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Purple Rain
Prince
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- Album
- Purple Rain
- Released
- 1984
- Genres
- funk, funk rock
- Length
- 8:42
- Tempo
- 113 BPM
- Label
- Warner Records
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About this song
Purple Rain peaked at number two on the Hot 100 on November 17, 1984, behind Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. It was the title track of the album and gave its name to a film in which Prince plays The Kid. Prince performed it during the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show as the closing song of the set, during a driving rainstorm, and Billboard and NBC rated it the best halftime show. In 2011 Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 best songs of all time, and in 2015 Pitchfork named it the best song of the 1980s.
What it's about
Prince said the idea of purple rain relates to the end of the world, being with the one you love, and letting your faith guide you through. Bandmate Lisa Coleman described it as a new beginning, with purple as the sky at dawn and rain as the cleansing force.
Summary written with AI, based on the song's page on Genius.
Fun facts
- Sampled in 12 other songs, like “Mama Say by Bloodhound Gang”.
- Covered 41 times, including “Purple Rain by Tom Jones (Ft. David Gilmour)”.
- Written and produced by Prince.
- Recorded at First Avenue.