Rain (Madonna Song)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Rain" is a song by American singer
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
from her fifth studio album, ''
Erotica Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erot ...
'' (1992). Written and produced by Madonna and
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
, in Australia and most European countries, "Rain" was released as single on July 17, 1993. In the United Kingdom and the United States, it was issued on July 19 and August 5, respectively. It was then included on Madonna's 1995
compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products, such as video game co ...
, ''
Something to Remember ''Something to Remember'' is a compilation album by American singer Madonna, released by Maverick (company), Maverick Records on November 3, 1995. The album was conceived after a highly controversial period in Madonna's career, during which many ...
''. A pop ballad with elements of R&B,
trip-hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
, and
New-age music New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management to bring about a state of ecstasy rather tha ...
, "Rain" has lyrics that liken water and rainfall to the power of love. Critical reception towards "Rain" was generally positive. Critics deemed it a standout in ''Erotica'', and one of the best ballads Madonna had released up to that point. Commercially, the single saw moderate success. In the United States, it reached the 14th spot of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It fared better in Canada and the United Kingdom, where it reached the chart's second spot and top-ten, respectively. The accompanying music video was directed by
Mark Romanek Mark Lee Romanek (; born September 18, 1959) is an American film, music video and commercial director and photographer. He is best known for directing the films ''One Hour Photo'' (2002) and ''Never Let Me Go (2010 film), Never Let Me Go'' (2010) ...
and finds Madonna singing in front of a Japanese film crew. It was awarded Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
. Madonna performed "Rain" live on the Girlie Show (1993) and Celebration (2023–2024) concert tours. On 2008–2009's
Sticky & Sweet Tour The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It marked her first major undertaking under a new 360 deal with ...
, it was used as video interlude. Additionally, "Rain" has been
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...
by multiple artists ―particularly for
tribute albums An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...
― including Madonna's former
backing vocalist A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
s
Donna De Lory Donna De Lory is an American singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana (band), Santana, Martika, La ...
and
Niki Haris Niki Haris (born April 17, 1962) is an American singer and dancer of pop, R&B, jazz and dance music. She was one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001, and the guest lead vocalist on various Snap! singles in the early 1990s. Early ...
.


Background and release

In early 1992, Madonna founded her own multi-media entertainment company
Maverick Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 M ...
, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (
Maverick Films Maverick Films is a Philippine film production company owned by Jinggoy Estrada. History 1999-2001: Millennium Cinema The film company was established in 1999 by actor-politician Jinggoy Estrada and producer Eric Cuatico as Millennium Cinema, ...
), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing, and merchandising divisions. The first two projects from the venture were her fifth studio album ''
Erotica Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erot ...
'', and a coffee table book of photographs featuring Madonna, entitled ''
Sex Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...
''. For ''Erotica'', Madonna primarily collaborated with American producer
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
, with whom she had worked during the 1980s in remixes of several of her singles. According to author Mark Bego, the first batch of songs they worked on were the album's
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, "
Deeper and Deeper "Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, ''Erotica (Madonna album), Erotica'' (1992). It was written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone, and Anthony Shimkin and was produced by Madonna and Pettibone. In Aus ...
", " Bad Girl", "Thief of Hearts", and "Rain". Pettibone would create the music and Madonna the lyrics. They came up with "Rain" the night before Madonna was scheduled to come in to the studio; "it was a Sunday, it was raining - ha! - and she wrote the words, and sang the song and harmonies all in that day. Rain'came together very quickly", recalled the producer. According to author Matthew Rettenmund, "Rain" was intended to be part of a planned musical adaptation of the 1939 film ''
Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...
'' that never came into fruition, set to be directed by Madonna's collaborator
Alek Keshishian Alek Keshishian (, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the highest-grossing documentary of all time until 2002 ...
. Recording took place at Astoria's Soundwork Studios on June 8, 1992. Personnel working on the song included Pettibone on
sequencing In genetics and biochemistry, sequencing means to determine the primary structure (sometimes incorrectly called the primary sequence) of an unbranched biopolymer. Sequencing results in a symbolic linear depiction known as a sequence which succ ...
, keyboard arrangement, and
programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...
; Anthony Shimkin was in charge of drum programming; Dennis Mitchell and Robin Hancock worked as recording engineers, and Goh Hotoda was the
mixing engineer A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...
. In Australia and most European countries, "Rain" was released on July 17, 1993. In the United Kingdom and the United States, it was issued as ''Erotica''s final single on July 19 and August 5, respectively. In 1995, "Rain" was added to Madonna's
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
''
Something to Remember ''Something to Remember'' is a compilation album by American singer Madonna, released by Maverick (company), Maverick Records on November 3, 1995. The album was conceived after a highly controversial period in Madonna's career, during which many ...
''.


