Prince's Top 20 biggest hits on the Official Chart

Prince's catalogue of hits on the Official Chart is nothing short of iconic. 

During his 20-year peak, the Minnesota-born musician notched up 40 Top 40s on the Official Singles Chart, during which he morphed through many different guises and musical styles. Look at Prince's complete Official UK Chart history here.

Initially a slower burner when it came to chart success, Prince's oldest hit in his all-time Top 20 is 1984's When Doves Cry from his Purple Rain album. A Number 4 hit that summer, the track has sold 578,000 across physical, download and streaming equivalent sales. 

His most recent entry in the chart is 1995's Gold at Number 13 (154k). Released when Prince was going under the moniker of an unpronounceable symbol, the star was confident the song would be a hit, touting it as the next Purple Rain. While it didn't quite reach the same level of success (it reached a respectable Number 10 in the UK), it's one of two songs that hasn't been available to download or stream until this month, likely affecting its placing in the Top 20. 

Another of his highest charting hits, The Number 2-peaking Batdance (from the 1989 Batman soundtrack), ranks as his eighth biggest single in the UK (259k), while 1986's Top 10 hit Kiss is fourth (457k). 

Meanwhile, Prince's only UK Number 1, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, places seventh in his all-time chart (262k). The track was the lead single for his album The Gold Experience and his third release as 'symbol' (The Artist Formerly Known As Prince). 

Taking second place on Prince's all-time Top 20 is Purple Rain (693,000). The track, written and recorded for the 1984 film of the same name, was originally intended as a country duet with Stevie Nicks. The song first peaked at Number 8 and has re-entered the Official Singles Chart numerous times over the years thanks to regular outings on TV talent shows like The X Factor. After his death, the song hit a new high in the UK at Number 6. 

Landing at Number 1 is a double A-side hit: 1999 and Little Red Corvette. Both are considered among Prince's signature songs, peaking at Number 2 when they were reissued as a double release (they charted at 25 and 54 respectively as standalone releases in 1983). 1999 was a defining moment in Prince's trajectory to superstardom, finding Top 10 success across the globe. The track was re-released in late 1998 to accompany its namesake year, where it re-entered at Number 10. The double A-side's total combined sales stand at 855,000. 

Prince's all-time Top 20 songs on the Official Singles Chart*

©2018 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
*This chart is based on combined physical, download and streaming sales.

Article image: Rex