"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," but it was "Total Eclipse of the Heart," another Jim Steinman penned song, that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1983.
Most people have heard of Meat Loaf. On the heels of his 1973 role as Eddie in the hit play The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which was released as a movie in 1974, again with Meat Loaf as Eddie, and became an even bigger cult-hit), "Loaf" (whose real name is Michael Lee Aday) teamed up with Steinman to create the smash Bat Out of Hell album in 1974 which "sold over 34 million copies, becoming more profitable than Michael Jackson's blockbuster Thriller. After almost 30 years, it still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually, and stayed on the charts for over 9 years. Each of the seven tracks on the album eventually charted as a single hit." Wikipedia
Many remember the name Bonnie Tyler as well. But it was Jim Steinman, the operatic singer/songwriter/producer from New York who took them both to #1.
In 1982 Steinman produced Bonnie Tyler's Faster Than the Speed of Night album and wrote the single, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," which hit #1 and remained there for 4 weeks.
At virtually the same time, Steinman had given another of his songs to the Australian duo, Air Supply. In October 1983, for 4 weeks in a row, Steinman held two of the top three spots on the U.S. Billboard chart: Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse" at #1, and Air Supply's "Making Love (Out of Nothing At All)" at #2.
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad!"
But Steinman and Meat Loaf reached the top spot together in 1993 with the release of Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. The album skyrocketed to #1 in 20 countries and produced the #1 single for Meat Loaf, "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)." The song also garnered a Grammy for Loaf, "Best Rock Vocal Solo Performance," at the 1994 36th Annual Grammy Awards.
Yet despite the enormous success of Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II, a rift and a lawsuit ensued between the singer and the songwriter.
Reportedly, Meat Loaf's 2006 Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose album, which contains songs written by Steinman, was produced without his involvement.
But "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad!" (This song was also a big hit from Bat Out of Hell.)
SIDEBAR: According to Wikipedia, Jim Steinman was a high school classmate (Hewlett High, Long Island NY, class of 1965) of ESPN sports commentator and Washington Post columnist, Tony Kornheiser.
Total Eclipse of the Heart Lyrics (Words and Music by Jim Steinman)
Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart
Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of something wild Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit helpless and I'm lying like a child in your arms Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I've got to get out and cry Turnaround, Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see the look in your eyes Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right Cause we'll never be wrong together We can take it to the end of the line Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks I really need you tonight Forever's gonna start tonight Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love But now I'm only falling apart There's nothing I can do A total eclipse of the heart Once upon a time there was light in my life But now there's only love in the dark Nothing I can say A total eclipse of the heart
INSTRUMENTAL
Turnaround bright eyes Turnaround bright eyes Turnaround, Every now and then I know you'll never be the boy you always wanted to be Turnaround, Every now then I know you'll always be the only boy who wanted me the way that I am Turnaround, Every now and then I know there's no one in the universe as magical and wonderous as you Turnaround, Every now and then I know there's nothing any better and there's nothing that I just wouldn't do Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart Turnaround bright eyes, Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you'll only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever And we'll only be making it right Cause we'll never be wrong together We can take it to the end of the line Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks I really need you tonight Forever's gonna start tonight Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love But now I'm only falling apart Nothing I can do A total eclipse of the heart Once upon a time there was light in my life But now there's only love in the dark Nothing I can say A total eclipse of the heart
Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad (Words and Music by Jim Steinman)
Baby we can talk all night
But that ain't getting us nowhere
I told you everything I possibly can
There's nothing left inside of here
And maybe you can cry all night
But that'll never change the way that I feel
The snow is really piling up outside
I wish you wouldn't make me leave here
I poured it on and I poured it out
I tried to show you just how much I care
I'm tired of words and I'm too hoarse to shout
But you've been cold to me so long
I'm crying icicles instead of tears
And all I can do is keep on telling you
I want you
I need you
But - there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
You'll never find your gold on a sandy beach
You'll never drill for oil on a city street
O know you're looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom
of a Cracker Jack box
I can't lie
I can't tell you that I'm something I'm not
No matter how I try
I'll never be able
To give you something
Something that I just haven't got
There's only one girl that I will ever love
And that was so many years ago
And though I know I'll never get her out of my heart
She never loved me back
Ooh I know
I remember how she left me on a stormy night
She kissed me and got out of our bed
And though I pleaded and I begged her not to
walk out that door
She packed her bags and turned right away
And she kept on telling me
She kept on telling me
She kept on telling me
I want you
I need you
But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
Don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," but it was "Total Eclipse of the Heart," another Jim Steinman penned song, that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1983.
(which was released as a movie in 1974, again with Meat Loaf as Eddie, and became an even bigger cult-hit), "Loaf" (whose real name is Michael Lee Aday) teamed up with Steinman to create the smash Bat Out of Hell album in 1974 which "sold over 34 million copies, becoming more profitable than Michael Jackson's blockbuster 
. After almost 30 years, it still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually, and stayed on the charts for over 9 years. Each of the seven tracks on the album eventually charted as a single hit." 
