Topline
Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 song, “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” is climbing the iTunes charts ahead of Monday’s solar eclipse, alongside other heavenly hits like “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest and “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.
Key Facts
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” ranks No. 2 on U.S. iTunes as of Monday afternoon, just hours before the total solar eclipse is set to pass over parts of the United States.
Tyler’s hit song also cracked the YouTube top 100 music videos chart for the first time, ranking No. 84 based on views from April 7.
Pink Floyd’s album “Dark Side of the Moon” rose to No. 5 on the U.S. iTunes album chart.
Other celestial songs are also climbing the iTunes charts: “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest ranks No. 40, “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles ranks No. 42, “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden ranks No. 65 and “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival ranks No. 76.
Surprising Fact
Google searches for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” are up in areas the total eclipse is expected to pass through. Data from Google Trends over the past seven days shows the cities that have the highest search interest in the song include Columbus, Ohio, Little Rock, Arkansas, Syracuse, New York and Buffalo, New York.
Key Background
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” typically experiences sales boosts when eclipses happen. During the August 2017 solar eclipse, Billboard reported sales for the song were up about 500%. Spotify streams for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” reportedly jumped 214% the day of the March 2015 solar eclipse.
News Peg
A total solar eclipse will pass through the United States for the first time in seven years on Monday afternoon. While most of the country will only see a partial eclipse, the total eclipse will be visible in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, as well as small regions in Michigan and Tennessee. The eclipse will start its path through the United States in Texas around 1:30 p.m. central time, and will conclude its path through the northeast around 3:30 p.m. eastern time.
What To Watch For
How big of a streaming boost “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and other songs will get on Spotify and Apple Music—and whether it’ll have any impact on the Billboard charts. The streamers update their top songs charts daily, and the Billboard charts will update next week based on streams and sales from this week.
Further Reading
Everything To Know About The Total Solar Eclipse—Including Map And Path Tracker (Forbes)
Devil Comet, Diamond Ring And Rare Visual Effects: Here’s What Else To Know About The Eclipse (Forbes)
