About Purple Rain

"Purple Rain" is a song by American musician Prince and his backing band the Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name starring Prince, and was released as the third single from the album. The song is a power ballad that combines rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestral music. "Purple Rain" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks, being kept off the top spot by "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! It reached No. 1 in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is considered to be one of Prince's signature songs. Following Prince's death in April 2016, "Purple Rain" rose to No. 1 on the US and UK iTunes Charts, allowing it to re-enter the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No. 4. It also re-entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 6, placing two spaces higher than its original peak of No. 8. In France, where it originally peaked at No. 12, "Purple Rain" reached No. 1 around a week after Prince's death.

"Purple Rain" is ranked at No. 18 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. During the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in 2007, for which Prince was the featured performer, "Purple Rain" was the last song of his set; the event became especially notable when actual rain fell during the performance while the stage and stadium were lit up with purple lights, and the show continues to top lists of the best Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. Prince performed the song as the opening of a medley of his hits with Beyoncé at the 2004 Grammy Awards. It was also the final song he performed live, taking place at the end of his final performance in Atlanta on April 14, 2016, one week before he died.