More than a foot of rain has fallen on the DC-area the last few days. A voice, sounding something like James Earl Jones, tells me to break into the National Zoo and gather up two of everything. I refuse. Instead, inspired by hackneyed FM playlists whenever skies turn gray, I come up with a list of the best "rain" songs ever.

10. Rain in the Summertime, The Alarm
9. London Rain, Heather Nova
8. Who'll Stop the Rain?, Creedence Clearwater Revival
7. South Central Rain, REM
6. Rain Street, The Pogues
5. Red Rain, Peter Gabriel
4. A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, Bob Dylan
3. Rain, The Beatles
2. Purple Rain, Prince
1. The Rain Song, Led Zeppelin

Where did I go wrong? What did I leave out? Remember, the song must have the word "rain" in the title, so offer "Love, Reign O'er Me" at the risk of subjecting yourself to ridicule. For different reasons, offer "It's Raining Men" also at the risk of ridicule (Quick: what famous sidekick co-wrote "It's Raining Men"?).

First of all, "Who'll stop the rain?"??? My god that song is horrible, and should be immediately replaced with the far better "Have you ever seen the rain?", as I'm sure that was a simple mistake on your part.

That aside, I've always been partial to "I wish it would rain" by the Temptations, and "Cold Rain and Snow" by the Dead. The folk classic "Oh, the wind and the rain" is a fav of mine as well, but I like those creepy old stories.

Finally, is it possible to BAN permanently the person that puts forth "November Rain"?

I thought long and hard about "Who'll Stop the Rain?" v. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" As the lyrics in the former song actually mean something, tell a story about a certain place and time, I deemed the former superior. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" seems a song that, lyrically at least, an above-average second-grade student could write. Other than that, the songs are really similar. I have hundreds of discs, but CCR's greatest hits remains one of a handful that someone successfully stole from me, thus, I can't compare the two right now.

There is an excellent acoustic demo of "November Rain" floating around Kazaa that I highly recommend. It's excellent, and shows how much strings can ruin a perfectly good ballad by making it even more sappy, e.g., "The Long and Winding Road." Axl apparently wrote "November Rain" before Appetite for Destruction came out, and was highly pissed that the producer, and his bandmates, didn't feel that it fit the vibe of the album. It's not a bad song, but placing it on AFD would be a little like putting ketchup on chewing gum. The two exist best separately.

Anyhow, I didn't include "November Rain" because to me it represents the implosion of Guns n Roses due to the tyranny of Axl Rose. Those other guys certainly didn't consent to the strings, the keyboards, the lame, multimillion-dollar video that accompanied it, the bloated, two-minute finale where a chorus sings something like "Don't you think that you need somebody/Everybody needs somebody/You're not the only one." If that's GNR, then REO Speedwagon is Black Sabbath.

Surely James Taylor's Fire and Rain and even perhaps Blind Mellon's No Rain deserve a place in the top 10.

I agree with you on the lyrics to the two CCR songs, your choice being better there. But for the total package, HYESTR passes the "does it sound good?" test with a higher grade in my book.

Dan, I also have to vote for "No Rain" by Blind Melon.

Be well,

Sponge

Helllloooo? Unless we are sticking to the rock genre Singin' in the Rain is the quintessential rain song.

Dan,

I vote for JTR, by the Dave Matthews Band.

I drink you up
For every drop of you is sacred
Every drop I drink you up

You fill my cup
The way you laugh
Eyes of a child
Lean on me, you fill me up
You make me love
So unconditionally generous
To me you give me love
And break my heart
Slip, you fall, I pick you up and dust you off
You break my heart

Rain, rain, rain down on me
Again and again
Rain down on me

Take all you want
For what is mine is yours
No better use is there for what I've got
Take all you want
And only hope can I, you won't deny
Your love for me, my love

No, don't cry, if it's too high
I lift you up, we'll make it, make it
When I was oh so tired
You come along to wake me, wake me
Time and time, again and again
With a smile you save me child
Oh, oh, oh...

Rain, rain, rain down on me
Again and again
Rain down on me

Look, we play our cards
And I question by the grace of what
We play our cards at all
Come fill me up
Oh, fill me love when I'm empty
when I'm all dried up

No, dont cry, if it's too high
I lift you up, we'll make it, make it
Oh, I was so so tired
You come along to wake me, wake me
Time and time, again and again
With a smile you save me child
Oh, oh, oh...

Rain, rain, rain down on me
Again and again
Rain down on me

Rain, rain, rain down on me...

Call me hokey - I don't care! - but I vote for "I Love a Rainy Night," Eddie Rabbit version.

--Eric

No "Raining Blood", Dan?

Very much agree with the Fongster with regards to "I wish it would rain" by the Temptations. Great tune.

How's about E.C.'s 'Let it Rain'? Should have made the list, I think.

I don't know what surprises me more: that no one chimed in with Supertramp's "It's Raining Again," or that no one has even ventured a guess on my trivia question that closes the post.

I must profess complete and utter ignorance of your pop quiz subject, Dan. Something tells me that fact is something I will be proud of! ;)

Paul Shaffer???

Hallelujah. Paul Shaffer co-wrote "It's Raining Men."

No "Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin? I hope that wasn't a deliberate ommission.

I'll take "Blame it on the Rain" by Milli Vanilli over "Purple Rain" ANY DAY.

Yes, CB, but who really sang "Blame It On the Rain"? Can we be so sure it was in fact Milli Vanilli?

No RZA on the Tragedy? That's racism, plain and simple. For shame Flynn to the files. Shame!

Dan, We have had the arc on order for two months up here in N.H. As a latecomer but a devotee of your site I am interested in a little history of your interest and knowledge in the music business. I once stopped being a stockbroker and opened a music store in Pa. to try and catch up on a lot of things I think I missed...it was fun but it only went so far. Either call or post. Thanks, Chris

"Love Reign O'er Me" -- by The Who, Quadrophenia (Dan, if you won't include that, I publicly challenge you to a duel!)

"Riders on the Storm" - by The ... (wait, if you don't know that one, I can't help you there)

"Georgia Rain" (Trisha Yearwood)

"Thunder Rolls" (Garth Brooks)

"Like the Rain" (Clint Black)

"Rain rain, go away, please come back another day"....(that song we used to sing when we were kids...that's the best)!

My top 5

10) Led Zeppelin- The Rain Song
9) Blind Melon- No Rain
8) Grateful Dead- Looks like Rain
7) Drive By Truckers- Louisiana 1927 (I think it was originally written by Randy Newman)
6) Allman brother- Rain
5) willie nelson-Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
4) Credence-Who'll stop the rain
3) Dicky Betts- Rain (this was solo, not with the Allman brotheres and was a completely different song)
2) Credence- Have you ever seen the rain
1) Jerry Jeff Walker- Hill Country Rain

a few other good ones I can think of are hank jr's looking at the rain, and yonder mountain string band's new horizons.

What about Love, Rain O'er Me by the Who?

But seriously, try Rain When I Die by Alice in Chains.

Phil Lesh / Grateful Dead's "Box of Rain". It never gets old.

^^^^

Good call.