Prince: All Number 1 Songs Ranked Worst To Best
2. When Doves Cry
1st number one, 1984
Prince played every single instrument and provided every single vocal for this song. It was the first single off the Purple Rain movie-and-album project, which garnered him an Oscar for Best Original Song Score.
When Doves Cry is another Prince number with a long-debated meaning. While many compare the alluded deterioration of a romance to the idea that a dove in tears is a sad sight, others say that the cry of doves represents a change for the better, meaning it's a good thing that the interpreter and his significant other are moving on. We might never know.
But the best art is the kind that makes you ponder whilst delighting and entertaining you. With this song, Prince ascended to the level of superstardom he was clearly destined for. He never came down from that level, and he never will.
Fun Fact: Prince really liked doves - so much so that he gave his two pet doves, Divinity and Majesty, a credit for ambient singing in his song, Arboretum.