#18 Purple Rain by Prince

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

18

2011 Album Rank

32

Total Points

2085

Year Released

1984

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

1

Weeks at #1

24

RIAA Sales Certification

13,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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Purple Rain Album Details

Released in June 1984, Purple Rain was both a soundtrack to the film of the same name and a career-defining artistic statement by Prince. Blending rock, funk, R&B, and pop into a singularly electrifying sound, the album catapulted Prince from cult stardom to global superstardom. With his band The Revolution, Prince delivered a record that was bold, flamboyant, deeply personal, and unmistakably his own, combining searing guitar solos with gospel-tinged ballads and club-ready grooves.

The album features some of Prince's most iconic songs, including the scorching opener Let's Go Crazy, the anthemic I Would Die 4 U, the controversial Darling Nikki, and the transcendent title track Purple Rain. It topped the Billboard 200 for 24 consecutive weeks and sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Critically and commercially, Purple Rain is often cited as a defining moment in 1980s popular culture.

Other albums by Prince on the chart: Sign 'o' the Times

Interesting Facts About John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

• The majority of the album was recorded live at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis, with studio overdubs added later. The title track, Purple Rain, was recorded in one take during that live performance.
• When Doves Cry features no bass line, an unusual choice for a pop single. Prince removed the bass at the last minute to give the song a more haunting, unconventional feel.
• Darling Nikki was one of the songs that led to the founding of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), which campaigned for explicit content labels on albums.
• Purple Rain won two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, a category that was discontinued shortly afterward.
• Wendy Melvoin, guitarist for The Revolution, played a crucial role in shaping the album's sound. Purple Rain was her first recording with the band at just 19 years old.
• The cinematic structure of the album mirrors the emotional arc of the film, blending themes of love, faith, betrayal, and redemption.
• Prince played nearly all the instruments on When Doves Cry and Let's Go Crazy, a testament to his virtuosity and studio control.
• The song Computer Blue originally ran over 12 minutes long. The version on the album is heavily edited, with several extended jams and lyrics cut from the final release.
• In 2017, a deluxe reissue of Purple Rain included previously unreleased tracks from the same era, such as Electric Intercourse and Father's Song, showcasing Prince's prolific creativity during that period.
• Despite the album's massive success, Prince retired most of the songs from live performance after the mid-1980s, preferring to constantly evolve his setlists and sound.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011 for its cultural and historical significance.

Purple Rain Tracklist

1. Let's Go Crazy - Reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
2. Take Me with U - Reached #25 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart/li>
3. The Beautiful Ones
4. Computer Blue
5. Darling Nikki
6. When Doves Cry - Reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
7. I Would Die 4 U - Reached #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
8. Baby I'm a Star
9. Purple Rain - Reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart

When Doves Cry Music Video

• Next Album: #19. Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan
• Previous Album: #21. Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground