Meat Loaf had the pipes, Jim Steinman had the songs, and Todd Rundgren recognized both the humor and the potential; with the latter working off the duo’s vision of taking Bruce Springsteen to Broadway decades before that happened – and recruiting E Street Band members to actually play on it – the result was undeniable. Bat Out Of Hell’s theatricality was always part of the point, and the sheer bravura Meat Loaf brought to songs like the title track, “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” anchored one of rock’s biggest sellers ever.

– Ned Raggett