Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ Returns To No. 1 Decades After It First Took Over The World

Prince left behind a treasure trove of successful albums – as well as countless unreleased collections – and his catalog remains one of the most valuable of all time. It’s tough to pick one title that stands out as the most important from his discography, but Purple Rain would certainly be in the running for that title. More than four decades after its release, the project remains not just a bestselling effort, but a hugely popular one, and it will, of course, forever be tied to the film it accompanied, which is also adored in its own right.

The soundtrack is still beloved, but it’s the music that has remained most important to this day. Audiences around the world recently flocked to theaters to see the feature again, and a new release of the album has turned it into a commercial success once more — not just a minor one, but a true bestseller.

Purple Rain Jumps to No. 1

This week, Purple Rain jumps to No. 1 on a music chart in the United Kingdom. Last frame, it sat at No. 16 on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart. Now, it rockets all the way to the summit.

In late April, a new mix of the album was re-released on Blu-ray, making it a must-have not only for Prince superfans but also for those who prioritize top-notch audio quality over pretty much everything else. The collectible clearly convinced quite a few fans to pick up a copy, as it pushed the Wicked film soundtrack, which is still hugely popular, months after the movie left theaters, off the throne.

Almost 200 Weeks in the Top 10

Throughout the years, Purple Rain has spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart. It has now lived inside the top 10 for 191 frames, and it’s nearing 1,000 weeks somewhere on the tally. That type of performance is nearly unheard of, and once again shows just how full-length, credited to both Prince and the Revolution, still is today.

The Remastered Purple Rain

The remastered Purple Rain was released just weeks after the film spent one night in theaters again on March 5. The musical feature returned to cinemas in both the U.S. and the U.K. to celebrate its anniversary, and it brought out Prince devotees and longtime fans who have adored the film since its 1984 debut – some whom likely bought the remastered version a short while later.

Purple Rain Bounces Back Onto Several Lists

As it rides to No. 1 on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart, Purple Rain also returns to two other purchase-only tallies in the U.K. It blasts back onto the Official Physical Albums roster at No. 16 and comes in just one space below that on the Official Albums Sales list.