Purple Rain

Just finished watching the finale of Stranger Things and the first song and last song on this album are used to great effect. Purple Rain is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. The last 4 songs on the album really end it on a bang. Not a perfect album though due to some weak songs in the middle. 4/5.

lets go crazy - 4.5/5, great opener take me with you -> darling nikki - honestly filler, forgettable, at most 2.5/5 when doves cry - was very excited for this one, VERY let down, super repetitive i would die 4 u - also very repetitive, repeat the mistakes of the songs above baby im a star - HORRID production, the drums give me a headache purple rain - thank GOD this is here, one of the greatest songs ever, 5/5

the best to ever do it.

kinda disco. great instruments. it’s prince

OH yeah

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

Beautiful.

Hmm chyba poza jedną przyjemną, w porządku piosenką (when doves cry), nie było nic co by mnie przy pierwszym odsłuchu poruszyło, zaintrygowało lub zwróciło moją uwagę. Przesłuchałam jeszcze raz, dalej przy tym pracując, więc bez 100% uwagi, ale dalej jest to album przyjemny, acz mnie nie porywający.

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.

lets go crazy

Cool guitar throughout, but I wasn't a huge fan of some of the singing, especially in songs like Beautiful Ones. Darling Nikki was very odd. Prince is a very iconic artist and I must say that given what I've heard this was somewhat disappointing, it wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't great, Purple Rain was definitely the best song on the album, very unsurprisingly, but beyond that and perhaps when doves cry the rest weren't brilliant. 64/100 Score edited 28/12/25 Score edited 11/06/25

I think its meant to be really good. I've definitely seen it listed as one of the best albums of all time. In fact I believe I listened to this a year or so ago for that reason, and just like then, I found it quite boring. Nothing felt particularly intruiging, it was just fine. Certainly nothing wrong with it. Perhaps this is because I haven't lived long enough to really see music evolve in real time. Comparing this to the music I like to listen to now, it seems average, subpar. But when it was released maybe it was revolutionary to those who listened.

The songs are good. But not exactly my cup of tea. I'd nod my head to them if I heard someone playing them. But it's not an album I'd reach for when wanting something to listen to. The last song was the nicest, 'Purple Rain'.

70/1001 A great album with huge hits that I probably don’t play often enough. Always enjoy it when I do. A great start and a great finish. About as ‘80s as it gets. 7/10

good ig

Prince is a little purple god

I remember sitting in my cousin‘s bedroom, staring at the poster of Prince up on the wall, riding the purple motorcycle and listening to this album before my brother narc’d us out, and my parents came up and quickly removed me from the room. I didn’t understand why my parents were so ardent about me NOT listening to this album. After listening to Darlene Nikki now, I kinda actually get it. Man that song is dirty! For me this album is a classic with skate-rink standards like Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, and Purple Rain. This time I actually really enjoyed the song Baby, I’m a Star, as well. It definitely had a 1980s-pop meets 1970 disco-funk vibe. Growing up in the time, I knew there was a movie (which I never saw) and this album was everywhere. It’d be interesting to see if this album still translates with younger generations who didn’t grow up in the context. Either way it’s still fascinating knowing Prince pretty will record this entire album on his own and played every instrument. He may have been a short, arrogant prick, but damn he was a good musician!

Random thoughts: * This is probably peak Prince and the one I think of. * It has some of the more freakier edge but still all of the pop fun. * There are some all-time classic hits on here. My favorite is "I Would Die 4 U" * This is really a classic with all the hits. * The non-hits are fine but aren't why I'll listen to this album again.

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

It's very good, but also very horny

Love this album, a true classic

Liked more than average.

Thought it was pretty good (didn’t listen to the whole thing yet though!!)

Didn’t finish this album but was pretty good

fun listen. great guitar passages throughout. i referred some of the more poppy cuts from the album. i’m curious to watch the movie as well and also learn more about the story. wasn’t really paying attention to lyrics, just sort of trying to find a vibe. i can understand why this album is on this list, and why he’s so important to the state of minnesota. will revisit again!

Epic voyage Album to listen to in one go

No way that was only 9 songs. Found it very tiring. +1 for the singles.

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

This is in my personal top albums, I find it dense and layered and emotionally powerful. Even after all here years in hear it the same each time.

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.

A tough one to review. Prince is one of those artists who I admire for their songwriting and musicianship but never quite get. There are some great songs on this but also quite a lot of stuff that doesn’t hit. When doves cry is amazing… and I love the song Purple Rain because it makes me think of the video where there is a bloke in a baseball cap nodding along, as if giving it his approval. It amuses me for some reason.

