A 1984 Prince single, the title track of his sixth album and the accompanying film, building over eight minutes through ballad and extended guitar solo sections.
Composition
Purple Rain was written by Prince with credit shared by his backing group the Revolution. The arrangement opens as a ballad with chord changes referencing classic gospel and soul progressions.
Recording
The released track is largely sourced from a live performance recorded at First Avenue club in Minneapolis in August 1983, with studio overdubs added in subsequent sessions. The closing instrumental section runs more than four minutes.
Reception
Released as a single in late 1984, Purple Rain reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The album of the same name spent twenty-four weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, and the film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.
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