When Doves Cry

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1984 single by Prince

title: "When Doves Cry" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1984-singles", "1984-songs", "1997-singles", "prince-(musician)-songs", "songs-written-by-prince-(musician)", "music-videos-directed-by-prince-(musician)", "ginuwine-songs", "billboard-hot-100-number-one-singles", "cashbox-number-one-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-michael-lucero", "number-one-singles-in-australia", "rpm-top-singles-number-one-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-timbaland", "warner-records-singles", "capitol-records-singles", "epic-records-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-prince-(musician)", "song-recordings-produced-by-nellee-hooper", "songs-written-for-films", "songs-about-fathers", "music-video-controversies", "experimental-pop-songs", "neo-psychedelia-songs", "avant-pop-songs"] description: "1984 single by Prince" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Doves_Cry" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1984 single by Prince ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameWhen Doves Cry
coverPrince doves.jpg
captionPicture sleeve for 7-inch single release
typesingle
artistPrince
albumPurple Rain
B-side17 Days
released
studioSunset Sound (Los Angeles)
* Experimental pop{{cite magazineurl
* neo-psychedelia{{cite weblast1
* soul{{cite booklast1
* avant-pop{{cite magazineurl
* synth-pop<ref name"Number Ones 2022"
* funk<ref name"Number Ones 2022"/
labelWarner Bros.
writerPrince
producerPrince
chronologyPrince US
prev_titleAutomatic
prev_year1983
next_titleLet's Go Crazy
next_year1984
misc
::

| name = When Doves Cry | cover = Prince doves.jpg | alt = | caption = Picture sleeve for 7-inch single release | type = single | artist = Prince | album = Purple Rain | B-side = 17 Days | released = | recorded = | studio = Sunset Sound (Los Angeles) | genre =

"When Doves Cry" was Prince's first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, staying there for five weeks, and was also a worldwide hit. According to Billboard, it was the top-selling single of 1984. It is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was the last single released by a solo artist to receive a Platinum certification before the certification requirements were lowered in 1989. "When Doves Cry" was ranked number one on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1984. Following Prince's death in 2016, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number eight, its first appearance in the top 10 since the week ending September 1, 1984.

The music video, directed by Prince, premiered on MTV in June 1984. It opens with white doves emerging from double doors to reveal Prince in a bathtub, then shows him performing the song in various scenes. The video sparked controversy among network executives, who thought that its sexual nature was too explicit for television. "When Doves Cry" is ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Background and composition

Prince wrote and composed "When Doves Cry" after all the other tracks were complete on Purple Rain. In addition to providing vocals, he played all instruments on the track. The song's texture is remarkably stark. There is no bass line, which is very unusual for an '80s dance song; Prince said that there originally was a bass line but, after a conversation with singer Jill Jones, he decided that the song was too conventional with it included. The song features a guitar solo intro and a Linn LM-1 drum machine, followed by a looped guttural vocal. After the lyrics, there is another, much longer, guitar and synthesizer solo. The song ends on a classical music-inspired keyboard piece backed by another synthesizer solo. Keyboardist Matt Fink revealed in 2014 that the baroque synthesizer solo was recorded by Prince at half speed and an octave lower against a half-speed backing track, then sped up to create the final version. Fink was then tasked to learn and perform the solo at the album's speed.

On versions edited for radio, either the song fades out as the long guitar and synthesizer solo begins, or the solo is eliminated altogether and the song skips to the ending with Prince's harmonizing and classical finish.

During live performances of the song on the Purple Rain Tour, Prince's bass player Brown Mark added bass lines to the song as well as to other songs without bass lines.

The song is in the key of A minor.

Reception

In its contemporary review of the song, Cash Box said that "featuring ethereal lyrics, a pounding backbeat and a sometimes ominous musical atmosphere, this single again proves Prince to be one of the most provocative and sophisticated artists in the business."

"When Doves Cry" was No. 1 in the US for five weeks, from July 7, 1984, to August 4, 1984, keeping Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" from reaching the top spot. Because of tabulation differences, the song was announced as the year's No. 2 single on the American Top 40 year-end countdown (with Paul McCartney featuring Michael Jackson's "Say Say Say" at No. 1). The song was voted as the best single of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll. Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 year-end single of 1984. In 2016, after Prince's death, "When Doves Cry" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20, peaking at No. 8. It also ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart for eight weeks (from June 30, to August 18, 1984), preventing Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" from reaching the top spot for five of those weeks.