Gratuitously overblown and and an album that I’ve flip flopped on because of that. In some ways it is too bloated and showy for my tastes, but there is some genuinely good songcraft and musicianship underneath it that is hard to knock down. Parts of the album have aged more poorly than others (the use of drum machines still sounds a little in its infancy here and might have aged better if they were played in live instead) but Prince’s guitar playing here is sublime at times (obviously at the end of purple rain, but sprinkled through other songs too) and easy to see why he is often cited as a musician’s musician.

It's the most known Prince. But it's still top Prince.

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

Great album. But not sure I would listen to it again. I did enjoy Darling Nikki - Great song. Great story. Love the beat and definitely a song 3/5

Delightfully strange & loaded with classics.

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

Sounds like psychedelic space music Ngl every song is very vibey. I can see why my mom likes him. This album just makes you wanna get groovy I already knew when doves cry and purple rain tho 8/10

I danced to a few of these songs so I already knew them.

Fav songs: - when doves cry - I Would Die 4 U *

I know of Prince and only one song. I have always pushed listening to him generally, so today is the day! I enjoy the loud percussion/drums throughout the album. You can definitely hear the 80s in the songs, note that I'm not saying it's a negative thing. Its just funny to me to hear the 80s 'music sound' or 'influence' like the synthesizer and how it affects the music during the time and how its different from other eras of music. I very much feel like the album cover reflects what the album's theme, expectation, or the vibe in its entirety. Computer Blue is kind of fun. Even though there isn't much lyric, we hear the guitar "singing" and in general gives me air guitar moments in my room. I Would Die for You was a bit repetitive for me, I think a bit more oompf in the verses then we good. Purple Rain, of course, is iconic in its own and the only song I knew from Prince. As much as I like the songs, I wouldn't find myself coming back to listen to the entirety of Purple Rain but I can appreciate his music if he came up on the music rotation.

Shocker. Didn't know Prince sounded like so. Not my vibe. Fantastic guitars.

5.8/10

Pancakes

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?

its giving so much nostalgic vibes i kinda liked it

Wasn’t big prince fan but he grows on me and super talented

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!

Listened to it while getting my teeth cleaned

twas good. I think this album probably gets more love for its ingenuity than anything but i do like it. 4.3

10/10

87% Best: Let’s Go Crazy; Computer Blue; When Doves Cry; I Would Die 4 U; Purple Rain Must-Hear? Sure

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

As someone who doesn't like Prince, this album was a lot more listenable than I expected.

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

doesn't prince have some bangers? second album on here where i've been so unimpressed by my inability to nod along to anything here. other than the titular song which is a bop. disappointed so far by my experience of this legendary artist

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.

Pretty fun album. Didn't realize that Foo Fighter's song was a cover.

Fun!

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.

Legendary song and legendary album

‘Purple Rain’ alone gives this album an easy 4-stars. None of the non-hit songs are too memorable but they fit into the album nicely.

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

Great guitar player and great voice. Pretty standard album as I wouldn’t say anything was standout. Very recognisable

Enjoyable album and a nice listen. Brilliant voice and incredible guitar throughout. Would say middle of the road overall though as nothing stood out crazy to me other than the big hitters on the album.

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.

Overrated

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.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today......... "Animals strike curious poses...." Movie's ok, Soundtrack is great. "Let's go Crazy", "Purple Rain", "When Doves Cry", and my guilty pleasure song, "Darling Nikki". i enjoyed listening to this album. never upgraded from Cassette. the hit songs are gigantic hits that shot him up to superstardom, but secondary songs are ok. i might have to finally upgrade. for those who do not know, Prince is a really great, underrated guitar player. check out his super bowl halftime show in the pouring rain.

I was quick shocked by the sound of this album. I never listened to Prince before. This was way more electronic / keyboard driven than I was expecting. I thought he was a little more rock. Not taking anything away from it as I thought it was GREAT. The songs were very well written. They kept my attention throughout. I never got bored. He writes some very catchy music. The vocals were outstanding. My goodness, I would have thought there were 3 different lead singers on this album. And to top it all off, it is kind of cooky, very odd music, and lots of vocals I wasn't expecting, so it kept me entertained. Definitely deserving of this list, and not as sterile or expected as I thought it would be. It was actually quite adventurous.

Cl9se to a 4. Would give a 3.5 if possible. Some songs brought back good memories and smiles.

