Bonnie Tyler dies at 75: A look back at 10 of the singer's greatest songs

Bonnie Tyler will be widely remembered for one song.

And for very good reasons, given that the tune in question — “Total Eclipse of the Heart” — stands as one of the greatest and certainly most memorable power ballads of the ’80s.

RELATED: Bonnie Tyler, who topped the charts with epic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,' has died at 75

Yet, as stellar as that song is, Tyler deserves to be remembered for so much more than just “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Tyler — who died unexpectedly on July 8 at the age of 75 at a hospital in Portugal — was far from being a one-hit wonder. Instead, she recorded a number of hit singles — including a select few that were in the same realm of greatness as “Total Eclipse” — as well as other good material that filled albums that were still doing impressive business on the international charts well into the 21st century.

Indeed, “The Best Is Yet to Come,” the Welsh singer’s 18th and final studio album released before her death, came out in 2021 and made it into the top 50 in a number of different countries.

In tribute to and remembrance of this great talent, we are taking the time to look back at some of the distinct highlights of her fine discography.

Here are our picks for the Top 10 Bonnie Tyler songs (listed chronologically):

1. “Lost in France” (1976)

This was Tyler’s international breakthrough hit — hitting the Top 40 in numerous countries, but not the U.S. Listen to her crystal clear vocals, which are more than a bit reminiscent of Dolly Parton, Connie Smith and other classic country crooners, and you might not recognize they are coming from the same woman who sang “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” That’s because this song was recorded before Tyler had throat surgery to remove noodles, which would result in her signature raspy singing voice.

2. “More Than a Lover” (1977)

The second single (following “Lost in France”) from Tyler’s wonderful titled studio debut, “The World Starts Tonight,” was an ode to wanting something more meaningful and lasting than a casual fling. Ironically, the BBC found the song quite controversial and went on to ban it for reportedly being too suggestive.

3. “It’s a Heartache” (1977)

This is where those wonderfully raspy vocals — which fans would go on to cherish for decades — really come into their own, selling heartache so convincingly with all who heard the tune. And it certainly had no shortage of listeners, as this “Natural Force” hit No. 1 in several countries and became the true international smash needed to propel Tyler into the next level of stardom.

4. “Married Men” (1979)

Both Tyler and Bette Midler recorded and released this disco number — also known as “(The World Is Full of) Married Men” — pretty much simultaneously, with the former doing big business on the UK charts and the latter dominating in the U.S. Both do a fine job with it, but Tyler’s Euro-sleek version, played with more restraint than Midler’s, is a tad better.

5. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)

Written and produced by the brilliant Jim Steinman, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was a true powerhouse of a single that stopped everyone cold the first time they heard it come out of their radio. It didn’t matter whether they usually listened to Duran Duran, Donna Summer or Def Leppard, “Total Eclipse” was a tune they all wanted to turn up loud and sing along to the lyrics. It ended being one of the Top 10 singles of 1983, alongside such other commercial success stories as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and the Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”

6. “Faster Than the Speed of Night” (1983)

The title track to Tyler’s biggest-selling album, which hit platinum-plus heights in the U.S., was another Steinman special that was as big, bold and theatrical as a Broadway blockbuster. It’s serves as true showcase for Tyler’s vocals, which never sounded better than during this point in her career — and soon would be heard by millions thanks to the success of this album.

7. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” (1983)

This Creedence Clearwater Revival cover, also from “Faster Than the Speed of Night,” doesn’t sound much like the country-rock number that John Fogerty and company originally delivered on CCR’s Pendulum (1970). Sure, they share the same lyrics. But Tyler’s is a full-on early-’80s dance-pop-rock fest — featuring Steinman’s shiny production and work from E Street Band members — which just screams “I want my MTV.”

8. “Holding Out for a Hero” (1984)

Another Steinman penned and produced winner, “Holding Out for a Hero” would go on to be a key ingredient in the “Footloose” mania that swept up both movie-goers and music fans for much of 1984. As deliriously bombastic as movie anthems get, the song delivered just the right over-the-top soundtrack for the film’s dramatic “tractor chicken race” scene that was won by — spoiler alert — the Kevin Bacon character.

9. “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)” (1986)

It’s the highlight of the “If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)” album, the “Faster Than the Speed of Night” follow-up that was also produced by Steinman. The rowdy rocker, with sheen for days, was latter reworked by its songwriter (Desmond Child) and Bon Jovi into the No. 1 rock hit “You Give Love a Bad Name.” Yet, we’ll take the Tyler original over the Bon Jovi number any day of the week.

10. “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” (1995)

The original Air Supply recording of this song from 1983 stands as nothing short of a towering achievement in the power ballad realm. Not surprisingly, it was written, composed and produced by Steinman — who, we realize, has been mentioned in this article near as many times as Tyler herself. Twelve years later, Tyler recorded her own rendition and the result would also be a masterpiece.

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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 10:28 AM.