The world-beating, culture-changing smash, and a record so shimmering and instantaneous, you might not notice just how daring it is: When Doves Cry is one of the most unlikely No. 1 hits of all time, a soap-operatic mini-epic without a bass line or a happy send-off. And back then, who could have thought that a funk-rocker like Prince was capable of a song like the title track, which swells like a gospel number, and weeps like a country classic? Little wonder why, three decades after its release, "Purple" remains so dearly beloved.
