Number 15 is quite low but it's great that he's on the list anyway.

Best Tour: His greatest road trip -- the Europe-only 1987 Sign o' the Times tour -- never made it to these shores, so the nod goes to the Purple Rain 1984-85 shows, when Prince became a superstar.

Best Live Album: The Flesh for Fantasy bootleg captures a searing Syracuse, New York, show from the Purple Rain tour.

http://www.rollingstone.c...p?pid=1736

I think its disgusting that he's that far down and then U2 is number one?

Kinda reminds me of how I felt at the Grammy's when they snubbed SOTT in exchange for praising Joshua Tree.

When Bono can do the splits... call me.

C

Oh...SHUT UP ALREADY! DAMN.

WTF? I can understand Dylan, Springsteen and U2. I'm not really a fan, but they can perform. It's Tori Amos, Pearl Jam, Radiohead and just about every other artist that completely baffles me. I went to a Radiohead show. Thom Yorke and crew spent their entire time looking at the cameras set up on the stage. Good music, performed blandly.

CDHTUNE said:

- I agree...U2 has some nice music, but their sound is usually bland and repetitive. SOTT was genius work. And U2 is so overrated and loved. Here in Brasil, if you say you like U2, everybody opens a smile, but when it comes to Prince...they make an ugly face. I prefer to think that it´s because U2 is more ´acceptable´ (read predictbale)

CDHTUNE said:

lol well said

why all the fuss? who cares where prince is on this list? i'm surprised he's even on it! recognition is cool, but these lists are just plain stupid. haven't you learned by now?

milty said:

I never thought it'd feel cool to be from Syracuse.

Interesting that the Syracuse show would be number 1. I saw him 5 days later at Lakeland Florida, and he was smokin! (definitely one of the most moving experiences of my life, especially when the crowd was doing the Purple Rain melody while waiting for the band to come back out for Purple Rain). I'd have to say that musically though, SOTT was probably better, and friends that I saw him with in Lakeland said the 1999 show was better. I also like the Days of Wild era shows-very polished, funk and roll.

Also, isn't the Syracuse show available on video (Prince and the Revolution Live)..."Hello Syracuse and the world"...I thought so...

Naturally, Rolling Stone would pick one of his lesser tours (at least musically), just because he was huge back then.

14 performers better than prince, thats funny, they should read the reviews of the ona tour, where praise became redundant, phish, tori amos, is this a joke,

who
the
fuck
cares
what
rolling
stone
think
?
!

jtgillia said:

well said

Princ is/was the best live...Well, it depends on which tour you're talking about. Last time I saw Prince it was 12 full length songs(9 of them his, 3 remakes), and 10 medley snippets. Last time I saw U2, the music was blander, but I got 23 FULL LENGTH SONGS...Bono sang ALL THE LYRICS...with a little improv. U2 has not even half the talent of Prince, but You wouldn't see Tony M with a STAR TREK uniform on, and a lovely but nearly 300 pound rapping Rosie Gaines (Push live from 1991).

U2 has pretty much done the same tour...play at least 9 new songs from whatever their new album is, 10 hits, and 4 or so obscure songs. Prince did nothing but medley induced shows from 1997 to 2001, finally coming back to earth for the brilliant One Nite Alone tour, which was still a little medley heavy. Prince called "Emancipation" the album he was born to make..yet hardly played ANYTHING from the album on the tour...and to make things worse,MUCH of the 1997-2001 tours were NOT EVEN LIVE..he was using BACKING TAPES..

Prince's 1983 Purple Rain preview show on 8-3-83, and the Paris SOTT Show from 1987 are probably the two best concerts anyone has ever done. Those two shows alone show Prince IS BY FAR the best live performer on a given night...but U2 have been more consistent, no shabby rappers, no endless medleys that cut the life out of their songs. U2 may not have even 10 percent the ability of Prince, but they try harder...just watch the DVD of the often criticised "Pop Mart" tour from 1997, they took a huge risk, and probably shoulda scrapped the tour, but the music was great. U2 also has a live release on video from nearly every tour...Prince refuses to open his vault I still love Prince a lot more, but U2, who have sold out in some opinions have done it better live for the long haul..

Joshy I'm feelin' u!

I'd only like to add that..."The only opinion that really matters is your own!"