the song Purple Rain?

he has so many songs...1999...Little Red Corvette...Wannabeyourlover....Kiss.....and on and on and on...

yet he's know for the song Purple Rain. Why that song?

Because it was the title track to his most successful album to date, and a massive movie.

Yep....so much more to offer, but the general public can only relate to the hits.

Shit, PR isn't even my favorite song on that album.

BlackAdder7 said:

the song Purple Rain?

he has so many songs...1999...Little Red Corvette...Wannabeyourlover....Kiss.....and on and on and on...

yet he's know for the song Purple Rain. Why that song?

Is he? I didn't realize. Most people I've encountered who really don't follow him or know anything about him or his music define him more by WDC, 1999, LRC, Raspberry Beret and Kiss. they're his more enduring hits. PR doesn't really seem like much of a radio staple to me.

because the song is catharsis in nature and seeks to offer healing

it's easy. He wore purple, he sang purple, and one of his biggest selling hits ever was a much remorable power ballad called Purple Rain. He has mentioned the word purple also in several songs. So he is referred to his purple highness, the purple one etc. Not to mention, his biggest selling album was Purple Rain. It's a cliché saying that everyone goes to tears when the movie sums it all up with Purple Rain dedicated to his father. Not to mention does a hell of alot of people say that this was his only good song, and at the same time they think the song is too long. So after hearing the whole song they've had enough Prince to last a lifetime. Thats why.

Revolution said:

Yep....so much more to offer, but the general public can only relate to the hits.

And what can the general public do if the guy is ALWAYS playing the same shit (and in versions that sound like the house band of a 3rd class TV talk show).

vitriol said:

Revolution said:

Yep....so much more to offer, but the general public can only relate to the hits.

And what can the general public do if the guy is ALWAYS playing the same shit (and in versions that sound like the house band of a 3rd class TV talk show).

Buy the CD's, which contain BRILLIANT new music....

I think he's misguided re the playlists for his recent tour...the majority of the audience is not casual "GP", but much more informed fans...I think he can afford to dig deeper, so, in a sense, we agree.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Because it was the title track to his most successful album to date, and a massive movie.

Basically that. Not to mention, the song is absolutely brillant. One of the best ever done IMO and is a song people tend to love. It's got that "anthem" quality.

DaphneLovesPR1NCE said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

Because it was the title track to his most successful album to date, and a massive movie.

Basically that. Not to mention, the song is absolutely brillant. One of the best ever done IMO and is a song people tend to love. It's got that "anthem" quality.

Bon Jovi's signature song...is livin on a prayer...a rocker

Journey..ok..this is sort of a stretch..is Don't Stop Believin...a rocker

Bruce Springsteen...Born to run..a rocker...

I think partly because it's the title track to the movie and album and yes its length is anthem like.

But in a sense. The album is a mixture of motoric and mental insanity. Let's go crazy, I'm a star, I would die 4 u , plus painful and exotic romance, The beautiful 1s, take me with u, Nikki, Computer Blue and When doves cry.

All those tracks and feelings they inspire, accumulate into self reflection... I never wanted 2 b yr w-end lover.....let me guide u, to the Purple rain. The grand finale of the album, it defines the hazardous journey taken as having led to a place of serenity.

It's funny though, because i've never seen it on tv. I did see when Doves cry a lot. But then the latter is really a questioning song and Purple rain seems more like an answer. It upwraps the gift fully.

vitriol said:

Revolution said:

Yep....so much more to offer, but the general public can only relate to the hits.

And what can the general public do if the guy is ALWAYS playing the same shit (and in versions that sound like the house band of a 3rd class TV talk show).

shut up prick

Purple Rain is prince's bust-out hey lookit me work. unless the general public takes time to get to know his catalogue, they will likely think of prince as 'that purple rain guy'.

I wouldn't say he is "defined" by it. Simply put, it is Prince's signature song. He put the initial emphasis on it. Then when the whole Purple Rain era exploded into/onto the world, the emphasis stuck.

Also, it remains his signature song because Prince wants it to be.

BlackAdder7 said:

the song Purple Rain?

he has so many songs...1999...Little Red Corvette...Wannabeyourlover....Kiss.....and on and on and on...

yet he's know for the song Purple Rain. Why that song?

Purple Rain was probably the first impression of Prince for lots of people. The movie and the song are so big on emotion that it might have defined who Prince is or who some think he is on a certain level imo.

Who wouldn't want someone to be saying to you that they never meant to hurt you and always want to see you happy and laughing... in the Purple Rain I think that Prince sounds so sensitive by the way that he sings it, it goes right to the core of what everyone wants some might automatically associate this song with the Purple One

I think people want to believe in and identify with someone like the guy who wrote Purple Rain. Someone who really felt the pain in the rain

yeah its got so many more songs....i get your point

I hate purple rain. Least favorite Prince Song...right next to Rich Friends

I think it got a lot of popularity because it was the first song that got the white population to notice him. Or so I heard....from my somewhat racist abuela.

Maytiana said:

I think it got a lot of popularity because it was the first song that got the white population to notice him. Or so I heard....from my somewhat racist abuela.

I guess if you don't count Little Red Corvette, 1999, Delirious, When Doves Cry, and Let's Go Crazy.

errant said:

Maytiana said:

errant said:

I guess if you don't count Little Red Corvette, 1999, Delirious, When Doves Cry, and Let's Go Crazy.

Yup and im not

all very big mainstream hits (or "white" hits, if you prefer) before "Purple Rain" came out. in fact, a few of them were even more popular. and several continue to be. I don't really understand your reasoning.

but I don't really buy the premise of this thread. he's only defined by the song "Purple Rain" in a live setting. it barely gets played on the radio and he's much better known for 1999, LRC, WDC, LGC, RB, and Kiss by most people.

It is the title track to his most successful album commercially, so I can see why that's associated with him.

But, I would imagine 1999 is probably more of what Prince is defined by.

Oh the radio, I heard Kiss and Let's Go Crazy many times more than Purple Rain. During retro 80's radio shows, those two songs along with Raspberry Berrett and Little Red Corvette actually get more radio play--probably because PR is such a long song.