An album that everyone should listen to at least once in their life. It embodies early 80’s music.

Will probably get hate for this but I’m just not a huge Prince fan. I respect him as a musical icon but the tunes aren’t for me. Favorite Song(s): Purple Rain - obviously.

I wasn’t really paying a ton of attention, but it was pretty good. Definitely gonna revisit it later and see if I like it more, but it was pretty solid as it stands. Favorites: Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain

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)

Classic

👑

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.

Very 80s but some good songs

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

Very mid. Don't get the appeal.

it's good! did i get sincere goosebumps while listening? not exactly. but it often makes you wanna move.

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.

Yo already know!

A classic.

For nostalgic I’ll give this a 3 stand outs are obvious. Purple Rain, Let’s Go Crazy and When Doves Cry

This album is amazing. I really should see this movie.

3.5

Not what I remember from when I was younger. Still some really great tunes

Fine. Never been a big Prince fan. Mainly because I don’t really understand what he’s all about. This hasn’t really changed that.

Don't know why I expected this not to be shit.

Grandiloquent

Never really got Prince. Didn't really change my mind

Always great

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

I didn't grow up on Prince, nor was I ever around any big Prince fans, and yet I'm aware that he's widely considered to be a legend. The aura around him makes rating this album difficult. Did I enjoy this, or am I afraid to go against the grain and say I didn't. Or was it actually good but I raised my expectations so high that it couldn't live up to it? Who knows. Prince being prince, it deserved two listens and on the second time round I did enjoy it more. The Beautiful Ones especially is a great track and probably my favourite. When Doves Cry is an obvious classic that even a Prince newb like me knew and loved. Overall, I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. I enjoyed it and hope to like it more on future listens, but I'd be lying if I said that it's immediately going into my playlists.

I really want to givde it five stars, but the album just doesn't draw me back the same way that other 5/5 ones do. Purple rain is an absolute classic, and should always be listened to as an encore.

Indémodable!

Nope. Still can't get quite the craze for Prince. I've heard this plenty as well before. When Doves Cry is amazing. Some other stuff is good. I still fail to love the titlr track. Despite this, it's consistent and generally enjoyable and probably the most fully listenable Prince album I know.

ooof. purple rain (the song) is a masterpiece, but i never have managed to get much more into prince, and i had the same struggle with this album.

I don't know what to do with this. There are 3 or 4 tracks here which undeniably awesome. But there is also what feels like a bunch of filler. I think it makes sense in the context of the film, but on an album they feel pretty meh. Plus they have that 80s production sound that I've never really enjoyed. Prince was clearly a genius, but I have always found him fairly frustrating as an artist. I saw him live a few years ago, cost a fortune and 90% of the songs I knew were reinterpreted for different instruments/styles and he even cut the guitar solo in purple rain. I'm all for artists to be artists, but I struggled with that. This album sits either at a low 4 or a high 3. I suspect I'll go 4 cos the few hits are ace. But I still find it a frustrating listen and rarely put it on.

Still good - Short too

Nunca fui muito fã da música dos anos 80...

A stunning, beautiful, sexy masterpiece.

Sinceramente no pude conectar mucho con este álbum. Entiendo lo icónico y reconocido que es, tanto el material como Prince. Creo que con el estado de ánimo adecuado puede ser una gran experiencia, aceptando que es una obra digna y representativa de los 80s en Estados Unidos. Grasa, calentón, sensual, exagerado, enérgico, romántico. El foco está en la figura de un sex symbol y todo lo que ello implica, que es escuchar un álbum sobre un hombre cantándole a una mujer de principio a fin, pasando por diferentes estadios (enojo, excitación, tristeza, rupturas, celos y contenido de competencia machista y de egos). Es desgastante y cliché. Por supuesto tiene unos cuantos momentos buenos, sobresaliendo el track homónimo al álbum, con el que culmina la obra en una épica de más de 8 minutos de duración, pero que no se percibe para nada tediosa porque está perfectamente estructurada, construyendo su intensidad de a poco, en estrofas, estribillos, solos y un final más ambiental. La ejecución del álbum es excelente, la grabación es buena, aunque personalmente no me gusta mucho el sonido. El punto es, si estás de humor para escuchar música bien representativa de los 80s este álbum no puede fallar. En lo personal prefiero otras obras de Prince que considero mucho mejores a mi gusto.

Wow. What can I say at this point. Let’s go crazy, When doves cry and especially Purple rain are phenomenal. Purple rain in particular is one of the greatest songs ever made.

