The Best Eclipse Songs To Add To Your Totality Playlist

Even celestial events need a backing track—and the April 8 total solar eclipse is no different. Whether you’re road-tripping down to Hot Springs, Arkansas for Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival or flying over to Cleveland, Ohio, you’ll undoubtedly need some tunes to get you in the mood.

That’s why, as part of our ongoing Countdown to the Eclipse series, we asked readers on our Facebook page to tell us what songs get them thinking about totality and the grandeur of the universe. We compiled some of the most thoughtful (Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”), funny (“Da-Doo” from Little Shop of Horrors), and wonder-inspiring (Mark Lettieri’s “Supernova”) responses below. If you’d like to join the conversation, watch for more opportunities to share on our Facebook page. We can’t wait to hear from you!

2001: A Space Odyssey Soundtrack

“It depends on how you want to experience the eclipse. I played the soundtrack from 2001: A Space Odyssey during the Oregon eclipse last time; it was about the right timing for that totality. For this eclipse, I’ll be in Missouri and maybe ‘Time’ by Hans Zimmer or Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings.’ If you want something upbeat, ‘Sandstorm’ by Darude!” —Karen Hagele Duns, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

“Eclipse” by Pink Floyd

“Pink Floyd’s ‘Eclipse.’ I will never forget being 18, riding in a car full of friends in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, one of the most beautiful places in the world. We were on Skyline Drive when we drove into a deep fog. We had to stop the car for fear of driving off a cliff. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, ending with ‘Eclipse,’ made that mountain adventure such a mystical experience.” —Selene Carroll, Cincinnati, Ohio

“Da-Doo” from Little Shop of Horrors

“I did Little Shop of Horrors in high school, so I hear the ‘Da-Doo’ song from that. In the song, Seymour says, ‘When suddenly, and without warning, there was this total eclipse of the sun.’ And the ladies repeat ‘total eclipse of the sun.’ I can’t unhear it. So now it’s just always stuck in my head when the eclipse comes up.” —Malorie Mackey, Los Angeles, California

“Hash Pipe” by Weezer

“There’s a song that isn’t about an eclipse, but it reminds me of an eclipse every time I hear it. Back in the late 1970s, a few high school friends and I skipped our morning classes to experience a full eclipse outdoors. We stood in a parking lot near Main Street (HWY 101) in Forks, Washington, and watched day turn into night for a while. We smoked some Lebanese blond hash in a small metal pipe throughout the morning, which made it all the more magical. So whenever I hear Weezer’s song ‘Hash Pipe,’ I immediately remember that morning of the total eclipse.” —Alan Hall, Forks, Washington

“Eye in the Sky” by The Alan Parsons Project

“The Alan Parsons Project song ‘Eye in the Sky’ reminds me of the fact that most total solar eclipses resemble the pupil and iris of an eye staring down from the sky.” —Robin Edgar, Montreal, Quebec

“Across the Universe” by The Beatles

“‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles, written and performed by John Lennon. I loved it from the moment I first heard it. Those opening chords, the mystical lyrics, all of it. There is a sublime beauty in this song that transcends all boundaries.” —Debba Sniderman, Burnsville, Minnesota

“Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland

“‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ by Aaron Copland. From the first bar, it immediately evokes gravitas. The sound makes me feel like all of humankind is reaching out to find its place in the universe.” —Nicholas Carroll, Windber, Pennsylvania

“Galaxy Song” by Monty Python

“Monty Python’s ‘Galaxy Song.’ Humorously, it manages to communicate how tiny we are. The one time I’ve seen a total eclipse, that feeling of being small and insignificant was absolutely there, and the only cure for it is to laugh.” —Amitra Schwols, Thornton, Colorado

“The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky

“For me, it’s Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite of Spring.’ I watched Fantasia a lot as a young child, and the birth of the universe segment is an absolute work of art. I love that when Stravinsky first debuted ‘Rite of Spring,’ folks were so taken by surprise that it caused a riot. I can’t imagine creating a piece of art so out of the box that people start fighting other people. Absolutely fascinating.” —Mac Reid, Portland, Oregon

Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2 by Mark Lettieri

“Mark Lettieri’s Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2 is a perfect album for this prompt. I think it evokes a visceral sense of wonder. And with song titles like ‘Supernova,’ ‘Red Dwarf,’ and ‘Voyager One,’ how could you go wrong?” —Jonathan D. Shirley, Louisville, Kentucky

“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles

“As the sun emerges, ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by The Beatles needs to be on the list. Not the gravitas of others on the list as we go dark for totality, but it needs its moment… in the sun.” —Jennifer Uner, Chicago, Illinois

“The Great Gig in the Sky” by Pink Floyd

“‘The Great Gig in the Sky’ by Pink Floyd. Every time I hear it, I picture myself floating and tumbling through the cosmos. There are no lyrics, but it invokes a feeling of weightlessness and being one with the universe.” —Lilith Luna, Latrobe, Pennsylvania