The color central to the title of Prince's most famous film and album is purple, in Purple Rain. The phrase names both the 1984 film starring Prince and its accompanying soundtrack album by Prince and the Revolution.
The album was released on June 25, 1984, as Prince's sixth studio album and the soundtrack to the film. It became the defining commercial and cultural achievement of his career, blending pop, rock, funk, R&B, and psychedelic elements. The film helped turn Prince into a major movie star, while the album produced enduring songs such as “When Doves Cry,” “Let's Go Crazy,” and “I Would Die 4 U.”
Purple Rain is not only a studio construction: the album's final three tracks were recorded from a live First Avenue performance in Minneapolis on August 3, 1983, then edited and overdubbed. The title's symbolism has been interpreted in several ways, and writers have also connected it to the America song “Ventura Highway.”