Purple Rain

Opus magnus of a generational talent

loved it

what a beautiful album

Solid all rounder with great standout tracks

I am a huge Prince fan, and I wish more people knew that he was much more than this album.

4.5/5

awesomesauce (fave: take me with u!!!!)

8.5/10 Top songs: let’s go crazy, take me with you, purple rain

juste après avoir vu la fin de stranger things. terrible mais incroyable

Masterpiece!

Perfect Timing after the Stranger things finale When doves cry, purple Rain & lets Go Crazy

One of my favorite albums ever and listening to it on vinyl is even better. Prince’s footwork in them heels is too smooth, what a performer and musician !!!

Amazing! The storyline is good and every single song in this album is coherent with each other.

Has to be in the top 10 of all time.

Every song is intriguing and pure sex. 5/5

Prince knew that he was him. This is an album communicating that fact. It's dense and wild and he really just threw everything and the kitchen sink into this record. Definitely one of the most impressive albums that has ever been made - Prince is such an underrated guitar player too, he can shred with the best of them but his musicality is so far beyond that that the guitar playing almost goes to the background.

First rate. No sleeper songs. Good variety

One of the best albums of all time. I can argue why and I can pit myself against the naysayers but the truth is it IS one of the best albums of all time and I don't have the status to touch that as a fact. Just listen to it and realize how ahead of it's time it was and even still is. Dazzling is what it is to listen to.

Funky, sweet, beautiful masterpiece. Really great album, probably 5 stars, up 1 star just because of the title track. On RYM I have rated this one 4.5, but will probably go to the max here, why not. I think I should REVISIT some of the songs I am not as much familiar with later on!

One of my favorite albums, top to bottom great tracks, so confident and cool. The sound is amazing, to hear this at the time must have been like watching the moon landing. Love the movie as well 10 stars

A classic that speaks for itself. Prince was enlightened when he did this one. So timeless!

You know it is him immediately.

This transformation of 1999 self Deprecating street hustler Prince in the sexual messiah shouldn’t work, but it does. I saw Prince on this tour and he was at a height of musicianship and showmanship. He backs up the soaring ego with a mastery of Funk Rock and a build A new form of genre bridging Anthemic music that feels entirely new yet familiar. While I do love the grittiness of earlier Prince this is also wonderful to witness.

Now you're talking!

the best to ever do it.

OH yeah

Disco Primoroso! Prince em um momento mágico! QoA Adonis New.

An album that defines the 80s sound with guitar solos spread throughout amazing synth work and melodramatic lyrics. This was the album that put Prince on the map. His vocal range goes from soothing harmonies to guttural screeching which makes every song an adventure.

Prince is a little purple god

Always thought as a kid it was overrated but now as an adult I can see how great this is. This is a top album for the 80s. I stand corrected

Love this album, a true classic

DU MIEL Paroles excellentes, basses et musique on adore Un classique qui ne vieillit pas

Album lavet til en motion picture om han selv også. Det er funk rock og den første LP jeg fik af mine forældre da de havde en gammel kopi hver. Han er meget inspireret af kirken osv og det kan man godt høre igennem gospel agtige nuancer vokalmæssigg også. Det er også et stort gennembrud racemæssigt da man stadig kæmpede med at sorte havde svært ved at blive store succesrige popstjerner/rockstjerner. Det har også bare en virkelig god 80’er lyd. Synes teknisk set ikke der er et eneste skip på albummet.

One of the most amazing albums I've heard in a very long time.

5!

Damn, when doves cry -> i would die 4 u -> (baby i'm a star) -> purple rain is maybe the strongest album ending of all time.

All the stars. Duh.

Aleen maar bangers. Met name het einde (met purple rain natuurlijk) vind ik heel sterk.

Loved it. Great album

Fire

Maybe THE definitive 80s pop album. Top tier song writing, production, and vocal performances. Prince rules. *Heard before

BANGERSSSS Would listen again Faves: - take me with u - When doves cry - I would die 4 u - baby I’m a star - Purple rain

Clear 5

Does it even need to be said?

Great album, forgot how good it is from start to finish. Prince was the defining solo artist from the 80s for me. Michael Jackson might have had some bigger hits but as far as I know he couldn't lift a finger to play an instrument. Quincy Jones produced and arranged it all. They grabbed Eddie Van Halen to rip a guitar solo which was a really cool move...but if Prince wanted to do something, he'd just do it himself. Prince damn near released an album every year throughout the 1980s. I'd say Michael Jackson's stuff might be slightly more accessible and appeal to a wider audience....but I'd put this album up against Thriller and Bad.

https://1001albumsgenerator.com/as

This was great! I havent heard more than the radio hits from this album before. This was really good. The only thing that bother me about it is the mid-80s "lets get crazy" kind of sound that permeates through a lot of the album. And even then I didnt hate it. The other stuff, especially the songs I had never heard were crazy good!

10/10

I was thinking four, but Purple Rain (song) is very very good.

I was going to give it a 4 until the title track.

I still have a lot of Prince albums to listen to, but I don't see how he will top this one. 4.5/5

10/10 I remember hearing Prince for the first time on the radio when I was in the car with my friend kim. We were 11 years old. I swore that day I would follow that man till the ends of the earth.

Can’t not get into this one. It’s not as chock full as you might think construe acclaim, but everything is at least good and the highs are so high. When Doves Cry is close to the Plato if ideal of this genre.

Prince's masterpiece. Strong all the way through with major high points -- When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy and of course Purple Rain.

Deserves a 5 for the final track alone, but there are so many more bangers here. There's a huge number of hits for a 9 track album and with good reason. The songs are catchy and musically impressive. Prince absolutely rips on guitar but doesn't need to rely on it to make the songs exciting. There will never be another like him.

It’s Purple Rain. The perfect album that goes beyond perfection.

Gotdam this is a fucking brilliant album! I think it's fair to say that Purple Rain is Prince's most popular album if not his most well known. It's the culmination of all his previous albums and the benchmark for all that followed. Every song slaps but When Doves Cry will never not fascinate me. It's 99% percussion and vocals! A few well placed keyboards and a bitchin' guitar solo and you have the most unlikely classic. Prince always held a unique position in popular music. The guy dressed like Liberace, played guitar like Eddie Van Halen, had the energy and soul of James Brown, had the songwriting talent of Berlin or Bacharach or Dylan or Quincy Jones or any of the greats and, according to Charlie Murphy, a crazy good jump shot. We had seen nothing like him before and I don't know if we'll see that kind of talent again. Purple Rain had it all. Rock, soul, pop, R & B. Definitely a 5 star album.

Album itself is rufffly a 4 but Purple Rain lifts it up

Day 112 On a serious hot streak at the moment, some of the best pop songs of the 80’s on this album, the last minute or so of The Beautiful Ones is immense. Has to be top marks. Highlights Beautiful Ones When Doves Cry Purple Rain

This is the kind of album that will make you stop what you are doing and groove to the music. Every song highlights the musical genius of the artist whether it is on a guitar, piano, poet or vocals. It is the quintessential soundtrack to a movie. Or was the movie perfect for the album? 4.9. Can’t get closer to a more complete album.

An amazing funky sexy album.

Ok this was the prince I was promised, an immaculate songwriter with a keen sense of musicianship. This album is immaculate in its production and song selection being a tight 40 minutes and every song fits the theme and does not feel out of place with a perfect song to close out the album. No dragging at all in the album and not a challenge to listen to at all.

Estoy empezando a escribir la review con 4 canciones del álbum escuchadas porque ya tengo muchísimo que decir. COMO PUEDE SER QUE NO HAYA ESCUCHADO ESTE ÁLBUM ANTES, tiene que ser de las cosas más únicas, innovadoras y atemporales que escuché en mi vida. QUE PEDAZO DE INTRO Y QUE TEMAZO ES COMPUTER BLUE, me enojó que sea la que menos reproducciones tiene porque fue de mis favoritas. Siempre supe que Prince era de los mejores guitarristas ever y este set de canciones no hace más que confirmarlo. Que buenas son las transiciones entre canciones también. Sabes que es un buen álbum cuando te inspira a crear una playlist basada puramente en su estilo. Como dije antes, este tipo de pop lo siento totalmente atemporal, me veo volviendo muchísimo a este álbum (guarde casi todo lol). Me guardo más para escucharlos más adelante. Favs (siempre me olvido de ponerlas): Let's Go Crazy, Computer Blue, I Would Die 4 U, Baby I'm a Star (Purple Rain no es de mis favoritas pero que conste que estoy sola en mi casa y cuando sonó la cante a los gritos usando el inhalador del asma como micrófono)

👑

Fam he ended his classic album with one of the greatest songs of all time. There will never be another Prince, iconic doesn’t even begin to describe it. As far as the album goes it was an incredible journey. The vocals, the arrangement of the instruments, the rock elements fused with R&B & pop, man I could write a book about how good this album is. 10/5 stars

classic. So good.

