Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell trilogy of albums set new landmarks for rock music, the first, the ultimate slowburner, went on to become one of very few titles to claim more than 500 weeks on the Official Albums Chart despite never reaching Number 1, it peaked at Number 3. The follow-up album Dead Ringer however successfully went all the way and became Meat Loaf's first UK Number 1. Meat Loaf enjoyed a renaissance in the early 1990s as Bat Out Of Hell II landed straight in at the top spot and spawned Meat Loaf's first and only chart-topping single I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). In October 2022, the Official Charts in conjunction with National Album Day announced Bat Out Of Hell as the UK's best-selling debut album of all time, despite never reaching Number 1 here. Rock icon Meat Loaf - born Michael Lee Aday, whose over-the-top, operatic songs defined the maximalist sound of 70s and 80s rock for many - passed away January 20, 2022. He was 74.
