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    RockChat Rewind with Joe Milliken
    On this day in 1984, Prince released his sixth studio album titled “Purple Rain.” Released on the Warner Bros. label and produced by Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain” is the soundtrack for the movie of the same name. Prince wrote all the songs on the album, and three of the tracks, “I Would Die 4 U,” “Baby I’m A Star,” and the title track were recorded live at the First Avenue club in Minneapolis, with overdubs /edits added later.
    Although the album still featured the R & B elements of his previous albums, “Purple Rain” had more of a “rock music” feel to it, showcasing Prince’s excellent guitar prowess. It also featured a wide range of other influences including pop, dance grooves, ballads, funk, and even the “bass-less” uniqueness of “When Doves Cry.” His influences were apparent and wide-ranging… from Hendrix to Chic and everything in between.
    “Purple Rain” debuted at #11 on the Billboard album chart, hit #1 four weeks later, and remained in the top 200 for 122 weeks. It won 1984 Grammy Awards for “Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo/Group” and “Best Score Soundtrack,” and a 1985 Oscar Award for “Best Original Sound Score.” In 2012 it was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically pleasing.”
    The album hit #1 in America, #7 in the UK and reached the Top 10 in over 20 countries. Two singles reached #1 on the Hot 100 singles chart with “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy,” the title track reached #2, and two other singles cracked the Top 20 with ‘I Would Die 4 U” (#8) and “Take Me With You” (#20). “Purple Rain” is the third best-selling soundtrack of all-time and has gone on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the 40 best-selling albums of all-time.

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