Composition

"Rain" has been noted an "optimistic" pop ballad with influence of R&B,
trip-hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
, and New-age. It has been compared to the work of
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
and
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...
. The lyrics use water and rainfall as a metaphor for being in love: Both are cleansing elements that "wash away" past heartache and pain. Joe Lynch from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' argued that it is a song that "envisions a love in the age of
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing LLC (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is an American music publisher. Responsible for publishing the largest quantity of music, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021, it is part of Sony ...
, "Rain" is written in the key note of
E major E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...
, set in the
time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
of
common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
with a moderate pace
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 92 beats per minute. It follows a
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...
of Bsus2–E6/9–F in the
refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music">poetry.html" ;"title="Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeat ...
, and later switches to E–F–B in the verses. The song's instrumentation seeks to evoke a "purifying effect", along with "turbulent elements associated with rain", such as raindrops and lightning bolts. This is achieved through rhythmic patterns and
orchestra hit An orchestra(l) hit or stab is an isolated staccato note or chord synthesizer, synthesized from the sounds of many orchestral instruments together, or sampled from a single Sforzando (musical direction), sforzando performance. The orchestra hit ...
s. Towards the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
, there is a key change from B major to
C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
, followed by two spoken parts and a harmony alongside it. Madonna recites out of the left and right channels, "By sheer force of will/I'll raise you from the ground/And without a sound, you'll appear and surrender to me, to love". Also present is a ''
crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece are the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation by the performer depending ...
'' that refers
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' " Here Comes the Sun" (1969), and marks, according to John Myers from Yahoo! Voices, an "escape from the deluge of the rain with the breaking of the sun".


Critical reception

Upon release, "Rain" was generally well received by music critics, who deemed it one of the best tracks on ''Erotica'', and one of the best ballads Madonna had released up to that point. On his review of ''Erotica'', ''Billboard''s
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
called it "gorgeous ..though not as lyrically daring as revious single'Bad Girl', Rain'is a wonderfully constructed tune". Writing for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', Giles Smith said the song was the closest "to the Madonna of '' Like a Prayer'' as 'Erotica''comes, a big and solemn ballad". ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
''s Stephen Sears considered it ''Erotica''s "sole expression of pure love ..a swooningly romantic" track that "revisits the oceanic sonic landscape" of 1986's " Live to Tell". For ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', Arion Berger highlighted "Rain" as one of the tracks that help ''Erotica'' sustain its "icy tone". Madonna's vocals also received praise. Sal Cinquemani singled out her "rarely acknowledged harmonies", which Stephen Thomas Erlewine described as "comforting and consoling". By his part, ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
''s Troy J. Augusto noted that, "at times, adonnaalmost sounds like
Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and early drummer of the highly successful duo the Carpenters, formed with her older brother Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard. Wi ...
, all tender and shy". The song's new-age and R&B influences were also singled out for praise. The song was not without criticism. While Matthew Jacobs from ''
HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' opined "Rain" wasn't "terribly distinctive" from other ballads Madonna had released at the time, Rikky Rooksby —author of ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna''— felt that the lyrical theme "had been used in countless ongs. Parry Gettelman from the ''
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 ...
'' felt the rain sounds used at the end were, "so literal they're hokey". Chris Willman for the ''
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 that, "despite having crafted some of the best singles of the '80s, and despite being a genuine wit, Madonna can tend toward terribly banal rhymes", citing "Rain" as an example. Even though she named it a standout track in ''Erotica'', the ''
Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County, an ...
''s Barbara Walker referred to "Rain" as a "mere also-ran" in Madonna's catalogue. Alfred Soto from ''
Stylus Magazine ''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog. Addi ...
'' dismissed the song as a "slushy rewrite of that year's ' This Used to Be My Playground', itself a slushy rewrite of ''Like a Prayer''s 'Promise to Try'". In retrospect, "Rain" has been ranked as one of Madonna's best by ''Billboard'', ''
Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
'', The Backlot, ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'', and ''
PinkNews ''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community (LGBTQ+) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in July 2005, initially released in print, b ...
''. Rocco Papa from
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
deemed it "one of the most beautiful songs on one of her most underrated albums". In this vein, '' The National''s Saeed Saeed named it an "ethereal beauty", and one of Madonna's "most criminally underrated" singles. Mark Elliott from website This is Dig! referred to "Rain" as a perfect pop ballad, and added that it helped "wash away" the criticism Madonna was facing at the time, and "remind everyone that her art was as much about the power of love as it was the compelling draw of lust or even the wider platform of sexual politics". In this vein, both Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Sal Cinquemani agreed that "Rain" paved the way for the "softer" "post-''Sex''" image and sound Madonna would adopt in the mid-1990s.


