Some combinations just plain work.

Chocolate and peanut butter

Porkchops and applesauce

Macaroni and cheese

Brad and Angelina

However…just because a certain formula seems to work for most, it does not necessarily mean that it will appeal to all. Not everyone likes Reeses Cups. Some people are lactose intolerant, some allergic to apples. Some people even prefer Jennifer Aniston to Angelina Jolie.

Great commercial success has been realized by the duo of Jim Steinman and Michael Lee Aday, a.k.a. “Meatloaf”. The two paired up on 1977’s ‘Bat Out of Hell’, written and composed by Steinman with Meatloaf of course, on vocals. To date, “Bat Out of Hell’ has sold over 43 million copies and been certified 14 times platinum, cementing its spot among the greatest selling albums ever.

Steinman’s success is not tied exclusively to his pairing with Meatloaf. He has written and produced countless hits for the likes of Celine Dion (All Coming Back to Me Now), Air Supply (Making Love out of Nothing at All) and Bonnie Tyler (Total Eclipse of the Heart). The man is no slouch. His work spans many genres, many decades and he’s got the Grammy bling to prove his mettle.

You see where I’m going with this, right?

When Meatloaf & Steinman join forces they make hits and sell records. In 1993 they collaborated once more to create “Bat Out of Hell II – Back Into Hell”. The albums hit single was “I’d Do anything For Love (But I Won’t do That)” The Single earned Meatloaf a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance-Solo, as well as the #1 spot in 28 countries. The track hit #1  in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 (His first #1 in the U.S.) as well as in the UK on the Singles Chart. No doubt about it, Steinman and Meat Loaf go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de ding a dong.

If you ask me….the walls of hell are adorned with platinum plaques and huge speakers that pump out songs like “Anything for Love” ad-nauseum. Non-stop. Forever. And ever. I’m pretty sure the album is called ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ because that bat is trying to escape the eternal torment of listening to that wretched song for all eternity.

I sure sound jaded, and maybe I am. Maybe the memories of 1993, my senior year still haunt me. I remember every time I entered a female friends car and tried to be the caretaker of the stereo. Trying to slip in Buhloone Mindstate, Bizarre Ride or the Judgment Night Soundtrack, I was always rebuffed and subjected to the sounds of screeching 17 year olds belting out the hellish refrain “I won’t do that!”. UGH. I shudder at the memory still. While personal memories certainly add to my dislike of this obvious commercial powerhouse, they are not my sole reason. Honestly…. I simply find the track boring, self-servingly long at 12 minutes and too close in style and make up to ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’, which screams of laziness to me.

But hey, that’s just me…..and for what it’s worth, I’m not much of a Reese’s Cup guy either.