This is an interesting topic for a dude with so many records. The problem with this topic is in what we each consider to have a generally high rating or a low rating. This is also relative to where you live, etc. PARADE, for example, got mediocre reviews in the USA when it came out, but very glowing ones in Britain and Europe. Then, there's the fact that, over time, a "critical consensus" develops, which overrules what the contemporary reviews were. For this reason, SIGN O' THE TIMES seems highly rated in retrospect, but actually when it came out it got average reviews for the era.

As for the question of why the early 80s stuff generally gets higher critical reviews -- well, that's natural when a guy has been around as long as Prince. The longer he goes on, the less groundbreaking he seems. Critics tend to get excited about new, genre-busting stuff. And I think it's fair to say that his early 80s stuff was truly precedent setting, whereas the early and mid-90s stuff, while perhaps unfairly reviewed due to his own high standards, was not breaking any new ground. Even Prince's fans tend to criticize him for following trends rather than setting them in the 90s.

There's also the fact that the longer an artist produces music, the more the critical opinion will compare his new work to his old work. Of course, this is unfair but it's quite natural. In contrast, when Prince dropped DIRTY MIND, what could critics compare it to? Where was the precedent for a black guy from Minnesota doing self-produced new wave demos about sex, with big melodies? This is why a record like DIRTY MIND has formed a high status in the critical consensus.

I think, after SIGN O' THE TIMES, Prince had exhausted popular genres to master. He was so skilled in doing everything, that everything he tried afterwards sounded either Prince-retro or like an imitation of trends.

None of that is Prince's fault. It's a sign of his greatness that an album with as much genius as, say, DIAMONDS & PEARLS, can be somewhat forgotten in the critical consensus and engender such debate amongst hardcore fans, after it sold 6 million or whatever.

Underrated? I'm tempted to say EMANCIPATION is underrated by the general public, which pretty much ignored it (although it got pretty good reviews, critically). And I think SIGN O' THE TIMES was underrated by critics when it came out, although the critical consensus has corrected this error subsequently.

Overrated? I actually don't think he's been overrated much. Actually, AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY was overrated by critics when it was released. He was so huge at that moment that they didn't want to risk misunderstand him. But it's been somewhat forgotten since then.

Since I'm guessing most of the general public hasn't listened to all of his albums, my response is for under- and over-rate among fan base.

Underrated*:
NEWS
Newpower Soul
maybe The Rainbow Children

*none of these are faves of mine, but I feel they get a lot of undeserved hate.

Overrated:
SOTT (Note I didn't say it was a bad album, I just happen to think it's the most overrated Prince album ever, especially on the .org)
Emancipation (anything other than thinking this album is pure crap is overrating it in my opinion. )

Overrated: "Parade" and "Sign O The Times"
Underrated: "Prince"

Most Overrated Albums (here's where the true blasphemy begins)
1) Dirty Mind - The title track is repititious to the point of boring me to tears, the falsetta isn't all that impressive, and with the exception of "Head", "Sister" and "When U Were Mine", the songs are generic and sound too similar to each other. I do like the garage band spirit to it, but it's not enough to make the album all that interesting to me.
2) 1999 - Don't get me wrong. I really really like this album. "Little Red Corvette", "delirious", and "DMSR" are some of the funkiest songs in Prince's arsenal. And almost as good are "Lady Cab Driver", "A-U-T-omatic", and "Something in the Water". But I'm stunned by the praise this album gets in comparision to some of his other albums (see underrated list)
3) Sign of The Times - Often billed as his best album by fans, this confuses me. This is by far, consistently on my top 5 favorite Prince albums list. Of All his albums this one desperately needs to be remastered. To Me, SOTT is on par with Purple Rain, but PR beats it out--it's shorter and fiercer. It rocks more than SOTT, and it's single ballad "The Beautiful Ones" is more powerful than any of the ballads on SOTT. And it's anthem "Purple Rain" is better than "The Cross"--SOTT's anthem. Don't shoot me people, I still love the shit out of SOTT. I just think it's a bit overrated.
4) LoveSexy - another album I love, but is overrated. "I Know" is not an emotionally uplifting song, "Alphabet Street" is almost completely ruined by the rap (and I've never heard a live version of it I liked), Anne Stesia is very powerful but ends a bit campy with the whole "Love is god, god is love" bit, "When 2 R In Love" is a great ballad, but not all that emotionally moving, and "Positivity" sounds like the afterbirth of a b-side. Yet Prince had some genius in creating the album becuase the sum total of the album is far stronger than it's individual parts. [/quote]


W.T.F????

Those albums all rock, 1999, SOT and DM are my favourite albums


My choice

Overrated

Symbol, its alright and a period piece, what is so great about it

TRC Why the love doggs?

Purple Rain, Its great I like it, but it aint his best, its preetty contrived

Batman, Its a funky soundtrack, nothing more nothing less



Underrated

3121 People have been disgraceful, its a brilliant album still ringing in my head and giving me goose bumps 6 weeks later, superb songs and still funky ass Prince sex joints. Tamar has skills too

Graffiti Bridge, OK the movie sucked and some of the jams are throwaway, but in this age of skippable CDs and stuff, its ghot 10 best songs on it that are SOT quality. Listen to it and it gives u more.

Musicology, leave it alone, it has a lot of soul more than 3121 even, his blackest album in ages I like!!!!

For You The collection of his learning, funky tight disco shit.

Come,minus twio really bad jams Solo and Orgasm its like Musicology and funkier still esp tracks 1-4 and 7