The B-side was the cult fan favorite "17 Days", which was originally intended for Apollonia 6's self-titled album. A 12-inch single issued in the UK included "17 Days" and two tracks from Prince's previous album, 1999: its title track and "D.M.S.R.". The entire title of "17 Days (the rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose, if U believe, look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose)" is now the longest-titled flip side of a Hot 100 No. 1, with 85 letters and/or numbers.

"When Doves Cry" became one of Prince's signature songs. Spin magazine ranked "When Doves Cry" the No. 6 song of all time. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "When Doves Cry" No. 37 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2006, VH1's "The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s" ranked the song at No. 5. On October 13, 2008, the song was voted No. 2 on Australian VH1's Top 10 Number One Pop Songs countdown. The "80 of the 80s" podcast ranks it as the No. 59 song of the decade. In 2016, Paste ranked the song number three on their list of the 50 greatest Prince songs, and in 2022, American Songwriter ranked the song number two on their list of the 10 greatest Prince songs.

"When Doves Cry" was sampled for use in MC Hammer's 1990 hit song, "Pray" from his album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, one of the few samples of his songs legally sanctioned by Prince.

"When Doves Cry" was licensed for use in film or television for the first time in 2025, being employed in the series finale of the Netflix streaming series Stranger Things.

Music video

The music video (directed by Prince himself) was released on MTV in June 1984. It opens with white doves emerging from double doors to reveal Prince in a bathtub. It also includes scenes from the Purple Rain film interspersed with shots of The Revolution performing and dancing in a white room. The final portion of the video incorporates a mirrored frame of the left half of the picture, creating a doubling effect. The video was nominated for Best Choreography at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards. The video sparked controversy among network executives, who thought that its sexual nature was too explicit for television.

Awards and nominations

Track listings

  • 7-inch single: Paisley Park / 0-20170 (US)
  1. "When Doves Cry" – 3:47
  2. "17 Days (The rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose. If U believe, look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose.)" – 3:54
  • 12-inch single: Warner Bros. / W9286T (UK)

  1. "When Doves Cry" – 5:52

  2. "17 Days (The rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose. If U believe, look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose.)" – 3:54

  3. "1999" – 6:22

  4. "D.M.S.R." – 8:05

  • 2×12-inch pack
  • CD single 1989
  1. "When Doves Cry"
  2. "Purple Rain" (album version)

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Duane Tudahl, Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud.

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="1984 weekly chart performance for "When Doves Cry""] | Chart (1984) | Peak position | Australia (Kent Music Report) | Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders) | Canada (CHUM) | Canada Top Singles (RPM) | Canada (The Record) | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) | South Africa (Springbok Radio) | US Billboard Hot 100 | US Hot Black Singles (Billboard) | US Cash Box | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

::data[format=table title="2016 weekly chart performance for "When Doves Cry""] | Chart (2016) | Peak position | Belgium (Back Catalogue Singles Flanders) | |---|---|---| | 2 | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="1984 year-end chart performance for "When Doves Cry""]

Chart (1984)PositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)Netherlands (Single Top 100)New Zealand (RIANZ)US Billboard Hot 100US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)
14
39
27
35
15
1
1
::

::data[format=table title="2016 year-end chart performance for "When Doves Cry""]

Chart (2016)PositionUS Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)
24
::

All-time charts

::data[format=table title="All-time chart performance for "When Doves Cry""]

Chart (2018)PositionUS Billboard Hot 100
123
::

Certifications

Quindon Tarver version

| name = When Dove's Cry | cover = When Doves Cry Quindon Tarver cover.png | alt = | type = single | artist = Quindon Tarver | album = William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture, Volume 2 | released = | recorded = | genre = | studio = | length = 4:09 | label = Capitol | writer = Prince | producer = Nellee Hooper | prev_title = Everybody's Free | prev_year = 1997 | next_title = Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) | next_year = 1998 | misc = American singer Quindon Tarver recorded a version of "When Doves Cry" (formatted as "When Dove's Cry") for the second volume of the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack. Released as a single in June 1997, Tarver's version became a top-three hit in Australia, reaching number three on the ARIA Singles Chart that July. It also charted in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 34 on the RIANZ Singles Chart the following month.

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "When Dove's Cry" by Quindon Tarver"] | Chart (1997) | Peak position | |---|---| ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Year-end chart performance for "When Dove's Cry" by Quindon Tarver"]

Chart (1997)PositionAustralia (ARIA)
38
::

Certifications

Ginuwine version

| name = When Doves Cry | cover = Ginuwine When Doves Cry.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Ginuwine | album = Ginuwine... the Bachelor | released = July 25, 1997 | recorded = | genre = R&B | studio = | length = 5:09 | label = Epic | writer = Prince | producer = Timbaland | prev_title = Tell Me Do U Wanna | prev_year = 1997 | next_title = I'll Do Anything/I'm Sorry | next_year = 1997 | misc =

A cover version by American singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland and released a month after Tarver's version, on July 25, 1997, for Ginuwine's album The Bachelor; Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for the song. The official music video for this version was directed by Michael Lucero.

