Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

It was the final song written for the album. In a 2003 interview for the VH1 Ultimate Albums series, songwriter Jim Steinman recalled:

I remember Mimi Kennedy [a cast member of Jim's then-current musical Rhinegold] telling me, she said, you know, when I was probably complaining why no one liked my stuff and couldn't get a deal, she says, 'Well Steiny, your stuff is so complicated. Can't you write something simple?' And while she was saying that the oldies station was on the radio and it was playing that old Elvis song, 'I Want You, I Need,' whatever it was. 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You', you know. I just started singing my own song but it was 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.' She said, 'Why don't you write something simple like that, "I want you, I need you, I love you"?' I said, 'Well I'll try.' I don't try to make them complicated. I remember going home and I tried so hard but the best I could do was: 'I want you, I need you but there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you, don't be sad, 'cause two out of three ain't bad'. So it was still a twist but it was my closest to a simple song, and one Elvis could have done.{{Cite web|url=https://jimsteinman.com/Q&AwithJim7.htm|title=Classic Albums Six Hour Interview|website=Jimsteinman.com|access-date=24 April 2021}}

The backing band is basically Utopia (band), of which Todd Rundgren, Roger Powell, Kasim Sulton and John "Willie" Wilcox were all members.

A music videoOfficial {{YouTube|k5hWWe-ts2s}} was shot for the single and received significant airplay on television video programs of the period, four years before MTV's debut.

Two mixes were created for the song. In the album mix, timed around 5:27, one can hear prominent Moog synthesizer embellishments by session keyboardist Roger Powell. The single mix, timed just under 4:00, downmixes the synthesizer considerably, in place of a much warmer and predominant string arrangement by Kenneth Ascher. This mix also edits out and removes the first lyrical bridge of the song which includes the line, "There ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box", and does some overlapping, splicing and editing to seamlessly merge back into the second part of the lyrical bridge, starting with, "I can't lie, I can't tell you that I'm something I'm not". An additional edit in the last verse removes the lines, "And though I know I'll never get her out of my heart, she never loved me back, Ooh I know, well I remember how she left me on a stormy night, oh she kissed me and got out of our bed". Last, a song fade-out beginning in the middle of the ending chorus' second refrain is also featured, hence removing the full-circle lyrics of "Baby we can talk all night, but that ain't getting us nowhere", that both started and ended the song, in its full album-mix version.

The Japanese release changes the title of the song to use a percentage, translating it as "66% is good enough".{{Citation|title=Meat Loaf - 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad' (Japanese release)|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/065p250|access-date=2017-04-14}}

Cash Box said that the "vocals are emotionally rendered" and the "lyric is interesting."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=March 4, 1978|page=13|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2021-12-26|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-03-04.pdf}} Record World called it a "rambling but appealing single."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=March 4, 1978|accessdate=2023-02-15|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/78/RW-1978-03-04.pdf}}

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=Meat Loaf|title=Two Out of Three Ain't Bad|award=Gold|relyear=1978|certyear=2018|access-date=September 19, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Meat Loaf|title=Two Out of Three Ain't Bad|award=Gold|relyear=2005|certyear=2022|id=15705-853-1|access-date=May 13, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Meat Loaf|title=Two Out of Three Ain't Bad|award=Platinum|relyear=1978|certyear=2018|access-date=September 19, 2019}}

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• Meat Loaf – lead vocals
• Todd Rundgren – guitar, backing vocals
• Kasim Sulton – bass guitar
• Roy Bittan – piano
• Roger Powell – synthesizer
• John "Willie" Wilcox – drums
• Rory Dodd – additional backing vocals
• Strings arranged and conducted by Kenneth Ascher

{{Reflist}}

• [https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/47622/ Lyrics of this song]
• {{YouTube|HVvXWUAKtus|Meat Loaf - Two Out of Three Ain't Bad}}

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{{Bonnie Tyler songs}}

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Category:1978 singles

Category:Meat Loaf songs

Category:1977 songs

Category:Songs written by Jim Steinman

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:1970s ballads

Category:Rock ballads

Category:Bonnie Tyler songs

Category:Julian Austin (musician) songs

Category:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Todd Rundgren

Category:Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements