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Streams of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart skyrocket during solar eclipse

LOS ANGELES — As it turns out, millions of people were looking for the perfect track to score Monday’s (Aug 21, US time) total solar eclipse. So much so, that Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 ballad Total Eclipse of the Heart saw a major spike on streaming platforms.

US President Donald Trump points to the sun as he arrives to view the solar eclipse, on Aug 21, 2017, at the White House in Washington. Photo: AP

US President Donald Trump points to the sun as he arrives to view the solar eclipse, on Aug 21, 2017, at the White House in Washington. Photo: AP

LOS ANGELES — As it turns out, millions of people were looking for the perfect track to score Monday’s (Aug 21, US time) total solar eclipse. So much so, that Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 ballad Total Eclipse of the Heart saw a major spike on streaming platforms.

In the hours leading up to Tyler’s performance of her hit aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, streams saw a 2,859 per cent boost on Spotify in the United States, compared to two weeks ago. Globally, the song’s streams increased 827 per cent. On Pandora, Total Eclipse of the Heart saw an increase of 4,136 listens, with a 750 per cent spike in track station adds.

While the song has more than 146 million spins on Pandora, Tyler’s artist station also skyrocketed 470 per cent in adds. YouTube also saw a boost in numbers for the song’s official music video. Hourly views hovered at less than 65,000 in days leading up and reached almost 260,000 during the eclipse.

Tyler’s anthem clocks in at five minutes and 32 seconds, so she performed an abridged rendition during the pivotal moment when the moon entirely blocked out the sun.

“The eclipse of the sun lasts two minutes and 40 seconds, I’m told,” Tyler told Time. “Unlike my song. It had to be chopped about, because it was so long.”

Music enthusiasts also celebrated the solar event at a number of festivals and cruises that took place around the country — ranging from Oregon to Florida — to highlight the phenomenon. VARIETY.COM/REUTERS

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