I Love a Rainy Night
Encyclopedia
"I Love a Rainy Night" is a rock
song by Eddie Rabbitt
. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
, Hot Country Singles
, and Adult Contemporary Singles
charts in 1981. The song succeeded Dolly Parton
's song "9 To 5" at the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100
pop singles chart - the last time that pop chart featured back-to-back country singles in the number one position.
The song is featured on the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
on the K-Rose radio station, and on the T.V. show Family Guy
in the episode "Padre de Familia
" when Glenn Quagmire listens to music in his head. Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered the song for both the original 1981 and 1993 releases of Urban Chipmunk
. In the 1993 remake, Alvin sings this song for the rain to flood the house and wash away his homework.
"It brought back the memory of sitting in a small apartment, staring out the window at one o'clock in the morning, watching the rain come down," wrote Bronson in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. "He sang into his tape recorder, 'I love a rainy night, I love a rainy night.'"
Upon rediscovery of the old lyrics, Rabbitt completed the song (with help from frequent songwriting partners Even Stevens and David Malloy) and recorded it.
The end result included vivid descriptions of a man's fondness for thunderstorms and the peace it brings him ("I love to hear the thunder/watch the lightnin' as it lights up the sky/you know it makes me feel good") and a renewed sense of hope the storms bring ("Showers wash all my cares away/I wake up to a sunny day").
The song's other mark of distinction is its rhythm pattern of alternating finger snaps
and hand claps
, which was included with the help of percussionist Farrell Morris. Morris — according to "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" — mixed two tracks of each to complete the record.
" (No. 1 country
, No. 5 Hot 100
), the song was Rabbitt's only Hot 100 No. 1. However, he would continue having crossover success with the follow-ups "Step by Step" and "You and I" (the latter a duet with Crystal Gayle
).
On Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, it was his eighth out of 17 career chart toppers, spanning from 1976 through 1990.
"I Love a Rainy Night" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
song by Eddie Rabbitt
Eddie Rabbitt
Edward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...
. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, and Adult Contemporary Singles
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
charts in 1981. The song succeeded Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
's song "9 To 5" at the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop singles chart - the last time that pop chart featured back-to-back country singles in the number one position.
The song is featured on the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
on the K-Rose radio station, and on the T.V. show Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
in the episode "Padre de Familia
Padre de Familia
"Padre de Familia" is a season six episode of the FOX animated series Family Guy. Guest starring are Carrie Fisher as Peter's supervisor, Angela, Phyllis Diller as Peter's mother, Thelma Griffin and Gabriel Iglesias as Gerardo....
" when Glenn Quagmire listens to music in his head. Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song for both the original 1981 and 1993 releases of Urban Chipmunk
Urban Chipmunk
Urban Chipmunk was the first country album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released on February 4, 1981. The title parodies the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy.-Side one:#"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" – 1:43...
. In the 1993 remake, Alvin sings this song for the rain to flood the house and wash away his homework.
Song history
According to music historian Fred Bronson, "I Love a Rainy Night" was 12 years in the making. Rabbitt had a collection of old tapes he kept in the basement of his home. While rummaging through the tapes one day in 1980, he heard a fragment of a song he had recorded one rainy night in the late 1960s."It brought back the memory of sitting in a small apartment, staring out the window at one o'clock in the morning, watching the rain come down," wrote Bronson in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. "He sang into his tape recorder, 'I love a rainy night, I love a rainy night.'"
Upon rediscovery of the old lyrics, Rabbitt completed the song (with help from frequent songwriting partners Even Stevens and David Malloy) and recorded it.
The end result included vivid descriptions of a man's fondness for thunderstorms and the peace it brings him ("I love to hear the thunder/watch the lightnin' as it lights up the sky/you know it makes me feel good") and a renewed sense of hope the storms bring ("Showers wash all my cares away/I wake up to a sunny day").
The song's other mark of distinction is its rhythm pattern of alternating finger snaps
Snap (fingers)
Snapping one's fingers is the act of creating a cracking/clicking sound with one's fingers. Primarily this is done by building tension between the thumb and another finger and then moving the other finger forcefully downward so it hits the palm of the same hand at a high speed...
and hand claps
Clapping
A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance...
, which was included with the help of percussionist Farrell Morris. Morris — according to "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits" — mixed two tracks of each to complete the record.
Chart success
"I Love a Rainy Night" came in the midst of Rabbitt's peak popularity as a crossover artist. The follow-up to "Drivin' My Life AwayDrivin' My Life Away
"Drivin' My Life Away" is a country song by Eddie Rabbitt. It reached number one on the Hot Country Singles in 1980, and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" (No. 1 country
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, No. 5 Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
), the song was Rabbitt's only Hot 100 No. 1. However, he would continue having crossover success with the follow-ups "Step by Step" and "You and I" (the latter a duet with Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
).
On Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, it was his eighth out of 17 career chart toppers, spanning from 1976 through 1990.
"I Love a Rainy Night" was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 4 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 11 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 53 |