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).
Tag Archives: Eddie Rabbitt
Remember That Song – 2/10/22
Can you name the artist and song:
Smokestack, fatback, many miles of railroad track
All-night radio keep on runnin’ through your rock’n’ roll soul
All-night diners keep you awake on a black coffee and a hard roll
Last Song: “Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight” by Eddie Rabbitt from Step By Step (1982)
Great job David (@daviddwwalker)!!!
Fallin’ under the spell of the
Love you’re weavin’
It’s gonna get crazy baby if you don’t stop
If you’d like to get the song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover below:
Remember That Song – 10/13/21
Can you name the artist and song:
Now it seems they’re telling me
You’ve changed your wicked ways
But should I give you a second chance
Baby, I’m too afraid
Last Song: “Drivin’ My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbitt from Roadie (1980)
Great job sweetpurplejune, Dave (@dwlitz), Adora (@Adora2000), Lisa (@gabbyg89), and Amchitka (@westsubsmusic)!!!
Well the midnight headlights blind you on a rainy night
Steep grade up ahead, slow me down, makin’ no time,
But I got to keep rollin’
If you’d like to get the song from Amazon, you can click on the album cover below:
Remember That Song – 8/9/19
Can you name the artist and song:
You are the one, you are the one
And heaven waits here at my door
Last Song: “Step By Step” by Eddie Rabbitt from the album Step By Step (1981)
Great job Adora (@Adora2000)!!!
She seems a million miles away
When she walks by you don’t know what to say
You’re gonna make your move; you better make it now
And don’t be afraid ’cause love will show you how
If you’d like to get this song from Amazon, click on the album cover below:
Episode 23: 1981 Year in Review
On this episode of Return to the ’80s, Robert and Paul welcome Ty Ray, from the Beats and Eats podcast, to the show. The guys Return to 1981, and count down the year’s top songs, movies, and television shows. Also, find out what the biggest selling toys were in 1981, and reminisce on the big news stories of the year.
As this current decade comes to a close, come join us to Return to the greatest decade ever, and check out the awesome year of 1981!
10. “Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon
Top 10 Movies of 1981
10. Time Bandits
5. Stripes
4. Arthur
3. Superman II
8. “I Love a Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbit
7. “Kiss On My List” by Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates March Madness
Top 10 Television Shows of 1981
10. One Day At a Time
9. M*A*S*H
8. ABC Monday Night Movie
7/6 tie Too Close for Comfort and The Dukes of Hazzard
5. Alice
4. Three’s Company
3. The Jeffersons
2. 60 Minutes
1. Dallas
6. “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang
5. “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield
Toys
Barbie Perfume Maker
Star Wars figures
Rubik’s Cube
4. “(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon
Sports
NFL
Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 – January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome
NBA
Boston Celtics beat the Houston Rockets 4-2
NHL
New York Islanders defeat the Minnesota North Stars 4-1
MLB
LA Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-1
News Events
January 20 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days freed
March 6 Walter Cronkite signs off of CBS Evening News
March 30 Reagan Assassination attempt
April 18 The Longest Game – Pawtucket Red Sox tie Rochester Red Wings 2-2 in 32 innings (game resumed 23rd June)
May 11 Cats premieres in London
May 13 Assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II
Jun 2 Barbara Walters asks Katharine Hepburn what kind of tree she would be
Jun 5 AIDS Epidemic officially begins when US Centers for Disease Control reports on pneumonia affecting five homosexual men in Los Angeles
Jun 12 Baseball players begin a 50 day strike, their 3rd strike
July 29 Royal Wedding
Aug 1 MTV premieres at 12:01 AM
Aug 3 13,000 Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO) begin their strike; US President Ronald Reagan offers an ultimatum to workers: ‘if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated’
Sep 12 “The Smurfs” animated cartoon series by Hanna-Barbera first broadcasts in North America
Sep 25 Sandra Day O’Connor sworn in as 1st female supreme court justice
Dec 11 Muhammad Ali’s 61st & last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick
Dec 28 1st American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr is born in Norfolk, Virginia
Dec 31 CNN Headline News debuts
2. “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
1. “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
Contact
Ty Ray
Twitter – @BeatnEats
Check out Ty Ray and Nick Gelso’s awesome Beats and Eats podcast on:
iTunes (aka Apple Podcasts)
Stitcher
TuneIn
PlayerFM
Return to the ’80s
rtt80s.com
Find Return to the ’80s on Facebook
Twitter: @returntothe80s and Robert can be contacted at @mishouenglish
Email: returntothe80s@gmail.com
Also, you can subscribe to the Return to the ’80s podcast on
Apple Podcasts
Stitcher
Podbean
PlayerFM
Top 40 Songs This Week – November 27, 1982: Songs 30-21
Welcome back to this week’s Top 40 Countdown!!! If you missed the first installment, you can go ahead and check out songs 40-31. With the help of MTV, there are a lot of classic songs from this time. And today’s selection has plenty of classics, and even some lost hits. So, let’s Return to the week ending November 27, 1982, and continue the countdown!
30. “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters
29. “Rock the Casbah” by The Clash
When the band broke up in 1985, it was speculated that their plan all along was to break up once they had conquered America, a feat that was achieved by “Rock the Casbah” becoming such a huge hit along with “Should I Stay or Should I Go?.”