What is there to be said about this. Its a masterpiece, with every song hitting at some level. Would be impossible for me to pick a favourite track, but The Beautiful Ones hit hardest on this listen.

PERFECT ALBUM. NOTHING WRONG.

191/1001. What a classic album, has been on my shelf for decades. Still there are songs which I don't remember. That is the curse of Prince - he has songs which renewed the whole industry, and then songs with sounds like nothing you ever heard before (doves cry?), but which are utterly boring in the end. Nevertheless, amazing stuff even in these forgettable bits. It is the eternal battle between form and the function. At best there are both, at worst the form. Stevie Vai, I believe back in the late 80s in Guitar Player magazine discussed how one can express emotions and feeling with guitar playing (solos and more), and he said something like "Prince's solos all are about an orgasm". He was wrong. It is every instrument, the whole song, the whole album, the whole catalog. And my guess is that he also met people who faked their orgasms and he put that superficiality (form) in to some of his songs. And the function is the Grind, grind, grind, grind - at best they meet unlike any artist I know of. !gnimoc m'I ,ecnirP

Prince was such an icon. Just, ridiculously good at what he did. The album is definitely 80s, but it manages to sound timeless in a way a lot of pop albums from this era don't. I think its a lot of live instrumentals. For example, Take Me with U has these gorgeous violins which really elevate it (think how dated it would sound if it went too hard on the synth sounds). I really enjoyed Computer Blue, Baby I'm a Star, and Darling Nikki, which I'd never heard before. The Beautiful Ones is a bit much for me though. 5 Stars Just for Purple Rain.

Sofa king great.

A classic.

Fell off this website for a while, and was in the car with naren when i was shuffling through my recently listened and decided to play 'purple rain'. He mentioned it was one of the albums listed, which was convenient! I think other Prince albums speak to me more than this one, but it's definitely his most quintessential. It's wild to hear some of the tones he's using here, and how those same sounds are being lauded even today - looking at you, Mk.Gee. We're still swimming in the wake of this album, and nothing's come close.

I was on the fence about this one and could have gone either way Solid album from start to finish - such great guitar playing, some absolute BANGERS on this one and also some songs that were great but not necessarily what I would call bangers The vibe of the album is truly immaculate and the instrumentation is incredible Standouts: I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain Man what a classic

Holy fuck- like the first time i saw the sun. Everyone is so derivative lol. MOVIE STAR?? FIVE!!! Charlie murphy!!!!

A complete classic, absolutely no notes, a perfect album

A stunning, beautiful, sexy masterpiece.

One of the greatest albums ever, by a beautiful human and accomplished pickup basketball player. There are a handful of tracks that drag a little and keep it from perfection, but the peaks are as high as any pop music has reached.

One of the greatest albums ever made.

Album was awesome start to finish. All sound like Prince songs in the best way. Purple Rain itself is hard to beat.

Man, Prince was a wild weirdo and this album is solid.

This really blew me away. I've listened to the hits but had never given this album a full listen. After just one listen I feel like this is one of the best pop albums of all time. It's sexy, smart, well-crafted and produced. The songs are varied and interesting. Prince has such passion in his vocals. An absolute classic

hell yeah

THRILLED TO SEE THIS TODAY DROP IN MY INBOX. Great guitar links, subversive lyrics.

I had this album back in my high school days. Loved it at the time, but haven't gone back to it in ages. My memory of it was some excellent tracks, and some songs with "meh" lyrics ("Computer Blue"). Listening to it again - the musicianship is even better than I remembered. Price and the Revolution absolutely slay on every track. The occasional lyric is still a bit bland, but what a fantastic album.

Prince ... you sexy MF!

Growing up in the 80’s, this album was absolutely huge and exciting in a way that was different from other big albums of the time. It was a perfect fusion of rock and funk and leaned more on the rock side than his previous album, “1999,” had. It contains some of his best songs (“Let’s Go Crazy,” “When Doves Cry,” and, especially “Purple Rain.”). It was also very naughty at times which probably appealed to my horny adolescent mind. And it also contains some of the best guitar riffing of his career. It didn’t matter if you hadn’t seen the movie, this was just a huge album and one of the best of the 80’s.

Yeah it's almost a perfect album. Really tight tracklist, groovy, sensual. Can't believe he gets mentioned alongside MJ.

A transcendent genius at the absolute height of his powers. However, every time I listen to this I wonder was Nikki masturbating "with a magazine" or "WITH a magazine" because the latter sound potentially painful. Or maybe I'm just a bit of a baby about paper cuts.

Jamais écouté, j'ai de grandes attentes. Eh bien j'ai pas été déçu. Les paroles : sydou s'il était bilingue, lyriciste et un tout petit peu plus horny Le physique : sydou s'il avait des origines indiennes plutôt que chinoises La musique : sydou s'il avait continué de jouer sona, un mélange de genres mais entre les solos, les phases electros, les voix quel banger. Définitivement à réécouter

Fuck yes. Prince was cool as hell

Prince has a grand measly total of 3 albums on this list. The exact same as fucking Aerosmith. Ridiculous.

Not a bad song on this.

Prince? More like a king, amirite?

Since I listened to those other two Prince albums on my journey, my feelings toward funk, synthpop, and new wave as genres have significantly improved. Classic records with those styles were brought to my attention, and even some newer artists have embraced those older sounds into new paths. Thus, I return to Prince on more amicable terms, with arguably the best record he ever made. While I have yet to see the film Purple Rain, its soundtrack album has been widely regarded. Four of the singles continue to get rotation on the radio, and what's amazing is that the rest of the tracks are as good, if not better. The interweaving of synthetic and organic instruments throughout this record, bolstered by such glossy production, made for an excellent listening experience. Particular highlights for me were the electric guitar soloing in "Let's Go Crazy" and "Computer Blue", the duet Prince does with Apollina Otero as the acoustic guitar strums with the string arrangement on "Take Me With U", the raw, electronic ballad with Prince's passionate singing on "The Beautiful Ones", the hedonistic sex jam "Darling Nikki", the surprising bass-less groove of "When Doves Cry", the buzzing shuffle beat with the synths on "I Would Die 4 U", and the emotional gut-punch that is the closing title track. Prince delivered with such charisma as he explored his sexual nature through a wide range of emotions, without ever coming off as too self-indulgent. There's not much else that needs to be said for Purple Rain, as it is an excellent record that has withstood the test of time.

peak Prince. banger after banger. Not much else to say, this is one of the reasons he's considered one of the greats! That guitar riff at the beginning of When Doves Cry fucking slams and always reminds me how much of a guitar maestro he really was.

Easy 5. Princes masterpiece. Every song bumps (with the exception of Baby I’m A Star) and Prince just screams like a maniac. Dip yourself in the waters of Lake Manatunka and enjoy

Listened to this album 100 times… I know every word and every note! Had the movie on VHS saw that many many times too! Prince at his peak! 5 stars

Iconic

Multiple layers, best soundtrack album? Let's go crazy When dove's cry

Prince's "Purple Rain" album brought back so many memories. I didn’t realize how much I loved it until I heard it again. Timeless music, powerful emotion—still hits just as hard today.

A great, fun album. Ending the album with Purple Rain was the best decision.

Prince at his best. So many great songs.

yeah this is what I’d tell my kids the 80s sounded like

Yeah turns out I like prince a lot

Classic

So yes, it is that good. Purple Rain is among the likes of those classic albums that you hear about everywhere (ex: Dark Side Of The Moon, Abbey Road, Thriller). Once you take the time to listen, you realize why they’re held up so high. Purple Rain is effectively close to a greatest hits album for Prince. If you’ve got Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain on the same album, then you are a genius. There’s no other way of saying it. And even beyond the 4 songs I just mentioned, the rest of the record flourishes with not only great production but plenty of impressive musicality. Every arrangement is done so well that it makes me sit there the whole time thinking WOW. Everything I’ve heard or read on the record is true; this is a sure classic through and through. So the only question left to answer:
This or Thriller? I can’t decide for the life of me right now (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)

Impeccable pop genius with zero misses. Undisputed masterpiece.

One of the greatest ever. Even the “minor”songs are electric.

Never a big fan of Prince, but there’s no denying the talent.

Thought the only song I didn't like on this album was purple rain but after listening again every song is just too good to not give 5 stars

Dynamikk! Verdens kåteste album? Men veldig gøy og kul lyd. Både over og underprodusert, på en eller annen måte.

A classic album. Perfect

Perfect album

I love this. He somehow falls smack dab in the middle of David Bowie and Michael Jackson for me. It’s too short though.

