Isn't This a Lovely Day? is a 1935 jazz and pop vocal standard written by Irving Berlin for the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film Top Hat, where Astaire introduces it in a rain-soaked gazebo scene. The lyric turns a soggy mishap into a romantic moment, a typical Berlin touch. It was released in August 1935, recorded June 27, 1935 at ARC Studios in New York, and issued on Brunswick 7487 with the B-side Top Hat, White Tie and Tails. The tune became a chart hit for Astaire, reaching No. 3, and he later included it on The Astaire Story (1953) and The Golden Age Of Fred Astaire (1975). Many artists have covered it, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine, and Diana Krall. The song remains a notable Irving Berlin number from the Top Hat era and a staple of classic American songbook performances.
