Twenty-five years ago, eccentric superstar Prince created what many consider to be the greatest pop film soundtrack of all time. As we hear today, it influenced not only music, but fashion and censorship. Also: Senegalese super star Youssou N'Dour is an undisputed giant of world music. He talks about his music and life, as documented in the new film "Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love."
Poll! The Tony Awards are Sunday. Weigh in on this year's best musicals by voting in our Soundcheck Poll.
Poll! The Tony Awards are Sunday. Weigh in on this year's best musicals by voting in our Soundcheck Poll.
Purple Rain at 25
Without “Purple Rain,” Prince would just be another funky sex icon from Minnesota. But 25 years ago, the smash-hit album (and the film it inspired) turned him into a superstar. It also sparked lasting movements in music, fashion and censorship. Evan Sawdey of the culture site PopMatters joins us for ...
Youssou N’Dour
Singer and songwriter Youssou N’Dour is probably the biggest star in African music today. Since being introduced to American audiences on seminal albums such as Paul Simon's Graceland and Peter Gabriel's So, N'Dour has exported the sounds of his home-country of Senegal to the world for over two decades, mixing ...
When Prince Was King
Prince's global hit, Purple Rain, turns 25 this summer. There will be the usual gushing about the album's impact on pop culture - and really, how can you argue the point, since almost every song on it became a single, and the album came with a movie that did quite well even if critics weren't as kind to it as they were to the album.