Awesome

There are a billion reasons why this album is on this list

I’m disappointed in myself that it has taken me this long to listen to the whole album. Truly a masterpiece. I have been very familiar with most of these songs, which is why I assumed I’d listened to the whole thing, but I was missing out with a couple of these tracks. Of course When Doves Cry, Let’s go Crazy, Purple Rain, and I Would Die 4 U are phenomenal, but I was blown away by Baby I’m a Star. Easily my favorite of the non-charting tracks; I might even put it over one or two of them. Biggest issue is Darling Nikki. Twenty-one year old me would’ve probably been more keen on it than 51 year old me that cringes at the idea of Lazaro g the whole album with my daughter because of it. Guess we can just skip that track. Only other gripe would be that Purple Rain (the song) probably didn’t need to be 78 minutes long. Maybe that was just the extended edition I listened to though.

I have never liked the “80’s” sound, and this album is packed with that 80’s sound. Astonishingly, that didn’t matter as this album is a masterpiece. Prince cleansed my ears with the waters of lake Minnetonka, and transcended what I normally would have considered 80’s trash. It makes me wonder what Prince would have sounded like if he debuted now without having to start in the context of the 80’s.

Quintessential Prince.

Love this! I hadn't listened to the whole album and it was great.

The first masterpiece by him - already such an eclectic mix of music, stunning vocals, great guitar, and amazing songwriting.

5 - mastapiece

Great album, but this dude is too horny sometimes

Super smooth. One of my faves. My 1st or 2nd Fav. Sign O the Times is the nearest competitor. OK, yeah Sign wins, but both are in my personal collection and fantastic.

Meisterwerk

So, I can probably figure we've all got those albums out there that you love that you can just talk about forever. I sure have my share. There's Stevie Wonder's 'Songs In The Key Of Life', and The Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds', and Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here', and Weird Al's 'Alpoclaypse'... So on and so on. Apparently Eminem's 'The Marshall Mathers LP' is one of them, given how long I went on about **that one**. And believe you me, I **love** to go on about things. I'm autistic, after all; info-dumping is as much a part of me as breathing or blinking. If I can babble about something... Hoo, boy! Yet, as much as there are albums I can speak at great length about, there also happens to be ones where... And let me be clear, it's not a matter of me feeling like "What do you **want** me to say? It's all been said before!" Of course it has; what matters is it's coming from you. Y'know? No, with some albums there's just this case of... What do I even **wanna** say about it? I mean, right? And it's not that you haven't thought about why an album's good or your favorite. But how good can words by themselves really be? There are just some albums out there where you can talk forever and ever and ever about them, and it'd never stack up to just playing the dang thing. Where do I even **begin** about it? What foot do I lead off on? And Prince's 'Purple Rain', by all accounts, is one of those albums. Simply put, it's the greatest album Prince would ever make. Which, in a catalog like his, which also contains stuff like 'Dirty Mind' and '1999' before it and 'Sign "O" The Times' and the "love symbol" album afterwards, that's saying a **lot**. And given the regard it's held in to this day (last I checked it was top 10, maybe even top 5, on the last Rolling Stone 500), it can feel a little daunting to try and tackle it. But you didn't come here to read me wring my hands about this. So, hey, I may as well give it the best shot I can. If I can write over 1k about albums I'm not even fond of, I can write about this one. So. DEARLY BELOVED. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS A LITTLE THING CALLED 'PURPLE RAIN'. AN ELECTRIC ALBUM, 'PURPLE RAIN'... Let's start at the beginning. Fittingly enough, my first introduction to 'Purple Rain' was through film — and not even the one it's a soundtrack to. I mean, if you get technical my first encounter with the album was Weird Al's "Let's Go Crazy" soundalike "Traffic Jam", but let's keep on track here. The first time I ever heard anything from this album was in the film 'KIngsmen: The Golden Circle.' It's a fun film, but clearly not as good as its predecessor. I mean, 'The Golden Circle' tried many times to match the last one's "Free Bird" sequence, but I don't think any of the attempts ever **really** quite got there? Except for the first one, scored to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy". Now, to this point, in 2018, I was not exactly a Prince fan. For the longest time, when I was younger and gave more of a shit about this kind of thing, I'd held a grudge against him for how he'd denied Weird Al's parody ideas. "How dare he not wanna hear his song turned into 'When Eggs Fry'!" Even after he'd passed in 2016, it's not like I felt too inclined to get into his music. I thought it was a shame he'd passed, and the same year as Bowie no less (who I also wasn't listening to yet), but... Eh, I had enough on my plate. And, in fact, after I watched 'Kingsmen: The Golden Circle,' I wouldn't **really** get into Prince until Summer 2020 (where I fell in love with the love symbol **hard**, and still remains my most-played Prince album by individual song plays). But back to when I heard it in the film. I just remember being blown away by it. The drive, the energy... The whole performance was absolutely electric. And when it got to that big, unaccompanied guitar solo at the end... It felt like a bomb going off. The part that followed it felt like the cloud rushing in to, indeed, "TAKE YOU AWAAAAY!!!!" It quickly entered my regular song rotation, and I jus'... Damn loved it every time I heard it. Fast forward to September 2020. After two years I'd finally gotten into Prince and was more regularly listening to his stuff, and I really loved it. And, hey, look what just got added to Crave (a Canadian streaming service, for y'all who don't know): the film 'Purple Rain'! Well, hey, I like the album a lot: why not finally give the thing it was made for a shot, huh? It would only be fair — especially given how much I'd read the mini parody in 'MAD'. And let me tell you, the film 'Purple Rain' is... Sure the best film Prince would ever make. I mean, when your competition is 'Graffiti Bridge' and 'Under The Cherry Moon', it's not hard. But seriously, folks, 'Purple Rain' is a good enough, low-budget star vehicle. Prince's character is... Kind of an incredible asshole, but I feel like that's really the worst thing I can say about it. Plus, I mean, I hear it's accurate to how he was in real life towards Wendy and Lisa, so... Bit of a dick move to put it on the big screen, my man. But if there's any reason you watch 'Purple Rain', it's not for the actual plot. Why is this woman stripping naked for Prince? Who knows! What you're here for is the **music**. And... Boy howdy, what sweet music it is. If you think it's good now, watch 'Purple Rain' and get a glimpse at Prince and The Revolution playing it on stage. Goodness me. And, yeah, it's finally time to address the music. This has to be, without a doubt, one of the strongest, most tightest packages of songs of the entire 80's. From the moment it begins to the moment it ends, it never stops hitting you with **hits**. I already talked a little about "Let's Go Crazy", but seriously, I need to bring it up again just to tell you how incredible of an opener it is. That whole "DEARLY BELOVED" sermon with the synth organ backing it — already it makes the whole album feel huge. Like you're not just about to listen to an album, but have a whole damn **religious experience**. And then the rest of the band kicks in and, oh, it just goes **off**. Talk about going crazy! The version heard on the album is actually shorter than the one in the film, and it actually had to be cut down (alongside "Computer Blue") in order to fit "Take Me With U" on the album. But I don't mind: it's perfect like this. An absolute blast of energy to kick the party off. And then I really could talk at length about every other song on this album. I mean... Just take "The Beautiful Ones". This is a song my group's already encountered thanks to the cover Mariah Carrey did on 'Butterfly', and believe me, I still think that cover **pales** in comparison. You ask me, "The Beautiful Ones" just ain't "The Beautiful Ones" unless you're screaming in desperation. That "DO YOU WANT HIM??!!? OR DO YOU WANT MEEEE?!!!!?" And then that pause where I can just feel the following line bubbling up inside him: "'COZ I WANT YOOOOU!!!" It's a great show-off of his vocals. Then we got "Computer Blue", which, 'ey, is sure a weird little number, isn't it? And it was damn 12 minutes before "Take Me With U" got added to the running! And I think it's here, with this song I especially, where I wanna point out how good The Revolution is. Now, Prince is an absolute mother of a multi-instrumentalist. If he'd wanted to play this whole album by himself, I'm sure he would have. But it should not go unappreciated the kind of energy a band like this brought to Prince's work. Here on "Computer Blue", with how wild and all over the place it is; or later on the siamese twin songs "I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm A Star"... And, hell, it extends all the way to 'Sign "O" The Times" with "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" and "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night". I could spend all day gassing up Prince as a musical auteur, but like all those kinda guys, they probably wouldn't be nearly as great without the other people behind the scenes. Especially Wendy and Lisa, goodness. And if I could say a brief word about "Darling Nikki"... Once more, I enjoy his desperate screams... And I very much enjoy its place in music history as "the thing that led to the Parental Advisory sticker." Hi, Mrs. Gore! But anyway, "When Doves Cry". I think most everyone is well aware of this song's trick: that there's no bass. But don't let that little gimmick distract you from the fact that it's still a hell of a song. You'd really never notice there's no bass in the back with the performance Prince is giving. All the various vocal layers, and the guitar solos... I am absolutely not surprised that this became one of the biggest hits off of this album. Like, gawd, it kind of feels like he's showing off here; like "Yeah, I **am** that good, what of it?" In fact, I think it might be the only one on the album where he's the only one playing? So, hey, as I said above... But yeah, it's absolutely my second or third best song on the album, depending on how I'm feeling about "Let's Go Crazy" that thing. Though even as good as those two songs are, neither of them stand a ghost's fart of a chance of dethroning the absolute best song on the album — hell, the absolute best song Prince ever made, as much of a cliché as that is to say. And of course, it's here, with this song, where I return to my problem from the top: what do I even wanna say about "Purple Rain"? What **could** I even say to try and capture such a song? I mean, in mere words? No way. No damn way. If any song on this album truly qualifies as an experience, it's this one. Apocalyptic in its imagery, and absolutely a little melancholic, but soaring nonetheless. The solo on this song... Untouchable. The "HOO-HOOO-HOOO"s at the end... Magical. And, jus'... Jeez, I am actually struggling to think of more I wanna say about this song. But I can't! You just need to hear it, if you somehow haven't already. Bathe yourself in it. Hell, if you've already heard it, do it again. It's never not awe-inspiring, no matter how many times I've heard it. And it's more than enough argument by itself why this album is not only one of Prince's greatest, or one of the 80's, but of all music. You don't make an album with a song like "Purple Rain", and you sure as hell don't **name it** after that song and not make it one of the best to've ever existed. And would you believe I've written this much and haven't **heard** the album yet as I'm typing this sentence? Goodness. What more could you possibly want me to say at this point? I'm sure there's a dozen or so things about this album I'm missing out on, but that doesn't change the fact that, like I said, there's nothing that can really compare to just listening to this album. Even watching the movie isn't the same as putting the album on. If you're looking for any reason why Prince was as beloved a figure as he was, you're bound to find at least several here. Like, just consider this fact: to this day, I'm probably still more a fan of Prince's rival Michael Jackson. Something about MJ's music just appeals to me more. But — save for maybe 'Off The Wall', Michael doesn't have a single album in his discography on the level of 'Purple Rain'. You could debate elsewhere, but here? Even up against 'Thriller', 'Purple Rain' clears. And I love both of those albums dearly. So... Yeah. If 2k words worth of rambling hasn't convinced you to check out this album (if you somehow haven't already)... Just dang do it already. And for real, even if you've already checked this album out, try it again. There's almost nothing quite like it. So, please, close your eyes and let Prince guide you through the purple rain.

