Soon tiring of the project's enormous success and consequent over-exposure, he and the band recorded throughout touring and planned a change of image and musical direction by means of a quick follow-up. In a runaway phenomenon of success, it sold over 22 million copies around the world and at one point, Prince had the number-one song, album, and film in the United States, a feat matching The Beatles' 1964 achievement with A Hard Day's Night. The next album, Purple Rain, the first of three credited to Prince and The Revolution, was the 1984 soundtrack to his film-debut of the same name. His 1982 album 1999, credited for being an enormous influence on the next few decades of dance, electro, house, and techno music, sold over six million copies worldwide and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. He followed the release with Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980), and Controversy (1981), three albums that were certified platinum and shifted from For You's disco/soul route and instead blended New Wave, rock, pop, R&B, and funk, building up his success.
In 1978, he released his debut album, For You. Prince's music career began when he signed a record deal with Warner Bros. 10 Albums credited to The NPG Orchestra.9 Albums credited to The New Power Generation.