SCORE: 9.227 2015 PLACEMENT: DOWN 1 - 16 of 210 (8.905) HIGHEST SCORE: 10 x 84 (@nikkysan @AshtrayHeart @Tigerlily @Vasilios @aux @cheida @Raichu @No hay banda @dodoriazarbon @P'NutButter @nanafan @discoteca @Lucy Honeychurch @Sprockrooster @Euphoria @tylerc904 @Doenjang @rav4boy @Angeleyes @Remyky22 @AllGagaLike @Cutlery @Suburbia @matthew. @GimmeWork @Mirwais Ahmadzaï @Andrew.L @Phonetics Boy @dylanaber @Mjg0806 @Jonathan27 @elear @paullypaul @fatyoshi @Up Down Suite @CasperFan @torontodj @1991 @Sail On @Joe. @dancingwithmyself @Aester @Dreampopboy @NightmareBoy @Skyline @Modeblock @Coochi @muddleddreams @scottdisick94 @letuinmybackdoor @Drew @Fortune @Sideout @unnameable @RetroPhysical @citoig @joeee @Xanax @VeryPSB @DinahLee @Jimmyandroid @Candy Perfume Girl @paperboyfriendd @Miss Lange @BTG @Epic Chocolat @phoenix123 @Pop Life @Filippa @Rogue @evilsin @Remorque @Digital Ghost @Trinu 3.0 @LTG @Verandi @nametag @Markus1981 @Mr Blonde @happiestgirl @Music Is Life @Weslicious @Touchofmyhand @beyoncésweave) LOWEST SCORE: 5 x 1 (@gezza76) MY SCORE: 8/10 But is it about cum? Have we mentioned the Erotica backlash was rough for Madonna? I think we've mentioned the Erotica backlash was rough for Madonna. It was her first major commercial wobble with singles consistently running out of steam before their usual Top 5 peak. We've seen it happen enough times now to know that it was simply Her Time. She could have released her most appealing work to date, but... it was simply her turn to take the public lashings for being too successful for too long, like most almost all women in pop have to. It's almost like a rite of passage at this point, sadly. However, it wasn't going to be something that Madonna took lying down. So what did she do? She toned down being the blonde haired bombshell perpetually on her way to steal your man, donned her finest bus driver wig, and released "Rain" and "I'll Remember" back to back. I'm simplifying things greatly, but "Rain" was more or less the start the image rehabilitation that would go on into Evita. "Rain" is sublime. If we spoke last night about a song that was all about the quiet moments of love, then tonight we're dealing with a song where it comes down like a torrent. Look, let's face it: Madonna is the ultimate mood builder, and she succeeds with aplomb here in completely submerging us in the soundscape of this track, which honestly sounds a little ahead of its time. I feel like people weren't really playing with these big, sinister, droning synths until later in the decade, and they really help the track here to create the atmosphere of an oncoming storm on the horizon; of clouds that are weighty and pregnant with rain that are about to clash in the air and rub together to create thunder and lightning. That's how it works, isn't it? Let's go with it. The friction, ladies, mffff. I also think that it's that mood that does the bulk of the heavy lifting in terms of how good this track sounds too. A lot of Erotica could do with a bit of a facelift in terms of its mastering, but "Rain" still sounds pristine and fresh to these ears in contrast to its album mates. That said, I'm a little... confused as to how it's been this popular twice over. It's a scrumptious ballad, I'll admit, but Madonna also has ones that are far more intimate and striking. Not to mention ones that were far bigger and more interesting moments in terms of the trajectory of her career. So while I'm not entirely mad that it made it this far, I'm more bemused that it outlasted so many others to make it so deep into the rate when it probably could have exited any time after the Top 40 and I would have accepted it. However, y'all have spoken, and it is my humble duty to simply report your words. Or not, in the case of "Rain" and it's no-11/10-having ass. Poor it! "Rain" has a fairly short history in terms of Madonna's live back catalogue. Appearing on its parent album's tour The Girlie Show, it was once again brushed off for an interlude during Sticky & Sweet, which must have genuinely included about sixty different songs given all the mash ups and everything else. The video is also one of these shooting-a-video-shoot videos that she liked at the time. She looks fierce in her black bob I guess. Enjoy!
You are so right. It really does sound fresher than the phrase "recorded in 1992" suggests. Amazing song. I'd say it has landed in the perfect place.
Yes! "Rain" greatly overstayed its welcome. It's so pleasing to see "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper" (especially the latter) as being the two highest rated songs from that album. They are definitely my two favourites, too.
That’s my baby and I’m so proud etc. I know it’s probably not her finest moment in terms of balladry but I fucking love Rain. It sounds so... 90s but not in a dated way. Also, the black bob look may well be my introduction to Madonna?
Rain is what the thunder brings For the first time I can hear my heart sing Call me a fool but I know I'm not I'm gonna stand out here on the mountain top
I love Rain more and more with each passing year. My favourite from Erotica these days. That Girlie Show performance is such a moment. A moment Donna & Niki obviously treasure too:
The way we all decided to stan Rain so hard despite the fact that it’s not one of her iconic hits and doesn’t necessarily do anything too earth-shattering is so cute. It’s just top to toe gorgeous and that’s actually more than enough sometimes.
Rain doing so well makes me feel sad that Cherish was thrown under the bus before we even got to the top 50.
Ugh Rain is just so gorgeous. The way Madonna uses her lower register throughout. This isn’t a love for the ages, an eternal Nothing Fails-type love, but not every love song has to be about that. It’s romance, it’s sensual. Maybe it’s not going to last, but for now it’s overpowering. Madonna’s wallowing in her longing, but she knows the wait is coming to an end soon. Maybe it is about cum, maybe it is a love song to the idea of wanting to fuck, but that doesn’t make the connection meaningless, it doesn’t make the feelings less real.
Waiting is the hardest thing / It's strange I tell myself that if I believe in you / I feel like I've known you before In the dream of you / And I want to understand you With all my heart and all my soul / More and more and more That by sheer force of will / When I'm with you I will raise you from the ground / I feel like a magical child And without a sound, you'll appear / Everything strange And surrender to me, to love / Everything wild I felt that.
The video was ahead of its time. Mark Romanek wouldn't flesh out that aesthetic until two years later with Scream and even then it wasn't until around 1999/2000 that the whole technologic space studio vibes really became the norm. An innovator.