Commercial performance

In the United States, "Rain" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 52, in the issue dated July 24, 1993. It ultimately peaked at number 14 on the week of September 11, spending a total of 20 weeks on the chart. On ''Billboard''s
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart, "Rain" peaked at number seven. By the end of 1993, it ranked 38th on the Adult Contemporary chart and 67th on the Hot 100. "Rain" is Madonna's 40th-most-successful single in the United States, according to ''Billboard'' magazine. In Canada, the single debuted in the 95th position of ''
RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
''s 100 Hit Tracks chart on the week of July 17, 1993. Two months later, it peaked at number two behind
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's " Dreamlover". "Rain" reached the seventh spot on ''
RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
''s Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, and was the 15th best-selling single of 1993 in Canada. In the United Kingdom, "Rain" debuted at the 10th position of the UK Singles Chart on July 31, 1993, and, one week later, peaked at number seven. The song spent 8 weeks on the chart overall, and gave Madonna her 34th top-ten single in the country. According to ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' magazine, over 130,000 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008. In Australia, the song debuted at number 21 on the charts before rising and peaking at number five. It was certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 copies. It was less successful in New Zealand, where it barely cracked the top 20. Reception towards the single in Europe was moderate: It reached the top-ten in Ireland and Italy, and the top 20 in Sweden and Switzerland. "Rain" reached the top 30 in Austria and Germany, but was less successful in The Netherlands, where it barely managed to enter the top 40. It came in at number 15 of the
European Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
chart.


Music video


Background and filming

The music video for "Rain" was directed by American filmmaker and photographer
Mark Romanek Mark Lee Romanek (; born September 18, 1959) is an American film, music video and commercial director and photographer. He is best known for directing the films ''One Hour Photo'' (2002) and ''Never Let Me Go (2010 film), Never Let Me Go'' (2010) ...
. Madonna became interested in working with Romanek after seeing his work in
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the singl ...
's " Free Your Mind" (1992), and
Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His debut album ''Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz album), Let Love Rule'' (1989) was characterized by a blend of Rock music, rock ...
's " Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993). When she approached him, however, the director turned down the offer, as he felt "intimidated" by the idea of shooting a music video that, "would mark a departure from adonna'sostentatious antics" of the time. He also added, " Rain'was really romantic and I didn't really know what to do with something romantic at that point in my life". Romanek eventually accepted, on the condition that he be allowed to make the video "futuristic". According to author Mary Gabriel, Madonna "allowed omanek'simagination to run wild", and he settled with a "simple" idea for the visual: The singer as a "doe-eyed ingenue" filming a music video in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. He wanted to have Madonna be "the only Occidental n the video which would make her more of an outsider". His influences in creating the aesthetic were Japanese designers like
Yohji Yamamoto is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. Considered a master tailor alongside those such as Madeleine Vionnet, he is known for his avant-garde tailoring featuring Japanese design aesthetics. Yamamoto has won notable awards fo ...
and
Rei Kawakubo (born 11 October 1942) is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. She is the founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market. In recognition of the notable design contributions of Kawakubo, an exhibition of her designs en ...
. For the filming, he was inspired by a commercial
Jean-Baptiste Mondino Jean-Baptiste Mondino (born Aubervilliers, France on 21 July 1949) is a French fashion photographer and music video director. He has directed music videos for Madonna (entertainer), Madonna, David Bowie, Sting (musician), Sting, Björk, Don Henley, ...
did with
Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...
for Yves Saint Laurent; "the way they colored eneuve' face —it just was, at that time, just jaw-dropping how beautiful it was", recalled Romanek. For the video-within-a-video's role of the director, Madonna approached
Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French and Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as ...
and
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
, but both declined; the latter allegedly faxed her a handwritten personal apology note. At the end,
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
was selected thanks to him being what Romanek called, "the most iconic and famous and attractive Japanese icon". Argentine model Daniel Rossi, with whom Madonna was allegedly romantically involved at the time, also participated. Filming for the video took place at a
Santa Monica Airport Santa Monica Airport (Santa Monica Municipal Airport) is a general aviation airport largely in Santa Monica, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles area. It opened on April 15, 1923, making it one of the United States' oldest a ...
hangar from May 16–19, 1993. Crew included Krista Montagna in
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...
, Harris Savides in direction of photography, Jon Peter Flack in
production design In film industry, film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and ...
, Robert Duffy was an
editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
, while David Bradshaw was in charge of wardrobe. A studio was created in the hangar that allowed the filming material —wires, cameras, lights— to be seen. The Japanese crew was allowed to walk freely in front of the camera and around Madonna. As Romanek did not want the clip to be too "clichéd" or literal, he decided to use water, contained in two large walls that were placed on either sides of Madonna. To further capture the track's "crystalline" essence, colored
closeup A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long ...
s of the singer's face and features —for which she underwent half a day of camera tests— were done. Then, a German lighting fixture was used to achieve a "thoroughly modern, yet classic" effect. Madonna's appearance was inspired by 1940s Paris, and singer
Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English word , meaning ''wealth'' or ''prosperity'', in combination with the Old English , meaning '' strife'', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian lang ...
: She wore a "waif-like cap of short black hair with spiky bangs", blue-colored
contact lenses Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lens (optics), lenses placed directly on the surface of the Human eye, eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct ...
and "porcelain-doll perfect" make-up. At Romanek's petition, she also grew her
eyebrow An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the Supraorbital ridge, brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two main functions: first, human communication, communication thro ...
s back.
Rei Kawakubo (born 11 October 1942) is a Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. She is the founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market. In recognition of the notable design contributions of Kawakubo, an exhibition of her designs en ...
of Comme des Garcons and
Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 2022, ''Sky Arts'' ranked her the ...
provided the wardrobe.