Wow. Habría agradecido no escuchar este disco muerta de calor, con dolor de espalda en una fila camino a votar. Fuera de eso, wow. No pude ponerle tanta atención a las letras, pero está buenísimo. Es como un 4.5/5 pero más 4 que 5 porque a pesar de que lo disfruté no sé si lo escucharía de nuevo.

Full of bangers and different sounds, experimental for a pop album, just might not be cohesive enough and the start is a bit rough

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.

Good stuff just not my kinda stuff, 6/10.

One of the greatest albums ever made.

Well, I listened to the whole thing. I've never been a Prince fan, and I really wanted to like this. But I don't. I know, I must be the only one, but I don't. I even tried some of his earlier stuff, and it's a no. I think it must be his constant falsetto that gets me. Sure his guitar stuff is great, but there's not enough of it. Purple Rain finally lets loose with the last 5 minutes of the song.

It might be peak, need more listens to assess

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

Any album that had four singles from it must be a good album; on the other hand this list is supposed to include only good albums, right? This certainly was one of the most popular albums of its day, and had the extra benefit of a movie to go with it. I never was a huge Prince fan, and for me there was a bit too much screaming here.

Hooray, an artist I've heard of! I've never actually listened to this album though. 'Let's Go Crazy' sure sounds like Footloose. 'Computer Blue' sounds like Kokomo at the beginning. The concept of the "Filthy Fifteen" (of which 'Darling Nikki' is one) made me lol. I knew about it (thanks to Eminem's 'White America') but I never looked at the list before. Let's just say my own "here are 15 problematic songs!!!" list would be a BIT different, even in 1984. This was a very solid album (and very 80s), but it's not quite a 4 for me. Highlights: 'Take Me with U', 'When Doves Cry'

Though I’ve always been familiar with Purple Rain—it’s one of my wife’s favourites—I’d never actually sat down with it on headphones until now. What a revelation. The layers in the production are incredible; there’s so much going on beneath the surface that I’d never fully appreciated before. Prince’s guitar work is electric, his vocals are raw and emotive, and the genre-blending—from rock to funk to pop to soul—is seamless. Tracks like “When Doves Cry” and the title track hit harder than ever, while “The Beautiful Ones” and “Computer Blue” reveal new textures with every listen. It’s a masterclass in musical ambition and emotional intensity. I finally get why this album means so much to so many—including my wife. It’s a stone-cold classic.

Good strong album. Liked his stuff but didn’t love it all at the time. Come to appreciate him.

banger after banger real 80s hours i can't listen to purple rain without getting goosebumps

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

dare i say overrated

Another album on this list because it has a couple of hits on it, but that, **as an album**, for me, doesn't really work. Even the hits are pretty thin and lack soul to my ears. That's probably its age – that horribly thin electronic drum sound even makes me cringe on Purple Rain, which is the only track that's really solid (maybe I'm the only person on the planet who doesn't like When Doves Cry, I don't know; maybe Prince is in the same ballpark as Dylan: I prefer it when other people do his songs). So, thin, dated, lacking soul, and lacking depth. The hits range from half decent to a bit meh, but the supporting album tracks are a bit shit (see also, The Beatles). The cover's not bad though. I prefer this to Thriller, but then I hate Thriller with an absolute passion and gave it a 1. So, I've likened this to Dylan, The Beatles, and Jackson. Many people would say that's good company. So obviously it's a 2 then.

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

jest to na pewno bardzo klasyczny i ważny historycznie album. niesamowite były dźwięki typowe dla lat 80, a nawet w purple rain skrzypce które pięknie dogrywają pod koniec piosenki. niestety nie spełnia do końca moich wymagających wymogów żeby znaleźć się na którejś playliście z bardziej słuchanych oprócz when doves cry która była najładniejsza ze wszystkich. ostatecznie daję 4/10 ze względu na właśnie te brzmienia charakterystyczne dla lat 80 które tak mi się podobają ale nie wystarczająco aby zaspokoić moje serduszko

Smooth, classic

A true classic. So much feeling packed in this record and stellar playing.

Probably the most 80’s sounding album there is

Overblown, nauseating 1980s toss for the most part, plainly trying so hard to be weird yet it somehow manages to be utterly vacuous for much of its running time. A few interesting ideas - a broken clock is right a couple of times a day, I guess, but I've no inclination to revisit the complete package whatsoever.

hell yeah

Very 80's. Some great guitar work here

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

Not my style

Ok c'est marginalement mieux que les autres trucs des années 80, mais ça reste des synthés et des batteries à écho partout.

