BY ZOLTAN VARADI
This 8 November 2025, the Calgary Phil, featuring vocalist Hans Fiance (plus dancers!) and led by Resident Conductor Juliane Gallant, celebrates the music of one of the most beloved and impactful artists of our times — Prince! To get in an appropriately funky mood, let’s look back at just a few of the Purple One’s classic hits.
No. 1
Little Red Corvette was the first Prince song to race into the U.S. Top 10, reaching number six in the charts. A vehicle belonging to Lisa Coleman – the keyboardist in Prince’s backing band, The Revolution – served as inspiration for the track, although it was neither red nor a Corvette, but rather a pink Mercury Montclair.
No. 2
Believe it or not, Purple Rain was originally penned as a country-style duet with Stevie Nicks, though she ultimately declined the collaboration. Following some chord changes by The Revolution’s Wendy Melvoin, the song took on a new shape, becoming a defining anthem of the 80s.
No. 3
The arrival of When Doves Cry, the lead single from Purple Rain, marked Prince’s ascent to superstardom. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for five weeks and ultimately became the best-selling single of 1984.
No. 4
Following up on the worldwide phenomenon that was Purple Rain may have seemed a daunting task, but Prince rose to the occasion with Raspberry Beret, the lead single off his 1985 album, Around the World in a Day. Another huge hit, the song leaned into Prince’s love of psychedelic pop and featured such flourishes as a string section and Middle Eastern finger cymbals.
No. 5
Though forever remembered by Sinead O’Conner’s beautiful rendition, Nothing Compares to U is 100% a Prince song. Hardly an anomaly, several artists struck gold with Prince-penned tracks, including The Bangles (Manic Monday), Sheena Easton (Sugar Walls), and The Time (Jungle Love).
Don’t miss Nothing Compares: The Music of Prince on 8 November in the Jack Singer Concert Hall — get your tickets here.