The Welsh star died aged 75 after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal earlier this year. Her passing has left a profound void in the music industry and her local community, where her legacy continues to resonate deeply. As the biggest partial solar eclipse in nearly three decades took place, Bonnie Tyler’s ’80s hit could be heard throughout the village she once lived in.
With her instantly recognisable gravelly-voice and big, blonde hair, Gaynor Hopkins became an international sensation as Tyler with Total Eclipse of the Heart, and 43 years on it has cemented its place as one of the most famous power ballads of all time. On Wednesday, people gathered all over the UK to enjoy the celestial event, and one of Tyler’s friends heard the song playing in Mumbles.
Spotify said Total Eclipse of the Heart almost doubled in streams on 12 August, with a 94% uplift in the UK and a 14% uplift globally. Mal Pope, a musician and friend of Tyler’s, watched the solar eclipse in Langland Bay, and like many, had the beloved Welsh singer on his mind.
He said while walking around the area, he could hear children “singing along” to Total Eclipse of the Heart. “It wasn’t just the oldies who knew it the first time around. It’s a classic song – it was really lovely hearing kids singing along with it.”
Mal Pope said Bonnie Tyler would have been smiling and thinking, “isn’t this lovely that people still remember this song.” He added: “Of course, because of the sad passing of Bonnie, she’s in everybody’s minds anyway.”
Pope said there was going to be “a big procession” through the village on Saturday and a “tribute concert” on Sunday ahead of her funeral on 17 August. People are invited to “pay their respects” by lining Newton Road at 15:15 BST.
“The whole village of Mumbles has got Bonnie on their minds. It just seems so ironic that of all the weeks for there to be a total eclipse, that it should be this week in Bonnie’s very special, sad weeks.”
Pope said Tyler would have “been belting out” her ballad, along with all the other people who were listening and singing along to her song during the solar eclipse. “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’.”
People across Wales and beyond took time to sit back and enjoy the partial eclipse with family and friends, as the country baked in record temperatures. Pope added that he hoped people would take her musical legacy seriously now, and said the solar eclipse was a “fitting treat”.
The music platform said Total Eclipse of the Heart was one of a few “celestial” songs that saw a streaming spike in the UK on 12 August. According to Spotify, the biggest increases in UK streams during the eclipse were: Evolfo, Moon Eclipsed the Sun (+12,817%); Chris Staples, Dark Side of the Moon (+2,805%); Bonnie Tyler, Total Eclipse of the Heart (+94%); and Bill Withers, Ain’t No Sunshine (+17%).
Born Gaynor Hopkins in a council house in Neath, Tyler grew up with a love for music before she was discovered by talent scouts. Tyler released her first single, Lost in France in 1977, but it was the release of Total Eclipse of the Heart five years later that propelled her to global stardom.
The ballad spent two weeks at UK number one and four weeks in the US. The iconic love song’s music video surpassed 1.2 billion views on YouTube and has had over a billion streams on Spotify. Spotify previously said it had paid out more than $1.4 million for streams of Tyler’s catalogue in 2025.
Shannon Carragher, senior editor at Spotify, said: “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.”
Ahead of the solar eclipse, Tyler’s McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes TV advert also resurfaced – it was originally broadcast in 2023 when there was a partial lunar eclipse.
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun’s light either partially or fully when viewed from Earth.
The nostalgic advert came after research revealed almost half (49%) of Brits did not understand how eclipses occurred.
In the video, Tyler uses a Jaffa Cake as a prop to describe the different types of eclipse.
“When the earth is situated between the moon and the sun it creates a shadow, and when it looks like someone has just taken a bite out of the moon.
The grammy-nominated star had a string of other hits, including Holding out for a Hero and also represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013.
She was named in the Queen’s last Birthday Honours list in 2022 and was awarded an MBE for her services to music by Prince William the following year.
Tyler died “unexpectedly” on 8 July, aged 75, at a Portugal hospital, “as a result of the illness that she was being treated for”, her family said in a statement released on the star’s official website, external.
At the time, tributes poured in from a host of friends and stars including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart.
Tyler’s funeral service will take place on 17 August at 12:00 BST at St Mary’s Church in Swansea.
It has since been confirmed that her coffin will be brought to her Mumbles home on 15 August at 15:30 BST.
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