Bad Moon Rising

"Bad Moon Rising" uses weather imagery to make the point that something bad is lurking "out there." He also said that when the band was learning the song, he recognized the contrast between the apocalyptic words and the happy melody. He said "It wasn't until the band was learning the song that I realized the dichotomy. Here you've got this song with all these hurricanes and blowing and raging ruin and all that, but it's 'I see a bad moon rising.' It's a happy-sounding tune, right? It didn't bother me at the time." ==Reception==

In 1969, the American music and entertainment magazine Billboard described the single as being "loaded with rhythm and drive" and predicted it "[couldn't] miss going right to the top." Cash Box, another contemporary music trade magazine, described it as a "blazing bayou-rock outing" that is "louder and bolder" than the group's previous single "Proud Mary." Cash Box ranked it as the No. 51 single of 1969. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Cliff M. Junior rated "Bad Moon Rising" as Creedence Clearwater Revival's 5th greatest song, saying that "in a little more than two minutes, [Fogerty] unloads his mind and prompts you to think about what's troubling you in your life." ==Use in other media==

The song has been referenced numerous times by the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, including a use in an advertisement for Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 and an aptly-named trick card in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes. The song also appears in a 2023 TV commercial for Toyota. "Bad Moon Rising" plays as David nears the moment of changing into a werewolf in the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London. The song also plays at the beginning of the Las Vegas season 3 finale "Father of the Bride". The song is played on the radio in the video game Mafia III, although its usage is anachronistic since the game takes place in 1968. The song is featured in the 2016 film Operation Avalanche, a movie about the faking of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. An adapted version of the song, “Stretford End Arising”, has been used for many years by fans of Manchester United in support of the team. Fans of Leeds United adapted the song to honour their manager, Marcelo Bielsa, in 2018 and a version was also used to celebrate the Liverpool Football Club player and Portugal international, Diogo Jota. == Charts ==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==