Prince was on one hell of a run in the 80s, which culminated into one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. Solid 6 Stars, if that were possible.

Holy fucking shit. I said it when we got “Sign ‘O' The Times”; I’ve always been an MJ guy and not a Prince guy, which is to say I’ve always treated Michael’s albums with incredible reverence, and only given the same reverence to Prince’s big singles. Much like back then, this album has made me realize I am a moron for not approaching Prince’s albums in the same way. Somehow, someway, perhaps through either stupidity or some level of buying into the “feud”, I have never heard this specific album in full. Don’t get me wrong; it’s too ubiquitous in pop culture for me to know nothing about this. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life” & the rest of Prince’s opening speech is one of the most famous verses to start an album ever (though I’ve somehow never heard the rest of the brilliant madness that is “Let’s Go Crazy”), and I think everyone is at least aware of “Purple Rain”’s opening chords & the monstrous guitar solo to end it. I think it’s nearly impossible to have avoided “When Doves Cry” if you’ve heard any ‘80s playlist ever, and I’ve somehow managed to hear “I Would Die 4 U” without knowing it ever transitioned into “Baby I’m a Star”, which further cements my utter ignorance about this whole thing as an album experience. I mean, what can you really say after listening to that album? Not one miss, not a single bad chord, not a single bad drum hit, and not a single bad note. You wanna talk about notes? Let’s fucking talk about the fact that Prince screeches out his passion in a way that’s infectious as hell. I knew this album leaned a little more into the glam rock sensibilities of the 80s, but I never realized it was THIS deep. His vocals on this thing are a fucking marvel, and it’s made me realize just how much Michael Jackson suddenly thrust some of Prince’s DNA from this album into his own style for everything after Thriller, and most obviously on Bad. Look, someone else can write paragraphs on paragraphs about this thing; the synth work, the percussion, the guitar (my GOD, the guitar), the near-perfect structure of the album, the overt horniness of “Darling Nikki”, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I can’t do it. I’m just stunned. I’m slapping myself for never giving Prince a fair shake when I was first really trying to get myself into music a decade ago, and I’m slapping myself for never listening to this album in full when I could’ve had the chance all these years later. This is that damn good; I think for my tastes, it’s better than “Sign ‘O’ The Times” on account of the length & energy (though the fact that it’s even in the conversation is a testament to that album), but I’ll let other people say if it’s better than Thriller. That’s a debate I’ve got too much bias on to put my two cents into, but I will at least say this – “Purple Rain” is a far, far, far better closer than “The Lady in My Life” is, and I still love the latter. Hydrogen bomb / coughing baby type shit. This album is a 10, by the way. Maybe higher. I figured that was obvious. Fucking hell.

Top notch music. Prince is not just a prince, he's a King

This is an album that truly deserves its place on the list. You don't need to know about its place in history or even much about Prince. It's just beautifully put together with some very strong songs.

1001 Albums Challenge (16/1001) 1. Let's Go Crazy (5/5) 2. Take Me With U (5/5) 3. The Beautiful Ones (5/5) 4. Computer Blue (5/5) 5. Darling Nikki (5/5) 6. When Doves Cry (5/5) 7. I Would Die 4 U (5/5) 8. Baby I'm A Star (5/5) 9. Purple Rain (5/5) Total (5/5)

…Look, it’s Purple Rain, what more do you want me to say?

I remember when I was a kid and I’d see a Prince video and be so confused as to why a dude would wear fishnets. I swore he was super gay. But I understand that he laid pipe quite often with tasty looking dames. Everyone has heard this album. Even if they haven’t, Purple Rain they have heard. Purple Rain itself makes this album a 5 star. That’s a rare feat. Somewhere after this Prince fell off but his legend is still moving on. Choice cut: Purple Rain

the most fundamentally perfect funk-pop record that has been and will maybe ever be - i see now even more than i did before why this was so immediately vital to the cultural fabric and zeitgeist of both the decade and the artform.

I've heard the hits so many times. Too many times, one could say. But the album tracks are really excellent. There's really no reason to give this less than a 5. The overplaying of radio hits, in this case, doesn't diminish how great those hits are. Prince lets out a piercing scream towards the end of 3 songs in a row (The Beautiful Ones, Computer Blue, and Darling Nikki), there's ripping solos, and then some killer double-bass happening on Darling Nikki that I've never noticed.

Deserves all the recognition it gets as one of the best albums of the 1980s (if not THE best). There isn’t a bad song in the bunch, and most of them are absolutely stellar. It’s a just about perfect combination of rock, pop, punk, R&B, and gospel-tinged funk rolled into 45 minutes of supersonic grooves and two of the best ballads in Prince’s songbook. What else can you say about an album that displays an unwavering faith in God while also provoking the wrath of the PMRC other than it has range?

Great. I think "Computer Blue" is the only weakness, and it's still pretty decent.

5/5 - Dearly Beloved, I am here to tell you that you need to hear this because it’s so damn good. I was too young when this came out to really get it, but even now, this is an exciting album. The funk, the sex, the guitar, the pop vision all in one package here.

Phenomenal. Every song works so well by itself and part of the album. In addition to the iconic two, special shoutout to let's go crazy, computer blue, darling Nikki, and baby I'm a star.

It’s a five even though it reminds me of an ex. That’s how good this album is.

Heard it before. Genuinely one of the best albums ever made and 100% an album everybody should hear before they die. A true masterpiece and if you purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka you will also appreciate the movie 5/5

His best Album, imho. More organic, more rock and really good Songs. Fav: When doves cry

I've already listened to his album (16). Not the biggest Prince fans, but it's impossible to deny this Purple Classic.

Album en tout point exceptionnel. Le goat de la pop des années 80

💜

What can you say? Prince was the best; this is peak Prince throughout, so many timeless tracks, I don't even need to keep dabbling on

actual music god

loved it

One of Prince's seminal albums. Classic in every sense of the word.

One of my 10 favorite albums. Only about half of my top 25 are on this list, so what a joy it has been to spend today with Purple Rain on repeat. I didn't understand or appreciate Prince until I was well into my 20s, but these songs all have a special place for me. The storytelling, craftsmanship, atmosphere, and inventiveness of each track is a wonder. Truly one of the most gifted artists of our lifetime. Not many others can create pop music that moves your butt and your heart, while also being musically complex. I'm of the opinion that this is the greatest pop album ever made. And let me just save a line or two for the title track. That sucker is 9 minutes of perfect notes, guitar tones, vocal flourishes, surprising timing that gives it a "performed live every time" feel, rises and falls, use of silence and volume, emotionally moving singing, wonderfully enigmatic and yet universal lyrics. The way it builds and climaxes never ever fails to not raise the hair on my arms. Is it actually my favorite song ever? It's at least in that kind of conversation. The five-est of five star albums.

