Prince’s Masterpiece Reaches A New Peak Decades After Its Release

Prince’s Purple Rain soundtrack hits a new all-time high more than 40 years after its release thanks to the use of “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” in Stranger Things. 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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The music that Prince wrote and recorded during his lifetime – at least the work that he shared, as there’s apparently quite a bit of material that the world has never had a chance to hear – will never vanish from public consciousness. Not only will many of his most successful tracks linger on and regularly return to important charts, but his influence can be seen and heard in countless artists succeeding in a music industry that looks and sounds markedly different from the one he dominated decades ago.

After his singles “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” were featured in the final episodes of Stranger Things, which concluded in late December, the late superstar’s catalog experienced a growth so impressive that few could have anticipated its reach. Prince’s name is scattered across various charts in the United Kingdom as multiple tunes and a handful of albums become top performers once more.

Purple Rain Reaches a New Vinyl Chart High Point

Prince’s Purple Rain, credited by the Official Charts Company as an official soundtrack attached to Prince and the Revolution, hits a new high on one tally as it returns. Purple Rain flies back onto the Official Vinyl Albums chart, officially becoming one of the top-selling titles on wax in the U.K. Purple Rain settles at No. 25, beating No. 38, where it debuted back in May of 2017, in just its second frame on the format-specific roster.

Purple Rain Reappears on Multiple Charts at Once

Purple Rain returns to three of the four rosters on which it appears across the Atlantic. The soundtrack mounts the most impressive return on the Official Vinyl Albums chart, but it also surges onto the Official Physical Albums and Official Albums Sales lists, landing at Nos. 39 and 42, respectively.

Purple Rain Surges on the Soundtrack List, Nearing No. 1

The same bestseller is once again counted among the most successful soundtracks in one of the largest music economies in the world. Purple Rain jumps from No. 9 to No. 4 on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart, the only list on which it currently appears that it has ruled in the past. Only the soundtracks connected to Wicked: For Good, KPop Demon Hunters, and season two of the animated series Hazbin Hotel, which are all much newer than Purple Rain, beat Prince and the Revolution.

Purple Rain Will Soon Reach 1,000 Weeks as a Bestseller

Purple Rain hasn’t only risen highest on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart, it has also spent more time on the tally than all of the others where it makes a home this week combined. Purple Rain is nearing 1,000 weeks on the soundtrack-specific list, which is 17 times longer than its tenure on the Official Albums Sales, Official Physical Albums, and Official Vinyl Albums rankings put together.

Purple Rain reached the Official Soundtrack Albums chart for the first time back in 2002, decades after it was unleashed onto the public in the summer of 1984. The Grammy-winning full-length didn’t make it to No. 1 until May of 2016, as the world reacted to Prince’s unexpected passing. Throughout the more than two decades that Purple Rain has spent on the U.K.’s soundtrack-only roster, eight weeks have been at No. 1, and it has occupied space between Nos. 1 and 10 for more than 200 periods.

The Very Best of Prince Surges Back Into the Top 40

Prince claims two comebacks on album rankings in the U.K. this week. As Purple Rain jumps back onto three lists, The Very Best of Prince becomes a top 40 bestseller once more on the Official Album Downloads tally, where it breaks back in at No. 35.

Interestingly, while both Purple Rain and The Very Best of Prince are certified bestsellers in the U.K. at the moment, there is no crossover, and the two do not meet on any list.

“Purple Rain” Nearly Hits No. 1 for the First Time

Purple Rain, the album, is powered largely by two singles, which become massive winners in the U.K. – again, that is. This frame, the title track debuts on three lists, and it misses out on ruling the Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles tally by just one space. The same cut narrowly fails to crack the top 10 on both the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads rosters, where it breaks back in at No. 11.

That slot now stands as a newly-set high for at least one version of the time-tested tune. Prince even manages to collect his second-ever appearance on the Official Streaming chart, as “Purple Rain” debuts at No. 20.

“When Doves Cry” Joins “Purple Rain” as a Bestseller in the U.K.

“When Doves Cry,” also featured on the Purple Rain soundtrack, is a top seller alongside the single of the same name. “When Doves Cry” reappears inside the top 40 on the Official Singles Sales, Official Singles Downloads, and Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles charts, landing not far behind “Purple Rain” in what has turned out to be an especially impressive period for Prince’s music in the U.K.