An Awful Song Kept Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ From Hitting No. 1
TL;DR:
- Prince’s “Purple Rain” was commercially overshadowed by another famous 1980s song.
- “Purple Rain” is so much better than the other hit.
- Prince is a lot more influential than the pop duo who made the other song.
Prince‘s “Purple Rain” is one of his signature tunes. Sadly, an embarrassing bubblegum pop single stopped it from topping the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequently, the famous group behind that single hasn’t had much influence on music in recent years.
Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ was outperformed by Wham!’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’
“Purple Rain” is arguably the most perfect pop single ever written. It mixes and matches elements of hard rock, soul music, electronica, and psychedelia without ever feeling overwrought or incohesive. Its unusual lyrics are pure poetry. According to Stereogum, the tune was blocked from the No. 1 spot by Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
On the other hand, Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” is far less impressive. It opens up with a distorted voice saying “jitterbug” over and over. That’s hardly good writing. To make matters worse, the bouncy beat is chipper and irritating. It’s the musical equivalent of an overenthusiastic child. The fact that it was commercially eclipsed by a song that is astronomically better is yet another reminder that life isn’t fair.
Wham! had some great songs but Prince was more of a trailblazer in music and fashion
This isn’t to say that Wham! didn’t have its virtues. “Last Christmas” is one of the best Christmas songs of the 20th century. “Careless Whisper” is an undeniable classic, even after numerous internet memes tried to turn the track into a joke. But they simply weren’t as good as Prince, who proved himself over and over again in so many genres.
The proof lies in the next generation of musicians. Prince’s musical influence can be seen in the grooves of Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and Janelle Monáe. His fashion influence can be seen in the androgynous outfits of Lil Nas X, Harry Styles, and Lady Gaga. On the other hand, Wham! doesn’t seem to have much influence on current pop music.
How ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ performed on the charts
“Purple Rain” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. The song appeared on the album of the same name. Purple Rain reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a whopping 24 weeks. It remained on the chart for 167 weeks, longer than any of the Purple One’s other albums.
On the other hand, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. It lasted on the chart for 24 weeks. The tune appeared on the album Make It Big. That album fittingly became a huge hit, topping the Billboard 200 for three weeks. The album spent a total of 87 weeks on the chart.
“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” isn’t the worst song ever but it’s no “Purple Rain.”
