SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Prince - "When Doves Cry"

Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 8, we're diving into Prince's revolutionary 1984 masterpiece "When Doves Cry" — a track that broke every rule of pop music production while dominating the summer that "Purple Rain" conquered both screens and airwaves. We'll trace how a Minneapolis genius created the most unconventional #1 hit of the MTV era while Reagan ruled America and the Cold War defined global politics. Grab your purple everything — we're heading into Prince's purple reign.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Kalaroga Shark Media Summer nineteen eighty four. I'm Garrett Fischer,
and American pop culture was experiencing something unprecedented, the complete
domination of a single artist across multiple medium simultaneously. Prince

(00:24):
wasn't just ruling the charts. He was starring in a movie,
defining fashion, challenging gender norms, and creating music so innovative
that it seemed to come from the future. When Doves Cry,
the lead single from his Purple Rain soundtrack, represented everything
that made Prince revolutionary. It was a song that broke
every conventional rule about what a hit record should sound like,

(00:47):
yet somehow became one of the biggest songs of the decade,
coming in at number eight on our countdown of the
top twenty songs of the summer, as voted by the
staff of Kalaroga Shark Media. Princes When Doves Cry represents
the kind of artistic risk taking that most musicians wouldn't
dare attempt, let alone pull off with such spectacular success.

(01:09):
Before Prince was redefining the possibilities of popular music, he
was Prince Rogers Nelson born in Minneapolis in nineteen fifty
eight to parents who were both musicians. His father, John
Lewis Nelson, was a jazz pianist who performed under the
name Prince Rogers, while his mother, Mattie Dellashaw, was a singer.
This musical DNA was evident from early childhood, when Prince

(01:31):
taught himself to play multiple instruments and began writing songs
as a teenager. What distinguished Prince from the beginning was
his complete musical self sufficiency. While most artists specialized in
one or two areas, Prince could play virtually every instrument,
write in multiple genres, produce his own recordings, and perform
with an intensity that few could match. This comprehensive musical

(01:55):
ability gave him unprecedented creative control at a time when
most artists were dependent on collaborators for various aspects of
their sound. His early albums For You nineteen seventy eight,
Prince nineteen seventy nine, Dirty Mind nineteen eighty, Controversy nineteen
eighty one, and nineteen ninety nine nineteen eighty two showed

(02:18):
a musician rapidly evolving and pushing boundaries. Each release demonstrated
his ability to blend funk, rock, pop, and R and
B in ways that had never been attempted before, while
his lyrics addressed sexuality, spirituality, and social issues with a
frankness that was revolutionary for mainstream pop music. By nineteen

(02:38):
eighty four, Prince had established himself as one of music's
most innovative artists, but Purple Rain, both the album and
the semi autobiographical film, would represent his transformation from critical
darling to global superstar. The movie, starring Prince himself alongside Appollonia,
Kotero and Morris Day, provided a narrative framework for his

(02:58):
musical vision while showcasing his charisma and artistic ambition. When
Dove's Cry was the first single from the Purple Rain soundtrack,
and from its opening moments, it announced that this would
be unlike anything else on radio. The song's most revolutionary
aspect was what it didn't have a bassline in an

(03:20):
arrow and funk and R and B were defined by
prominent bass work. Prince created a track that generated its
groove through drums, guitar, and keyboards alone. So what made
When Doves Cry such a groundbreaking summer anthem? Let's break
it down musically. When Doves Cry represents one of the
most daring production choices in pop music history. Prince's decision

(03:43):
to remove the bassline after initially recording one created a
sound that was simultaneously hollow and full, minimalist and complex.
This counterintuitive approach forced listeners to hear familiar elements drums, guitar,
vocals in completely new ways. The track opens with one

(04:03):
of the most distinctive guitar figures in nineteen eighties music,
a ascending melodic line that immediately establishes the song's emotional intensity.
This guitar work, performed by Prince himself, combines technical sophistication
with raw emotion, setting up the dramatic tension that defines
the entire recording. The drum sound created using the Linn

(04:26):
drum machine has a crisp, artificial quality that was cutting
edge for nineteen eighty four. Rather than trying to make
the electronic drums sound natural, Prince embraced their synthetic character,
creating rhythms that were both futuristic and deeply funky. This
approach influenced countless subsequent recordings and helped establish the sound
of mid nineteen eighties pop music. The synthesizer work throughout

