On this day (October 21) in 1977, Meat Loaf released Bat Out of Hell. The album was the result of multiple years of work with songwriter Jim Steinman. Produced by Tod Rundgren, the theatrical LP produced multiple hit songs, inspired a musical, and helped Meat Loaf transform from a relatively unknown performer to a star.

Meat Loaf and Steinman met in 1975 while traveling with The National Lampoon Show. The touring comedy show launched the careers of the likes of Harold Ramis, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner. The year before, Steinman had developed a musical titled Neverland. The pair took three songs from the musical–“All Revved Up with No Place to Go,” “Heaven Can Wait,” and the title track–and began developing an album based on the musical’s story.

[RELATED: Top 10 Essential Songs by Meat Loaf]

The result of years of hard work was an album that combined rock and roll, classical music, and musical theater to become one of the most popular rock operas ever recorded.

“I never really saw classic music and rock and roll as different. I still don’t,” Steinman once said. “I grew up liking extremes in music–big gothic textures. I never have much regard for more subtle stuff,” he added. “I couldn’t see the point in writing songs about ordinary, real-life stuff.”

Meat Loaf Almost Wasn’t Able to Release the Iconic Album

Today, Bat Out of Hell has sold more than 43 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums in the world. It has been certified 14x Platinum by the RIAA and continues to be popular among listeners of all ages. However, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman almost didn’t find a home for the album.

Bat Out of Hell was unlike anything else in pop or rock music at the time. As a result, no labels wanted to release it. They feared that it was too outrageous and too different to sell.

Finally, they performed songs from the album for legendary producer Tod Rundgren. He was immediately on board. “[I] rolled on the floor laughing. It was so out there. I said, ‘I’ve got to do this album, ‘” he recalled.

Rundgren took Meat Loaf and Steinman to Bearsville Studios in New York to begin work on the album. He brought in members of his band, Utopia, and members of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Max Weinberg played drums on the record, and Roy Bittan played piano.

After years of writing and arranging and nearly two years in the studio, Bat Out of Hell hit record store shelves in the fall of 1977. It remains popular, with many songs from the LP receiving hundreds of millions of streams.

Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images