First Avenue — Minneapolis, Minnesota

First Avenue at 701 First Avenue North in Minneapolis is the most important music venue in the history of the city and one of the most significant in American rock — a former Greyhound bus depot converted into a club in 1970 that became Prince's home stage and the setting for much of the 1984 film "Purple Rain." The exterior walls are covered with stars bearing the names of artists who have played particularly significant shows; Prince has more stars than anyone. The venue's black exterior, its low ceilings, and its intimate character made it a perfect incubator for the Minneapolis sound that Prince developed through the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Prince played First Avenue obsessively before his commercial breakthrough, developing his band and his performance style in front of audiences who became evangelists for the music. The "Purple Rain" film — shot largely at First Avenue in 1983 — captured this relationship on film, and the album's global success turned the club into a pilgrimage site. Songs including "Purple Rain," "When Doves Cry," and "Let's Go Crazy" are inseparably associated with the building. Bob Dylan also performed an early show here when the venue was known as the Depot.

First Avenue continues to operate as an active music venue and is one of the best-preserved rock clubs in America. The stars on the exterior wall have been added to over the decades; Prince's star is the largest. After his death on April 21, 2016, the venue became an immediate gathering point for Minneapolis's grief — crowds assembled outside, candles were lit, and music played through the night. The club's relationship to Prince is among the most complete artist-venue bonds in rock history.