A Day Without Rain

Not to be confused with A Year Without Rain.

A Day Without Rain
Studio album by
Enya
Released20 November 2000 (2000-11-20)
Recorded1998–2000
StudioAigle, Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland
GenreNew-age
Length37:30
Label
ProducerNicky Ryan
Enya chronology
A Box of Dreams
(1997) 		A Day Without Rain
(2000) 		Themes from Calmi Cuori Appassionati
(2001)
Singles from A Day Without Rain
  1. "Only Time"
    Released: 6 November 2000
  2. "Wild Child"
    Released: 19 March 2001

A Day Without Rain is the fifth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter and musician Enya, released on 20 November 2000 by WEA in Europe and on 21 November 2000 by Reprise Records in the US. Following a promotional tour in support of her compilation albums Paint the Sky with Stars and A Box of Dreams in late 1997, Enya started work on a new studio album in mid-1998 with her longtime recording partners, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. In a musical departure from her keyboard-oriented sound, Enya incorporates a string section in her songs.

A Day Without Rain received mixed reviews from critics; some felt it too derivative of Enya's previous albums whilst others complimented the minimal use of overdubbing that her sound had become known for. It was a commercial success peaking at No. 6 in the United Kingdom and initially, No. 17 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, sales of the album and its lead single, "Only Time", skyrocketed after it was used by several radio and television networks in their coverage and aftermath of the attacks. As a result, "Only Time" climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and A Day Without Rain reached a new peak on the Billboard 200 at No. 2. It became the fifth highest selling album of 2001 in the United States.[1][2]

A Day Without Rain is the best selling new age album in history with an estimated 16 million copies sold worldwide.[3] Enya supported it with a promotional tour which included live televised performances. In 2002, the album won Enya her third Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.

  1. ^ "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2001" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2008.
  2. ^ "FAQ". Enya.sk. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  3. ^ "New Age Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2012.