If you were to make a definitive anthology of Prince's career on 3 discs, what songs would you pick to best represent him in more of a "Hits-driven" format? The complilation I have already put together is 56 songs. I'm interested how close I am to some of you.

Peace and be wild!!

Going with the biggest hits and well-known album cuts & b-sides, a complete anthology might look something like this (ignoring licensing issues with the various labels, of course):

DISC ONE:
1.Soft & Wet
2.I Wanna Be Your Lover
3.Dirty Mind
4.When You Were Mine
5.Controversy
6.Do Me, Baby
7.1999
8.Little Red Corvette
9.Delirious
10.When Doves Cry
11.Let's Go Crazy
12.Erotic City
13.Purple Rain
14.I Would Die 4 U
15.Take Me With U
16.Darling Nikki
17.Raspberry Beret
18.She's Always In My Hair

DISC TWO:
1.Pop Life
2.Kiss
3.Mountains
4.Girls & Boys
5.Sign 'O' The Times
6.If I Was Your Girlfriend
7.U Got The Look
8.I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man
9.Alphabet St.
10.Batdance
11.Partyman
12.The Arms Of Orion
13.Scandalous
14.Thieves In The Temple
15.Gett Off
16.Cream
17.Diamonds & Pearls
18.Money Don't Matter 2Night

DISC THREE
1.Sexy MF
2.My Name Is Prince
3.7
4.The Morning Papers
5.Pink Cashmere
6.Nothing Compares 2 U
7.The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (single mix)
8.Letitgo
9.P. Control
10.I Hate U
11.Gold
12.Shhh
13.Betcha By Golly Wow
14.Holy River
15.The Greatest Romance Ever Sold
16.The Work, Pt. I
17.Musicology
18.Call My Name

That includes every one of his top 40 hits and a lot of his better known album cuts (like "P. Control"). Of course there are better songs on his albums, but this would be a good, complete collection for slightly-more-than-casual fans.

DISC ONE: 1978-1984
1.Let's Go Crazy
2.Little Red Corvette
3.Do Me, Baby
4.Erotic City
5.I Wanna Be Your Lover
6.Head
7.Controversy
8.Darling Nikki
9.17 days
10.Take me with U
11.When U were Mine
12.Delirious
13.I would Die 4 U
14.1999
15.How Come U don't call me Anymore?
16.When Doves Cry
17.Purple Rain


DISC TWO: 1985-1993
1.Sign 'O' The Times
2.Kiss
3.Diamonds & Pearls
4.Raspberry Beret
5.Alphabet St.
6.I could Never take the place of your man
7.Cream
8.Peach
9.Sexy MF
10.If I was Your Girlfriend
11.Party Man
12.Gett Off
13.Theives in the Temple
14.Batdance
15.Nothing Compares 2 U
16.Adore
17.7

DISC THREE: 1994-2004
1.Musicology
2.P**** Control
3.The Greatest Romance
4.Dinner w/ Delores
5.letitigo
6.Lovesign
7.Supercute
8.Cinnamon Girl
9.The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (single mix)
10.Days of Wild (Crystal Ball edited version)
11.The Ride
12.Face Down
13.I hate U
14.The Holy River (single Edit)
15.A case of U
16.Comeback
17.The Everlasting Now

This is a bit different, besides the hits, but I tried to include songs from almost every album. I missed "The Black Album" and "The Vault". I also tend to look at collections with a flow equivalent to an album with sides and such. I have gotten only great responses to this.

skywalker said:

I'm really suprised that When Doves Cry isn't on here.

iwannabeurlover said:

on a "hits-driven" CD package?
why should it be on there?
it was only his biggest hit ever!!
5 weeks at #1
one of the fastest singles to reach #1
one of the fastest selling singles -- sold 2 million+, i think
#1 single of the year 1984

I made this "Best Of" kinda thing a few months ago...

