Meatloaf, the eccentric rockstar best known for mega-hits such as “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”, “I Would Do Anything For Love”, and more has died at the age of 74.
Meatloaf was born Marvin Lee Aday and burst onto the music scene taking part in musical productions such as Hair and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Meatloaf would also get his movie debut when “Rocky Horror” received a film adaptation and was asked to reprise his role of Eddie.
Around the same time, he started connecting with lyricist Jim Steinman. They began working on what would be their twice-certified diamond album “Bat Out Of Hell” (1977).
“Bat” is one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time. Steinman’s lyrics describing a story of teen lovers’ work with the heavy soul and passion that was delivered by Meatloaf. The cherry on top is Ellen Foley’s vocals that are a perfect complement to Meatloaf in multiple songs on the album, but are most recognizable in the classic “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”.
The live shows of Meatloaf were outstanding. He put everything into his performance. Meatloaf would run around the stage like a wild man, gyrating and flailing his arms to every lyric he sang. By the end of the concert, his shirt would be ripped open as he would be drenched in sweat.
The ’80s were not the best to Meatloaf. Steinman and Meatloaf split up and both could not regain the same momentum in the decade that could even touch “Bat”. They would eventually reunite in 1993 and produced “Bat Out of Hell II” that not only provided a comeback for Meatloaf but also introduced him to a new generation. With the help of the rock opera single “I Would Do Anything for Love”, “Bat II” went 9x platinum cementing Meatloaf and Steinman as rock legends.
Meatloaf also had an underrated acting career for a musical artist. He has appeared in over 65 films, starting with the film adaptation in “Rocky Horror”. He has also appeared in Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny, Spice World, and in David Fincher’s 1999 classic thriller Fight Club, where he played the memorable “Bob”.
Meatloaf is one of the greatest rock and roll acts of all time. Although most of his classics come from two albums, their impact on the genre will never go unnoticed to fans. Unfortunately, Meatloaf and Steinman were not recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (that’s a whole other blog) before their deaths. Trophies and accolades aren’t needed for Meatloaf. Fans know what an icon he was.