"Erotica" was Madonna's least-successful studio album, and it can be argued that "Rain" is the only truly "classic" pop single to come out of the project. Personally, I think "Deeper and Deeper" is the album's strongest track, but I would agree that "Rain" is certainly the most radio friendly. The song is incredibly well-produced and by all accounts a classic Madonna ballad. Its video was directed by Mark Romanek, who also directed the gorgeous "Bedtime Story." Originally filmed in black-and-white, color was later added to give the video its rich, lush look. The effect is nothing short of stunning. As a result, the clip picked up two technical awards in the 1993 MTV VMA's.

As for Rain's performance on Billboard, its #14 peak may at first appear to be a disappointment. But in the wake of "Bad Girl," Madonna's least successful single up to that point (aside from her pre-"Holiday" releases), Rain was key in paving Madonna's future success with I'll Remember, Secret, and Take A Bow. Rain continues today to be one of Madonna's most often played catalog songs.

The song was promoted via a radio version that deleted Madonna's fascinating spoken-word bridge and much of the song's strong production. Needless to say, many Madonna fans still claim that this radio remix is one of the worst remixes of a Madonna track. Fortunately, the original version accompanies the exquisite video.

TRIVIA: Although Madonna has had several singles miss the top 40, none have missed the top 40 in sales. Thus "Rain"'s #31 peak on sales stands as her third lowest ever, behind only "Human Nature" and "Bad Girl."