Disc 1

1 My Name Is Prince
2 Sexy MF
3 Peach
4 Cream
5 Thieves In The Temple
6 Gett Off
7 The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (edit)
8 The Holy River (edit)
9 Mountains
10 I Wish U Heaven
11 Let's Go Crazy
12 Girls & Boys
13 Partyman
14 1999 (edit)
15 Controversy (edit)
16 Sign O' The Times (edit)
17 Money Don't Matter 2Night
18 Gold

disc 2

1 When Doves Cry
2 Paisley Park
3 U Got The Look
4 Batdance
5 Alphabet St.
6 Delirious (edit)
7 I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (edit)
8 Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
9 When You Were Mine
10 How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore
11 I Wanna Be Your Lover (edit)
12 Little Red Corvette
13 I Would Die 4 U
14 If I Was Your Girlfriend (edit)
15 I Hate U (edit)
16 Nothing Compares 2 U
17 Adore
18 7

disc 3

1 Musicology
2 Uptown (edit)
3 Soft And Wet
4 I Feel For You
5 Dirty Mind (edit)
6 Head
7 Do Me, Baby (edit)
8 Let's Work
9 Pop Life
10 Love Sign
11 Betcha By Golly Wow!
12 The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
13 Call My Name
14 Kiss
15 Take Me With U
16 Raspberry Beret
17 Diamonds And Pearls
18 Purple Rain


[Edited 10/20/05 22:46pm]

I really much prefer chronologically tracklists for a hits CD or anthology.

I guess in Prince's case, it would mean the set starts off a little lacklustre, with Soft & Wet, but still, I like to see the progression over the years, and find something like My Name Is Prince or Face Down would sit uncomfortably next to say, When You Were Mine or I Wanna Be Your Lover.

Compilations with chronological tracklists are so amateurish...

Even some of the greatest artists prefer mixed up tracklists for example:

Prince/The Hits
David Bowie/The Best Of 1969-1974/The Best Of 1974-1979/The Best Of 1980-1987
Björk/Greatest Hits
Tori Amos/Tales Of A Librarian
Kate Bush/The Whole Story
Lou Reed/NYC Man
Michael Jackson/History
Peter Gabriel/Shaking The Tree/Hit
Tina Turner/All The Best
Sheryl Crow/The Very Best Of
U2/The Best Of 1980-1990/The Best Of 1990-2000
Madonna/GHV2
ABBA/Gold

iwannabeurlover said:

I don't think you're looking close enough.

renfield said:

Nice try but U left out two top 20 singles off Disc one, Paisley Park (UK no.18) and A Love Bizzare (US no.11)

omnithanos said:

...also "Peach" (#14)!!!

I've put some effort into this challenge making sure they all fit and including every top 20 single complete with its peak position.


DISC ONE:79:09
1.Soft and Wet 03:03
2.I Wanna Be Your Lover (US,11) 02:58
3.Head 04:43
4.Controversy (UK,5) 03:36
5.Do Me Baby 03:58
6.1999 (US,12 / UK,2) 03:37
7.Little Red Corvette (US,6 / UK,2) 04:57
8.Delirious (US,8) 02:39
9.How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? 03:54
10.When Doves Cry (Album Version) (US,1 / UK,4) 05:54
11.Let's Go Crazy (US,1 / UK,7) 04:40
12.Erotic City 03:55
13.Purple Rain (US,2 / UK,8) 08:41
14.I Would Die 4 U (US,8) 02:57
15.Take Me With U (UK,7) 03:54
16.Raspberry Beret (US,2) 03:32
17.Paisley Park (UK,18) 04:41
18.Pop Life (US,7) 03:42
19.A Love Bizarre (US,11) 03:48

DISC TWO:79:13
1.Kiss (US,1 / UK,6) 03:46
2.Mountains 03:58
3.Girls and Boys (UK,11) 05:30
4.Sign O' the Times (US,2 / UK,10) 03:44
5.If I Was Your Girlfriend (Album Version) (UK,20) 04:54
6.U Got the Look (US,2 / UK,11) 03:48
7.Housequake 04:38
8.I Could Never Take... (Album Version) (US,10) 06:31
9.Alphabet St. (US,8 / UK,9) 05:40
10.Batdance (US,1 / UK,2) 06:14
11.Partyman (US,18 / UK,14) 03:12
12.Thieves in the Temple (US,6 / UK,7) 03:20
13.Gett Off (UK,4) 04:31
14.Cream (US,1 / UK,15) 04:13
15.Diamonds and Pearls (US,3) 04:20
16.Money Don't Matter 2Night (UK,19) 04:48
17.Sexy MF (UK,4) 05:26

