Simply 80's is very proud to present one of the greatest talents to ever grace the stage! This amazing singer, songwriter and performer is none other than Prince. A guitar virtuoso known for his genre-crossing work, falsetto singing voice and flamboyant stage appearances, Prince is regarded as one of the greatest musicians of all time. His innovative music integrated a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, new wave, soul, psychedelia, and pop. Prince pioneered the late 1970s Minneapolis sound, a funk rock subgenre drawing from synth-pop and new wave.
Prince sold over 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards, seven Brit Awards, six American Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was also honored with special awards including the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Award for Achievement and American Music Award of Merit, and the Billboard Icon Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Rolling Stone ranked Prince at No. 27 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
"Purple Rain" is Prince's signature song. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. A power ballad, the song is a combination of rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestral music. Prince explained the meaning of "Purple Rain" as follows: "When there's blood in the sky – red and blue = purple... purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain."
"Purple Rain" reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks. It reached number one in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is considered to be one of Prince's signature songs. Following Prince's death in 2016, "Purple Rain" rose to number one on the US and UK iTunes Charts, allowing "Purple Rain" to re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 reaching number four. It also re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 6, making it two places higher than its original peak of number 8. Originally peaking at number 12 in France, "Purple Rain" reached number one on April 30, 2016.
"Purple Rain" is ranked number 144 on the Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is also included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. During the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in 2007, in which Prince was the featured performer, "Purple Rain" was the last song of his set; the event became especially notable because actual rain started to fall during the performance, and the show continues to top lists of the best Super Bowl halftime shows of all time.
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