Greetings media fans, it's the Media Man here with...not so great news. Many of you are no doubt aware that on the 20th of this month, the legendary rock star Meat Loaf has tragically passed away at the age of 74.
Born Marvin Lee Aday but also known as Michael Lee Aday, Meat Loaf is one of the music industry's biggest names with worldwide selling albums and many hits to his name including Bat out of Hell, I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), Dead Ringer for Love and much more. His trademark powerful voice and overly energetic live shows have earned him a reputation as one of the biggest and most memorable singers ever to perform and has led to a career spanning five decades from 1968 to his death this year.
He's also had a bit of an acting career, starring in films such as The Rocky Horror Show and Spice World (yes really).
For me, I would definitely consider myself a fan of his music. My dad is a huge Meat Loaf fan and he would pass on that love down to me and my brothers by playing Meat Loaf albums from time to time. My earliest memory of his music was listening to Bat out of Hell on a custom CD we once listened to but I also have distant memories of hearing I Would Do Anything For Love too. So yeah, I've had a long history with the guy. As well as his music, me and my family have been to see tribute shows at our local theatre by Steve Steinman, the man behind shows such as "The Meat Loaf Story". Naturally, I was well gutted to hear that he'd died.
So in honour of his passing, I am giving you this post to pay tribute to one of the music industry's biggest legends. Let's wish Meat Loaf well in the afterlife as today, we count down my personal Top Five Favourite Meat Loaf songs...
Number 5: Objects In The Rear View Mirror
This is one of Meat Loaf's more sombre tunes with a softer vocal performance that many may be used to and lyrics that tell a rather dark tale about a man who's still haunted by his past.
The song is a three-part narrative with each part telling about a different season, summer, winter and spring, respectively and the lyrics at times can get pretty melancholy. We get verses about childhood nostalgia and the singer lamenting why a boy should die so young and there's even a verse where he talks about an abusive father, especially with this line:
"And my father's eyes were blank as he hit me again and again and again."
The sad part is that Meat Loaf really did have a drunken abusive father, so the song ends up being semi-autobiographical as a result.
Despite the dark tone and sombre lyrics, this song is still a great listen to thanks to the raw emotion in Meat Loaf's vocals as he delivers this emotionally touching and passionate song that is also really memorable, particular its chorus where he'll repeatedly sing "And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are". Yeah that part gets a little repetitive, as does a lot of times in Meat Loaf's songs, but at least it gets the chorus to stay with you and even find yourself singing it to yourself on occasion.
This is a song that I'll hold in high regard as one of Meat Loaf's finest.
Number 4: It Just Won't Quit
Whenever I find myself singing Meat Loaf songs, this tends to be one of the ones that often pops up the most due to how catchy it is.
The lyrics talk about a man who seems to have some kind of problem but had no idea what it is, hence the chorus line "I don't know what it is, but it just won't quit". I imagine that lyric might hit hard for some people given we've all had that moment in our lives where something's bothering us but we don't really know what.
The lyrics themselves lead into a really catchy and memorable chorus that's easy to sing along to and as usual, Meat Loaf's powerful vocals bring this song to life beautifully. Helped by some great rock guitar music and sombre piano tunes, this is a song that a guarantee won't leave your head anytime soon.
Much like the previous song, the chorus does get repetitive when he sings at least four times in a row "I don't know what it is but it just won't quit" so that's why it's a little lower on the list.
Still, this is a song I'll always listen to and is another of Meat Loaf's greatest tunes. I don't know what this song is, but it just won't quit being awesome...
Number 3: Dead Ringer for Love
What happens when you take Meat Loaf, pair him up with Cher, and get them to perform a duet together? You get this epic piece of rock music!
Dead Ringer for Love is a fast-paced energetic tune with some sensational vocals from both Meat Loaf and Cher. What's funny is that apparently, Meat Loaf would perform this song many times afterwards, but never with Cher and Cher herself would never perform it herself. Regardless, the two are on top form here with their powerful, unique voices working together well to give us one hell of a banging tune that will make you want to get up and dance or play air guitar along with the song. Seriously, I dare you to listen to this song and stay still, you'll fail miserably!
