A solar eclipse is always a feast for the eyes. In recent years, it’s also become a treat for the ears.
Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” is in the midst of another resurgence — something that seems to occur with every eclipse. The most recent, in 2016, yielded a 75 percent increase in the song’s Spotify plays, a Spotify company rep says. In 2015, when an eclipse was partially visible in the singer’s native UK, Tyler unexpectedly found herself at the center of social-media buzz.
“I don’t do Twitter or Facebook — they call it Divorcebook over here,” the 66-year-old tells The Post from the UK. “But after the last eclipse, someone showed me that I was trending on Twitter. It’s great that it reminds everyone of the song — and me!”
‘It’s funny to think this dramatic, hyperemotional song from 1983 about falling apart after a breakup has become the go-to anthem for solar eclipses.’
This year’s revival is well underway. Eyeglass brand Warby Parker commissioned a parody video, and analysts from streaming services are reporting early upticks in numbers ahead of Monday’s total eclipse, with a bigger projected spike to come.
“It’s funny to think this dramatic, hyperemotional song from 1983 about falling apart after a breakup has become the go-to anthem for solar eclipses,” says Spotify Trends spokeswoman Shanon Cook. “No doubt we’ll see a noticeable jump in streams during the eclipse on Aug. 21.”
Tyler has never seen a total eclipse of the sun herself but hopes to be well-positioned for next week’ s cosmic show.
Her famous song — written by New Yorker Jim Steinman, a frequent Meat Loaf collaborator — has unique power, Tyler says.
“It made me cry when I first heard it,” she remembers. “Jim played it for me on piano, and [male vocalist] Rory Dodd sang it. Jim’s hair was all flowing and soft at the start, but by the time he had finished, he was dripping with sweat. He played it like Wagner.”
Though Steinman — not Tyler — is the one who picks up the extra royalties when the solar eclipse rolls around, the singer doesn’t mind. Tyler has toured extensively this year and is living her best life.
“I saw Celine Dion in Germany one time and went to see her backstage afterwards,” says Tyler. “She was very sweet and polite but wasn’t allowed to talk. She had to write everything down. I can’t be doing that. I like my red wine. I go onstage sober, but I like to make up for it after!”
Bonnie Tyler will be performing a duet of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” with DNCE for guests onboard Royal Caribbean’s Total Eclipse Cruise on Oasis of the Seas, August 21 (more information here).
