Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head – B.J. Thomas | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1); 1970
Story Behind The Song By Harris Sterling
By the late 1960s, Burt Bacharach and Hal David had become one of pop music’s most successful songwriting teams. When they were asked to contribute a song to the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they composed Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head for a lighthearted bicycle sequence featuring Paul Newman.
Although Ray Stevens was first considered to record it, B.J. Thomas ultimately provided the vocal. Released in late 1969, the single rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970, holding the top spot for four weeks.
Built around Bacharach’s distinctive melodic style and David’s conversational lyric, the song centers on optimism in the face of setbacks. Rather than dwelling on trouble, the narrator insists that difficulties will not bring him down. The relaxed arrangement and Thomas’ easygoing vocal helped make the record one of the era’s most recognizable hits.
The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and remains B.J. Thomas’ signature recording.
This content was created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Harris Sterling. © 2026 Harris Sterling. All rights reserved.
Produced by:
Burt Bacharach
Hal David
Lyrics Written by:
Burt Bacharach
Hal David
Awards:
Academy Award for Best Original Song (1970)
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male (1971)
Harris Sterling
Independent music label executive Harris Sterling has worked in the music industry for most of his career.
As Executive Vice President for independent music label Madacy Entertainment, he led the strategic marketing and business development for the label, negotiating agreements with the major record labels to release custom music compilations under license with major brands, such as Ford Motor Company, Crayola, Care Bears and Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Harris also led Madacy’s strategy for the licensing of its entire music catalogue to Apple for their launch of the IPOD.
In 2011, Harris co-founded Starting Five Media, a company that specializes in recording and licensing custom renditions of popular songs as well as clearing the rights to the music composition for use by their clients in media projects.
Harris has negotiated publishing and master recording rights for many Top 40 songs for use in various media projects, TV Commercials and more.