Synopsis, release and reception

The video opens with Madonna in a studio, lying on a riveted aluminum chaise longue —designed by then unknown Marc Newson— decked out in a white dress, with headphones on her ears, composing a song. This precedes closeups of her singing to a blue-toned microphone, in front of a blue backdrop. She is next seen taking a break from filming, following by a scene in which she receives instructions from the director (Sakamoto); they are now both wearing matching black flowing long-sleeved shirts. The director then instructs a scene in which Madonna kisses a long-haired male, and one in which she stands in-between two walls covered with water in a black dress. This last part is interpolated with closeups similar to the ones from the beginning, and of Madonna getting her makeup done by staff. Next is a shot of the singer and a man kissing behind a water-stained crystal wall. Towards the bridge, Madonna, wearing the aforementioned black flowing shirt, poses in front of a wall made up of bright lights. The director and the crew all watch as she dances in front of a backdrop depicting a stormy sky with flashing lights. She now wears a short-sleeved shirt and long skirt. The video closes with an air view of open black umbrellas covering the entire floor, as water from
fire sprinkler A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively used ...
s falls down upon Madonna's face. "Rain" premiered on
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
on June 21, 1993. Upon release, it was positively received by critics. Both ''Billboard''s Deborah Russell and ''Los Angeles Times'' Maureen Sajbel singled out Madonna's appearance, with the former calling it "chic yet vulnerable, glamorous yet sweet". The staff of ''
The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...
'' considered it a "gorgeous video that stands the test of time". Bryant Frazer from website ''Studio Daily'' applauded "Rain" for pushing "the boundaries of
telecine Telecine ( or ), or TK, is the process of transferring film into video and is performed in a color suite. The term is also used to refer to the equipment used in this post-production process. Telecine enables a motion picture, captured origi ...
work at the time". By their part,
Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...
and James Bernard wrote in ''New Book of Rock Lists'' (1994) that it was an example of the influence of Japanese culture on contemporary arts. At the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
, Jan Peter Flack and Savides won for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography, respectively. "Rain" was nominated for clip of the year, and Romanek awarded director of the year at the ''Billboard'' Music Video Awards. Russell named "Rain" 1993's ninth best music video. Retrospective reviews have named "Rain" one of Madonna's finest music videos. Rocco Papa from
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
highlighted its "high-contrast look and
meta-narrative In social theory, a metanarrative (also master narrative, or meta-narrative and grand narrative; or ) is an overarching narrative about smaller historical narratives, which offers a society legitimation through the anticipated completion of a (as ...
concept". ''Idolator''s Mike Neid wrote that, with its "gorgeous set pieces and stunning cinematography, Rain'is sheer class". ''Slant Magazine'' considered "Rain" the 70th greatest music video of all time; Sal Cinquemani and Ed Gonzalez opined it was one of Madonna's "most beautiful", as well as a "simple and refreshing break from ersex-drenched ''Erotica'' period". For
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 ...
's Christopher Rosa, it is one of the singer's most underrated music videos, describing it as "simple, ndelectric", and comparing her short hair look to that of
Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera ''Peyton Place (TV series), Peyton Place'' and gained further recogn ...
. Jef Rouner from the ''
Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown Houston, Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely ...
'' named "Rain" the ninth best music video directed by Romanek: "One of ismore light-hearted .. Rain'is a fascinating treatise on the act of creating a music video itself". "Rain" can be found on Madonna's compilations '' The Video Collection 93:99'' (1999) and '' Celebration: The Video Collection'' (2009), as well as on the DVD ''The Work Of Director Mark Romanek'' (2005).


