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Purple Rain (song)

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"Purple Rain"
Prince on stage with a guitar in hand. Above him appear the words "Prince and the Revolution", with "Purple Rain" in smaller text below.
US 12-inch single artwork
Single by Prince and the Revolution
from the album Purple Rain
B-side
  • "God"
  • "God" (instr, UK 12-inch)
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1984 (1984-09-26)
Recorded
  • August 3, 1983 (live basic track)
  • August–September 1983 (overdubs)
StudioSunset Sound, Los Angeles (overdubs)
VenueFirst Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota (live basic track)
Genre
Length
  • 8:41 (album/12-inch version)
  • 4:05 (7-inch edit)
LabelWarner Bros.
SongwriterPrince[a]
ProducersPrince and the Revolution
Prince and the Revolution singles chronology
"Let's Go Crazy"
(1984)		 "Purple Rain"
(1984)		 "I Would Die 4 U"
(1984)
Purple Rain singles chronology
Sex Shooter
(1984)		 Purple Rain
(1984)		 Jungle Love
(1984)
Purple vinyl issue
Limited edition release
Limited edition release

"Purple Rain" is a song by the American musician Prince and his backing band the Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album Purple Rain, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film Purple Rain starring Prince, and was released as the third single from the album.

"Purple Rain" reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in November 1984. It reached number one on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100, where it stayed for two weeks. It is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is considered to be one of Prince's signature songs. Following Prince's death in 2016, "Purple Rain" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number four in May 2016. It also re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number six, placing two spaces higher than its original peak. In France, where it originally peaked at number twelve, "Purple Rain" reached number one a week after Prince's death.

"Purple Rain" was ranked number 18 on Rolling Stone's 2021 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". During Prince's performance at the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in 2007, "Purple Rain" was the last song of his set; the event became especially notable when rain fell during the performance while the stage and stadium were lit up with purple lights. The performance has topped lists of the best Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. Prince performed the song as the opening of a medley of his hits with Beyoncé at the 2004 Grammy Awards. It was also the final song he performed at his last concert, which took place on April 14, 2016, a week before his death.

Background and recording

[edit]

"With Prince, you never knew. I thought we were recording a concert, but I wasn't sure if it was going to be a record, too. I knew they were working on the movie as well. You just had to go in prepared to record whatever it was going to be as well as you could."

— David Z. on recording "Purple Rain" with Prince.[1]

"Purple Rain" was recorded during a benefit concert for the Minnesota Dance Theatre at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis on August 3, 1983. The performance was guitarist Wendy Melvoin's live debut with the Revolution.[2] Drummer Bobby Z. stated, "it certainly was one of the best concerts we ever did".[3]

The concert was recorded by producer David Z. using a mobile recording unit brought in from the Record Plant in New York City, staffed by engineers Dave Hewitt and Koster McAllister.[1] David's older brother Cliff Rifkin was the regional promotion executive for Warners in Minneapolis, who also expedited Prince's label signing. David Z.'s younger brother, Bobby Z., would then become Prince's drummer in the Revolution. David Z. was requested to set up the live recording on August 3, 1983.[1] A solo and a verse from the original recording were edited out, changing the length from 11 minutes to eight minutes and 41 seconds.[3] The extra verse was about money but was removed because it diluted the emotional impact of the song.[4]

After recording the song, Prince asked Jonathan Cain from Journey to listen to it, as he was worried that it might be too similar to "Faithfully", a Journey single composed by Cain which had recently been in the charts. Cain reassured Prince by telling him that the songs only shared a few chords.[5] Lisa Coleman created the string arrangement that was overdubbed into the song in a studio in Los Angeles.[2]

Composition and lyrics

[edit]
Stevie Nicks performing on stage with a microphone in hand
"Purple Rain" was initially conceived as a collaboration with Stevie Nicks.

"Purple Rain" was initially written as a country song and was intended to be a collaboration with fellow American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks.[4] According to Nicks, she received a ten-minute instrumental version of the song from Prince with a request to write the lyrics, but she felt overwhelmed, and responded, "I can't do it. I wish I could. It's too much for me."[6] At a rehearsal, Prince then asked his backing band to try the song: "I want to try something before we go home. It's mellow." According to the Revolution member Lisa Coleman, Prince then changed the song after fellow band member Wendy Melvoin started playing guitar chords to accompany the song: "He was excited to hear it voiced differently. It took it out of that country feeling. Then we all started playing it a bit harder and taking it more seriously. We played it for six hours straight and by the end of that day we had it mostly written and arranged."[2] The finished song has been described as a gospel, soul and rock ballad.[7] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Purple Rain" is written in the key of B-flat major, with a vocal range of F4 to A5.[8]

