Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler Songwriter, Dies at 73

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Jim Steinman, the songwriter behind Meat Loaf’s biggest hits and Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” has died at the age of 73. The Connecticut chief medical examiner office confirmed Steinman’s death, but said there was no cause of death available, as it didn’t take jurisdiction in the matter.

Born on Nov. 1, 1947 in New York City and growing up on Long Island, Steinman’s style had a flair for the dramatic (to put it mildly). This is perhaps best exemplified in his work with Meat Loaf. The two teamed up for 1977’s Bat Out of Hell and 1993’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The albums, which defined Meat Loaf’s career, included bombastic songs like “Paradise by the Dashboard,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” “Bat Out of Hell” and “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).”

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In 1983, he worked with Bonnie Tyler on her biggest song, “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which remains a radio staple today.

In addition to Meat Loaf and Tyler, Steinman penned tunes like Air Supply’s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” and wrote songs for Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Sisters of Mercy, Def Leppard and Billy Squier.

In his career, Steinman was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including a victory in 1997 for Album of the Year for his work on Dion’s Falling Into You. Albums with songs written by Steinman have sold over 190 million copies.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time, click here.