Live performances

On the Girlie Show of 1993, Madonna sang "Rain" with her
backing vocalist A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
s
Niki Haris Niki Haris (born April 17, 1962) is an American singer and dancer of pop, R&B, jazz and dance music. She was one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001, and the guest lead vocalist on various Snap! singles in the early 1990s. Early ...
and
Donna De Lory Donna De Lory is an American singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana (band), Santana, Martika, La ...
, interspersed with lyrics of
the Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...
' "
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" is a song by American soul group the Temptations, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Released on the Gordy (Motown) label, and produced by Norman Whitfield, it features on the group ...
" (1971). The stage was bathed in blue light, with the three women donning long black choir robes. Haris recalled that it was the "first time
n stage N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
we sat down together and felt our harmonies. Madonna's voice was starting to get strong and she was into trying new things". The number was praised by ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
''s J. D. Considine, who opined that, even though the artist "just sat and sang, that hardly took away from Rain' gorgeous harmonies". The performance recorded at
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
was included on '' The Girlie Show: Live Down Under''
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
release (1994). A
mashup Mashup may refer to: * Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture * Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting * Mashup (mus ...
of "Rain" and
Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...
" Here Comes the Rain Again" (1984) was used as video interlude on 2008―2009's
Sticky & Sweet Tour The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It marked her first major undertaking under a new 360 deal with ...
. The video depicted the
cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...
of an "alien woman chasing fish", while dancers onstage did an Asian-inspired choreography. On her review of the
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
concert, Lourdes López from ''
La Vanguardia ' (; , ) is a Spanish daily newspaper founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan. It has its headquarters in Barcelona and is Catalonia's leading newspaper. Despite being mostly distributed in Catalonia, ...
'' was critical of the number, as she felt it "bordered on boring". The performance was included on the ''
Sticky & Sweet Tour The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It marked her first major undertaking under a new 360 deal with ...
'' live album release (2010), recorded in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. The performance of "Rain" on
the Celebration Tour The Celebration Tour was the twelfth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It began on October 14, 2023, at the O2 Arena, the O2 Arena in London and ended on May 4, 2024, with a free concert on Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Copacaban ...
(2023―2024) sees a "shadowy reaper" embrace Madonna —who's decked out in a long cape— and "pull ngher into the darkness". Reviewing the tour's opening concert in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the staff of ''
OutInPerth ''OutInPerth'' is an online LGBT publication in Perth, Western Australia. The website covers local, national, and international LGBT news. The editors are Graeme Watson and Leigh Hill. It can no longer be found in over 300 bars, shops and any l ...
'' criticized the "anti-climactic" number. By contrast, ''
Metro Weekly ''Metro Weekly'' is a free weekly magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) community in Washington, D.C., United States. It was first published on May 5, 1994. ''Metro Weekly'' includes national and local news, intervi ...
''s André Hereford deemed it a "powerful vocal erformancein a night where her lungs and body worked prodigiously".