Perfect album.

Masterpiece

literal perfection.

Prince is for sure is Goated. His music is always amazing.

Top to bottom it's oozing with energy / power / sex / fun, every note brought something, even as corny and 80's as it sounds, its got funk, soul, great guitar, great album

10/10

This is fantastic. Yes it sounds a bit dated but damn it still works. Such a talented man. This rocks. 5 stars

I like Prince's music, and I have done since I first heard the singles from this album when they came out. One of my first mix tapes had When Doves Cry and then Highway to Hell by AC/DC after it. I think this is the first album after about 70 or so where I just started singing along. 5/5

Classic record from legendary artist!

perfect album

I was just the wrong age for Prince. My formative years were when he was doing his “artist formerly known as” oddness. We all just thought he was a weirdo. How wrong we were. That pint sized purple pervert was a bloody genius.

A classic pop album, rock album, funk album and soundtrack all in one. If those funky, ecstatic and ultra-catchy beats and screams don't get your blood pumping, it might be over for you.

One of the best albums of the 80s.

Easily one of the greatest albums of all time with Prince's genuis behind every single note and lyric. Electrifying, Amazing and so full of talent. A staple in rock music whether people like it or not. AND just as important in 80s music as Thriller is. yes im serious.

A classic. The title track was definitely the best way to close off the album.

Undeniably, a masterpiece.

Omg

Cracking

Mjög góð plata og þar sem hún endar á purple rain sem fær mig til að finna fyrir öllum tilfinningum mínum þá fær hún 5 ⭐️

I guess this is why they say he's the goat.

I mean cmon

scale: 1 - skipping if heard it again/actually skipped it 2- meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out 4 - would listen to again 5 - must listen Let's Go Crazy - 5 Take Me with U - 4.5 The Beautiful Ones - 3.5 Computer Blue - 4 Darling Nikki - 4 When Doves Cry - 5 I Would Die 4 U - 4 Baby I'm a Star - 5 Purple Rain - 6

What hasn't been said about this album? It's Prince at his finest. Can't get much better than this once-in-a-generation album.

Prince is an icon, so is this album. Each track is great and I can re-listen anytime and anywhere. It’s amazing!

I mean, it’s Purple Rain. It’s electric. It’s lush, singular, euphoric, all those kinds of adjectives. Prince’s vocal and instrumental performances burst with passion. It’s also a precise record: there’s not a note out of place and the song transitions are seamless.

In purple rain, Princes skill as an instrumentalist, composer, and producer is on full display. Undeniable talent combines with music that is catchy and socially aware, making the record an obvious standout even on such a list as this

I mean, it’s Prince.

YES.

Yeah - what more can you say!

Its the best its the best its the best fucking yes love

thoughts: i’ve heard almost all of these songs on their own but together? it’s rock, it’s gospel, it’s r&b, it’s funk, it’s jazz, it’s sex, it’s everything. even the dichotomy of “i would die 4 u” and “baby i’m a star” being so alive, then throwing us into the melancholy brilliance of the title track is such a crazy good track layout. it’s a perfect record. songs: “darling nikki”, “i would die 4 u”, “purple rain” rating: 10/10

5 stars, no notes.

This album was one that helped me realize that “genre” is a silly concept… funk, soul, r&b, rock… whatever! If it sounds good and feels good, it is good!

Formative album, formative film, at a formative time. Miss the man and his music.

What can possibly be said. It’s Prince. PURPLE FUCKIN RAIN! (Although that album cover is atrocious) 5⭐️

I think the album is better than the movie that this went with. For me, there really isn’t any misses - the standout is the guitar!

Largely on the basis of the four hits - which are so good. I need to watch the movie. But

I suddenly want to have a toxic af relationship with a talented guitarist from Minnesota

5/5 Easy. Next question

It's been a long time since I've listened to this all the way through. Of course I know the singles, and they're all classics, but the "deep cuts" here are great, too. Not much more to add. All-time great album. Standout Tracks: Baby I'm a Star, Purple Rain (duh), I Would Die 4 U (duh)

Absolute mastery, sexy, fun, engaging.

This album is like the night you lost your virginity. You’ve gone in to the club with a clear and definite focus, you’re wearing your best clothes, using all your smoothest chat, and just throwing it all out there on the dance floor. And it works. This is an explosion of energy and emotion.

Best. Love. So good. Let’s Go Crazy and Purple Rain are the best songs. Great way to open and close the album.

Everyone should hear this album.

One of the best albums of all time!

Prince at the top of his game

Fuck yes

An absolute classic and should be in everyone's collection.

Fantastic album.

Second day in a row with a banger of an album. Purple Rain is a once-in-a-generation statement of style, substance, and sound. It’s a bold, beautiful fusion of genres that showcases Prince at his most inspired—emotional, erotic, spiritual, and electrifying. It’s not just an album; it’s an experience.

banger

One of the greatest of all time

The highs are high and the lows are still pretty high

banger

Heard it before. Love every track!

perfect

Those who know me, know I often lead with my adoration of Prince, so this one is a bit of a lol. But seriously — Purple Rain is perfect. No skips. It’s funky, it’s horny, it’s hip, and it’s still utterly mind-blowing 40 years later. The only artist ever to hold the #1 album, song and movie simultaneously? Prince. And this album is why. Songs! ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ kicks the doors off the hinges, ‘When Doves Cry’ still sounds like nothing else on earth, and the title track? It’s a stadium-sized hymn that will outlive us all. And everything in between, is perfectly placed and flawlessly executed. This isn’t just a record, it’s a cultural phenomenon.

masterpiece

LOVED IT

96/100. His magnum opus. There’s nothing weak here, every track holds its weight, even the so-called “lesser” ones are outstanding. A near flawless album.

This is a 10/10 album. It's perfect. Prince is a genius. He's immortal.

PURPLE. RAIN, PURPLE RAIN

Very punchy, mucho sexy

just fantastic

Great record. Very diverse set from Prince. An all timer

Can’t find a fault here

for the first and maybe only time i've decided to activate the editing window on this website (something i half-promised myself i wouldn't do on principle) and i've come back to change my rating for this from a 4 to a 5 because honestly, what the actual HELL was i thinking. sometimes you do just need something to sit with you for a couple of listens until it clicks and for some reason, i needed a couple of listens for this but now my ears are open and my eyes are open and obviously, OBVIOUSLY this is one of the best albums of all time.

One of the best pop albums

Of course it’s a 5. One of the great albums.

Not even my favorite Prince album, but still perfect. I’m never mad to see it in the top five of best album lists.

This album is responsible for my favorite joke on a podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9JUAu_v4rA&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD

Holy fuck Prince delivers a masterpiece that transcends the dated sounds of the 80s 5/5 https://youtu.be/8y18YVKnKPk?si=YuuitDI4bEuWp3za&t=254

Epic Album. One of the all time greats, both album and artist.

legendary

5/5 banger. Front to back no skips. Beautiful Ones I think is my favorite track. I mentioned in the Mariah Carey album the original version has so much feeling and emotion I didn’t think the cover captured.

Lets fucking go

J'aime mieux Bruce que Prince mais un album de Prince une fois de temps en temps ça fait l'affaire.

Such a visual LP. Both the movie and LP can stand on stand on it's own. Hearing "Purple Rain" brought back memories of his goose bump inducing performance for "Purple Rain" at the Super Bowl in the rain and profound sadness of hearing on the radio that Prince had passed followed by a dedication, "Purple Rain". This was way better than I remember and as a Minnesota native, this hit home as Prince was one of us. Weird, private and misunderstood understood. Purple Pride!

LOL, obvi a classic! But not Prince's best album--that would be Sign O The Times

#27 Purple Rain ~ Prince Prince is influential... in the sense that he is a very model example of a mad genius that one can only dread to aspire. Let's face it, Prince has a few screws loose because what do you mean with Warner Bros' to get himself into a movie starring him, with music by him. Maybe this was genius advertising, or unchecked egomania. A sort of charming rebellion that a younger generation of artists would look towards. Anyway this album builds a bit on the funky dance of 1999 and supplements it with more pop-soul attitude. The production is much MUCH denser: heavy synthesiser usage and a much grander sounding backing band accompaniment from the Revolution. Prince becomes a lot more unrestrained with his vocal performances, his lyrics a lot more self-indulgent, pining and sexually charged. His guitar solos are also a lot more glamourous and frankly more memorable. Purple Rain is an exercise in opulence, attempting to accommodate for the rock, dance and pop-leaning audiences. It is utterly arrogant and vain. And it is very fucking good. Purple Rain is an incredibly consistent record. Surprisingly, no song feels significantly weaker than the other, although the famous tracks tend to have the memorable riffs and melodies. But overall each song is pretty, appealing to a variety of moods as our fictional Prince character from the cheesy film flaunts his charisma and ego. But it never comes off as annoying, rather rapturous. By the way, part of this album was being written mid tour for 1999, something unheard off nowadays actually. Prince was not only an obsessed perfectionist, he was a massive workaholic. Seriously how does he do it?

