Eddie Rabbitt (1941-1998) was one of the key figures in the late-1970s, early-'80s country-pop crossover... A successful songwriter, Rabbitt started his solo career in 1975, and soon found himself with a string of chart-topping hits. His biggest success was "I Love A Rainy Night," a glossy, once-universal radio hit that topped the Country and Pop charts in 1980, and helped set the tone for the tech-friendly, synthy sounds of early-'80s Nashville pop. Rabbitt continued to ride the charts for several years, but following a family tragedy, he left the spotlight by the middle of the decade, resurfacing a few years later to score a few more hits. Rabbitt was diagnosed with cancer in 1997, and died in '98 after releasing two more albums. Here's a quick look at his work...
Eddie Rabbitt "All-Time Greatest Hits" (Warner, 1991)
Major league guilty pleasure material here. I can't help it: "I Love A Rainy Night" and "Drivin' My Life Away" both just rock my world, and even though Rabbitt followed the typical path of a top country hitmaker (vigorous early material, progressively sappier as the years go on), many of his other, later hits have their appeal as well. Even with the cheesy overtones, the clever injection of a bouncy, nostalgic 'Fifties rock vibe into the newly synthed-up early '80s country scene was a nice breath of fresh air.
Eddie Rabbitt "Greatest Country Hits" (Curb, 1991)
Eddie Rabbitt "The Platinum Collection" (Rhino, 2006)
Eddie Rabbitt "Eddie Rabbitt/Rabbitt" (Wounded Bird, 2006)
A twofer reissue of his first and third albums, 1975's Eddie Rabbitt and Rabbitt, from 1977.
Eddie Rabbitt "Variations/Lovelines" (Wounded Bird, 2006)
A reissue of two albums, 1978's Variations and Lovelines, from 1979.
Eddie Rabbitt "Eddie Rabbitt" (Elektra, 1975)
Eddie Rabbitt "Rocky Mountain Music" (Elektra, 1976)
Eddie Rabbitt "Rabbitt" (Elektra, 1977)
Eddie Rabbitt "Variations" (Elektra, 1978)
Eddie Rabbitt "Loveline" (Elektra, 1979)
Eddie Rabbitt "Horizon" (Elektra, 1980)
His biggest success, a platinum-selling, #1 album with the mega-hit, "I Love The Rainy Night."
Eddie Rabbitt "Step By Step" (Liberty, 1981)
Gold album, #1 on charts
Eddie Rabbitt "Radio Romance" (Liberty, 1982)
Eddie Rabbitt "The Best Year Of My Life" (Warner, 1984)
Eddie Rabbitt "Rabbitt Trax" (RCA, 1986)
Eddie Rabbitt "I Wanna Dance With You" (RCA, 1988)
Eddie Rabbitt "Jersey Boy" (Capitol, 1990)
Eddie Rabbitt "Ten Rounds" (Liberty, 1991)
Eddie Rabbitt "Beatin' The Odds" (Intersound, 1997)
Reissued and retitled as From The Heart: The Last Recordings.
Eddie Rabbitt "Songs From Rabbittland" (CEMA, 1998)
