1984–1987

Purple Rain (in conjunction with the film of the same name) sold more than thirteen million copies in the U.S. and spent twenty-four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. The film grossed more than $80 million in the United States alone, and would prove to be Prince's biggest cinematic success.

Two songs from Purple Rain, When Doves Cry and Let's Go Crazy would both top the U.S. singles charts and were hits around the world, while the title track would go to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Simultaneously, Prince held the spot of number one film, number one single, and number one album in the U.S. Prince won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain, and the album ranks in the top 100 of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list (number 72), released in late 2003; the album is also listed in The All-TIME 100 Albums of TIME Magazine. When Tipper Gore overheard her twelve-year-old daughter, Karenna, playing Darling Nikki, she founded the Parents Music Resource Center, which has spurred the use of explicit lyric stickers and imprints on album covers.

In 1985, after the U.S. Purple Rain Tour, which was a smash hit in the U.S. and Canada, Prince announced he was giving up live performances and making videos on the release of Around the World in a Day, which went to the top of the U.S. album charts for three weeks. Prince's ban on videos ended as the album stalled in the charts with a video for Raspberry Beret which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1986, Prince released the album Parade. The album went to number three on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the R&B album charts. The first single, Kiss, would top the Billboard Hot 100. At the same time, Manic Monday by The Bangles reached number two on the Hot 100, which Prince had written under the pseudonym Christopher.

Parade served as a soundtrack to Prince's second film, a romantic comedy, Under The Cherry Moon in which Prince starred and directed.

Following the film and album, Prince returned to touring with a stripped-down show. After a few isolated dates (dubbed the Hit and Run Tour) in the United States, he embarked on his first full scale European Tour in the summer of 1986. He ended the tour with his first live performances in Japan in September of that year.