How it felt revealing this album: https://youtu.be/bJGcASPRu0Q?feature=shared I tried to make it though the extended stuff, but didn’t quite finish. Still, it was such a fun listen.

Perfect. Every song is different, they’re their own unique stories, but still cohesive as a whole album. Prince is so talented as a musician and songwriter. Always so unapologetically himself and you can feel that everything he puts out is all him and his art. There’s a reason this album made its way into a movie, and this doesn’t even capture all of his range. Each album he put out has its own sound while still being completely him. One of my favorite fake quotes is that Eric Clapton was asked “how does it feel to be the best guitar player in the world?” He answered “I don’t know ask Prince.” That never happened but it’s on brand enough that people think it must be true. I watched some videos of him playing live and it’s just beautiful to watch

No words needed for this album.

rad

Prince has never really been my jam and never will be. But the greatness of this album simply cannot be denied.

C'mon. One of the greatest albums of all time by one of the greatest pop songwriters of all time. Five stars or fuck off.

Fantastic opening song, fantastic closing song, fantastic middle parts, and really a fantastic album. Prince reached a pop peak with Purple Rain that, even though it feels very 80s at times, stays an all-time great. While I was already pretty familiar with Prince, I've never listed to this album in full (or seen the movie). I can't say I was surprised that he made something this good, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, and When Doves Cry were the stand-out tracks for me, but I enjoyed the rest too. The only real "low" points on the album were Beautiful Ones and Darling Nikki. Not because they were bad, but just because the rest was better. They were still solid tracks and I wouldn't skip them if I listen again (and I definitely will). Other than that, some of the production felt dated or very 80s. It kind of added to the charm of the album, so it wasn't necessarily bad. I just would've preferred fewer synths. Also, a pet peeve of mine is when artist use letters or numbers in place of words. Prince did that a couple times here. But again, that's more of a nitpick than a real criticism. Even with the 80s-ness, none of the songs really sounded the same or got lost in the mix. Plus, it had a pretty wide range of depth. He was able to show lots of emotion through the pop haze, either by manipulating his voice into a scream (or a whisper) or by whaling some soulful riffs on the guitar. He also extended song lengths to fit the feel rather than just keeping it in the short-and-sweet pop mold. Those paired well with the simpler songs, which still had some great grooves to them even if they weren't as complex. Importantly, at no point did it get boring. I could go on. To put it simply, this is an album of just straight up fun, but also very good, music. Even though it's 80s pop rock, it felt as lively now as it did when it first came out. I struggle to find much negative to say about it. To me, this is a great album. Overall: 4.75/5

It’s Prince. At his finest and most creative. This man could play everything and his mind was a fountainhead of some of the best pop material of all time.

Amazing

Timeless.

Come on, Tipper! Live a little. 4.5.

★★★★★★

Had to change my trousers twice during the playthrough

Timeless. Purple Rain & When the doves cry

💜💜💜💜💜

hard to argue against 5 stars

El gran éxito de Prince llega con “Purple Rain”, este álbum no es tan solo una banda sonora ganadora de un Oscar y Grammy; es mucho más, es un estándar del pop rock de los 80 y uno de los álbumes más influyentes de la historia de la música pop. “Purple Rain” es un viaje sonoro de guitarras eléctricas, sintetizadores, baterías, teclados y la desgarradora voz de Prince. El álbum comienza con un grito a la felicidad, a la locura. “Let's Go Crazy” es un canto a levantarse y no rendirse cuando la vida se vuelve difícil, “Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down? Oh no, Let’s go”. Acompañada musicalmente de un ritmo rock bailable y de un solo de guitarra impecable, este tema es una magnífica apertura de álbum. “The Beautiful Ones” es uno de los puntos más fuertes del álbum, una balada de amor, desamor e incertidumbre que va “in crescendo” sonoramente hasta llegar al clímax en el puente de la canción, donde interpreta desgarradamente. Uno de los momentos más memorables y poderosos del álbum, que me hace conectar con este tema por encima del resto. Todas las canciones del álbum son dignas de ser destacadas. El amor desde diferentes puntos de vista, la necesidad de estar junto a una persona en “Take Me with U”, la demostración de ser diferente a los demás, de ofrecer algo nuevo en el amor en “I Would Die For U”, la pasión y atracción en la bailable “When Doves Cry” o el sexo y erotismo en “Darling Nikki”. Todas ellas con brillantes instrumentales y la personal voz de Prince. En “Computer Blue” encontramos una canción instrumental en su gran mayoría, y que cuenta con un magistral cambio de sonido a mitad de canción. Hacia el final del álbum encontramos “Baby I'm a Star” donde Prince se muestra repleto de personalidad, de identidad y de ambición por llegar al top. Sin duda un tema muy motivador. Pero si hay algo que destaca por encima de todo en este álbum, es la canción que le da título al proyecto. La legendaria “Purple Rain” desde su inconfundible inicio suena a hit atemporal y calidad. En la letra, Prince se muestra vulnerable y melancólico, es hora de despedirse, de cambios y de introducirse a la lluvia púrpura a encontrar el amor. El tema finaliza con cinco minutos de instrumental, de nuevo, sintetizadores, guitarras y batería hacen de los últimos minutos del álbum una delicia musical. Este álbum es un viaje por la música de la década de los ochenta. Baladas, temas rock, canciones dance, sintetizadores, guitarras eléctricas… Un auténtico imprescindible y clásico de la historia de la música.

Amazing album with such a variety of sounds and hits. Always nice to listen to this album again.

Super Dope

Prince is a blind spot for me so this is my first time with this album. It’s like the first time I saw the Grand Canyon - lives up to the hype and then some. Phenomenal.

Purple rain is quintessential 1980s, and this album is like the epitome of who Prince was. Alwasy a good time listening to it. Made a great addition to my workout.

I’d never been able to turn the corner on Prince until this listen. Glad I kept trying though - this rips!

Yes, Lisa.

I mean common, it's Purple Rain. I almost listened to this yesterday, but even if I did I would be fine listening to it again today. I think Prince's guitar playing is massively underrated on this album Let's Go Crazy, Computer Blue, and Purple Rain all have masterful guitar solos. High 5.

Despite loving a few songs I’ve managed to go way too long without listening to an entire prince album

perfect, obviously

Prince – Purple Rain (1984) Score: 9/10 Favorite Track: “Purple Rain” This album is incredible from start to finish. Prince just oozes charisma here. Even when he is pushing boundaries with something like “Darling Nikki,” it never feels forced or edgy for the sake of it. He sounds completely in control, joyful one second, soulful the next. It is so hard not to fall in love with what he is doing on this record. “Purple Rain” is an obvious standout, but honestly, everything hits. I still need more time to really lock in with some of the deeper cuts like “The Beautiful Ones,” but even those already show signs of greatness. This could easily end up being a perfect score for me down the line. For now, it is just short of that, but still one of the most vibrant, passionate albums I have heard in a long time.

