"November Rain" is a song by American

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

band

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...

. Written by the band's lead vocalist

Axl Rose W. Axl Rose ( ; born William Bruce Rose Jr., February 6, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its inception in ...

, the

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

was released in February 1992 as the third single from the band's third studio album, '' Use Your Illusion I'' (1991). The song peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was the longest song to enter the top ten of the chart at the time of its release. , it was the fourth longest song to enter the Hot 100 chart. Additionally, "November Rain" reached number two on the Portuguese Singles Chart, number four on the UK Singles Chart, and the top 10 on several other music charts around the world.

Background

Slash states in his autobiography that the band recorded in 1986 an 18-minute version of "November Rain" at a session with guitarist Manny Charlton (of rock band

Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...

) the year prior to beginning sessions for '' Appetite for Destruction''. According to a story

reported during the 2006 leg of the Chinese Democracy Tour, no other band members wanted to participate in the production of this song (or the other notable ballad " Estranged"). Slash and

Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964) is an American musician. He was the bassist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses for twelve years, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the b ...

were opposed to the band's drift to symphonic ballads, feeling their choice of more direct rock songs were being overlooked by Rose. Eventually, Rose persuaded the others during work at Can-Am Studios (where some of the album was recorded and mixed). Slash disputed Axl's claims of harsh musical differences in his autobiography released the next year. Slash reported that his guitar solo in the song's album version developed directly from an improvisation.

Writing and composition

"November Rain" is the third-longest song by Guns N' Roses, behind "

Coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...

" (10:14) from the same album, and " Estranged" (9:24) from '' Use Your Illusion II''. It was the longest song ever to reach the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 until November 2021, when surpassed by Taylor Swift's extended rerecording of " All Too Well". The song's composition was influenced by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

's 1973 opus " Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". Its distinct symphonic overtone owes to a sweeping string arrangement, orchestrated by Rose.Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). ''Slash''. New York: Harper Entertainment. "We call it 'the Layla song'," joked Slash, referencing a similarly-constructed rock song with a long, instrumental second part. It was later preceded by the coda from Layla on the Not in This Lifetime... Tour. On November 4, 2022, the original track was re-released on a ''Use Your Illusion'' reissue, but with newly recorded orchestration replacing the sampled sounds used on the original mix. The orchestration consists of a real 50-piece orchestra, conducted and arranged by

Christopher Lennertz Christopher Joseph Lennertz (born January 2, 1972) is an American songwriter and composer of film, television, and video game scores. He is a dual citizen of the United States and Italy. His musical scores have appeared in ''Alvin and the Chipm ...

. The track was mixed by Steven Wilson.

Critical reception

Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As music critic and editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays, and profiles have appeared in publications worldwide ...

from ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote, "This sweeping

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

– reminiscent of

and

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English lyricist and visual artist. He is best known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, recognised as one of the most successful partnerships of its kind in history. Taupin co-wrote th ...

’s most majestic work – underscores the ambition and range of the best and most volatile American hard-rock group in a decade." Dave Jennings from ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' said, "There's probably no other band who can match the Gunners' ability to sound frighteningly real and then laughably crass in rapid succession. ..On "November Rain", they fit both extremes into one nine-minute epic ballad." Another editor, Simon Reynolds, declared it as "a lush, swoony, mock-orchestral epic mid-way between Trevor Horn, Jim Steinman and ' Purple Rain'." Parry Gettelman from ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...

'' viewed it as "a schlocky, over-produced ballad". Richard Harrington from ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' felt that in the wake of their breakthrough power ballad " Sweet Child o' Mine", Guns N'Roses "have wisely chosen to play to their female constituency" with "November Rain". He explained that the song "finds Axl in an Elton John mood with a piano, synthesized strings and the realization that while 'It's hard to hold a candle/ in the cold November rain,' we should 'never mind the darkness/ we can still find a way/ cause nothin' lasts forever/ even cold November rain.' On the other hand, at almost nine minutes, this song comes close."

Chart performance

In the United States, the song peaked at number three for two weeks in 1992, making it Guns N' Roses' sixth and last top-10 hit. It stayed in the top 10 for 10 weeks and on the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

for 30 weeks. The song also peaked at number nine in Germany and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. In Australia, "November Rain" was ranked at number two on the 1992 end-of-year chart despite only reaching number five on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was included on ARIA's year-end charts in two consecutive years (1992 and 1993, when it appeared at 36). A similar situation took place in New Zealand, where the song peaked at number seven but stayed in the top 20 for 24 non-consecutive weeks, ending 1992 as New Zealand's second-best-selling single.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "November Rain", directed by Andy Morahan, was inspired by

Del James Adalberto James Miranda (born February 5, 1964), known professionally as Del James, is an American musician, writer, journalist and artist best known for writing the short story that reportedly inspired the " November Rain" video by hard rock b ...

