Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through

"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" is a song written by American composer Jim Steinman. It was first featured on Steinman's 1981 solo album Bad for Good, with lead vocals by an uncredited Rory Dodd. It was later recorded by American singer Meat Loaf and released in 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell.

"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"
side-A label
Side A of the US single
Single by Jim Steinman
from the album Bad for Good
B-side"Love and Death and an American Guitar"
ReleasedMay 22, 1981 (1981-05-22)
Length
  • 4:00 (radio edit)
  • 6:23 (album version)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Jim Steinman
Producer(s)Jim Steinman and Jimmy Iovine
Music video
Video on YouTube
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"
Single by Meat Loaf
from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell
B-side
ReleasedJanuary 1994 (1994-01)
StudioOcean Way Recording (Los Angeles)
Length
  • 5:50 (album version)
  • 4:02 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)Jim Steinman
Producer(s)Jim Steinman
Meat Loaf singles chronology
"Bat Out of Hell"
(1993)		 "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"
(1994)		 "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are"
(1994)
Music video
Video on YouTube

Both the Steinman original and the Meat Loaf remake were top-40 hits. Steinman's version hit number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 14 on the Billboard Rock Top Tracks chart and number 29 on the Cash Box Top 100; it is Steinman's lone top-40 hit as an artist. In New Zealand, the song spent two weeks at number six. It matched this position 12 years later with the Meat Loaf version. Also, the Meat Loaf version reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart in early 1994.

Music and lyrics

"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" is a paean to rock music, celebrating how it is always there to help you through troubled times. One of its lyrics is "You're never alone, 'cause you can put on the 'phones and let the drummer tell your heart what to do."

Music videos

Jim Steinman version

The Steinman version's video features an empty, dark stage with two dancers, one male and one female, both in dancing suits and dancing performance art with a prop electric guitar. Steinman is seen throughout in a dark suit and aviator sunglasses standing still on a platform and lip synching the song. Scenes of a black bird of prey are seen at the beginning and end of the video.

Meat Loaf version

The video for the Meat Loaf version was directed by Michael Bay, who had also directed the videos for "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" and "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are".

In the music video, Meat Loaf stands as a fortuneteller who comforts a recently runaway teenager (played by an 18 year old Angelina Jolie). Meat Loaf's character also protects a young boy from joining a gang and other people who are lost and lonely. Jolie's character, after the song ends, returns to her family.

Release

Several versions of the "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" have been released. The European and UK version included live versions of "Heaven Can Wait" and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". A second UK version had "Wasted Youth" and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)", while the 7" picture disc contains just "Wasted Youth". The US singles contained edited, live and acoustic versions of "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)".

Live variations

The song has been performed live various times since the release of Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. The song was featured on Live Around the World and a live soundcheck appeared on the MAXI single. It was performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2004 as a sound test, but was not in the actual concert (Its audio can be heard on a special edition of the Bat Out of Hell Live CD). It was showcased in the DVD 3 Bats Live with performance by Meat Loaf in London, Ontario in 2007. It can also be found on the special two-CD edition of Bat Out of Hell II and most recently on the live album Casa De Carne, a bonus CD with the Special Edition (US) Deluxe and Super Deluxe versions (UK) of Meat Loaf's 2010 album Hang Cool Teddy Bear.

Charts

Jim Steinman version

Meat Loaf version

Release history
Region Version Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom Jim Steinman May 22, 1981 7-inch single Epic [4]
United States Meat Loaf January 1994
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 MCA [34]
United Kingdom February 7, 1994 Virgin [35]
February 14, 1994 CD digipak [36]
Japan April 8, 1994 Mini-CD [37]

References
  1. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
  3. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0356." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  4. "Jim Steinman – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  5. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  6. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  7. "Jim Steinman Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  8. "Jim Steinman Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  9. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLIII, no. 13. August 15, 1981. p. 4. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  10. "End Of Year Charts 1981". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  11. "1981 Year End". www.bullfrogspond.com. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  12. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  13. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  14. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  15. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2414." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  16. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2429." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  17. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 11. March 12, 1994. p. 14. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  18. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (27._02.02.'94)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 27, 1994. p. 20. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 10, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  22. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  23. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  25. "Meat Loaf – Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  27. "Meat Loaf Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  28. "Meat Loaf Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  29. "Meat Loaf Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  30. "Meat Loaf Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  31. "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  32. "Årslista Singlar, 1994" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  33. "Billboard Top 100 – 1994". Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  34. "The Great Rock Discography". p. 538.
  35. "Single Releases". Music Week. February 5, 1994. p. 29.
  36. "Single Releases". Music Week. February 12, 1994. p. 21.
  37. "ロックンロール・ドリームス | ミートローフ" [Rocknroll Dreams | Meat Loaf] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
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