Today’s song of the day is the country-crossover hit, “I Love a Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on this day in 1981. It replaced Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” at the top spot. 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.
According to The Billboard Book of #1 Hits, Rabbitt first got the idea for the song in the ’60s when he was sitting in his small apartment on a rainy night. He sang, “I love a rainy night, I love a rainy night” into a tape recorder, but didn’t complete the song until 1980, when he discovered the tape in his basement. He finished the song with the help of fellow songwriters Even Stevens and David Malloy.
“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 country, 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).