'Fallin' Rain' Ranked the 'Most Underrated Song of the 1970s'
'Fallin' Rain' Ranked the 'Most Underrated Song of the 1970s'
Nicole MooreSat, May 9, 2026 at 6:57 PM UTC
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'Fallin' Rain' Ranked the 'Most Underrated Song of the 1970s'
With the music scene growing strong in the 1970s, there's no shortage of hits from the era. However, not every amazing and influential '70s song received accolades.
The publication Far Out magazine shared a list of "the 100 most underrated songs of the 1970s." The October 2025 ranking's top five tunes included "Hit or Miss (Live)" by Odetta Robbie, Basho's "Blue Crystal Fire" from 1978, 1978's "Khala My Friend" by Amanaz, and Aphrodite’s Child's "The Four Horsemen," released in 1972.
Link Wray's 1971 song "Fallin' Rain" secured the list's number one spot. According to Far Out, the song, which is the fifth track off the Link Wray album, has deep, dark lyrics, hidden by the light, quirky use of instruments.
Link Wray Opened up about the Making of 'Rumble'
Wray is arguably best known for his 1958 hit, "Rumble." In a later in life interview, the famed guitarist discussed the unusual way he came up with the classic rock song. He explained that he and his band, Link Wray & His Ray Men, including his brother, Doug Wray, were performing at "a record hop in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1957" for The Milt Grant Show. Wray recalled that there were "about 5,000 kids" watching him while he played his guitar on stage, as "rock and roll at that time was huge."
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"I'm up there playing the old hits. You know, Chuck Berry. Just stuff you know," said Wray, who died in 2005 at the age of 76, in the interview.
Wray explained that The Diamonds were also at the event, and his band had been requested to play their song, "The Stroll." Wray said while he wasn't familiar with the 1957 tune, Doug, the band's drummer, knew the beat. While he performed on the drums, Wray improvised on his guitar, impressing the crowd.
"The kids, they just went ape. We had been there all night long, and the kids didn't pay a bit of attention to us all night long. And so when I started doing the song, they started screaming over me. Because now, something is happening," said Wray. "So Doug, he got so carried away, he just jumped off the drums. And I said, 'Doug, let's finish the song.' So he gets back on the drums, and we had to play it about four times for the kids. They kept hollering and screaming, you know, banging on the stage, 'Play that weird song! Play that weird song!'"
What Wray and his brother came up with on stage ended up being "Rumble."
This story was originally published by Parade on May 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
