Purple Rain

Prince, who died 10 years ago, was one of the hottest music acts on the planet when he blew up the musical landscape with the Academy Award-winning title song to this 1984 summer release. The musical rock drama, directed by Albert Magnoli, is loosely based on the eccentric guitar icon’s road to fame, concentrating on the Minneapolis club scene from which he emerged. Prince, by no means an actor, plays The Kid, who struggles to balance tensions at home with a potential love interest (Apollonia Kotero), while trying to maintain his relevance on the local music scene. Essentially a cinematic exploration of his multi-platinum Purple Rain album, the movie helped propel songs such as “Let’s Go Crazy,” “When Doves Cry” and Morris Day & The Time’s “Jungle Love” up the charts. — Jaime Mendez

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