Prince explained the meaning of the song as follows: "When there's blood in the sky... red and blue = purple. Purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/God guide you through the purple rain." According to Lisa Coleman, it symbolizes "a new beginning. Purple, the sky at dawn; rain, the cleansing factor."[5] The title track of Prince's preceding album, 1999, includes similar references to a doomed ending under a purple sky ("...could have sworn it was Judgment Day, the sky was all purple..."). In the context of the film Purple Rain, the song is dedicated to his father, and each verse ties into a different strained relationship of Prince's character The Kid and his desire to reconcile.[4]

Release and reception

[edit]

"Purple Rain" was released in September 1984 as a single to Purple Rain.[9] The B-side, "God", is a more overtly religious number, recalling the Book of Genesis.[4] The song also features extensive vocal experimentation.[10] "Purple Rain" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks, being kept off number one by "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!. It reached number one in Belgium and the Netherlands and is certified gold in the United States. Following Prince's death in 2016, "Purple Rain" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number four in May 2016.[4]

In a contemporary review of the single release, Billboard called the song "pretty majestic", writing: "captured in four minutes, the song and the emotion that make the pivotal moment of a remarkable film [Purple Rain]."[11] Mark Lindores of Classic Pop called the song "the definition of the word 'epic'" and a "soaring, anthemic rock ballad".[12]

"Purple Rain" was ranked number 18 in Rolling Stone's 2021 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[13] Pitchfork named it the best song of the 1980s, praising its "sweltering" guitar solo.[14] Paste ranked it as Prince's greatest song, hailing it as the "greatest album closer of all time".[15] The song is also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[16] In May 2026, Rolling Stone placed the song at number one on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time". The publication wrote about the "fluidity of [Prince's] phrasing" and the way he "pinched his strings for notes that ascended heavenward".[17] In June 2026, the singer Sara Bareilles selected the song for inclusion on the CBS News list of 250 essential American songs of the past 250 years.[18]

Live performances and other uses

[edit]

"Purple Rain" was a staple of Prince's live performances. He played it on nearly every tour after 1984, except for a period after his name change when he avoided his older hits.[4] At the Super Bowl XLI halftime show, in which he was the featured performer, "Purple Rain" was featured as the last song of Prince's set and was played during a downpour at the stadium; when combined with the purple stage lighting, this created the song's signature image.[19] The performance has topped lists of the best Super Bowl halftime shows of all time.[19][20][21]

Prince performed the song as the opening of a medley of his hits with Beyoncé at the 2004 Grammy Awards,[22] and also at the 2006 Brit Awards.[23] A 20-minute version of the song, featuring a ten-minute guitar solo, was performed at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York in 1985.[24] "Purple Rain" was the final song Prince performed live during his final concert in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 14, 2016, one week before his death from an accidental fentanyl overdose.[25]

Following Prince's death in 2016, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed "Purple Rain" three times during their The River Tour. Springsteen would again perform the song as an encore during the band's Minneapolis stop of Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour at Target Center.[26] "Purple Rain" was one of several Prince songs used in the one-hundredth episode of the ABC sitcom Black-ish, which was also named after the song, and first aired on November 13, 2018. The episode was a tribute to Prince's musical and cultural legacy, and included performances of his songs by members of the cast.[27]

In 2025, "Purple Rain" was used to soundtrack a climactic sequence in "Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up", the series finale of the Netflix series Stranger Things. Prince's song "When Doves Cry" was also featured earlier in the episode. The original songs had never been used in a film or television show; series co-creator Matt Duffer attributed the Prince estate's willingness to allow the song's use to the success enjoyed by Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", following that song's inclusion in the series.[28]

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Purple Rain.[29]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications and sales for "Purple Rain"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[69] 4× Platinum 280,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[70] Platinum 90,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[71]
sales since 2009 		Platinum 100,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[72] 5× Platinum 150,000‡
Spain (Promusicae)[73] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] 3× Platinum 1,800,000‡
United States (RIAA)[75]
1984 physical sales 		Gold 1,000,000^
United States
digital sales 		— 1,720,968[76]
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[77] Platinum 2,000,000†