## In-Depth Review of *Purple Rain* by Prince Prince’s *Purple Rain* (1984) stands as a towering achievement in popular music, blending genres, pushing lyrical boundaries, and redefining the sound and image of mainstream pop and rock. Below is a comprehensive review of the album, focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, along with a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. ## **Lyrics** **Emotional Range and Storytelling** *Purple Rain*’s lyrics traverse a spectrum of emotions—ecstasy, longing, pain, and hope. Prince’s songwriting is marked by its duality: deeply personal yet universally resonant. He explores themes of love, sexuality, faith, and self-acceptance. Tracks like “The Beautiful Ones” and “When Doves Cry” articulate vulnerability and heartbreak, while “I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m a Star” are affirmations of identity and self-worth[1][2]. **Symbolism and Imagery** The album’s titular track, “Purple Rain,” is rich in metaphor. The color purple, blending the calm of blue and the passion of red, becomes a symbol for transformation, spirituality, and renewal. Rain, often a metaphor for cleansing or sorrow, here suggests both grief and catharsis. The lyrics, “I never meant to cause you any sorrow / I never meant to cause you any pain,” are a plea for reconciliation and peace, both personal and societal[3][4]. **Provocation and Gender Fluidity** Prince’s lyrics are notable for their sexual frankness and gender ambiguity, especially in “Darling Nikki,” which was controversial for its explicit content. His androgynous persona and refusal to conform to gender norms are woven throughout the album, sending a message of self-acceptance and challenging mainstream ideas about sexuality and identity[5][1]. ## **Music** **Genre Fusion and Innovation** Musically, *Purple Rain* is a genre-bending masterpiece. Prince fuses rock, pop, R&B, funk, gospel, and even orchestral elements, creating a sound that is both eclectic and cohesive. “Let’s Go Crazy” opens with a gospel-inspired sermon and explodes into a rock anthem, while “When Doves Cry” famously omits a bass line, relying on synths and drum machines to create its stark, urgent sound[3][2][4]. **Instrumentation and Arrangements** Prince’s musicianship is on full display: he handles most instruments himself, with The Revolution providing crucial support. The guitar work, especially on “Purple Rain,” is virtuosic, blending bluesy bends with soaring solos. Synths and drum machines are used not just as rhythm tools but as textural elements that define the album’s sonic palette. The arrangements are tight yet adventurous, with dynamic shifts and unexpected turns—“Computer Blue” morphs from a funk workout into a psychedelic jam, while “The Beautiful Ones” builds from a fragile ballad to a cathartic climax[1][2][4]. **Vocals** Prince’s vocal performances are as varied as the music itself. He moves from falsetto croons to raw screams, often within the same song, imbuing each track with emotional immediacy. The harmonies and layered backing vocals, especially on “When Doves Cry” and “I Would Die 4 U,” add depth and complexity[2]. ## **Production** **Live Energy and Studio Precision** *Purple Rain*’s production is a blend of live spontaneity and meticulous studio craft. The title track was recorded live at Minneapolis’ First Avenue, capturing the energy of a real audience, then enhanced with studio overdubs and orchestration. This hybrid approach gives the album both immediacy and polish[3][4]. **Innovative Techniques** Prince’s use of drum machines (notably the Linn LM-1), synthesizers, and unconventional song structures set new standards for pop production. “When Doves Cry,” for instance, is striking for its lack of bass, a bold move that heightens the song’s tension. The mix is crisp, with each instrument occupying its own space, allowing the complexity of the arrangements to shine through[3][2]. **Timeless Yet Dated** While the album’s production is undeniably of its time—synths, gated drums, and digital reverb abound—it remains fresh due to Prince’s inventiveness and the strength of the songwriting. Some elements may sound “dated” to modern ears, but the overall impact is undiminished[5][1]. ## **Themes** **Love, Loss, and Redemption** At its core, *Purple Rain* is about the search for love and meaning in a chaotic world. The album moves from the ecstasy of new love (“Take Me With U”) through the agony of heartbreak (“The Beautiful Ones,” “When Doves Cry”) to the hope of spiritual renewal (“Purple Rain”)[3][4]. **Identity and Self-Acceptance** Prince’s embrace of androgyny, sexual fluidity, and racial ambiguity is woven into the album’s fabric. Songs like “I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m a Star” are anthems of self-affirmation, encouraging listeners to embrace their uniqueness and defy societal expectations[5][1]. **Spirituality and Transcendence** Religious imagery recurs throughout the album. “Let’s Go Crazy” opens with a sermon about the afterlife, while “Purple Rain” has been interpreted as an apocalyptic vision or a plea for salvation. The blending of sacred and profane themes is quintessential Prince, reflecting his lifelong struggle to reconcile sexuality and spirituality[3][4]. **Social and Cultural Context** Released during a period of social and political tension in the U.S., the album’s themes of hope, faith, and resilience resonated widely. Prince’s challenge to gender and racial norms made the album especially significant for marginalized communities, including Black and LGBTQ+ listeners[5][1]. ## **Influence** **Impact on Music and Culture** *Purple Rain* is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, influencing countless artists across genres. Its success broke down barriers for Black artists in rock and pop, and its fusion of styles paved the way for genre fluidity in mainstream music[6][4]. **Visual and Cinematic Legacy** The album’s release alongside the *Purple Rain* film amplified its impact, creating an iconic audiovisual experience. Prince’s flamboyant style, fashion, and stagecraft became templates for future generations of performers[6]. **Enduring Relevance** Decades later, *Purple Rain* continues to inspire. Its songs are frequently covered, sampled, and referenced, and its themes of love, identity, and resilience remain as relevant as ever[5][1][4]. ## **Track-by-Track Highlights** | Track | Key Features & Themes | |----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Let’s Go Crazy | Gospel intro, rock anthem, message of transcendence over adversity | | Take Me With U | Upbeat duet, escapist romance | | The Beautiful Ones | Vulnerability, emotional crescendo, heartbreak | | Computer Blue | Funk/rock fusion, existential confusion | | Darling Nikki | Sexual liberation, controversy, explicit content | | When Doves Cry | Stark arrangement, familial and romantic strife, no bass line, iconic synth riff | | I Would Die 4 U | Self-sacrifice, spiritual undertones, affirmation of identity | | Baby I’m a Star | Upbeat, self-confidence, celebration of uniqueness | | Purple Rain | Epic ballad, spiritual longing, reconciliation, iconic guitar solo | ## **Pros and Cons** **Pros** - **Genre Innovation:** Seamlessly blends rock, pop, funk, R&B, and gospel, breaking genre boundaries[3][2][4]. - **Lyrical Depth:** Explores complex themes—love, loss, faith, sexuality, and identity—with poetic nuance[3][1][4]. - **Musicianship:** Virtuosic performances, especially Prince’s guitar work and vocals[2][4]. - **Production:** Innovative use of technology and live recording, creating a dynamic and immersive sound[3][4]. - **Cultural Impact:** Broke racial and gender barriers, influenced fashion, film, and future generations of artists[5][6][1]. - **Timelessness:** Despite some dated sounds, the songwriting and emotional power remain undiminished[5][1]. **Cons** - **Dated Production Elements:** Some synths and drum sounds are unmistakably 1980s, which may not appeal to all listeners[5][1]. - **Uneven Track Flow:** The album’s eclecticism, while a strength, can also make for a jarring listening experience for some[6]. - **Self-Indulgence:** Certain tracks, especially “Purple Rain,” are long and may be perceived as overblown or excessive by some listeners[6]. - **Explicit Content:** Lyrics in songs like “Darling Nikki” led to controversy and may alienate more conservative audiences[1]. ## **Conclusion** *Purple Rain* is a landmark album that captures Prince at the height of his creative powers. Its fusion of genres, emotional depth, and fearless exploration of identity and spirituality make it a timeless work. While some production choices root it firmly in the 1980s, its influence and resonance are undiminished. The album’s only real flaws—occasional excess and dated sounds—are far outweighed by its innovation, artistry, and cultural significance. *Purple Rain* is not just an album; it is a statement of individuality, a celebration of difference, and a blueprint for artistic freedom.

A masterpiece.

I now know why people live Prince so much, great album fp.

Another excellent Prince album that cross genres from song to song. Just about everything on here is fantastic but the opening and closing tracks Let's Go Crazy and Purple Rain are my favourites. The album does sound a bit dated due to the amount of reverb and very 80s synth sounds, and for that reason I think I still like Sign 'O' The Times a bit better. But it's close!

One of the best film soundtracks of all time. Hell, one of the best albums of all time!

My mom loved Prince. And I respected his talent, but i didn't realize how great he was. As I have gotten older, I am starting to realize how many songs he performed that I didn't realize were his. All of that demonstrates how much talent he had, and how wide of a musical net he cast. Let's Go Crazy- how many other albums are bookended by tracks this good? Off the top of my head- Born to Run and What's Going On. Take Me With U- a Ballad that is not power at all The Beautiful Ones- electric power Ballad, with a good dose of funk in it Computer Blue Darling Nikki- I don't go to strip clubs, but this feels like it could be a strip club classic When Doves Cry I Would Die For Baby I'm a Star Purple Rain - to my earlier point- isnt this right there with the operatic glory of Inner City Blues and Jungleland?

Literally one of my favorites of all time that has stood the test of time.

Peak Prince and one of his best albums - showcasing his talent as a songwriter, guitarist, and arranger across a blistering fusion of styles including funk, R&D, hard rock, and pop. This record made Prince a tier one star, and deservedly so.

We are gathered here today to get through this thing called “life.”

Truly pop royalty 👑

Banger

While no doubt Purple Rain was produced in the 1980s and as such would keep lesser albums from getting a perfect score the music is so gorgeous, so perfect that it not only overcomes the nightmare that is often 1980s production values, but Prince (with his cracker jack band, The Revolution) works it to his/their full advantage making Purple Rain a definitive work of sonic art & then some. The music is everywhere from pop to heavy metal to psychedelia to funk to rock to just "Prince Music" which at one time meant some of the most innovative sounds to ever land at the very top of the Billboard's charts. Purple Rain is a panty dropper, a religious experience, a journey into the heart & soul of a man at his creative & spiritual peak. It's church music if your body was the religion & Prince, was its God. Purple Rain is without a single misstep with some of the absolute greatest songs of the 20th century. You need it. Come my fanatics.

