About the Song
“I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” is a dramatic rock ballad written by Jim Steinman and recorded by American singer Meat Loaf, featuring vocalist Lorraine Crosby. Released in August 1993 by MCA and Virgin Records, the song served as the lead single from Meat Loaf’s sixth studio album, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. While Crosby delivers the final six verses of the track, she was credited only as “Mrs. Loud” in the album notes. She does not appear in the Michael Bay–directed music video; instead, her vocals are visually represented by SAS singer Alison James. During live promotions, Meat Loaf often performed the duet alongside American vocalist Patti Russo.
A sweeping, theatrical power ballad, the single became an international phenomenon, topping the charts in 28 countries. In the United States, it was certified platinum and remains Meat Loaf’s only song to reach both the number-one position and the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track also marked his first and only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, where it ended 1993 as the nation’s best-selling single. Its success earned Meat Loaf a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo.
Across global charts, the song’s impact was similarly impressive. It reached number one in 28 countries, becoming Meat Loaf’s most successful solo release in many of those markets. In the United States, it held the top spot for five weeks and sold more than 1.4 million copies. In the United Kingdom, it remained at number one for seven weeks. Running seven minutes and fifty-two seconds, the track was the longest song to reach number one there since The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” This record was later surpassed in 1998 by Oasis’s “All Around the World,” which lasts nine minutes and thirty-eight seconds.
In the UK alone, the single sold 723,000 copies in 1993, making it the year’s top-selling hit. Its popularity also led to a reissue of Meat Loaf’s classic album Bat Out of Hell, which finally entered the UK top ten—an achievement it had missed upon its original 1979 release. For a time, Meat Loaf enjoyed the rare distinction of having two singles simultaneously charting in the UK top ten.
The song’s legacy continues to stand tall. In addition to its Grammy win, it remains one of the most iconic rock ballads of the 1990s, and in Germany, it ranks among the country’s top-selling pop anthems of all time.