On this day in 1984: Prince started a 24 week run at the top of the U.S. album charts with ‘Purple Rain’. His sixth studio album which features the hits ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, as well as the title track has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming the seventh best-selling soundtrack album of all time. It was the first album to feature his band The Revolution.

In addition to Purple Rain’s breakthrough sales, music critics noted the innovative and experimental aspects of the soundtrack’s music, most famously on the spare, bass-less “When Doves Cry”. Other aspects of the music, especially its synthesis of electronic elements with organic instrumentation and full-band performances along with its consolidation of rock and R&B, were identified by critics as distinguishing, even experimental factors. Purple Rain is regularly ranked among the greatest albums of all time. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important”.