Covers and usage

In 2000, British
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
band
Rosetta Stone The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a Rosetta Stone decree, decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt, Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts ...
covered "Rain" for the tribute album ''Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna, Vol. 2''; AllMusic's Heather Phares considered it one of the album's finest moments. The following year, a cover by Who's That Girl! was included on the album ''Exposed'', released through
Almighty Records Almighty Records is an English electronic dance music record label established in 1989. Almighty Records specialises in pop song remixes, dance-pop, and hi-NRG. The label's record producers, Almighty Associates, have remixed such performers as ...
. The
Vitamin String Quartet Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) is an American musical group from Los Angeles known for its series of tribute albums to rock and pop acts. VSQ is a series of string quartet projects developed and produced by CMH Records, an independent recor ...
covered "Rain" for ''The String Quartet Tribute to Madonna'' (2002), while Los Angeles based band Motor Industries did it for ''The Dancefloor Tribute to Madonna'' (2003). In 2008, the song was recorded by Da Capo Players, and included on ''Strung out on Madonna: The String Quartet Tribute''. That same year, a remix of "Rain" titled "Klubkidz House Party Mix" was included on
Madonna impersonator A Madonna impersonator is an entertainer who impersonator, impersonates American singer-songwriter Madonna. Professional or dedicated Madonna impersonators have existed since at least the mid-1980s, and were sometimes sorted as Tribute band, "tr ...
Melissa Totten's album ''Forever Madonna''. In May 2016, Donna De Lory and Niki Haris recorded an acoustic version of "Rain" and released it as a
digital single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...
; this release also included a remix created by Willie Ray Lewis. An EP containing four additional remixes was released on October. As to why they chose to cover the song, Haris told the ''HuffPost'' in an email: "I believe he lyricsare indicative of the many years onna and Ihave been together, alternating between sunshine and stormy ..We feel blessed every time we sing t. In the 2019 film ''
Uncut Gems ''Uncut Gems'' is a 2019 American crime thriller film directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein. It stars Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, and Eric Bogosian ...
'', "Rain" was used in a scene in which
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
's character walks into his apartment and finds it empty and dark.


Track listings and formats

* US 7-inch and cassette single # "Rain" (radio remix) – 4:35 # "Waiting" (album version) – 5:45 * US and Canadian CD maxi-single # "Rain" (radio remix) – 4:35 # "Waiting" (remix featuring
Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage names Everlast and Whitey Ford, is an American Rapping, rapper, Singing, singer, and songwriter who was the Lead vocalist, frontman for Hip hop music, hip hop group House of Pain. ...
) – 4:41 # "Up Down Suite" – 12:13 # "Rain" (album version) – 5:24 * US 12-inch vinyl; Australian and Canadian cassette single # "Rain" (radio remix) – 4:33 # "Rain" (album version) – 5:24 # "Up Down Suite" – 12:13 # "Waiting" (remix featuring Everlast) – 4:41 * UK 12-inch vinyl, 12-inch picture disc, and CD single # "Rain" (radio remix) – 4:35 # " Open Your Heart" (album version) – 4:13 # "Up Down Suite" – 12:13 * German 12-inch maxi-single # "Rain" (album edit) – 4:17 # "Rain" (remix edit) – 4:33 # "Fever" (edit one) – 4:03 # "Fever" (edit two) – 4:27 * Japanese and Australian EP # "Rain" (radio remix) – 4:35 # "Waiting" (remix featuring Everlast) – 4:41 # "Up Down Suite" – 12:13 # "Rain" (album version) – 5:24 # " Bad Girl" (extended mix) – 6:29 # "Fever" (extended 12-inch) – 6:08 # "Fever" ( Shep's Remedy Dub) – 4:29 # "Fever" (Murk Boys Miami Mix) – 7:10 # "Fever" (Oscar G's Dope Dub) – 4:53 # "Rain" (video edit) – 4:32 * Digital single - EP (2022) # "Rain" (radio remix) – 4:35 # "Waiting" (remix featuring Everlast) – 4:41 # "Rain" (radio remix edit) – 4:20 # "Up Down Suite" – 12:13 # "Rain" (video edit) – 4:33 # "Fever" (edit two) – 4:27


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. *
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
 – songwriter, producer, vocals *
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
 – songwriter, producer, sequencing, programming, keyboard * Robin Hancock – recording engineer * P. Dennis Mitchell – recording engineer * Tony Shimkin – drum programming * Goh Hotoda – mixing engineer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


Notes


References


Literary sources

* * * * * * * * * {{Authority control 1992 songs 1993 singles 1990s ballads Contemporary R&B ballads Donna De Lory songs Maverick Records singles Madonna songs Music videos directed by Mark Romanek Pop ballads Sire Records singles Song recordings produced by Madonna Song recordings produced by Shep Pettibone Songs about weather Songs written by Madonna Songs written by Shep Pettibone Warner Records singles Works based on Wuthering Heights Songs about casual sex