Prince’s smashes “Purple Rain,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Little Red Corvette” and “When Doves Cry” return to the same Billboard chart as they sell well again. LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 19: Musician Prince is seen on stage at the 36th NAACP Image Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 19, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Prince was honored with the Vanguard Award. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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It’s been almost a decade since Prince passed away unexpectedly in 2016 at the age of 57 due to an accidental fentanyl overdose. For decades prior, he’d been known as a pioneering legend in multiple genres, and his stature as an untouchable icon has only grown in the years since his death.
Amidst an already huge catalog, one which has been supplemented multiple times in the years since his death, as there is apparently a treasure trove of material left behind (which may include as many as 8,000 unreleased songs), a handful of huge hits stand out as his most famous.
Several of Prince’s most familiar tunes together become bestsellers in America again this week as the late Grammy and Oscar winner is once again among the most successful musical artists in the country as he posthumously scores four top 10 hits on the same chart.
Prince Scores Four Top 10 Bestselling Songs
Prince claims four wins on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart this frame as several of his most celebrated compositions return together. “Purple Rain” which is credited to Prince and the Revolution is the highest rising of the bunch, as it reenters the purchase-only tally at No. 4. “Let’s Go Crazy,” which also credits his backing band, returns to its all-time high of No. 5, which the song reached in May 2016.
Prince continues his streak with “Little Red Corvette,” which drives to No. 6 after not appearing on the tally at all last period. At the same time “When Doves Cry” reappears at No. 8, rounding out his four top 10s.
Which Prince Songs Have Reached No. 1?
Of that bunch, only “Purple Rain” has reached No. 1, and it remains Prince’s only champion on the tally. “Purple Rain” is also the longest-running hit, as it’s up to 24 weeks on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, the list of the bestselling R&B tracks on platforms like iTunes throughout the country. Both “Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry” have also cracked double-digit frames, while “Little Red Corvette” has only spent a month on the roster since debuting almost a decade ago.
Prince Also Dominates a Second Billboard Chart
DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 4: American singer Prince (1958-2016) performs onstage during the 1984 Purple Rain Tour on November 4, 1984, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images)
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Three of Prince’s successes this frame also appear on another, similar Billboard roster. Over on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales list, which also includes other genres in addition to R&B – and it runs longer than the more specific tally – “Purple Rain,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “Little Red Corvette” find their way back to the ranking.
“Purple Rain” is the only one of that group to appear inside the top 10 this week, as it reenters at No. 9. “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Little Red Corvette” sit side-by-side at Nos. 12 and 13, respectively.
None of those tunes come close to their all-time peaks, as they’ve previously climbed into the top five, with “Purple Rain” again standing out as Prince’s sole No. 1 and his longest-running song. “When Doves Cry” did not sell well enough in the most recent tracking period in America to appear on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales roster as well as the R&B-specific chart.
Prince’s Total Hits on the Billboard Charts
Throughout his career, Prince has racked up 27 hits on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart, and just three more on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales list. The vast majority of his tracks that have reached either ranking did so immediately following his death, when Americans rushed to consume anything connected to the rocker as a way to mourn his passing and celebrate his legacy.
The superstar scored a new placement on the R&B-specific tally back in July of this year when “America” debuted and peaked at No. 7 for a single frame.