Solar eclipse soundtrack: 10 songs from Bonnie Tyler to the Beatles
On April 8, more than 30 million people in the U.S. will witness one of this year's most anticipated celestial phenomenon when the moon passes between Earth and the sun.
As the total solar eclipse moves over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, legions of sky-gazers from novices to NASA will cast their eyes upon the heavens — hopefully, using ISO 12312-2-certified eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers.
No sun doesn't have to mean no fun. Why not have a good time while the giant ball of Vitamin D is obscured for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes (depending on the source)? As Lady Gaga commanded, "Just dance."
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Even though you'll be dancing in the dark — for some of us, that's a good thing — there are many classic tunes to lighten up your mood. Here are 10 musts for your Eclipse Day playlist.
'Total Eclipse of the Heart' — Bonnie Tyler
Written by musical hyphenate Jim Steinman, this 1983 power ballad is memorable for its creepy, surrealist video and falsetto refrain, "Turn around, bright eyes."
Despite its title, the tune actually has nothing to do with eclipses. Originally called "Vampires in Love," it was created by Steinman for his musical of "Nosferatu." Nevertheless, it's still appropriate to play during a solar eclipse since bloodsuckers are famously afraid of the sun.
'Blinded by the Light' — Manfred Mann's Earth Band
This rambling barrage of rhymes penned by Bruce Springsteen, who included it on his 1973 debut album, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.," was a No. 1 hit when British Manfred Mann's Earth Band covered it in 1976.
In the midst of the seven-minute lyrical feast is the line, "Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun," which makes it a no-brainer for a list about eclipse-related songs.
'Eclipse' — Pink Floyd
"And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon," is the closing line of the final track on Pink Floyd's critically acclaimed 1973 concept album, "The Dark Side of the Moon." You might have to play it a couple of times during the eclipse because the song clocks in at 2:03.
'Black Hole Sun' — Soundgarden
No light escapes from a black hole or during a solar eclipse, so they're practically the same thing, right? Not really, but they do look similar in telescopic images on Google and that's enough to qualify Soundgarden's signature song for this list.
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'Total Eclipse' — Iron Maiden
This doomsday dirge was originally the B-side to Maiden's "Gangland" and was added to the 2015 remaster of the band's "Number of the Beast" album. The song paints a grim picture of the effects of an eclipse: "Around the world, the people stop with terror-stricken eyes/A shadow cast upon them all to crush them like a fly …"
Are they talking about an eclipse — or Godzilla?
Actually, the song is about the end of the world due to ecological disaster. Who knew Iron Maiden was environmentally conscious?
'Ain't No Sunshine' — Bill Withers
And I know, I know, I know — this is supposed to be a heartache song but hear me out. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of "sun" includes the Old English/Old Germanic "sunne," both of which assigned a feminine gender to the star of the solar system.
Based on that linguistic fact, the "she" in "ain't no sunshine when she's gone" could be a reference to the sun! (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
'The Dark of the Sun' — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Petty wrote this track from 1991's "Into the Great Wide Open" with fellow Traveling Wilbury Jeff Lynne. The song's title belies its poetic optimism for a brighter day — just what eclipse-watchers will be hoping for.
'Steal My Sunshine' — Len
The title of this 1999 summer hit is just what the moon is going to do on April 8. Built on a sample of Andrea True Connection's 1976 disco single "More, More, More," this song is peppy and downright infectious.
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'Here Comes the Sun' — The Beatles
What better ditty for a post-eclipse singalong? Might as well make it a two-fer with another tune from the era of love and peace:
'Let the Sunshine In' — The 5th Dimension
This number from the '60s musical "Hair" was released by The 5th Dimension in 1969. The optimistic ode is half of a medley — it's often paired with the song "Aquarius" — heralding the "dawning of the Age of Aquarius," a new era of peace, love and light after the Age of Pisces, also known as the Age of Darkness. Coming out of the dark into the sunshine? Seems fitting for Eclipse Day!
Don't wait until the last minute to prepare for the big day or you'll be left in the dark while everyone else is getting their eclipse on. If you're a procrastinator, perhaps you'd better start preparing now for the next total solar eclipse — in 2044.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Solar eclipse soundtrack: 10 songs to play on April 8
