"Can You Stand the Rain" is a ballad by R&B/Pop group New Edition

New Edition

New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...

. Released in 1988, it is the third single from their fifth studio album, Heart Break

Heart Break

Heart Break is the fifth studio album by American R&B and pop group New Edition, released June 20, 1988 on MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member Bobby Brown, and the first album to feature Johnny Gill as member of...

.

Overview

Written and produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, "Can You Stand the Rain" is about a relationship presently going well, but the man is asking the woman if he can count on her to remain by his side should things ever become stormy. This ballad has become one of a handful of signature songs by New Edition. With its soothing adult contemporary production stylings serviced by Jam/Lewis, the booming introduction of Johnny Gill and familiarity of Ralph Tresvant sharing lead vocals, the song became not only the defining moment for the Heart Break album—but effectively transformed New Edition’s image from that of a ‘teen pop

Teen pop

Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....

’ act to a grown up vocal ensemble as the decade drew to a close.

Release and reception

Despite "Can You Stand The Rain" failing to reach the Hot 100 top forty, peaking instead at #44, it became New Edition's fourth single to top Billboard's R&B singles chart

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

.

Trivia

• "Can You Stand the Rain" is the first single by New Edition, which prominently featured Johnny Gill singing lead.
• "Can You Stand the Rain" fended off Bobby Brown's
  Bobby Brown
  Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
  
   "Roni" on the R&B singles chart, which sat at #2 behind it in early 1989.
• "Can You Stand the Rain" was covered by Boyz II Men
  Boyz II Men
  Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
  
   for their Evolution album.
• "Can You Stand the Rain" was covered by Guy Sebastian
  Guy Sebastian
  Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
  
  , the first winner of Australian Idol
  Australian Idol
  Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
  
  , in 2004 on his debut album, Just as I am
  Just as I Am (Guy Sebastian album)
  Just as I Am is the debut album by the first Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian.Given the relative popularity of Australian Idol in late 2003, BMG Australia subsequently contracted Sebastian for a record before Christmas 2003. He wanted to record a mixture of pop and R&B material...
  
  .
• "Can You Stand the Rain" was sampled by Big Sean
  Big Sean
  Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
  
   for his single "My Last
  My Last
  "My Last" is the first single by American rapper Big Sean from his debut album Finally Famous. The song features singer Chris Brown. The song is produced by No I.D..- Background :...
  
  " featuring Chris Brown.

Charts

Chart	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	44
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	1