How much money did Bonnie Tyler earn from “Total Eclipse of the Heart”?
Bonnie Tyler, who has died at the age of 75, is best known for a beloved single that became particularly popular during eclipses.
Music lovers worldwide are mourning the death of Bonnie Tyler - a legendary singer best known for her smash-hit song “Total Eclipse of the Heart”.
When did “Total Eclipse” come out?
Released in 1983 on CBS Records, the epic track is firmly established as one of the best-selling singles of all time, with millions of units sold. The success of the single also propelled Tyler’s fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, to debut at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart and No. 4 on the U.S.’s Billboard 200, selling over one million copies in the United States alone.
Produced and written by Jim Steinman (of Meat Loaf fame), the track is the iconic power ballad with the classic Steinman production enhancing Tyler’s raspy but emotive vocals. The male “turn around” element, meanwhile, is sung by Canadian rock vocalist Rory Dodd.
A solar success
In a 2013 U.K. survey, the 1980s classic came first in a list of the most popular songs to sing in the shower. It is also a firm favourite in karaoke bars across the world.
The track receives particular attention during solar eclipses. For example, the March 20, 2015 eclipse saw Tyler’s song receive a 214% increase of Spotify streams throughout the day, and during the eclipse of August 21, 2017, “Total Eclipse” hit the No. 1 spot on the iTunes chart.
How much did Tyler make from “Total Eclipse”?
From U.S. radio network royalty payments, Tyler didn’t receive any financial uplift for each airing of the track for eclipses (only the writers and publishers receive payments). But she did earn incremental income from the track played on streaming services. In total, “Total Eclipse” has racked up over one billion listens on Spotify.
Add in more than six million singles sales of “Total Eclipse”, plus revenue from the album Faster Than the Speed of Night, and it’s clear that the track has contributed significantly to her reported net worth of $40 million. However, it’s impossible to accurately say exactly how much Tyler earned from the song.
The track was, though, also key in seeing the Welsh singer maintain her successful career as a recording and touring artist, with “Total Eclipse” forming part of a successful body of work that also includes hits such as "Lost in France", “Holding Out for a Hero” and “It’s a Heartache”.
The song celebrated 40 years in 2023 and was the driver for an extensive European tour, a ‘Best of’ collection, Tyler’s Straight from the Heart autobiography and even a dancefloor friendly remix.
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