| Let It Rain | |
| Cover: | Let_it_rain.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | East 17 |
| Album: | Steam |
| Released: | [1] |
| Length: | 3:32 |
| Label: | London |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | Stay Another Day |
| Prev Year: | 1994 |
| Next Title: | Hold My Body Tight |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
"Let It Rain" is a song by English pop boy band East 17, released on 13 March 1995 by London Records as the fourth single from their second album, Steam (1994). It was written by Ian Curnow, Phil Harding and Rob Kean with bandmember Tony Mortimer, while Curnow, Harding and Kean produced the song. It reached number one in Lithuania and Israel, and the top 10 in Finland, Ireland and the UK. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway.
Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian named the song an "unpretentious dancefloor sparkler".[2] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote that "Let It Rain" "turns back to the harder dance sound that typifies much of their output and sounds in places like a distant relation of their first hit "House of Love" back in September 1992."[3] Dave Simpson from Melody Maker commented, "E17 go from strewth (poncy ballads) to strength. "Let It Rain" is their finest since "Everybody in the House of Love". An uplifting blend of euphoria, electronics and existential introspection, it's not that unlike mid-period ("Shellshock") New Order."[4] Another Melody Maker editor, Victoria Segal, noted its "hysteric gospel".[5]
Music Week gave it four out of five, calling it "a more upbeat, but equally commercial, follow-up to the band's Christmas number one is in remixed form, ensuring interest from even Steam-owning fans." The reviewer added, "It will no doubt be boosted by the lads' Brits performance last week."[6] Another Music Week editor, Alan Jones, deemed it "preposterous".[7] John Robinson from NME said, "Needless to say, East 17 instruct the heavens to open and pour love upon us." He added that it "duly arrives by way of a tumultuous chorus".[8] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "love rain down on me chorused rap [track]".[9]
A music video was produced to promote the single. It was later made available on YouTube in 2017 by London Records, and had generated more than 3.2 million views as of January 2023.[10]
| Chart (1995) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] | 21 | |
| Europe (European Dance Radio)[12] | 24 | |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] [14] | 10 | |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[15] | 32 | |
| Lithuania (M-1)[16] | 1 | |
| UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart (Music Week)[17] | 3 |