(04:49):
the track demonstrates Prince's gift for creating atmospheric textures that
serve the song's emotional content. Rather than using keyboards for
simple melody or harmony, he createsonic landscapes that shift and
evolve throughout the track, adding new layers of meaning and
feeling as the song progresses. Perhaps most importantly, the absence
of bass forces every other element to work harder, creating

(05:12):
a sound that's both sparse and dense, empty and full.
This paradox gives the track its distinctive tension and makes
it impossible to ignore. There's something unsettling about the missing
low end that keeps listeners engaged throughout the structure of
When Dove's Cry defies conventional pop songwriting while maintaining enough
familiar elements to remain accessible. The song opens with an

(05:36):
extended instrumental introduction that establishes its musical and emotional landscape
before Prince's vocals enter. This approach was unusual for radio singles,
which typically featured immediate vocal hooks, but it worked because
the instrumental music was so compelling and distinctive. The verses
feature Prince's most vulnerable vocal delivery, with lyrics that address

(05:57):
complex themes of family dysfunction, romantic conflict, and personal identity.
His vocal approach here is conversational and intimate, drawing listeners
into the emotional narrative he's constructing. The core sections explode
with intensity, featuring Prince's full vocal range and the track's
most memorable melodic hooks. The contrast between the restrained verses

(06:20):
and explosive choruses creates dynamic tension that keeps the song
engaging throughout its five and a half minute run time.
What makes the structure particularly effective is its cyclical nature.
Rather than building to a single climax, the song creates
multiple peaks and valleys that mirror the emotional complexity of
the story being told. This approach allows Prince to explore

(06:44):
different emotional territories while maintaining musical coherence. The bridge section
introduces nw melodic and harmonic elements while maintaining the song's
essential character, creating a moment of reflection before the final
emotional escalation. This sophisticated approach to song structure demonstrated Prince's
growth as a composer and his ability to create complete

(07:05):
artistic statements rather than simple pop confections. The lyrics of
When Doves Cry showcase Prince's ability to address complex psychological
and emotional territory through vivid imagery and metaphor without extensively
quoting to respect copyright. I can note that the song
explores themes of family trauma, romantic dysfunction, and the ways

(07:27):
that personal history influences present relationships. The central metaphor of
Dove's Crying suggests the corruption of innocence, the way that
pure emotions can become painful when filtered through damage relationships
and difficult circumstances. This image works on multiple levels, suggesting
both specific romantic conflict and broader themes about how past

(07:48):
trauma affects present connections. Throughout the verses, Prince paints detailed
pictures of family dynamics and their lasting effects, using specific
imagery to create universal theme about how we're shaped by
our earliest relationships. The lyrics demonstrate his gift for psychological
insight combined with poetic expression. The chorus sections intensify the

(08:11):
emotional stakes while maintaining the song's metaphorical framework. Prince's vocal
delivery during these sections conveys both vulnerability and strength, suggesting
someone who simultaneously wounded and determined to understand and overcome
their circumstances. What elevates the lyrics beyond simple relationship commentary
is their acknowledgment of how personal and familial patterns repeat

(08:33):
across generations. The song suggests that understanding these patterns is
the first step toward breaking them, making it both a
personal confession and a broader statement about human psychology. What
truly makes When Doves Cry special is Prince's vocal performance,
which ranks among his finest and most emotionally complex. His

(08:55):
voice carries the entire emotional weight of the song, from
the intimate vulnerability of the verses to the soaring intensity
of the choruses. Prince's vocal range and technical ability are
on full display, but always in service of the song's
emotional content rather than mere showmanship. His delivery feels completely

(09:15):
authentic and personal, as if he's sharing genuine experiences rather
than performing constructed narratives. The way he handles the song's
dynamic shifts from whispered confessions to full throated declarations demonstrates
his complete mastery of vocal performance as emotional communication. Every
inflection serves the song's meaning, while showcasing his remarkable abilities

(09:37):
as a singer. The backing vocals and harmonies add depth
and texture while maintaining the track's essential intimacy. Prince's ability
to create rich vocal arrangements using primarily his own voice,
demonstrates both his technical skills and his understanding of how
voices can create emotional landscapes more in a moment. When

(10:07):
Doves Cry was released in May nineteen eighty four and
became Prince's first number one hit on the Billboard Hot
one hundred, staying at the top for five weeks and
becoming the biggest selling single of nineteen eighty four. The
song's success was unprecedented for such an unconventional recording, proving
that audiences were ready for more adventurous pop music when

