HA HA..i see the latest vh1 100 greatest artists of all time survey is getting a few people hot under the collar....prince is rated at 7th and elvis is rated at 8th and some people cant believe prince is higher on the list.....i understand elvis is one of the most important music figures of the 20th century and made a huge impact in the 50s when rock and roll was in its infancy but prince, to me , deserves his place in the top ten of all time....he is a better musician than elvis (by miles), and better songwriter (think elvis only wrote one or two songs in his entire career) and a better performer.....elvis had a bigger impact in the 50s than prince had in the 80s and sold far more records than prince overall but as far as an overall artist....elvis doesnt compare to prince...

prince is way better ! of course

Wrong forum.

Genesia said:

Wrong forum.

i know

Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motherfuck him and John Wayne!!

~Public Enemy

Prince = Ferrari

Elvis = Honda Accord

on Elvis being racist from wikipedia:

Despite the largely positive view of Presley held by African Americans, a rumor spread in mid-1957 that he had at some point announced, "The only thing Negroes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes." A journalist with the national African American weekly Jet, Louie Robinson, pursued the story. On the set of Jailhouse Rock, Presley granted him an interview, though he was no longer dealing with the mainstream press. He denied making such a statement or holding in any way to its racist view. Robinson found no evidence that the remark had ever been made, and on the contrary elicited testimony from many individuals indicating that Presley was anything but racist.^[33][291] Blues singer Ivory Joe Hunter, who had heard the rumor before he visited Graceland one evening, reported of Presley, "He showed me every courtesy, and I think he's one of the greatest."^[292] Though the rumored remark was wholly discredited at the time, it was still being used against Presley decades later.^[293] The identification of Presley with racism—either personally or symbolically—was expressed most famously in the lyrics of the 1989 rap hit "Fight the Power", by Public Enemy: "Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me / Straight-up racist that sucker was / Simple and plain."^[294]

The persistence of such attitudes was fueled by resentment over the fact that Presley, whose musical and visual performance idiom owed much to African American sources, achieved the cultural acknowledgment and commercial success largely denied his black peers.^[291] Into the 21st century, the notion that Presley had "stolen" black music still found adherents.^[293][294] Notable among African American entertainers expressly rejecting this view was Jackie Wilson, who argued, "A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man's music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis."^[295] And throughout his career, Presley plainly acknowledged his debt. Addressing his '68 Comeback Special audience, he said, "Rock 'n' roll music is basically gospel or rhythm and blues, or it sprang from that. People have been adding to it, adding instruments to it, experimenting with it, but it all boils down to [that]." Nine years earlier, he had said, "Rock 'n' roll has been around for many years. It used to be called rhythm and blues."^[296]

My family was in Memphis during Elvis' prime and the apocryphal tales on Elvis cut both ways on the race issue. I heard the stories you mentioned, and I heard stories of him helping black folk in need, and black folk packing the Daisy Theatre downtown to see his movies.

It's worth noting that Chuck D later apologized for his riff on Elvis, which at the time packed a punch because it was in the context of a full-on challenge of "mainstream" American iconography throughout the song.

I'm a product of my era, and I'd take Prince any day, all day, every day, but it's worth noting that Elvis was an accomplished and highly decorated country and gospel artist too.

I don't own a single Elvis record, but I think he needs to be judged on his whole record, such as it is, and not the perceptions that have popped up around him and his legacy, which are much larger than even his life.

At first I read this as "PRINCE VS ELVES" and I thought... well... never mind what I thought, actually.

Cerebus said:

At first I read this as "PRINCE VS ELVES" and I thought... well... never mind what I thought, actually.

now that would be a thread

blackbob said:

Cerebus said:

At first I read this as "PRINCE VS ELVES" and I thought... well... never mind what I thought, actually.

now that would be a thread

That could be a fantasy novel series, you know, with like a map and glossary.

ufoclub said:

blackbob said:

now that would be a thread

That could be a fantasy novel series, you know, with like a map and glossary.

Would Prince be Frodo or Gollum?

This should be no damn contest. I agree that Elvis was talented, he played guitar and piano (yeah, he did. Just didn't perform publicly), and had a respect for the black roots of the music he was singing. But Elvis didn't write the majority of his songs. And those who did write them never got the credit they deserved for it (i.e Otis Redding). Even Blue Suede Shoes was a song by Carl Perkins, but nobody makes that association. Elvis did not invent rock n' roll. It always existed in the black community and among other musical pioneers, such as Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry.

Prince on the other hand, can play way more instruments than Elvis, has a voice, and has written the vast majority of his songs. His body of work is way more vast (and that's not including his Vault material), and Prince has created his own unique sound in music. And those are just a few things you can credit Prince with. These accomplishments on their own should give Prince a way higher rating than Elvis.

[Edited 8/26/10 11:24am]

Careful! I had no intention of getting the nonsense lock thrown on this thread. All I was thinkin' is that dude is already kinda, ya know, elf like.... in stature... that is. He would probably be on their side. .... maybe their leader. So the whole series could be called "Prince and the Elves versus..."

"Prince and the Elves versus the Dragons of the Industry!"

"Prince and the Elves versus the Talentless Masses!"

Er..... you get the idea...

Graycap23 said:

Prince = Ferrari

Elvis = Honda Accord

I'd compare Elvis more to my dad's Jaguar that caught on fire and was always in the shop

NDRU said:

Graycap23 said:

Prince = Ferrari

Elvis = Honda Accord

I'd compare Elvis more to my dad's Jaguar that caught on fire and was always in the shop

Lol.....either way...........it IS NOT a Ferrari.

I like both. VH1 countdowns don't mean nothing.

kpowers said:

I like both. VH1 countdowns don't mean nothing.

The top 100 list of "Greatest Artists of the 20th Century" did not include, IIRC, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday or Louis Armstrong. I thought the title of the list was a misprint.

Elvis should neither be underrated OR overrated by anyone.

I've always said that the only person who has more on-stage charisma than Prince is Elvis Presley.

Two bad mofo's right there

who looks better on black velvet?