Meat Loaf's 10 Greatest Songs Ranked

1. I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)

Bat Out Of Hell might have been one of the highest selling albums of the 20th Century, but if there's one epic song that defines Meat Loaf's career, it's 1993's 'I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)', the first single from his comeback album Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The absolute peak of songwriter and key Meat Loaf collaborator Jim Steinman's powers, the album version of this track clocked in at no less than twelve minutes, running like a stunning movie with epic crunching guitars, subtle quiet moments and an epic section from female vocalist Lorraine Crosby (eight minutes in no less). For those on TikTok, you could play The Kid Laroi's 'Stay' five times and still tune in to the coda. The video was no less grandiose (although was made for the seven plus minute radio edit) and the song rocketed to #1 in almost every country in the world, cementing Meat Loaf as a true multi-decade superstar. 

2. You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth

Never one to cut things short, the long-titled first single from 'Bat Out Of Hell' was Meat Loaf's first big hit in Australia, reaching #3 and spearheading his global success. One of Mr Loaf's shorter offerings at just over four minutes, the song came with what would become a trademark Meat Loaf narrative video which stretched things beyond five minutes. Despite being huge in Australia, the song only peaked at #38 in the US. The album 'Bat Out Of Hell' was a slow burner however, picking up fans across the decades and generations. Currently twenty-five times platinum in Australia (yes. That's not a typo) and diamond in the US (that's 14 times platinum for those playing along at home), the Todd Rundgren produced album is one of the world's most loved, but has always been a tough one for critics. But what would they know. And I think if you're Meat Loaf you probably stop caring after the first dozen platinums. 

3. Paradise By The Dashboard Light

A three movement rock-opera, Paradise By The Dashboard Light was a huge 8 1/2 minutes of 'Bat Out Of Hell's side B. With a narrative of Meat Loaf dating and then attempting to sedude a woman who refuses his advances until he promises to marry her, the story finishes with a flash forward to the gloomy present. The couple are stuck with each other in a miserably unhappy marriage where Mr Loaf is 'praying for the end of time', presumably because he couldn't keep it in his pants on that fateful night. The song has grown in stature over the years becoming for many his signature 70s tune. Despite not charting in its initial run in Australia, it's one of Meat Loaf's biggest songs on Spotify and has grown to become one of the #1 karaoke songs right around the world. 

4. Dead Ringer For Love

The second single from his Bat followup album 'Dead Ringer' Meat Loaf teamed up with Cher for this eight minute banger. The album was a massive sales disappointment after the success of his first record, only going gold in Australia and not even cracking the top 40 in the US, but despite this, 'Dead Ringer For Love' became Meat Loaf's biggest single of the 70s in the UK rising all the way to #5. 

5. Rock n Roll Dreams Come Through

In the wake of a global smash like 'I'd Do Anything For Love', it was always going to be a tough gig to be the second single from Bat II, but this great little number did the trick and while it didn't crack the top ten anywhere in the world, it made a decent shake of the top 20 across Australia, the US and the UK. Once again with the big motorbike video, there's something about this one that has a certain freedom, perhaps an antidote to the frenetic angst in the album's first single. This is another of Meat Loaf's songs that has grown in stature over time. 

6. Bat Out Of Hell

It's not the best song off his mega smash album, but it *is* the title track and as such it became a hit amongst the Meat-mania. Reaching #26 in Australia the song was the fifth single lifted from the album but us currently one of the Loaf's top five on Spotify and a favourite on gold radio. It was also one of the songs performed at his infamous 2011 AFL Grand Final performance. But the less said about that the better. 

7. I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)

Just a couple of years after 'Bat Out of Hell II', Meat Loaf was back with the album 'Welcome To The Neighbourhood' and he tried to replicate the formula of 'I'd Do Anything For Love'. With a piano riff vaguely reminiscent, a chorus that's..... well it's very similar, a female collaborator (this time Patti Russo) and another eight minute big budget Meat Loaf rolled the dice but didn't quite roll doubles this time. The song did become his biggest hit in the UK behind 'I'd Do Anything' and was a top ten in Australia.

8. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

And we're back to 'Bat Out Of Hell'. You'll have to forgive us, but when you're one of the highest selling albums of all time, there has to be a reason and this was the biggest track from the album in the US and a #11 hit here in Australia as well. Rather pedestrian fare by Meat Loaf standards, the song clocked in at five minutes and perhaps after the slaps in the face delivered by the other songs on the record, the public appreciated something simple with this one. 

9. It's All Coming Back To Me Now

After a couple of albums that underperformed by Meat Loaf standards, he decided to revisit "Bat", creating a volume three in 2006. The lead single was a song that was originally written by collaborator Jim Steinman for Meat Loaf, but was recorded first by Celine Dion. Dion's version was a massive hit from her 'Falling In To You' album. Meat Loaf's version was a duet with curious collaboration choice, Marion Raven. Her vocal performance was beautiful, but as one half of pop duo M2M, she was hardly the a-lister that someone like Meat Loaf could have potentially attracted to be part of the project. Having just gone solo and released her first album, perhaps it was a bizarre attempt to get her name out there or a way of getting younger fans to try some Meat Loaf. The song also suffered by not quite living up to the same epic production and over the top emotion of Celine Dion's version. In this case, Meat Loaf had been out-Loafed by Dion. Still, the song is still an over the top emotional ride and Meat Loaf and Raven do a decent job of what is the second best version of the track ever recorded. 

10. Going All The Way

This was the first single from Meat Loaf's final album 'Braver Than We Are' in 2016. The final record with Jim Steinman before his death in April 2021 and now the final piece of the Meat Loaf story, 'Going All The Way' isn't Meat Loaf at his peak, but it was the final sign off from an artist that defined a generation. Vale Meat Loaf!