Queen of Rain

{{Infobox song

| name = Queen of Rain

| cover = QueenOfRain.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Roxette

| album = Tourism

| B-side = Pearls of Passion

| released = {{start date|1992|10|26|df=y}}

| recorded = June 1990

| studio = EMI (Stockholm, Sweden)

| venue =

| length = 4:49

| label = EMI

| writer =

Per Gessle
Mats Persson

| producer = Clarence Öfwerman

| prev_title = How Do You Do!

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = Fingertips '93

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|27eClHQxXls|"Queen of Rain"}}}}

}}

"Queen of Rain" is a song by Swedish duo Roxette. It was released on 26 October 1992 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Tourism (1992). The ballad became a top-20 hit in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, and spent over three months on the German Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 19.

Background and recording

The song was recorded in July 1990 at EMI Studios in Stockholm during sessions for their 1991 album Joyride. It was originally set to appear as that album's final track, but was excluded in favour of "Perfect Day". However, the closing notes and sound effects contained on the outro of the album version of "Things Will Never Be the Same" – the track which precedes "Perfect Day" on Joyride – can still be heard over the crowd noise contained on the intro of "Queen of Rain".{{cite AV media notes |title=Tourism |title-link=Tourism (Roxette album) |type=liner notes |chapter=Digital booklet |others=Roxette |publisher=EMI Records |year=1992 |id=7777 99929 2 8 |location=Stockholm, Sweden}} Roxette later recorded a Spanish version of the track, titled "Una reina va detrás de un rey" ("A Queen Goes After a King"), for their 1996 compilation album Baladas en Español.

Prior to the release of "Queen of Rain", one of the single's b-side, "Pearls of Passion", had remained unreleased outside of Sweden. The song would later be included as a bonus track on the 1997 reissue of their debut album, Pearls of Passion (1986).

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Bryan Buss described the song as "haunting" and "hopeful" in his review of Tourism.{{cite web|first=Bryan|last=Buss|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tourism-songs-from-studios-stages-hotelrooms-other-strange-places-mw0000089355|title=Roxette - Tourism: Songs from Studios, Stages, Hotelrooms & Other Strange Places|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=16 February 2020}}

Formats and track listings

Cassette and 7-inch single (Europe 8650124 · UK EM253)

"Queen of Rain" – 4:49
"It Must Have Been Love" (Live from the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 13 December 1991) – 5:29

CD single (Europe · Australia 8650132)

"Queen of Rain" – 4:49
"It Must Have Been Love" (Live from Sydney) – 5:29
"Paint" (Live from Sydney) – 3:20
"Pearls of Passion" – 3:33

UK CD1 single (UK CDEMS253)

"Queen of Rain" (Radio Edit) – 4:28
"Pearls of Passion" – 3:33
"Interview with Roxette" – 14:30

UK CD2 single (UK CDEM253)

"Queen of Rain" – 4:49
"It Must Have Been Love" (Live from Sydney) – 5:29
"Paint" (Live from Sydney) – 3:20
"Dangerous" – 3:46

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Ballad Hits.{{cite AV media notes|title=The Ballad Hits|title-link=The Ballad Hits|others=Roxette|year=2002|first=Sven|last=Lindström|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records|id=72435 42798-2 9}}

Studios

Recorded at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden) in June 1990
Mixed at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)

Musicians

Marie Fredriksson – lead and background vocals
Per Gessle – background vocals, mixing
Bo Eriksson – oboe
Anders Herrlin bass guitar, programming, engineering
Jonas Isaacson – guitars
Clarence Öfwerman – keyboards, programming, production, mixing
Alar Suurna – engineering, mixing

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col"\| Chart (1992) !scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="row"\| Australia (ARIA){{cite book\|last=Ryan\|first=Gavin\|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010\|year=2011\|publisher=Moonlight Publishing\|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia\|edition=pdf\|page=239}} \| 66
{{single chart\|Flanders\|14\|artist=Roxette\|song=Queen of Rain\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|47\|artist=Roxette\|chartid=1825\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017}}
{{single chart\|Germany\|19\|artist=Roxette\|song=Queen of Rain\|songid=2477\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|26\|artist=Roxette\|song=Queen of Rain\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|20\|artist=Roxette\|song=Queen of Rain\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017}}
scope="row"\| Spain (AFYVE){{cite book\|last=Salaverri\|first=Fernando\|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002\|edition=1st\|date=September 2005\|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE\|location=Spain\|isbn=84-8048-639-2}} \| 7
{{single chart\|Sweden\|12\|artist=Roxette\|song=Queen of Rain\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017\|refname="swe"}}
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|27\|artist=Roxette\|song=Queen of Rain\|rowheader=true\|access-date=17 February 2017}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|28\|artist=Roxette\|artistid=25349\|rowheader=true\|access-date=23 January 2024}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (1992) !scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| Sweden (Topplistan){{cite web\|url=http://www.grammotex.se/topp92singlar.htm\|title=Årstopplistan 1992, Singlar\|publisher=Grammotex\|language=sv\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010225021610/http://www.grammotex.se/topp92singlar.htm\|archive-date=25 February 2001\|access-date=7 April 2025}} \| 74

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"| Chart (1992)

!scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Sweden (Topplistan){{cite web|url=http://www.grammotex.se/topp92singlar.htm|title=Årstopplistan 1992, Singlar|publisher=Grammotex|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010225021610/http://www.grammotex.se/topp92singlar.htm|archive-date=25 February 2001|access-date=7 April 2025}}

| 74

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col"\| Region ! scope="col"\| Date ! scope="col"\| Format(s) ! scope="col"\| Label(s) ! scope="col"\| {{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="row"\| Europe \| 26 October 1992 \| {{hlist\|7-inch vinyl\|CD\|cassette}} \| rowspan="3"\| EMI \| {{cite magazine\|title=New Releases: Singles\|magazine=Music Week\|page=17\|date=24 October 1992}}
scope="row"\| Japan \| 8 January 1993 \| Mini-CD \| {{cite web\|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/186552/products/270597/1/\|title=クイーン・オブ・レイン {{!}} ロクセット\|trans-title=Queen of Rain {{!}} Roxette\|publisher=Oricon\|language=ja\|access-date=23 January 2024}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label(s)

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"| Europe

| 26 October 1992

| {{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}

| rowspan="3"| EMI

| {{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=17|date=24 October 1992}}

scope="row"| Japan

| 8 January 1993

| Mini-CD

| {{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/186552/products/270597/1/|title=クイーン・オブ・レイン {{!}} ロクセット|trans-title=Queen of Rain {{!}} Roxette|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=23 January 2024}}

References

Category:1990s ballads

Category:1991 songs

Category:1992 singles

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Roxette songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Clarence Öfwerman

Category:Songs written by Mats Persson (musician)

Category:Songs written by Per Gessle