What music will you play as the moon blots out the sun? We offer this eclipse playlist

It is an ancient idea, dating back 2,500 years to Pythagoras and before, that the orbits of the sun, moon and all the planets emit their own hums, known collectively as “the music of the spheres.”

With that in mind, consider the Aug. 21 total eclipse of the sun, set to cast a lunar shadow across the United States (around 1 p.m. Kansas City time) as a major power chord.

You might think of just remaining silent for the nearly two hours it will take for the moon to cross the sun. (The total eclipse, itself, when the moon blots out the sun, will at most last 2 minutes and 40 seconds.)

Or you can crank up the volume.

If you do, here’s a suggested list with accompanying YouTube videos.

“Eclipse,” by Pink Floyd.

“Total Eclipse,” by Iron Maiden.

“Dark Side of the Moon,” by Pink Floyd.

“Moon Shadow,” by Cat Stevens.

“Bad Moon Rising,” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“Black Hole Sun,” by Soundgarden

“You’re So Vain,” by Carly Simon (lyric; “You flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia to see a total eclipse of the sun…”).

“Total Eclipse of the Heart,” by Bonnie Tyler.

“Little Star/Eclipse,” by Sammy Hagar.

“When the Day Met the Night,” by “Panic! At the Disco.

“Don’t Stare at the Sun,” by Richard Hawley.

“Endless Night,” from The Lion King musical.

“Fly Me to the Moon,” performed by Frank Sinatra.

“Blue Moon,” performed by The Marcels, or “Blue Moon,” performed by Billie Holiday.

“Waiting for the Sun,” by The Doors.

“Here Comes the Sun,” by George Harrison/The Beatles.

“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” from the musical Hair, sung by The 5th Dimension.

This story was originally published August 3, 2017 at 9:40 PM with the headline "What music will you play as the moon blots out the sun? We offer this eclipse playlist."