Every now and then, Bonnie Tyler may "dream of something wild," but never in her wildest dreams did she expect this streaming milestone. The Welsh singer's 1983 power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" has crossed 1 billion plays on Spotify, though Tyler claims she earns "about nothing" from those listens. Tyler, 74, tells the BBC the achievement is more about connection than cash. "It's all about having that many people enjoying the song and feeling it. Money? You can forget it," she says.
The song that defined her career almost didn't sound like a hit, at least on paper. Written by Jim Steinman, the original version ran eight minutes. Tyler recalls first hearing it as Steinman sang and played on a piano in New York: "I was like, 'Oh my God, this song is amazing. I can't believe Jim is giving it to me.'" A trimmed four-minute cut went on to top the charts—two weeks at No. 1 in the UK and four in the US—cementing her status as a global star. Four decades later, she insists she still loves performing the track "because everyone can't wait to sing it."
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Neath and discovered singing in a Swansea club, Tyler had earlier success with "Lost in France," but "Total Eclipse of the Heart" changed everything. The track, widely thought to be the most-streamed Welsh song ever, also remains a YouTube juggernaut, with a music video topping 1.2 billion views. Spotify marked the new milestone by sending her a commemorative plaque, received alongside a gold disc for David Guetta's "Together," which samples Tyler's signature song. Tyler says the plaques are now hanging in her music room as she focuses on upcoming tour dates. At 74, "I never would have imagined that I'd still be singing," she says.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
