10 Great Rainy Day Songs

As soon as I write a list about bright sunny days and warm summer nights the rain rolls in. Which is fine, sometimes there is nothing more soothing than listening to rain falling above us. Most pathetic fallacy deals with sorrow and despair when rain is involved...but try stopping for a minute when you're in a good mood. When the rain is falling. The feeling seems to last just a little longer. 10 Great Rainy Day songs.

1. "Silver and Cold" - AFI

AFI were instrumental in bringing "emo" music to the mainstream in the early 00's. Perhaps it was their lead singer's dress and sombre lyrics that provided ammunition in many people's rage against "emo" who viewed it as a juvenile and effeminate genre. However you feel about it, I hope you can see passed all that and hear the remarkable music and heart within the song "Silver and Cold"

2. "Mandolin Rain" - Bruce Hornsby & The Range

This one takes me back. Bruce Hornsby was a fantastic song writer and no album exemplified that more than 1986's The Way It Is. "Mandolin Rain"'s first piano chords just scream of nostalgia and the song weaves a tale of someone being reminded of a lost love when the rain comes down. It's got perfect pacing and clever use of a mandolin throughout the song. Demands more attention.

3. "Rain" - Breaking Benjamin

This isn't too obvious is it? Breaking Benjamin released their debut in 2002 but it was 2004's We Are Not Alone that got them noticed as it featured many notable tracks. Some which were assisted in the writing department by Billy Corgan. This was one of them.

4. "Thank You" - Dido

No Eminem won't start rapping in this one. Dido's breakout single "Thank You" first got noticed when it was sampled on Eminem's track "Stan". The song is wearing a gloomy costume of someone having a terrible day and things just not going right, but it's actually a happy song. Well written and executed perfectly, though it seems Dido has slipped off the map on this side of the Atlantic lately. Here's hoping we hear more like this from her.

5. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" - Travis

Some bands name themselves something clever or deep and meaningful, others come up with something funny that becomes normal over time and yet still others name their band like a child. Just as Scotland's Travis did. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" is from the near perfect album The Man Who which was released in May 1999. The song is said to have magic powers. Ask the attendees of the 1999 Glastonbury Festival. Throughout the day it was bright and sunny, until Travis rolled into this song. It began to rain almost immediately.

6. "Epiphany" - Staind

OK sometimes it really sucks when it's raining. Or it can turn an already shitty day even shittier. So if you need a morose track to let you know that someone else has had a tough go, try "Epiphany" by Staind.

7. "It's Raining Again" - Supertramp

From 1982's Famous Last Words "It's Raining Again" is Supertramp's lost single...but it will get stuck inside your head. Doesn't matter what Supertramp is singing about it always seems upbeat and happy. Sadly they were never able to recapture the success of Breakfast In America & Crime Of The Century's one two punch of awesomeness, but it's good to find these little gems they dropped on their way out.

8. "I Love The Rain The Most" - Joe Purdy

I know i've mentioned Joe Purdy before on here, but this could possibly be my most favourite rain song. The stillness of it. The feeling that he as stuck in his house with nothing else to do but pick up his guitar and play something. You can almost hear the rain in the background on the track...you can definitely hear it in his voice.

9. "Fool In The Rain" - Led Zeppelin

This was Led Zeppelin's final charting song off their final album In Through The Out Door. While the band was never fully satisfied with many of the album's songs...it still is a great track to listen to. The song conjures images of some long haired hippie dancing in the rain. The song is about someone waiting for a woman on a street corner and thinks he's been stood up. Then he realizes he's just on the wrong block. Silly wet hippie.

10. "Midnight Rain" - Wide Mouth Mason

Saskatchewan's Wide Mouth Mason blew on to the scene in 1997 with "Midnight Rain". Though the song is not really about rain, merely named after it, I felt it was a strong way to finish this list. Wide Mouth Mason are still kick and even though bass player Earl Pereira has vacated former Big Sugar front man Gordie Johnson has gleefully stepped in.

Now shut everything off and just listen to the rain for a while

goodnight

JZ