Spotify has shared new listening data showing that songs linked to this week’s solar eclipse saw major jumps in streams, according to NME. Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” was among the biggest winners.
The eclipse took place on Wednesday, August 12, when around 91 percent of the sun was obscured by the Moon between about 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. in the UK. According to the report, Spotify compared streams from that day with the average daily listening from August 1 to 11.
In the UK, “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” rose by 94 percent, while its worldwide streams were up 14 percent. Other songs with eclipse-related titles also saw sharp increases, including Evolfo’s “Moon Eclipsed The Sun,” Chris Staples’ “Dark Side Of The Moon,” Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse,” Delta Goodrem’s “Eclipse,” and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Spotify senior editor Shannon Carragher said the data shows how cultural moments quickly show up in listening habits. Mal Pope, a friend of Bonnie Tyler, told The Independent that Tyler would likely have been delighted to know people were still singing along to the song during an eclipse.
