I was just thinking about how at some Prince fan messageboards how there is an ongoing discussion about what songs Prince did or didn't release as singles from albums.

I know sometimes when we look back at them we think he should've released others instead of the ones he did but I was wondering do most of you agree with me that just because a song wound up being a hit doesn't neccessarily mean its a better song than others that a) weren't hits b) weren't released as a single to be given a chance to be a hit.

I think of course the hits are good songs but that they may not be better songs or even the best song compared to some on the album that weren't released or if they were didn't chart as high.

Would most of you agree or am I totally off base on this one?

One song I was thinking about today when thinking of this is PopLife as compared to Cream. Some songs you listen to and the first time you hear them you know they are going to be a hit.....I think I heard Tommy Barberella say that about Cream and I agreed with him and when I hear it I just think hit but also it was played so much that now even though I think it is a good song I can't really listen to it because I am so tired of it.

PopLife on the other hand was released and has a great extended version and i've heard both probably about 50 to 100 times now but I never get tired of hearing the album cut or the extended cut. I think its just a better, longer lasting, more enjoyable song able to bear up under many, many listens.

It doesn't have to be those too of course that's just my example. I am sure you all probably have a bunch you can think of too.

I was just wondering what most people thought on this subject.

Right.

Also, Grape Nuts are neither grapes nor nuts. What a ripoff!

The same thing with "pineapples". Who came up with that one anyway?

Don't even get me started on Cracker Jacks. I didn't get so much as a buzz off those things.

Of course, I believe that is true indeed.

Sometimes it is better for a song 2 b album only as the radio cant murder it

Sometimes Prince fans call songs "hits" that actually weren't. Then they bitch about Prince only playing "the hits" when in fact, "Uptown" for example, is not a hit. It's a damn good song, but not a "hit".

I know i replied in another thread making the statements about what he has and hasn't released as singles.

I agree completely that a 'hit' is not necessarily a great song. They can often be analogous... but not always. A 'hit' is typically a measure of commercial success and 'popular' appeal. Heck, a song can be a 'hit' just among fans technically... even if not to the general public/pop fan. Opinions aside, a great song is a great song weither a 'hit' or not.

I'll give a couple of examples from back in the day, from the SOTT album... 'U Got The Look' and 'I Could Never Take The Place of Ure Man'. Both songs were commercialy released and both were considered moderate 'hits'...

In spite of the fact the SOTT is my fav Prince album... period... I can't stand either of these songs.

Meanwhile, the title track was both a great song and a 'hit'.

There are other tracks on the album which IMO were great songs (ex. Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, Starfish and Coffee) but, I'm sure, would not have been 'hits'... while there are some which never was released as a single which were great songs as well(ex Adore, Strange Relationship) but had great potential to be 'hits'.

In general I'd say , especially in the 1980s , the singles Prince released were as good as anything else on the albums they came from , e.g I think all the very best songs off Parade were released as singles . In the 1990s , a period I'm a huge fan of though some of you aren't , I think that some of the singles he released werent the very best songs off the albums , e.g letitgo , though good , is one of the weakest songs off Come ,theres lots of far far better songs than betcha by golly wow on Emancipation too.

True, "Being a hit does not make it a better song"
but it doesn't mean it's bad either. It just means it sold shitloads of copies.

I have to say that I think Prince got it 'right' with his single choices
90% of the time up to about 1994. After then, I think the choices were not
particularly inspired (almost nothing but ballads for a start!)