Prince is mentioned in a "laundry list of underperforming 2001 releases by previously platinum-selling names" in a very interesting article on salon.com on declining sales in the music industry. Here's the link to the story:
http://www.salon.com/ent/...index.html

The relevant passage is: "Consumers don't seem to experiment when buying CDs either. The laundry list of underperforming 2001 releases by previously platinum-selling names includes Macy Gray, Michael Jackson, George Strait, Paul McCartney, Snoop Dogg, Jessica Simpson, Tori Amos, Sisqo, RZA, R.E.M., Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Lenny Kravitz, Prince and Mariah Carey."

Another interesting passage is this: "The business is broke and that just accelerated the decline," says one veteran. "This is not a growth industry." (The one bright spot is contemporary Christian and gospel music; sales have spiked since Sept. 11.)"