The most played tracks on Spotify during the Solar Eclipse have been announced, with Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' seeing a huge rise in streams on the platform over the last few days.
This comes after almost 91 per cent of the sun was covered by the Moon between the hours of 6pm and 8.15pm on Wednesday of this week (August 12), the most it has been blocked above the skies since the total eclipse in 1999. Stunning views of this eclipse were spotted right across Europe, particularly Spain.
Now, new listening data has revealed that Bonnie Tyler's classic 1983 hit, 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' had seen a huge spike in streams on Spotify.
For instance, in the UK alone, the song has seen a 94 per cent increase in streams there, and a 14% rise worldwide.
News regarding the track's recent resurgence comes a month after Bonnie Tyler passed away aged 75.
Other tracks to feature in the list of most streamed UK songs during the Solar Eclipse, also include Evolfo's 'Moon Eclipsed The Sun', which saw an increase of 12,817% in the UK, and a 1,251% increase worldwide. Chris Staples’ ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, rose by 2,805% across the UK, along with Pink Floyd’s 1973 track ‘Eclipse’ rising by 594 per cent in the UK.
Elsewhere, Delta Goodrem’s ‘Eclipse’ which she performed while representing Australia at this year's Eurovision, spiked by 104 per cent, and Bill Withers’ 1971 classic ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ saw a upsurge of 17% as well.
Speaking with The Independent, Mal Pope, a close friend of Tyler's, paid tribute to her, praising her "amazing voice", and saying that seeing her track being played so widely on the special occasion of the eclipse, would have meant a lot to Bonnie.
Pope also told the outlet that she would have “been belting out” the song with others.
“She had the most amazing voice, a great singer, and I’m sure she would have been smiling and thinking, ‘isn’t this lovely that people still remember this song’, which was a big hit all around the world,” Pope said. “Every time there’s going to be a total eclipse, people are going to play the song on the spot, I’m sure, for generations to come".
Meanwhile, Shannon Carragher, a senior editor at Spotify, spoke about the significance of the data to NME: “It is always fascinating to see how major cultural events instantly reflect in what the UK is listening to. Cultural phenomena like the solar eclipse naturally bring people together, and we instinctively look for the perfect soundtrack to share that moment.”
She continued: “Whether it’s collectively returning to iconic anthems like ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ or seeking out more hidden celestial gems, these massive spikes in streaming show just how deeply we rely on music to elevate and connect us in the real world during shared human experiences".
