The United States had astronomy fever yesterday as a total solar eclipse dazzled science fans across the country. Excited viewers were apparently united on the perfect soundtrack for the celestial event. Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” posted huge jumps in popularity on music platforms. Compared with two weeks ago, the ballad saw a spike of 2,859% on Spotify in the U.S. Pandora listens rose by 4,136. Track station adds increased 750% and artist station adds rose 470%. YouTube views of the official music video went from under 65,000 to nearly 260,000.
This phenomenon of music streaming spikes around cultural events has been well documented. Grammys, Super Bowls, and Carpool Karaoke videos can all spark a surge in listening.