The song was released as a single in July 1981. It reached number 18 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart that same year. "Crying in the Rain" became Wynette's third single to reach the country songs top 20 in the 1980s decade. The song was issued on Wynette's twenty-second studio album, "You Brought Me Back" (1981). Additionally, "Crying in the Rain" peaked at number 11 on the "RPM" Country Tracks chart in Canada around the same time. It was her highest-charting solo song on the "RPM" survey since 1979.