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.

Terrific album and my favorite from Prince. A few of the deeper cuts are a bit overwrought for my liking, but most of this is almost a greatest hits album. I especially love the title track and think its probably his best song

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

Purple Rain is probably the worst song on the album

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.

4 estrelas

Old Prince is best Prince

pas trop aimé

pete sa mère

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

You cannot deny his talent and range.

(Genre - Funk & RnB) 1. Let's Go Crazy - 7/10 2. Take Me With U - 9/10 3. The Beautiful Ones - 7/10 4. Computer Blue - 5/10 5. Darling Nikki - 4/10 6. When Doves Cry - 9/10 7. I Would Die 4 U - 7/10 8. Baby I'm A Star - 6/10 9. Purple Rain - 10/10 (Album Rating - 7/10) I am not necessarily a fan of Prince's music, nor do I listen to his music much, but I can say that I love the uniqueness to his music as well as his distinct artistry. I love his androgynous persona, and how expressive he is in his music. His lyricism is very meaningful and I can appreciate the different beats displayed in each song.

Good album.

Ikkje så dumt

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.

Very 80s. Very upbeat. Nice vocals.

Hacía mucho que no escuchaba el disco entero tal cual. No se hace largo, hay mucha música, es un despliegue de recursos. La producción ha envejecido mal, me temo, pero musicalmente es una exhibición.

Not a bad song on this.

A showcase for a bunch of forms of pop music: dance, funk, rock, you name it. I do feel there's only one truly amazing track on this, and that's "When Doves Cry." It's groove is the most infectious thing on the album and Prince's swagger really sells it. The title track is a great album closer, but only a very good song; it's a bit too slow and dramatic for me to want to listen to it on its own. Otherwise the album is made up of good songs, but the variety helps to make sure it never drags. Prince was a great showman and this really does feel like him trying every form of 80's pop music and succeeding at them.

4/10

Prince? More like a king, amirite?

regal pop and soul

Good ass album

Really did not get the appeal of this one. It was somehow over the top and boring at the same time.

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.

Meh. Lots of filler and noodling aside from a few great tracks

Back when CDs were still a thing I bought a load off a friend and there were quite a few Prince ones in the bundle. Now while I agree the wee Purple Fella was undoubtedly talented and a fine, fine guitarist I did find a lot of filler on them all. However this one, though there is a bit, is much better I can be listened to right through without skipping every other track!

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

not bad

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

good and enjoyable. 7/10

Yeah turns out I like prince a lot

Solid, Purple Rain is the best

Classic

Classic, obviously very good but not necessarily what I'd choose to sit down and listen to

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)

Such a unique feeling

Obviously this album has some great moments. I enjoyed it. I’d never listened to it in its entirety previously though. I like how scatty it is, and even amongst the monster singles it has a feeling of dishevelment rising through it. Great album.

Some nice melodies, but nothing for me personally

sorry m8. this horny little man is not 4 me.

great

No real complaints

I thoroughly enjoyed this but not as much as I think I'm supposed to. I think it'll grow on me a lot as I hear the hits more, so I'm just gonna give it 4 stars and leave it alone for now

- Plezant om naar te luisteren - 1 nummer reeds toegevoegd aan MMMM

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.

All time classic. Cheesy AND amazing.

Awesome

easily the best prince album. has a good blend of poppy stuff, funky stuff, rocky stuff, and stuff just makes you want to disassociate from life (in a good way). plus who doesn't like purple rain the song? easily deserves it's praises even with a few half misses on the album.

Definitely Prince's best album, Purple Rain, is a testament to how incredible guitar solos can be. Fairly good hits, the other album tracks didn't hit the spot.

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

I like Price’s hits a good deal, and he’s a stellar guitar player. But this album has a fair amount of filler. I’m not sure why it’s so well regarded as a whole. The hits are great though. 3.8/5

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.

Did not know what to expect, but I got a great album. To the point where I think Purple Rain might be the worst song on the album. Ok maybe not quite, but it was both dancey and atmospheric, and I didn't know you could do that.

I find most everything in poor taste: overwrought, bombastic, too much of everything. I can see it's appeal, but it's not for me.

The songs that hit on this album hit HARD, but it veers too much into theatrical territory for me to consider this essential.

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.

Surely the best title track of all time.