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ The original single release credits the authors of the song as Prince and the Revolution, but the song's authorship is registered with ASCAP as solely by Prince.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 Daley, Dan (January 1, 2009). "Classic Tracks: Prince and the Revolution's 'Purple Rain'". Mix. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Hann, Michael (July 24, 2017). "How We Made Prince's 'Purple Rain'". The Guardian.
  3. 1 2 Nilsen, Per (2003). Dance Music Sex Romance: Prince: The First Decade. SAF Publishing, pp. 153–155. ISBN 0-946719-64-0
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Uitti, Jacob (April 13, 2022). "Behind the Meaning of 'Purple Rain' by Prince". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Jones, Lucy (December 10, 2012). "20 Things You Didn't Know About 'Purple Rain'". NME. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Stevie Nicks: 'I Turned Down Prince's Offer to Write 'Purple Rain' Lyrics'". NME. September 16, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  7. ↑ Baggs, Michael; Whitehill, Gaby; Trendell, Andrew (January 17, 2014). "The 50 Best Ever Original Songs Made for Movies". Gigwise. Archived from the original on January 4, 2026. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  8. ↑ "'Purple Rain' by Prince – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  9. ↑ Hughes, Rob (June 7, 2026). "'Lightning Captured in a Bottle' – This Is How Prince Made 'Purple Rain'". Uncut. Retrieved August 6, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ Ferguson, Jason (June 15, 2012). "Prince's 'God' Inspires a Crisis of Purple Faith". Sound of the City. The Village Voice. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Singles Reviews". Billboard. October 6, 1984. p. 62. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  12. ↑ Lindores, Mark (February 6, 2024). "Prince – The Making of 'Purple Rain'". Classic Pop. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  13. ↑ ""Purple Rain" Ranked #18 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  14. ↑ "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s – Page 10". Pitchfork. August 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ Ham, Robert (April 27, 2016). "The 50 Best Prince Songs". Paste. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ ""The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time"". Rolling Stone. May 4, 2026. Archived from the original on May 6, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Essential American Songbook". CBS News. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Trakin, Roy (February 1, 2018). "The 10 Best (And Two Worst) Super Bowl Halftime Performances (Watch)". Variety. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ Moylan, Brian (February 8, 2021). "Every Super Bowl Halftime Show Since 1993, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  21. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (January 17, 2020). "Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked by Sheffield: From Worst to Best". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (April 22, 2016). "Watch Prince and Beyonce's Dazzling Grammy Performance". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  23. ↑ Brandle, Lars (April 21, 2016). "Watch Prince Masterfully Perform 'Purple Rain' and 'Let's Go Crazy' at 2006 Brit Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  24. ↑ Herbert, Geoff (June 1, 2022). "Prince Drummer Recalls Epic 1985 Concert: 'Syracuse Is One of Those Memories I'll Never Forget'". The Post-Standard. Archived from the original on January 1, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  25. ↑ Brent Lang, Katie Van Syckle (April 21, 2016). "Prince's Final Days: Inside His Last Concerts". Variety. Archived from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Brings 'Hope and Strength,' Honors Prince at Concert". USA Today. March 31, 2026. Archived from the original on April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  27. ↑ Chaney, Jen (November 13, 2018). "How Black-ish's Prince Tribute Episode Came Together". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 6, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  28. ↑ DeVille, Chris (January 1, 2026). "Stranger Things Showrunners Explain How They Got Those Unprecedented Needle Drops For The Finale". Stereogum. Archived from the original on January 1, 2026. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  29. ↑ Liner notes of Purple Rain by Prince
  30. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: 9550". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  35. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Prince". Sisältää Hitin – 2. Laitos Levyt Ja Esittäjät Suomen Musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 204. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Las Canciones Más Populares En Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). November 19, 1984. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Purple Rain | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  39. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". Top Digital Download. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  41. ↑ "Radio Luxembourg Singles". umdmusic.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Topp 20 Single uke 49, 1984 – VG-lista. Offisielle hitlister fra og med 1958" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 5/5/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  47. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". Canciones Top 50. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  49. ↑ "Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 5/5/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  51. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 29/4/2016 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  52. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  54. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – May 14, 2016". Billboard Hot Rock Songs. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  55. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week Ending NOVEMBER 10, 1984". Cash Box magazine. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts (West Germany)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  57. ↑ "Top Singles (Semaine Du 16 Janvier 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  59. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 01/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved January 14, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  60. ↑ "2026 3-Os Savaitės Klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. January 16, 2026. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
  61. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 9/1/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  62. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 9/1/2025 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  63. ↑ "Ultratop Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop 50 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  64. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 9638". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 6, 2016. [dead link]
  65. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht Van 1984". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  66. ↑ "Dutch Jaaroverzichten Single 1984". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  67. ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984". Cashbox. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  68. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  69. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2026 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  70. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Prince – Purple Rain". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  71. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Prince & the Revolution – Purple Rain" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  72. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain". Radioscope. Retrieved September 4, 2026. Type Purple Rain in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  73. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Prince – Purple Rain". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  74. ↑ "British single certifications – Prince & the Revolution – Purple Rain". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 15, 2026. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Purple Rain Prince & the Revolution in the "Search:" field.
  75. ↑ "American single certifications – Prince & the Revolution – Purple Rain". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  76. ↑ "Nielsen SoundScan Charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 7/6/2017" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  77. ↑ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 36/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
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