DISC THREE:79:48
1.My Name is Prince (UK,7) 06:38
2.7 (US,7) 05:09
3.Peach (UK,14) 03:48
4.Lovesign 04:32
5.The Most Beautiful Girl... (US,3 / UK,1) 04:25
6.Get Wild (UK,19) 04:34
7.The Good Life (UK,15) 05:49
8.I Hate U (US,12 / UK,20) 05:54
9.Gold (UK,10) 07:23
10.Betcha By Golly Wow! (UK,11) 03:31
11.The Holy River (UK,19) 06:56
12.Come On 06:00
13.The Greatest Romance that’s ever been sold 05:30
14.Musicology 04:24
15.Call My Name 05:15

forgot to number them.
[Edited 10/20/05 9:20am]

omnithanos said:

Nice try yourself , but I was making a US version. "Paisley Park" wasn't released as a single in the US. You'll have to make your own international version! "Last December" reached number one in Japan but I'm not including that either.

Also, Sheila E. received sole credit on the charts for "A Love Bizarre," so you'll have to make a Sheila E. anthology for that one! If we're gonna include every appearance Prince made on other people's records then we're gonna have to add a fourth disc!

omnithanos said:

I'd put "Uptown" instead of "Head", Let's Work instead Of "Do Me, Baby" and "The One" instead of "Come On"...

skywalker said:

How can you start the 1st disc from 1978 when you don't even have a song on their from 78? Your missing the song "Soft & Wet!
[Edited 10/20/05 15:25pm]

This is a fascinating thread. I shied away from a hits-oriented approach, trying to bring in some unreleased stuff and a few alternate versions to spice things up, as well as reflecting what all I think encompasses some of Prince at his best.

One.
1) I wanna be your lover
2) I feel for you
3) Dirty Mind
4) When you were mine
5) Uptown
6) Head (Live in Atlanta)
7) Controversy (edit)
8) Jack u off
9) Ronnie, Talk 2 Russia
10) Do Me, Baby
11) Delirious
12) Let's pretend we're married
13) D.M.S.R.
14) Irresistible Bitch
15) Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
16) Horny Toad

Two.
1) Take Me With U
2) The Beautiful Ones (Longer Version)
3) Computer Blue (12 minute version with hall speech)
4) 17 days
5) God
6) Father's song
7) Condition of the heart
8) She's always in my hair
9) Christopher Tracy's Parade
10) Mountains
11) Girls and Boys
12) Power Fantastic
13) Train
14) Strange Relationship (Dream Factory Version)
15) Crystal Ball
16) In all my dreams

Three.
1) Feel U Up
2) Starfish and coffee
3) The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
4) Forever in my life
5) Slow Love
6) Bob George
7) When 2 R In Love
8) Eye No
9) Anna Stesia
10) Lovesexy
11) 200 Balloons
12) The Question of U
13) Eye wanna melt with u
14) Letitgo (Sherm Stick Version)
15) 319
16) There is lonely
17) When U Love Somebody

If you think I am going to read through all of your lists once more you have lost your minds.

I could probably read War and Peace in less time than it would take for me to make a definitive 3 disc Prince anthology. Although the latter would be more fun.

I would ditch some of the hits, its not bad, but his early acreer is efficent if some what lacking. I would flesh Cd one out to 1999 only and put on it,

1. In Love 2. Soft and Wet, 3. Baby, 4. I'm Yours, 5. I wanna be your lover, 6. Bambi, 7. Why u wanna, 8. Sexy Dancer, 9. Dirty Mind, 10. When U were mine, 11. Uptown, 12. Head, 13. Party Up, 14. Gotta Stop, 15. Controversy 16. Do me baby, 17. Lets Work, 18. Private Joy.

Disc 2 1999 Album to S.O.T

Disc 3, 1988 to now, excluding entire emancipation to Musicology eg, Holy River then Musicology, as its so unremarkable compared to his early stuff. Those first albums were gold.