The music world mourns Bonnie Tyler (1951-2026). The singer with the unmistakably raspy voice has died at the age of 75. Tyler hailed from a small community in Wales and achieved international success primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. Among her best-known songs are "It's a Heartache" - and "Total Eclipse of the Heart". For years, a rumor has persisted about her biggest hit that it was originally intended for rock singer Meat Loaf (1947-2022), who became known for songs including "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)".
The story behind "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was first released in 1983. At that time, Tyler was in a professional dry spell, according to the British "Independent". As she told the "Guardian" in 2023, she wanted to move away from country music and turn more toward rock. After experiencing Meat Loaf live, she arranged contact with his longtime songwriter and producer Jim Steinman (1947-2021). Just a few weeks after their first meeting, he played "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for her. She immediately recognized that it was an extraordinary song, Tyler recalled.
Whether Steinman originally wrote the song for Meat Loaf is disputed. Meat Loaf later claimed the title for himself - an account that both Steinman and Tyler contradicted. Tyler told the "Guardian" in 2023 that Steinman had already been working on the piece years earlier for a planned musical adaptation of "Nosferatu", but had not completed it at that time.
Regardless of this backstory, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" became Tyler's biggest international success. The power ballad reached number one on the charts in the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. In Germany, the song reached number 16 and remained on the charts for 18 weeks. It was later certified platinum in the USA and earned Tyler a Grammy nomination.