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "When Doves Cry" by Ginuwine"] | Chart (1997) | Peak position | |---|---| ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Year-end chart performance for "When Doves Cry" by Ginuwine"]

Chart (1997)PositionGermany (Media Control)Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)Netherlands (Single Top 100)
80
64
48
::

Notes

References

Sources

  • Uptown: The Vault – The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince: Nilsen Publishing 2004,

References

  1. Uptown, 2004, p.48
  2. (April 21, 2016). "25 Essential Prince Songs".
  3. "Purple Rain - Review".
  4. (1994). "Understanding Popular Music". Routledge.
  5. (April 7, 2011). "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
  6. Breihan, Tom. (November 15, 2022). "The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music". [[Hachette Book Group]].
  7. (August 7, 2008). "100 Greatest Funk Songs".
  8. "When Doves Cry".
  9. "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
  10. "Prince In Print". Princetext.tripod.com.
  11. Murphy, Keith. (June 25, 2014). "'Purple Rain' Turns 30: The Revolution's Dr. Fink Breaks Down Prince's Classic Track-by-Track". vibe.com.
  12. Coryat, Karl. "His Highness Gets Down!".
  13. (March 5, 2018). "When Doves Cry".
  14. (May 26, 1984). "Reviews".
  15. (April 14, 2018). "CASEY KASEM'S YEAR-END COUNTDOWN - 1984".
  16. (September 15, 2021). "The 500 Best Songs Of All Time".
  17. (April 22, 2016). "#59: Prince - When Doves Cry". 80ofthe80s.libsyn.com.
  18. Ham, Robert. (April 27, 2016). "The 50 Best Prince Songs". [[Paste (magazine).
  19. Walthall, Catherine. (February 8, 2022). "The Top 10 Prince Songs". [[American Songwriter]].
  20. "Prince & the Revolution - "When doves cry"". mvdbase.com.
  21. {{YouTube. N8eYLS3YzeQ{{dead link. (January 2012)
  22. Tudahl, Duane. (2018). "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984". Rowman & Littlefield.
  23. Clerc, Benoît. (October 2022). "Prince: All the Songs". Octopus.
  24. "Purple Rain".
  25. "What is the When Doves Cry synth sound?".
  26. Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992". Australian Chart Book.
  27. "Radio2 top 30: 22 september 1984". [[Top 30]].
  28. "CHART NUMBER 1439 – Saturday, July 28, 1984".
  29. (July 17, 2013). "Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 22, Aug 04, 1984". [[RPM (magazine).
  30. Nanda Lwin. (1999). "Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide". Music Data Canada.
  31. Pennanen, Timo. (2021). "Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021". Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  32. "Radio Luxembourg Singles". umdmusic.com.
  33. "SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs W-Z".
  34. "Prince – Awards". [[AllMusic]]. [[All Media Network]].
  35. "Prince Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)".
  36. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JULY 14, 1984".
  37. "50 Back Catalogue Singles – 30/04/16". [[Ultratop]]. Hung Medien.
  38. "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". [[Kent Music Report]].
  39. BigKev. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Hung Medien.
  40. "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop.
  41. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40.
  42. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984". MegaCharts.
  43. "New Zealand End of Year Chart 1984".
  44. (December 22, 1984). "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles".
  45. (January 2, 2013). "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1984".
  46. (January 2, 2013). "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2016".
  47. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart".
  48. "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 7/6/2017". [[Nielsen SoundScan]].
  49. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1997". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
  50. "mvdbase.com - Michael Lucero technician videography". Music Video DataBase.
  51. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1997". [[GfK Entertainment]].
  52. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1997". Dutch Top 40.
  53. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1997".

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1984-singles1984-songs1997-singlesprince-(musician)-songssongs-written-by-prince-(musician)music-videos-directed-by-prince-(musician)ginuwine-songsbillboard-hot-100-number-one-singlescashbox-number-one-singlesmusic-videos-directed-by-michael-luceronumber-one-singles-in-australiarpm-top-singles-number-one-singlessong-recordings-produced-by-timbalandwarner-records-singlescapitol-records-singlesepic-records-singlessong-recordings-produced-by-prince-(musician)song-recordings-produced-by-nellee-hoopersongs-written-for-filmssongs-about-fathersmusic-video-controversiesexperimental-pop-songsneo-psychedelia-songsavant-pop-songs