How is it possible that people are only now coming to this conclusion? Every blog post he’s written has been basically saying this exact same thing. This one just got a lot of attention for some reason. Wow will come out “one way or another” but he’s not gonna finish the series
Prince started a 24 week run at the top of the US album charts with Purple Rain, August 4, 1984.
Purple Rain knocked Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. out of the No. 1 spot, holding off all competition for half a year.
During the summer of 1984, Prince accomplished an unbelievable feat simultaneously: he had the #1 album (Purple Rain), the #1 single (When Doves Cry), the #1 grossing film at the box office (Purple Rain), and written the #1 single performed by another artist (Nasty Girl by Vanity 6, or Chaka Khan's upcoming smash I Feel for You).
Several of the album's biggest tracks—including Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, and Baby I'm a Star—were actually recorded live during a August 3, 1983 benefit concert at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis, then later touched up in the studio.
When Doves Cry, the lead single off the album, became a multi-week No. 1 hit despite Prince famously stripping out the bassline entirely during mixing to give it a stark, unconventional texture.
Purple Rain went on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide, earning 13x Platinum (and eventually Diamond) status, along with two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.