"I Love a Rainy Night" is a song co-written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in November 1980 as the second single from his album '' Horizon''. It reached number one on the

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, ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and Adult Contemporary Singles charts in early 1981. It was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens, and

David Malloy David Ernest Malloy is an American country music and pop songwriter, record producer and A&R executive with 41 number one hits. He had received multiple Grammy nominations, as writer and/or producer, and has worked with many artists and pro ...

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

) and recorded it. The 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' when 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 distinctive feature is its rhythmic pattern of alternating finger snaps and

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, which was included with the help of percussionist Farrell Morris, who, according to ''The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits'', mixed two tracks of each to complete the record.

Chart performance

On February 28, the song succeeded

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

's hit film theme song " 9 to 5" in the number-one position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart. On March 14, Parton's song returned to the top spot—the last time, to date, that the pop chart featured back-to-back "country" singles in the top position. "I Love a Rainy Night" came during Rabbitt's peak popularity as a crossover artist. The follow-up to " Drivin' My Life Away" (number one

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, number five Hot 100), the song was Rabbitt's only Hot 100 number one. But his crossover success continued 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 to 1990. "I Love a Rainy Night" was certified gold for sales of a half-million units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Appearances in other media

* The song is featured in the 2004 video game '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', playing on the fictional radio station K-Rose. * The song is featured in the

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series '' Mindhunter'', Season 2, episode 2. * The song is featured in the

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series ''

The Blacklist ''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily s ...

'', Season 4, episode 11 ("The Harem"). * The song is featured in the '' Family Guy'' Season 6 episode "Padre de Familia", playing in Quagmire's head.

References

* Allmusic - ''I Love a Rainy Night'' by Eddie Rabbitt*Bronson, Fred, "The Billboard Book of Number One Hits" 5th ed. Billboard Publications, New York, 2003. . *Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits," Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 () {{authority control 1980 songs 1980 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Eddie Rabbitt songs Songs written by Eddie Rabbitt Songs written by David Malloy Song recordings produced by David Malloy Elektra Records singles Songs written by Even Stevens (songwriter)