(10:28):
it was presented with sufficient artistry and conviction. The success
of When Dove's Cry was inseparable from the cultural phenomenon
of Purple Rain, which dominated summer nineteen eighty four across
multiple media. The film, though made on a relatively modest budget,
became a box office success and cultural event, while the

(10:49):
soundtrack album spent twenty four consecutive weeks at number one
and eventually sold over twenty five million copies worldwide. To
fully appreciate the impact of When Doves Cry, we need
to examine the cultural landscape of summer nineteen eighty four,
a season when MTV was at its creative and cultural peak,
when the Cold War was intensifying, and when American popular

(11:11):
culture was reaching new levels of global influence. The summer
movie season was dominated by Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, and the
Temple of Doom and Gremlins. While The Karate Kid provided
unexpected emotional depth alongside its commercial success. Purple Rain competed
successfully with these major Hollywood productions, demonstrating Prince's appeal across

(11:34):
different demographic groups. Musically, nineteen eighty four was dominated by
the emergence of MTV ready artists who understood how visual
presentation could enhance musical content. Madonna's Like a Virgin, Duran
Durant's continued success, and the emergence of artists like Cindi
Lauper demonstrated the growing importance of image and video in

(11:55):
breaking new acts. Politically, Ronald Reagan was running for reelection
on a platform of continued conservative policies and military build
up against the Soviet Union. The Cold War was reaching
new heights of tension, with events like the boycott of
the Los Angeles Olympics by Soviet bloc countries reflecting broader
geopolitical conflicts. Technologically, nineteen eighty four was a pivotal year

(12:20):
for personal computing, with Apple's introduction of the Macintosh computer
and IBM's continued development of PC technology. MTV was also
reaching its cultural peak, with music videos becoming essential tools
for artist promotion and creative expression. This was the context
in which When Doves Cry achieved its remarkable success, a

(12:42):
moment when American popular culture was becoming increasingly sophisticated and global,
when artists who could master multiple media formats had unprecedented
opportunities for success. For Prince himself, When Doves Cry represented
the culmination of years of artistic development and the beginning
of his period of maximum cultural influence. The song's success

(13:04):
opened doors for even more ambitious projects, while establishing him
as one of the most important artists of his generation.
The track's influence on subsequent music has been enormous. Its
approach to production, particularly the use of negative space and
the embrace of synthetic textures, influence countless artists across multiple genres.

(13:26):
The song's blend of accessibility and experimentation created a template
for how pop music could be both commercially successful and
artistically adventurous. When Doves Cry also demonstrated the power of
complete artistic control, showing how an artist who could handle
every aspect of the creative process could create something truly
unique and personal. This model influenced the development of subsequent

(13:49):
artist producers across multiple genres. Looking back on When Doves
Cry today, it remains a remarkable achievement in pop music
innovation and emotion expression. The song's combination of revolutionary production
techniques with deeply personal lyrical content created something that was
both of its time and timeless. What makes When Doves

(14:11):
Cry the quintessential Prince Summer anthem is its perfect balance
of innovation and accessibility, of personal confession and universal themes
of technical mastery and emotional authenticity. The song demonstrated that
pop music could be experimental without being alienating, personal without
being self indulgent. The track's success also represented a victory

(14:35):
for artistic integrity over commercial calculation, Prince's refusal to compromise
his vision, even when it meant removing the baseline from
a funk influence track showed that audiences would respond to
genuine artistic risk taking when it was presented with sufficient
skill and conviction. So, as we continue our countdown of
the top twenty songs of the Summer at number eight,

(14:57):
turn up When Doves Cry and let Prince's revolutionary production
and emotional intensity remind you that the greatest summer songs
don't just entertain, they expand our understanding of what popular
music can accomplish and express. Because When Doves Cry isn't
just a song. It's a masterpiece of production, innovation, a

(15:19):
profound exploration of human psychology, and a reminder that true
artistic vision can transform even the most personal experiences into
universal statements. Forty years later, it still sounds like music
from the future, which is why it deserves its place
in our summer song's pantheon. This is Garrett Fischer for

(15:40):
Hitpmaker Chronicles counting down the top twenty songs of the Summer,
as voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media. Keep
that purple energy flowing and join me next week as
we continue our countdown with number seven.