's short story " Without You", for which he is credited in the long version of the video. The short story portrays a rock star struggling to come to terms with the loss of his girlfriend, who died by suicide (gunshot) after he repeatedly strayed from their relationship. ''November Rain'' is one of the most expensive music videos ever. The video tells a story reminiscent of "Without You", and features a live performance footage from Los Angeles' Orpheum Theater. First, in a silhouette, Rose's character is seen going to bed and taking pills; a bottle of whisky is also visible next to him. The scene, now in color, changes to the wedding of the main characters, played by Rose and his then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour. The other band members are among the many guests. Slash's character realizes he forgot the wedding rings, when McKagan's character offers his rings as a substitute. After the wedding couple leaves the church, we see the wedding reception which is later interrupted by sudden, heavy rain, causing everyone to run for shelter. The next scene shows a funeral at the same church. Rose's character grieves at the death of his wife, now inside a casket with a mirrored object obscuring half of her face. A heavy rain falls upon the cemetery when the casket is laid to rest. A final scene shows Seymour's character back at the wedding, tossing her white bouquet, which turns red in the air and lands on her coffin. Black and white scenes of Rose's character's nightmares show a mix of wedding and funeral scenes. The music video ends with Rose's character kneeling beside her grave and the bouquet turns back to white as the rain washes the red color away. For the outside shots of Slash's first guitar solo, Rose had originally envisioned it taking place in a "cool field". However, since the video was shot in winter, there were no good-looking fields around, and the band decided to film in

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, where they had a church building transported specifically for the shoot. The larger church, for the wedding scenes, is Los Angeles' St. Brendan Catholic Church. The music videos for "November Rain", " Don't Cry" and " Estranged" form an unofficial trilogy of sorts. While never specifically confirmed by the band, Del James' short story "Without You" served as inspiration for the video, and received recognition in the video's end credits. In July 2018, the music video became the first video created prior to YouTube to surpass one billion views. In February 2023, the music video reached another milestone after it surpassed two billion views and remaining the oldest song (from the early 1990s) to achieve that feat. The video was re-released in November 2022, with the newly-synced orchestration, to promote the ''Use Your Illusion (Super Deluxe Edition)'' box set.

Live performances

The band performed a nearly nine-minute live version of the song with British musician

on piano at the end of the 1992 VMAs ceremony. On January 22, 2023, Rose performed a shortened, solo version of "November Rain" during the memorial service of Lisa Marie Presley in Graceland.

Retrospective response

"November Rain" was voted number one on the Rock 1000 2006, an annual countdown of the top 1,000 rock songs by New Zealand radio listeners. It was voted number two on the 2007 version, beaten by " Back in Black" by

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

. The song topped the "album tracks" section of a 1993 readers' poll in GN'R

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...

''Controversy'', beating "

". The top ten was completed by " Estranged", "

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

", " Paradise City", " Sweet Child o' Mine", " Don't Cry", " Welcome to the Jungle", "

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

" and " Mr. Brownstone". The song placed number 140 on ''Pitchfork'''s "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s". In Chile, the song placed at number 73 on Chilean radio Rock & Pop. In 2017, '' Paste'' ranked the song number nine on their list of the 15 greatest Guns N' Roses songs, and in 2020, ''

Kerrang ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...

'' ranked the song number six on their list of the 20 greatest Guns N' Roses songs. NPR described the song as "one of the ultimate hard-rock

s", while

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

added that the song "is the sprawling, cosmic-reaching, just-so-insane-it-works hard rock epic toward which every previous single-track hard rock epic had led and from which every subsequent single-track hard rock epic has emerged". ''Glide Magazine'' named the song at second in their list of "Favorite Hair-Metal Power Ballads". As of October 2024, November Rain is the most viewed song on YouTube released in the 1990s.

Track listings

Personnel

Guns N' Roses * W. Axl Rose – lead and backing vocals, piano,

string synthesizer A string synthesizer or string machine is a synthesizer designed to make sounds similar to those of a string section. Dedicated string synthesizers occupied a specific musical instrument niche between electronic organs and general-purpose synthes ...

, choir * Slash – lead guitar, backing vocals, choir *

Izzy Stradlin Jeffrey Dean Isbell (born April 8, 1962), known professionally as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and backing vocalist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he re ...

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals, choir *

– bass guitar, backing vocals, choir * Matt Sorum – drums, backing vocals, choir * Dizzy Reed – backing vocals, choir Additional musicians *Stuart Bailey – backing vocals, choir * Shannon Hoon – backing vocals, choir *Johann Langlie – synthesizer programming *Reba Shaw – backing vocals, choir

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1990s ballads 1991 songs 1992 singles Geffen Records singles Guns N' Roses songs Hard rock ballads Music videos directed by Andy Morahan Songs about heartache Songs about weather Songs written by Axl Rose