42 Years Ago Today: Rock Legend Hit No. 1 for the First Time With Iconic Song - And It Still Rocks
One of the most iconic songs in rock history was born out of Stevie Nicks' solo debut studio album Bella Donna.
Speaking about Prince's When Doves Cry, Nicks suggested the rock legend was inspired by her solo hit Edge of Seventeen. Following the release of his single, the latter actually changed the lyrics to her own hit song, incorporating lyrics from When Doves Cry at the end of her song.
"He was inspired by Edge of Seventeen to write When Doves Cry," she said. "That's really when he and I started to sort of be friends. From that moment onward at the very end of Edge of Seventeen, I go, ‘I know what it sounds like, I know what it sounds like, I know what it sounds like when doves cry. It sounds like you.'"
'When Doves Cry' Hits No. 1 42 Years Ago Today
On this day 42 years ago, Prince's iconic song hit No. 1, giving the legendary rock and roll star his first No. 1 hit. It also kept Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark from reaching No. 1, though the Boss owned the top of the album charts.
When Doves Cry sits at No. 37 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
"Even by Prince standards, it's eccentric; after single-handedly recording the stark, brokenhearted song in the studio, he decided to erase the bass track from the final mix. According to the engineer, Prince said, 'Nobody would have the balls to do this. You just wait - they'll be freaking.' He was right," Rolling Stone wrote.
The final song prepared for his iconic Purple Rain album gave the rock and roll legend his first No. 1 hit with a song that still rocks today.
Related: 45 Years Ago Today: Rock Legend's 'Meaningless' Hit Reaches No. 1 - And It Still Rocks
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 4:51 PM.