Album of the Day

Prince Rogers Nelson emerged at the end of the 1970s to become one of the most potent forces in popular music. Better known simply as Prince, the performer perfected his audacious mix of sexy funk, dance pop and guitar-driven rock on PURPLE RAIN. Recorded with his band the Revolution, the chart-topping set serves as a soundtrack to the film of the same name but easily stands on its own, with such classic Top Ten singles as “When Doves Cry,” “I Would Die 4 U,” the title track and “Let's Go Crazy.” The PURPLE RAIN tour launched in Detroit on this day in 1984 and by the time Prince was finished with it, he’d racked up a pair of Grammys, an Oscar, and millions in sales worldwide.