Bonnie Tyler released “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” in 1983. The song became an instant hit, topping the U.S. charts for four weeks. It was Bonnie’s debut single from her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, and although two decades have passed since the song was made, it remains as good as new to the 72-year-old.
During a recent interview with Good Morning America, she admitted to being “excited when I hear the song on the radio. Every time the eclipse comes, everyone all over the world, they play ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and I never get tired of singing it.”
‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ gets new life amid solar eclipse, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes Chart
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Bonnie did not create the legendary eclipse anthem alone. It was written and produced by the late Jim Steinman, who also worked with Celine Dion and Meat Loaf in his lifetime. “In fact, ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ was offered to me before Celine Dion. When I first heard it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this song is amazing.’ You know, I couldn’t believe he was giving it to me,” the Welsh singer recalled.
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Bonnie has been celebrative of the song every solar eclipse. However, this year she likely missed viewing it in person due to touring, but will perform it at her next stop in Helsinki, Finland at the Helsinki Hall of Culture. During the 2017 eclipse, the Echo award winner sang “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on Royal Caribbean Cruise. At the time, the track reportedly made No. 2 on the U.S. iTunes charts and No. 84 on its debut on YouTube’s top 100 music video charting.
Ahead of the recent solar eclipse, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” got another spike in the charts as the U.S. prepared to witness the moon pass in front of the sun while orbiting and blocking light for a while. Not all states got to see the occurrence in its full glory, but major cities like Dallas, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Rochester, and Cleveland got to experience it in totality.
Aside from Bonnie’s breakthrough song, other hits that gained popularity during eclipses include The Beatles’ “Hear Comes the Sun,” “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Rival, “Eclipse” by Pink Floyd, and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.”
“They send me all these stats all the time, and it’s always amazing. Every time the eclipse comes around, it’s a bit crazy,” Bonnie gushed.