? Anyways, damn, it has to suck to ‘play second fiddle!’ What do I mean exactly? Well, the biggest song on 💿 Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, the excellent, 2008 studio album by 🎙 Coldplay was 🎵 “Viva La Vida”. Don’t get me wrong, the former no. 1 hit is a terrific song – epic! That said, 🎵 “Violet Hill” has a legitimate argument as the crowning achievement from, in my humble opinion, 🎙 Chris Martin and company’s last elite album.

“Violet Hill” is a striking record. It sounds different compared to other Coldplay songs – distinct. Sure, the band has recorded songs in a minor key previously, but this one ‘hits different.’ Part of the reason is owed to the timbre of the guitars, which are used prominently. The guitar solo is also sweet. Of course, as always, Chris Martin is a beast, wowing with his compelling voice, particularly that falsetto. The best part of the song lyrically? While the verses are marvelous (as excerpted), the chorus is the most memorable, of course: “If you love me, won’t you let me know?” The 🏆 Grammy-winning band shined on this one.

Appears in 🔻:

13. Tauren Wells, “Hills and Valleys (The Valleys Version)”

💿 Hills and Valleys (Deluxe Edition) • 🏷 Provident Label Group / Sony • 📅 2017

“You’re God of the hills and valleys.” Yes! So true, 🎙 Tauren Wells, so true! The Christian pop/R&B singer delivers a moving, thoughtful record with 🎵 “Hills and Valleys (The Valleys Version)”.The Valleys Version appears only on 💿 Hills and Valleys (Deluxe Edition), released in 2017. Against a warm backdrop, including piano and strings, Wells testifies to God’s goodness: “I’ve walked among the shadows / You wiped my tears away /… And I have held your blessings / God, you give and take away.” In good times and bad times, Wells trusts The Most High.

Throughout, Wells compels with his light, beautiful tenor. His upper register is incredible. “Hills and Valleys” is stunning melodically, particularly in the chorus. It’s here that Tauren asserts:

“On the mountains, I will bow my life

To the One who set me there

In the valley, I will lift my eyes

To the One who sees me there

When I’m standing on the mountain

I didn’t get there on my own

When I’m walking through the valley

I know I am not alone!”

Wells vows to praise him any and everywhere. His relationship is one that no matter what happens, he knows God is on his side. That, my friends, is an awesome message. Also, shout out the energetic bridge that provides some separation from other sections of this winning Christian record.

Appears in 🔻:

Tauren Wells, “Hills and Valleys”: Sunday Refresh 🙏 20 (2022)

14. Weezer, “Beverly Hills”

💿 Make Believe • 🏷 Geffen • 📅 2005

“Beverly Hills, that’s where I want to be / … Livin’ in Beverly Hills.” Woo! So, what was the best moment of 💿 Make Believe, the 2005 album by 🎙 Weezer? Why it’s none other than the collective’s pop hit, 🎵 “Beverly Hills.” It’s safe to say that 🎙 Rivers Cuomo was ‘on’ on this no. 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Yes, that’s the highest peak the band has ever achieved on the pop charts. Furthermore, Make Believe earned the highest position the band has earned on the Billboard 200: no. 2.

“Where I come from isn’t all that great

My automobile is a piece of crap

My fashion sense is a little whack

And all my friends are just as screwed as me.”

Well, those lyrics are just as charming as albeit, aren’t they? Later, Rivers sings in the second verse, “Look at all those movie stars / They’re all so beautiful and clean / When the housemaids scrub the floors / They get the spaces in between.” Intriguing to say the least. “Beverly Hills” was so successful because it’s incredibly fun! While thought to be a sarcastic song pointed at celebrity life and affluent living in Beverly Hills, Cuomo debunks this. Interesting! Not only are the lyrics fun, but so are Cuomo’s vocals, which are playful. Of course, given the way he sings, it make “Beverly Hills” sound somewhat cynical and sarcastic.

15. Lauryn Hill, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”

💿 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill • 🏷 Ruffhouse • 📅 1998

🎙 Lauryn Hill only released one solo studio album: 💿 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998. Even so, she only needed to release one studio album. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has easily stood the test of time. Not only is it a hip-hop masterpiece, but it is one of the true masterpieces regardless of musical genre. Notably, Hill winning multiple 🏆 Grammys from this project, including the highly coveted Album of The Year, was totally justified.

“I hear so many cry for help

Searching outside of themselves

Now I know that His strength is within me.”

What’s interesting is, 🎵 “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” the title track, is one of the less heralded cuts. It’s as remarkable as everything else, but this hill song has an uphill battle compared to 🎵 “Ex-Factor” or 🎵 “Doo Wop (That Thing)”. Still, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is a gorgeous track. It’s lushly produced including radiant piano lines, organ, and a string quartet! Hill sings in an utterly sublime fashion, reflecting on her life. The centerpiece is the chorus: “And deep in my heart, the answer, it was in me / And I made up my mind to define my own destiny.”

15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb [📷: 300 Entertainment, Aftermath, Amine M’Siouri via Pexels, Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, Dead Oceans, Eardruma, Elektra, Interscope, Isaac Dunbar, Locomotion Recordings Limited, The Musical Hype, Noble & Brite Ltd, Parlophone, pgLang, Provident, Republic, Ruffhouse, Sony, Too Easy, Top Dawg Entertainment]

15 Songs Where There are Hills to Climb | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on November 4, 2022November 4, 2022