I grooved to this at points! :) definitely better than the last Prince album we had :)

Purple Rain and also some other songs

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

No private session used for this one. I have definitely listened to this one before and dear lord are the a lot of radio/MTV heavy repeats contained therein.

I like it. Prince is having fun with the songs. When Doves cry was great

5 - mastapiece

Yeah man

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

блять он классный

I'm sure this is technically great but it just wasn't for me

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.

Bold mix of genres with some big hits. Hard to think of a of an experimental type of album being more commercially successful. Well worth revisiting 41 years later.

Me surpreendi com o disco. Na minha ignorância acreditava que seria uma cópia de Michael Jackson, mesmo sabendo que esse álbum veio antes da fase de maior sucesso de MJ. Músicas muito bem produzidas, com arranjos instrumentais e vocais bem feitos.

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

Prince made loads of good singles but the albums I've heard have a lot of filler, this being the exception.

It's Purple Rain by Prince. If you were 9 when it came out, you know what that means.

This was a pop album for sure, but it was not bad. Prince was a weird and cool dude, huh?

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)

🦎

No.

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

…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?

I was excited to see this album come up, but it wasn't nearly as good as I remember it being. I probably would have liked it a little more without all the shrieks and "eww!"s.

This aged pretty well, and there's some very good songs on here. Heck, I could listen to this occasionally, even.

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.

Positively surprised. I remember dismissing the album the first time around when I was 15-16 years old. I never was a big fan of the title song, but it really fits in the album context. It‘s a classic not understood by me the first time around. It could be a 5/5 someday for me

Better than the movie but I still don’t really get the Prince appeal. Title track is great and the back half of the album generally is pretty solid, but the first five songs didn’t work for me

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

When Doves Cry kicks it so hard! The rest of this...not my taste. I've never understood the hard-core love for Prince - I get that he is an excellent performer, but sometimes when you're a visionary, your output doesn't land...

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

Not a huge prince fan it normally look how great I am and how women love me etc etc and the length of the last song the title track filled me with dread. However there are some great soulful tracks on here along with some poppy disco greats his voice is really good on this too and as well as the singles i didnt really dislike any track its good. I do not know how often I will return to it as a collective album but I liked it.

Decent

Nothing beats Purple Rain, When Doves Cry and I Would Die 4 U!

I think I just don't really like Prince? (2-3) Favorite on the album: Baby, I'm a Star

Is he sure it's not heliotrope rain?

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

💜

Banco mucho la banda y las vocales del artista son excelentes. Quizás no es mi tipo de música.

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

Got Sarah to get up early because this was today's album

Never really got why prince is considered to be one of the greatest of all time. This album didn't change that. I deff good, i just don't see it in the same category as the 5/5 albums.

Prince is one of those guys I admire and respect more than love. Maybe that’s my initial exposure being his “sexy” side as a child and so I don’t have the nostalgia for some of his earlier material the way I do with the other big 80s pop stars (MJ, Madonna, et al.) who had songs that were mostly about dancing the night away, maybe with a wink here and there, whereas Prince is like baby we are FUCKING and also what’s up with domestic abuse? Purple Rain is just a bit too heavy for my tastes maybe, everything is at 10 from the jump, super loud and never lets up. That’s roughly the same problem I had with Bad, come to think of it, which is not a good record for the most part, whereas this has songs and hooks for days, not to mention Prince inventing entire sound palettes that defined an entire decade as an afterthought.

bom p caralho hein ele sabia mto o que tava fazendo pqp

música para cheirar COCAÍNA e TRANSAR NO PELO ou eu achei que seria meia boca mas eh bem legal, até. um tamanho normal, ao contrário do outro de 1h e pouca que veio antes. esse tem uns clássicos e eh bem divertido! o instrumental eh bem massa!!

It's different from what you'd expect from a pop album.

It seems that the term overrated was reinforced by this album.

actual music god

loved it

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

wait so i’ve like never listened to prince and this was actually way better than i expected i wish i listened a little less distracted def wanna relisten and pick songs to favorite

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.

There were some songs that elevated it to the level of cool, but it wasn't really my thing. Still pretty good.

Obviously an iconic album - one I had as a kid, and haven't listened to beginning to end in a very long time. I really appreciate the degree of experimentation going on here and the musicianship and production are just incredible. It is so over the top and that's part of what I love about it - there is nothing subtle here, lol. It's a really cohesive album - I thought Beautiful Ones and Computer Blue were just ok and sounded particularly dated to my 2025 ears, but those low points for me aside the album has a great flow and a clear outlook.