Prince's "Purple Rain" put the Minneapolis Sound on the map

What they're saying: At the time of its release, Prince "was a critical darling and had a very devoted underground fan base, a Black fan base," Andrea Swensson, the Minneapolis music journalist who hosts the artist's official podcast, told the NPR show "1A."

• "It really was 'Purple Rain' that took him from an underground art rock darling to an absolute supernova."

The intrigue: The film propelled the album — released one month earlier — to the top of the Billboard charts and set up Prince's North American tour that fall.

Zoom in: "Purple Rain" was also a love letter to Minnesota, letting First Avenue, the fall colors in the Minnesota River valley, and the IDS Center's Crystal Court glimmer on the silver screen.

• The film featured other Minneapolis Sound talents like Prince's former bandmate Morris Day, co-star Apollonia Kotero, and the film's quiet heroes Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman.

Kyle's thought bubble: Let's face it, the script was a mess — though there were gems. ("Say the password, onionhead!")

• I was also surprised at how dynamic Prince was onscreen even when he was not singing. I shouldn't have been. The man was a treasure.