Man who the fuck is gonna give the title track anything under a 9/10!? Favourite Songs: Let's Go Crazy, The Beautiful Ones, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain. Least Favourite Songs: I Would Die 4 U.

Classic - interesting tidbit, i got this recommended on the 41st anniversary of the album. Favorite track: when doves cry other picks: lets go crazy, take me with u, the beautiful ones, purple rain

One of my favorite albums from Prince.

banger after banger 5/5

LOVE

ended up adding 4 (!) songs to my monthly list

'Are we gonna let de-elevator bring us down?' The greatest musician in popular music, at least post-1970, is at his obvious peak on Purple Rain, a nine-track record that feels more like a greatest hits compilation than a soundtrack. Prince's vocals and guitar playing are more rock-centric than on either 1999 or Sign o' the Times, but it's no less locatable in the 1980s. He's still sex-before-all-else, but he's not cumbersomely horny: 'I met her in a hotel lobby / Masturbating with a magazine.' It'd be inaccurate to say that this record achieves its grandeur in the mode of vulnerability, Prince being too aloof to achieve genius thru confession. It's therapy as climax: we all know how it's gonna end, but it hits w/ the same power every time.

Prince's first masterpiece was Purple Rain, which was his sixth studio album and the soundtrack to the biographical motion picture. Prince was known for his funk/soul/R&B/rock fusion and his incredible presence. Purple Rain made him into a superstar. The title track, "When Doves Cry," and "Let's Go Crazy" all became hits as iconic 80s anthems. Prince's range is always evident, with his soulful funk in "The Beautiful Ones" and "Take Me With You"

Funky and cool

Classic album.

Another favorite album and probably the best Prince album. Amazing song writing playing and singing

***** A classic one, love it

I mean, come on, it's Prince! You've got awesome vocals, some fantastic guitar, and lyrics that, while controversial at the time, are still great to this day. I've heard Purple Rain and When Doves Cry before, and it was such a joy to relive them after not hearing them in so long. I felt like I'd been missing out on the others as well! Prince has legend status for a reason, and this album proves exactly why.

It's Purple Rain. Kinda impossible not to love. Don't even need to expect anything else. There's a reason for why it's as acclaimed as it is. Let's Go Crazy Amazing iconic intro. Fast and fun with lovely synths, a blazing guitar solo and a catchy chorus. Great vocal performance with a lot of style and feeling. Great. 4.5/5 Take Me with You Love the group vocals. Has some cinematic qualities (in a cheesy 80's way). Love the drama and the exaggartion. Great strings. Good. 4/5 The Beautiful Ones Great production. Love the subtle piano. Very of the time, but still quite charming. Impressive vocals. Powerful ascension to the climax. Great. 4.5/5 Computer Blue Interesting structure. Love the guitar solo. Very interesting instrumentation overall. Really like the bounciness of the drum beat. Prince delivers his usual strange but impressive performance. Good. 4/5 Darling Nikki Weird lyrics. I like the more rock oriented instrumentation. The keys almost have an orchestral quality to them, due to their loudness and intensity. Good. 4/5 When Doves Cry Classic. Love the synths. Iconic vocal melody. Extremely catchy chorus. Overall just an inescapable song with a lot of energy abd charisma. One of those songs that get stuck in you head for hours after. Fantastic. 5/5 I Would Die 4 U Great atmospheric instrumental. Love the electronics. The almost rap like vocal sections are quite different from anything else on this album. Varied vocal performance showing a lot of control and creativity. Great. 4.5/5 Baby I'm A Star Danceable and fast. Fantastic energy. Feels sort of triumphant, especially with the indescribably fun vocal performance. Great. 4.5/5 Purple Rain Opus. There's very little to say about this that hasn't been said. One of the most iconic songs of the era, yet still timeless. Magnificent. 5/5 It's rare for an album to live up to its reputation. Purple Rain is one of them, providing great entertainment from start to finish. While the title track is the definite highlight, each track comes with its own style and personality. It's produced and performed immaculately without a single hiccup. Its consistency and flow is almost unmatched. There's very little to say about it as it is almost flawless. 5/5

By June 25, 1984, Prince was no longer with Denise Matthews, a woman whose history and eyes would seemingly aid in shaping all of his creative output until his untimely passing. Before its release he had already moved on from Purple Rain by January of that very year, beginning Around the World In A Day long before his most mainstream work went platinum. It almost seems like everything to Prince-- the music, the fashion, the people-- was a project he needed to expunge from his system the moment it stuck around too long. If you couldn't tell it almost feels impossible at times for me to listen to Purple Rain (or any Prince album for the matter) without thinking of the context within which it was fashioned, but I figured today was a good opportunity to take Purple Rain for what it was; no film plot, no drama, nothing but the music. It is far from my favorite Prince album. There are many songs (and iterations of those placed on this final track listing) created during this stretch of time that I would have preferred to see the (official) light of day while he was still with us. It makes me terribly sad that this album, reflective of such a singular and easily consumable period in Prince's life, is what most people think of when they hear his name. For this reason Purple Rain is most often reserved for putting on the CD during a long car ride. This time around I put on my nice headphones, set the EQ to something neutral, closed my eyes, and rode the purple wave for its entire duration. Nothing exciting revealed itself in this ~100th listen, beyond some sneaky little giggles and finger snaps that give the impression that Prince indeed was a human being. But what it did impart upon me was this infectious positivity. You cannot listen to any song off of Purple Rain without feeling some level of whimsy tickling your soul, even if you don't particularly like this brand of cheesy pop music. Thank u P for all the love you poured into these perfectly imperfect albums

Maybe the best opening/closing track combo of any album ever.

3rd time to listen to PR

Amazing, showstopping, never not been done before…

What can I say? It’s Purple fucking Rain. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Purple Rain is certainly a darn amazing album. This is my third (maybe fourth) time hearing a film soundtrack from this project (after both Air's Virgin Suicides, and Curtis Mayfield's Superfly and kinda Barry Adamson's Moss Side Story) but i can safely say that this is easily the best of the bunch. I also think its Prince's best album due to pretty much combining the best parts of both Sign 'O' The Times and 1999 without any of their issues. Every guitar riff is great, the vocals are something to behold and it is produced beautifully. I don't believe i can think of any issue that this album even has so it is getting a full 5 stars from me. Best Song: Let's Go Crazy Worst Song: Take Me with U Side note: Since this will be my last Prince album, i will rank all of them 1. Purple Rain 2. 1999 3. Sign 'O' The Times

Come on

Wow. This is a better album than I ever remembered, I guess time has worked in its favor. I always liked Prince, but this is the best I have heard overall

Amazing.

With Purple Rain, Prince became a superstar...deservedly so. Here, for the first time, he achieved an almost perfect blend of rock, pop, funk and soul. 1999 already had outstanding songs, but Purple Rain is all of a piece. However, it is not his masterpiece...that came 3 years later.

Album incroyable avec d'énormes morceaux de bravoure, Purple Rain fait le job évidemment mais la vraie pépite selon moi c'est Computer Blue.

Wow, very cool thanks you Mr Prince

It’s impressive how much awesome he packed into just 9 songs. Not a single song needs to be skipped

i mean come on. prince feels on some kind of shortlist for people who just Got Music, more than anyone else has ever gotten it. bringing together gut-level groove and rhythmic ideas with all-timer melodic sensibilities and ideas for production/arrangement/timbre...not to mention SINGING! theres just a richness to his music thats near impossible to find elsewhere...honestly something that kept popping up in my head is stevie wonder , who has similar strengths despite the massive difference in style, and is also clearly on that same shortlist. i suppose if theres a big contrast to be made its that stevie's peak runs on a kind of meticulous perfectionism...prince achieves perfection thru pure freeflowing messy energy. the whole universe is somewhere in each of these songs...pop's most illustrious and transcendental cathedral, an album about love so all-encompassing in the Types of love it depicts to their highest extent that it makes u wonder why we even still try to write about it. so much Pure Feeling that its amazing that i, too, can experience it, in and out of this record...something here thats available to all, out in the world. ive mentioned the concept of the imperial pop record before, and of records in that category, this is likely the very very best. and its not even my favorite prince album....fuckkkkkkk man

Prince is an Artist (hehe sorry) that I’ve always respected more than I’ve loved for his music. I say this in relative terms to the general public… I’m no fool and I think Prince is objectively great, and as a guitarist alone he was a prodigious talent even before accounting for his other musical gifts as a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. It’s just that most of his output is not my cup of tea. This is not true of Purple Rain. This is a masterpiece, an easy 5 star, timeless album. It’s great from beginning to its marvelous end. Can’t add anything else that hasn’t already been written here.

First time listening to Prince and its so good!