Not counting the live albums and compilation albums.

Do you count the internet albums, Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse??

39

does Ultimate Count?

Studio albums, in order of release:

01 For You
02 Prince
03 Dirty Mind
04 Controversy
05 1999
06 Purple Rain
07 Around The World In A Day
08 Parade
09 Sign 'O' The Times
10 Lovesexy
11 Batman
12 Grafitti Bridge
13 Diamonds & Pearls
14 Symbol
15 Come
16 Black Album
17 The Gold Experience
18 Chaos & Disorder
19 Emancipation
20 Crystal Ball
21 The Truth
22 The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale
23 Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic
24 The Rainbow Children
25 One Night Alone
26 NEWS
27 Musicology
28 3121

You can minus 6 if you don't want to include the albums released under his symbol name (The Gold Experience, Chaos & Disorder, Emancipation, Crystal Ball, The Truth and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic).

To confuse matters, Newpower Soul is credited to the NPG but really is a Prince (or symbol) album. Kamasutra is by Prince but credited to the NPG Orchestra. I've not included the second version of Rave because I guess you could say it is a 'recompilation' of the original. Some regard The Chocolate Invasion and Slaughterhouse as NOT being albums proper because they are mainly comprised of tracks released individually online previously, so are in a sense 'compilations'. C-NOTE is regarded more of an 'EP' because of its short length. Xpectation you could definately fit in the category of studio album, but since it hasn't had a CD release, its often not regarded as a proper album.

metalorange said:

I would count CB and The Truth as one release as they weren't available separately.

Also, ONA hasn't been released in retail stores as far as I know (I assume we're talking about the piano album here).
[Edited 3/20/06 13:22pm]

EmancipationLover said:

Where is Exodus?

Graycap23 said:

Credited to the NPG (like Goldnigga and NPS). Technically, not a Prince album.

metalorange said:

Wow!! His music output is astounding!! I wonder if he can track them himself!! Thanks for the info!!

EmancipationLover said:

Yeah, as I said it gets a bit confused. You can now get The Truth seperately - as a download from the Musicology store. It depends what your definition is for a 'proper' studio album - if it has to be generally released on CD to the public, then no, you can't include even ONA. Personally, I think more and more albums will be released online only, so a 'CD' release will no longer by a definition of a 'real' album - the real thing is, after all, the music, whatever format it is in.

metalorange said:

Given his music output, no wonder we Prince fans are spoiled and expect a new album every year. It's great to be a Prince freak, ain't it!! Someday, I'm going to be looking back on these times with fondness and sadness (missing the old times). Until then, let's party!! 3121 coming out tomorrow!!

My definition of 'How many studio albums has Prince released?'

(01) - Prince: For You
(02) - Prince: Prince
(03) - Prince: Dirty Mind
(04) - Prince: Controversy
(05) - Prince & The Revolution - 1999
(06) - Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
(07) - Prince & The Revolution - Around The World In A Day
(08) - Prince & The Revolution - Parade
(09) - Prince: Sign O' The Times
(10) - Prince: The Black Album
(11) - Prince: Lovesexy
(12) - Prince: Batman
(13) - Prince: Graffiti Bridge
(14) - Prince & The New Power Generation: Diamonds & Pearls
(15) - Prince & The New Power Generation:
(16) - Prince: Come
(17) - : The Gold Experience
(18) - Prince: Girl 6 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(19) - : Chaos & Disorder
(20) - The NPG Orchestra : Kamasutra
(21) - : Emancipation
(22) - : Crystal Ball
(23) - : The Truth
(24) - Prince: The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
(25) - : Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic
(26) - : Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic
(27) - Prince: The Rainbow Children
(28) - Prince: One Night Alone
(29) - Prince: One Night Alone Live
(30) - Prince: Xpectation
(31) - Prince: C-Note
(32) - Prince: N.E.W.S.
(33) - Prince: Musicology
(34) - Prince: 3121


Released excluded:
1993 - Prince: The Hits/B-Sides
1994 - : The Undertaker (Promo Only)
2001 - Prince: The Very Best Of Prince
2004 - Prince: The Slaughterhouse [ * ]
2004 - Prince: The Chocolate Invasion [ * ]
2006 - Prince: Ultimate Prince

* - Reason for exclusion: albums are compiled of previously released material from the 2001 NPGMC Year One downloads.

Also excluded: Any album written/produced by Prince *not* released under the name Prince/ (including NPS, Madhouse etc). Kamasutra is contentious this way, but I have included it in the albums as it was made available with CB.

NouveauDance said:

You count ONA Live as a studio album?

NouveauDance said:

The original poster excluded any live material - which ONA Live most definately is. I don't know how you can include Girl 6 - this is a compilation of previously released tracks which is one of your own exclusion rules. Okay, there's 3 unreleased tracks on there, but then The Chocolate Invasion also had an extra track 'The Dance' plus alternate extended versions of some tracks.

RE: ONA - D'oh! I was just listing all album releases, forgot about the 'studio only' part.

RE: Girl 6 - D'oh! T'is indeed a compilation album with no more newer tracks than the Hits/B-Sides.


Just goes to show how contentious the number of Prince's official albums really is.
[Edited 3/20/06 15:05pm]

What about 1-800-NEW-FUNK???

Revolution said:

You would have to describe the album as a 'compilation' of associated artists. Prince wrote and performed on a lot of the tracks but not all, I guess it is more akin to the NPGs Goldnigga and Exodus albums.

Some people even regard the early Time/Shiela E/Vanity 6 albums as 'Prince' albums since he wrote and did all the music, but I would still put them under the heading of 'associated artist albums', as well as the 2 Madhouse albums (even though they are basically Prince albums too...). Damn, it's hard to quantify what constitutes a Prince album!

for the love of Satan's nuts, "Exodus" and "Goldnigga" and "New Power soul" and "Madhouse 8" and "Madhouse 16" are Prince albums! He made them the same way he made all his albums...

i'd say about 26