THE OLD ROCKER: Raindrop (hits) keep falling on our ears

With respect to Hurricane Hermine that recently blew through the Albany area, here’s a list of some of the rain songs I was singing, which probably made the storm turn in another direction.

Do you remember “A Rainy Night in Georgia”? Tony Joe White wrote the song in 1967, and R&B singer Brook Benton recorded it in 1970. The song reached No. 4 on the charts and ranked No. 408 on the list of the 500 greatest rock songs of all-time by “Rolling Stone” magazine. The tune sold more than 1 million copies.

While Georgia has its rain song, so does Kentucky. Elvis Presley had a big 1970 hit with “Kentucky Rain,” which was written by Eddie Rabbitt and Dick Heard. The song peaked at No. 16.

“Raindrops” was Dee Clark’s biggest hit, climbing to No. 2 in 1961. Heavy rain and thunder claps, along with Clark’s falsetto, enhanced the million-seller. The song was Clark’s only Top 15 hit.

“Singin’ in the Rain” was performed in more than 10 films before Gene Kelly popularized it in the 1952 movie of the same name. The film, which starred Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, is ranked as one of the greatest American musicals of all-time.

Paul Williams and Roger Nichols wrote “Rainy Days and Mondays,” which became a million-seller for The Carpenters in 1971. The Carpenters’ version reached No. 2 on the charts. Olivia Newton-John, Karen Carpenter’s close friend, and Andy Williams later covered the song.

One of the hottest rock groups of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Creedence Clearwater Revival, had one of their biggest hits with “Who’ll Stop the Rain?” in 1970. It was the fourth of the group’s hits that jumped to No. 2 on the charts.

Of The Temptations’ 37 Top 40 hits, “I Wish It Would Rain” was one of their biggest – and best. The song rose to No. 4 on the pop charts and No. 1 on R&B. The great David Ruffin sang the lead on “I Wish It would Rain” for the Temps.

The Cascades were among the typical one-hit wonders of the early rock era, but what a hit their song was. Their 1962 smash “Rhythm of the Rain” jumped to No. 3 in 1962. None of the Cascades’ other releases made the Top 60. The group picked its name from a box of dishwashing detergent.

Written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” captured the Oscar for Best Original Song. B.J. Thomas released the single, which skyrocketed to No. 1 in 1969.

Million-seller “I Love a Rainy Night” was co-written and sung by country star Eddie Rabbitt. It reached No. 1, supplanting “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. This marked the last time that there were back-to-back country hits at No. 1 on the pop chart. This was Rabbitt’s only No. 1 hit on the Hot 100.

Written and performed by James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” peaked at No. 3 in 1970. The song was ranked 227 on “Rolling Stone’s” list of the 500 greatest songs of all-time.

After a 13-year void, Neil Sedaka returned to No. 1 in February 1975 when “Laughter in the Rain” claimed the top spot. His previous No. 1 hit was the original version of “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” in 1962.

“It Never Rains in Southern California” was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood and was sung by the British-born Hammond. Hammond’s version peaked at No. 5 in 1973.

This week in rock history: Jerry Lee Lewis hit No. 3 on the charts on Sept. 11, 1957, with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”… Manfred Mann’s “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” entered the charts on Sept. 12, 1964, where it reached No. 1 five weeks later. … The Teddy Bears’ “To Know Him Is To Love Him” cracked the Top 40 on Sept. 13, 1958. Phil Spector, 18 at the time, wrote and arranged the song. Its title came from the inscription on his father’s tombstone. The record reached No. 1 five weeks later. … Georgia’s Little Richard recorded his debut album ”Here’s Little Richard” on Sept. 14, 1955. It would be his highest charting LP.

The Pendletones, a group from Hawthorne, Calif., attended their first recording session on Sept. 16, 1961. The band did “Surfin’,” a song that would kick-start their career as The Beach Boys. … The Four Seasons had the first of their four No. 1 hits on Sept. 15, 1962, when “Sherry” reached the top. … The Rock ‘n’ Roll show “Shindig” debuted on ABC-TV on Sept. 16, 1964, with The Righteous Brothers, Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers and Bobby Sherman. … The Beatles were paid a then-record $150,000 on Sept. 17, 1964, for a concert in Kansas.

Barry Levine is an entertainment writer for The Albany Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].