It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1984, shipping one million units in the United States.
The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2013.
Following Prince's death in 2016, the song rose to number one on the US and UK iTunes Charts, allowing "Purple Rain" to re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 17, later reaching number four.
In the United States, it has sold an additional 1.18 million copies after becoming available as digital downloads.