The song itself is about a guy who realizes he can't live on just rock n' roll and brew alone and sets his eyes on his dream woman, who of course is played by Cher in the music video. What also impresses me is that this song has a lot of lyrics and yet both Meat Loaf and Cher are able to sing them really quickly. As I say, the song is fast-paced but those two never lose a beat!
With some kickass rock guitar music, an adrenaline fuelled pace and the great vocals of two very talented and energetic singers working together, this song is easy a dead ringer for this list.
Number 2: I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)
This is another Meat Loaf song I have very vivid memories of listening to a lot while growing up.
I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth) is a romantic song in where the singer basically sums up his devotion to his girl by saying he'd do all these things for her. And believe me when I say that's one devoted guy! Just listen to some of these lines:
"I'd pull the sun down from the sky To light your darkest night I wouldn't let one drop of rain fall down into your life Put your heart in my hands
Baby, believe me, I could never do you wrong And I would never paint your world blue And if sometimes it seems I must have lost my mind I might be crazy, but I'm crazy about you"
If that's not love and devotion, I don't know what is. XD
Like Dead Ringer For Love, this is another duet with Meat Loaf performing alongside Patti Russo, who is best known as the female lead vocalist of his touring band, the Neverland Express. This works to the song's favour as it further enhances this being a love story with both the man and woman playing a part in singing this tune. Patti's vocals are a joy to listen to as much as Meat Loaf's are and adds that extra bit of flavour to make the song even greater.
We also get some great instrumental work with a great rock guitar solo at one point of the song and that memorable riff that plays after Meat Loaf goes "I'd lie for you and that's the truth" along with a peaceful piano piece to open the song up at the beginning.
Very romantic, very emotional, a sensational listen and extremely memorable, it's no lie that this song is awesome (and that's the truth!).
And my Number 1 Favourite Meat Loaf Song is...Bat out of Hell
Yeah, sorry to be so damn predictable but hey, it's Bat out of Hell! What more reason do I need to put it as Number 1? XD
What can I even say about Bat out of Hell that hasn't been said already? It's his signature tune for a reason! The song is a dark and gothic horror with some really scary imagery that may come to your head when you hear these lyrics, particularly when he mentions "there's a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye and a blade shining oh so bright" and even the titular Bat out of Hell appears as a frightening giant beast he has to face on his iconic album covers. It's probably fitting that according to Meat Loaf himself, he "constructed the song" from a shot in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho film. Appropriate that a horror movie should inspire a dark song. XD Composer Jim Steinman also said the song was inspired by teenage tragedy songs and he "wanted to write the most extreme crash song of all time". Probably explains the motorbike crash later in the song. XD
Despite this dark imagery, Bat out of Hell is infectiously catchy thanks to its fast beat and quotable lyrics that are fun to sing out loud and Meat Loaf's energetic performance makes the song even more enjoyable as a result. Every time you hear him sing it, you just want to join in because it's so enjoyable to join in! The song also has some of the finest rock solos ever recorded. I swear that every time we get to those parts, it's hard to keep still and not air bang in time with them!
The song itself clocks in at around nine minutes with a radio edit being much shorter. Both are great to listen to but the extended version feels like the full experience so I recommend listening to that one more, especially as you get more epic rock music and extra lyrics to sing along to.
Bat out of Hell, my number one favourite Meat Loaf song. It'll worm its way into your head and lurk there like a bat out of hell...
And that's it for my Top 5 Favourite Meat Loaf songs. I hope you enjoyed the list and I also hope you'll give these great songs a listen to yourself.
What are your favourite Meat Loaf songs? Feel free to comment down below and share the love for this legendary rock star.
That's it for this post. Tune in next week when we journey to the Galar region for Pokemon Sword and Shield...
RIP Meat Loaf
1947-2022
Those are some awesome picks, yo. ;)