28. “You and I” by Eddie Rabbitt with Crystal Gayle
27. “Missing You” by Dan Fogelberg
26. “I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)” by Donald Fagen
25. “The Look of Love (Part 1)” by ABC
24. “Love Me Tomorrow” by Chicago
23. “You Don’t Want Me Anymore” by Steel Breeze
22. “Jack & Diane” by John Cougar
21. “Who Can It Be Now” by Men At Work
That concludes today’s list. Come back tomorrow as we check out songs 20-11.
Follow @returntothe80sRemember That Song: 10/27/17
Can you name the artist and song:
All alone ain’t much fun
So you’re looking for the thrill
And you know just what it takes and where to go
Last Song: “You And I
Great job Martin (@mcmaenza)!!!
And I remember our first embrace
That smile that was on your face
The promises that we made
If you’d like to purchase this song from Amazon, click on the album cover below:
Top 40 Songs This Week – October 17, 1981: Songs 10-1
Welcome back as we wrap up this week’s Top 40. If you missed the previous songs, you can go back and check out songs 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11. This has been a great week of music so far. And there are some classics here today. And don’t forget, you can click on the song title to get to the YouTube video to listen to the song. Now, let’s Return to the week ending October 17, 1981, and wrap up this week’s countdown.
10. “The Night Owls” by The Little River Band
We begin the top 10 with a decent rock song. This is off of The Little River Band’s Time Exposure album. The album was produced by George Martin. This was the band’s last album with Glen Shorrock on lead vocals until 1988, and with lead guitarist David Briggs.
9. “Hard To Say” by Dan Fogelberg
This was Dan Fogelberg’s third Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. This song is notable for featuring the late (I still can’t believe I’m saying that) Glenn Frey.
8. “Who’s Crying Now” by Journey
This was the first single released from the legendary Escape album. This began the hugely successful commercial run of Journey, 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees. Do hear more about Journey, check out the first episode of the Return to the ’80s Podcast:
7. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks (with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
This was the first single from Stevie Nicks’ debut solo album, Bella Donna. It was written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, inteneded to be a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song. However, Jimmy Iovine, who was also working for Stevie Nicks at the time, arranged for her to sing on it. This was a good call, because these two unique voices sound great together.
6. “Private Eyes” by Daryl Hall and John Oates
How could a song with a handclap in the chorus be bad? This classic Hall & Oates tune was a staple on MTV. It would go on to be a #1 hit, holding that top position for 2 weeks.
5. “Step by Step” by Eddie Rabbitt
This country-crossover hit was also the #1 song on the country chart this week, and would peak right here at #5 on the Billboard 100.
4. “For Your Eyes Only” by Sheena Easton
This was the theme song of the 12th James Bond movie of the same name. Easton is the only artist (to date) to be seen singing the theme song to a Bond movie during its opening titles. This song was also nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1982.
3. “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones
This song was my introduction to The Rolling Stones. I didn’t have MTV yet, but I did see the song on the television show, Solid Gold. The basic track of this song was written during the 1978 sessions for the Rolling Stones’ album Some Girls. It was at first cut as a reggae-rock track named ‘Never Stop’, but after dozens of takes the band stopped recording it and it was shelved. In 1981, with the band looking to tour, engineer Chris Kimsey proposed to Mick Jagger that archived songs could be put in the set. It was re-worked to the classic that we now know, and was recorded for the Tattoo You album.
2. “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
This is Lionel Richie’s third entry on this countdown. This was recorded as the title track of the film adaptation of Scott Spencer’s novel Endless Love. The song ended up being a bigger hit than the movie, reaching number 1 on the Hot 100, where it stayed for nine weeks from August 15 to October 10, 1981.
Before we reveal the #1 song, let’s see what was topping some of the other charts this week.
The #1 R&B song this week was “When She Was My Girl” by The Four Tops.
Topping the Dance charts was “Do You Love Me” by Patti Austin.
The #1 album this week was Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones
And the #1 Adult Contemporary tune is also the #1 song on the top of the pop charts this week…
1. “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross
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And we have another movie soundtrack song. Coming off his mega-successful self-titled debut album, Christopher Cross followed up with this smash hit. This would be a #1 hit for 3 weeks. The song also won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Although his music was still great, Christopher Cross’ popularity faded away quickly once everybody started getting their MTV. This was definitely his high point.
Well that wraps up this week’s countdown. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. Let me know your thoughts on this list, and on any part of the countdown. We’ll count down a different year in the near future. In the meantime, Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
Follow @returntothe80sRemember That Song: 7/13/16
Can you name the artist and song:
My love, tell me what it’s all about
You’ve go something that I can’t live without
Happiness, is so hard to find
Hey baby, tell me what is on your mind
Last Song: “I Love a Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt from Horizon (1980)
Great job Brent (@jonbrent13)!!!
I love to feel the rain on my face
Taste the rain on my lips
In the moonlight shadow
Remember That Song: 7/28/15
Can you name the artist and song:
I’ll be there just wrapped around you
I can’t hold back
What I feel inside
It’s just a fact
Last Song: “Drivin’ My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbitt from Horizon (1980)
Those windshield wipers
Slappin’ out a tempo
Keepin’ perfect rhythm
With the song on the radio
Gotta keep rollin’
Follow @returntothe80s
Return to the 80s 