The most played tracks on Spotify during the Solar Eclipse were revealed, with tracks from artists like Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' seeing a huge increase in streams.
Between the hours of 6pm and 8.15pm on Wednesday of this week (August 12), around 91 per cent of the sun was covered by the Moon, the most it has been blocked above the skies since the 1999 total eclipse.
Stunning views of this eclipse were captured across Europe, particularly Spain.
According to new listening data, it was confirmed that Bonnie Tyler's classic hit, 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart' had seen a huge spike in streams on Spotify.
For instance, in the UK alone, the song, which arrived in 1983, has seen a 94 per cent increase in streams there, and a 14% rise worldwide.
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, 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%.
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.
News regarding 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart's recent resurgence comes a month after the track's singer, Bonnie Tyler, passed away aged 75. She had previously been admitted to hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she had underwent emergency intestinal surgery. More on this here.
In a recent interview with The Independent, Mal Pope, a close friend of Tyler's, said that this would have meant a lot to her, to see her track being played so widely on the special occasion of the eclipse, adding 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".
Speaking about the data, Shannon Carragher, a senior editor at Spotify, told 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".
Soundtrack your eclipse-gazing today (viewing glasses not included). Cover art by @NASA 🚀 https://t.co/qcapDL3kbD pic.twitter.com/CQZaHoBF1c
— Spotify (@Spotify) April 8, 2024
