Bonnie Tyler, the three-time Grammy nominee and one of the most recognizable voices of 1980s pop, died July 8 at the age of 75, according to a message on her official site.
“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” the statement read.
Tyler’s career spanned six decades, but her impact on the world of film and television were most keenly felt by two of her songs in particular, 1983’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and 1984’s “Holding Out for a Hero.” The cuts appeared on dozens of soundtracks, often utilized for their of-the-era quality and epic emotional scope.
In remembrance of Tyler and her contributions to pop culture, here’s a look back on some of the most famous needle drops of her work.
Footloose (1984)
Paramount approached Tyler to ask for an original song for their upcoming Kevin Bacon film Footloose. The resulting track, “Holding Out for a Hero,” would score a memorable game of chicken between two tractors and become shorthand for upbeat, throwback fun in the decades to come.
Short Circuit 2 (1988)
If the less-successful second film featuring everybody’s favorite 1980s robotic friend, Johnny 5, is remembered for anything, it’s probably still-shocking repeat of Fischer Stevens in brown face. If the sequel has any other lasting legacy, it may be the hardcore makeover Johnny gives himself in a Radio Shack before chasing down the film’s villain to “Holding Out for a Hero.”
Old School (2003)
After a mostly quiet ’90s, Tyler’s music reappeared in the early 2000s with a wedding reception performance of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (with some bonus four-letter words included) for Frank the Tank (Will Ferrell) in Todd Phillips’ Old School.
Shrek 2 (2004)
If younger millennials and members of Gen Z have a primary point of reference for Tyler’s music, it likely stems from Jennifer Saunders’ cover, which scores a climactic siege of the Kingdom of Far Far Away.
Loki, Season 1 (2021)
Before viewers learned the true identity of Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), they watched her light up the time-controlling TVA as a mysterious hooded figure in the first season of the Marvel anti-hero’s spinoff.
Euphoria, Season 2 (2022)
Yes, this play is about them, and it happens to include a homoerotic number featuring Nate (Jacob Elordi) and the rest of the East Highland High football squad, complete with a phallic punching bag and “Holding Out for a Hero.”
Bottoms (2023)
Riffing on some of the ’80s teen sex comedies that the rest of the film is sending up, Bottoms starring Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott used “Total Eclipse of the Heart” to score a scene of the film’s all-woman fight club attempting to get back at Nicholas Galitzine’s character — and slightly overdoing it a touch.
