Remembering Bonnie Tyler & the secret history of her biggest hit

Anyone who grew up listening to 80s pop had Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on their mixtape. Fans are mourning the loss of the Welsh singer, who has died at age 75. But given the song’s roots—it was originally titled “Vampires in Love”— perhaps there’s a bit of immortality that will keep Tyler with us in spirit.

Composer Jim Steinman, known for Meat Loaf’s debut album Bat Out of Hell, originally wrote the song for an unfinished Nosferatu-themed musical. After seeing Meat Loaf perform, Tyler convinced her producer to make an introduction to the songwriter.

The pair met at Steinman’s Manhattan apartment to run through the song, which eventually made it onto her 1983 album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

The song that wouldn’t stay dead

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” remained #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 for four weeks, but its impact on the song’s fans? Eternity—including a short-lived stint on Broadway.

Steinman returned to the song for Dance of the Vampires, a famous flop of the 2002-03 Broadway season. Powerhouse Mandy Gonzalez opened Act II with the song, now named “Vampires in Love (Total Eclipse of the Heart),” as a duet with Michael Crawford.

Most will agree Tyler’s version reigns supreme, and it remained a hallmark of the Grammy-nominated performer’s career. In addition to writing, Steinman produced the song, crafting a mesmerizing arrangement that builds and swells to its final climax.

Many fans will undoubtedly be deep-diving into Tyler’s career and discography, but to watch her perform it live. Well, that’s worth more than a minute.

Broadway’s vampire curse, broken

Steinman’s song—fueled by Tyler’s performance—proves that Broadway’s vampire curse was only temporary. After Dance of the Vampires, Dracula The Musical (2004) and Lestat (2006) came and went as quickly as a bat out of hell.

The arrival of The Lost Boys last season, featuring a hook-driven score by the Rescues, has staying power, and has already announced a national tour (we’ll have to wait until spring 2028, but still).

Vampires may be the connective tissue, but Broadway is still chasing what Tyler nailed on the first try.