prince 40 years ago
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Prince | Purple Rain (1984)

"Purple Rain" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album.

The song is a combination of rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestral music.


The power ballad reached number 2 in the United States for two weeks, behind "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! and it is considered to be one of Prince's signature songs.


It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1984, shipping one million units in the United States, and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2013.


Following Prince's death in 2016, the song rose to number one on the US and UK iTunes Charts, allowing "Purple Rain" to re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 17, later reaching number four.


It also re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 6, making it two places higher than its original peak of number 8.


Originally peaking at number 12 in France, "Purple Rain" reached number one on the national singles chart.


In the United States, it has sold an additional 1.18 million copies after becoming available as digital downloads.

Prince
1958 - 2016