Written by band members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, and produced by Mike Chapman, the song was released as the second and final single from Autoamerican on January 12, 1981, by Chrysalis Records.

Musically, "Rapture" is a combination of new wave, disco and hip hop with a rap section forming an extended coda.

[5] "Rapture" was another commercial success for the band, shipping one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, their fourth and last single to reach the top.

Singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein were friends with Brooklyn- and Bronx-based hip-hop artists such as Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Brathwaite) in the late 1970s.

Keyboardist Jimmy Destri found some tubular bells in the back of the studio, which added a haunting touch to the song.

[12] Set in the East Village section of Manhattan, the "Man from Mars" or "voodoo god" (dancer William Barnes in the white suit and top hat) is the introductory and central figure.

[13] Much of the video is a one-take scene of lead singer Debbie Harry dancing down the street, passing by graffiti artists, Uncle Sam, an Indigenous American, child ballet dancer and a goat.

The "Special Disco Mix" has a different introduction, a longer instrumental break with new percussion overdubbed and includes the extra verse, making it 10 minutes long.

This 8-minute version was included on the 1994 UK CD edition of Autoamerican and was reissued as part of EMI's 15-disc Blondie Singles Box in 2004.

The compilation was part of a 2-disc set called Blondie 4(0) Ever which included their tenth studio album Ghosts of Download and marked the 40th anniversary of the forming of the band.

The track was remixed again and re-issued as a single in both the UK and the US in 1994, this time peaking at number eight on the US Dance Club Songs chart.