This is a list of most big R&B hits released by Prince. He's actually been doing quite well on the charts, until recently...

TITLE: R&B CHART POSITION:
Soft & Wet.....#12
I Wanna Be Your Lover.....#1
Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad.....#13
Uptown.....#5
Controversy.....#3
Let's Work.....#12
1999.....#9
Little Red Corvette.....#1
Delirious.....#8
When Doves Cry.....#1
Let's Go Crazy.....#1
Purple Rain.....#1
I Would Die 4 U.....#8
Raspberry Beret.....#1
Pop Life.....#7
Kiss.....#1
Mountains.....#15
Anotherloverholenyohead.....#18
Sign 'O' The Times.....#1
If I Was Your Girlfriend.....#12
U Got The Look.....#1
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.#4
Alphabet St.....#3
I Wish U Heaven.....#18
Batdance.....#1
Partyman.....#5
Scandalous.....#5
Thieves In The Temple.....#1
New Power Generation.....#27
Gett Off.....#1
Cream.....#1
Diamonds & Pearls.....#1
Insatiable.....#3
Money Don't Matter 2 Night.....#14
My Name Is Prince.....#25
7.....#7
Pink Cashmere.....#14
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.....#1
Letitgo.....#10
I Hate U.....#3
Betcha By Golly Wow!.....#11
The Holy River.....#19
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold.....#23
Musicology.....#44
Call My Name.....#27
S.S.T. (Sade's Sweetest Taboo).....#56
Te Amo Corazon.....#67
Black Sweat.....#50.

raveun2thejoyfantastic said:

Thats a tad depressing and make no mistake

No surprises there really. Prince has been on the margins for over a decade now. Even the occasional publicity blitzes have never translated into real sales. Still I would have thought he'd have done better on the RnB chart. Even Soft and Wet back in 1978 made it to No.11.

you left off fury.

I thought Black Sweat would have been higher than that. It seems to be pretty popular. Popular enough to get have video parodies made anyway.

Yes, the R and B crowd have enjoyed Prince from the start. Hes always found more acceptance from his own people (meaning all R and B record buyers not just African American), some white people like me spend their whole lives adoring black music. And what taste, its great to see Call my name outdo the title track.
Seriously the whole musicology album was a bynote to young R and B singers to show them how its done. Smooth, effortless funky soul.

TITLE: R&B CHART POSITION:
Soft & Wet.....#12
I Wanna Be Your Lover.....#1
Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad.....#13
Uptown.....#5
Controversy.....#3
Let's Work.....#12
1999.....#9
Little Red Corvette.....#1
Delirious.....#8
When Doves Cry.....#1
Let's Go Crazy.....#1
Purple Rain.....#1
I Would Die 4 U.....#8
Raspberry Beret.....#1
Pop Life.....#7
Kiss.....#1
Mountains.....#15
Anotherloverholenyohead.....#18
Sign 'O' The Times.....#1
If I Was Your Girlfriend.....#12
U Got The Look.....#1
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.#4
Alphabet St.....#3
I Wish U Heaven.....#18
Batdance.....#1
Partyman.....#5
Scandalous.....#5
Thieves In The Temple.....#1
New Power Generation.....#27
Gett Off.....#1
Cream.....#1
Diamonds & Pearls.....#1
Insatiable.....#3
Money Don't Matter 2 Night.....#14
My Name Is Prince.....#25
7.....#7
Pink Cashmere.....#14
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.....#1
Letitgo.....#10
I Hate U.....#3
Betcha By Golly Wow!.....#11
The Holy River.....#19
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold.....#23
Musicology.....#44
Call My Name.....#27
S.S.T. (Sade's Sweetest Taboo).....#56
Te Amo Corazon.....#67
Black Sweat.....#50.



some of these are wrong:
here is the full list from allmusic.com
1978 Soft And Wet Black Singles 12
1978 Soft And Wet Pop Singles 92
1979 I Wanna Be Your Lover Black Singles 1
1979 Just As Long As We're Together Black Singles 91
1980 I Wanna Be Your Lover/Sexy Dancer Club Play Singles 2
1980 I Wanna Be Your Lover Pop Singles 11
1980 Still Waiting Black Singles 65
1980 Uptown Black Singles 5
1980 Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? Black Singles 13
1981 Controversy/Let's Work Club Play Singles 1
1981 Controversy Black Singles 3
1981 Controversy Pop Singles 70
1981 Dirty Mind Black Singles 65
1981 Uptown/Dirty Mind/Head (LP All Cuts) Club Play Singles 5
1982 1999 Black Singles 4
1982 1999 Club Play Singles 1
1982 Let's Work Black Singles 9
1983 1999 Pop Singles 12
1983 Delirious Black Singles 18
1983 Delirious Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 18
1983 Delirious Pop Singles 8
1983 Delirious The Billboard Hot 100 8
1983 Let's Pretend We're Married The Billboard Hot 100 52
1983 Little Red Corvette Black Singles 15
1983 Little Red Corvette Club Play Singles 61
1983 Little Red Corvette Mainstream Rock 17
1983 Little Red Corvette Pop Singles 6
1984 I Would Die 4 U Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 11
1984 I Would Die 4 U The Billboard Hot 100 8
1984 Let's Go Crazy/Erotic City Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1
1984 Let's Go Crazy Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1984 Let's Go Crazy Mainstream Rock Tracks 22
1984 Let's Go Crazy The Billboard Hot 100 1
1984 Let's Pretend We're Married Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 55
1984 Purple Rain Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 4
1984 Purple Rain Mainstream Rock Tracks 18
1984 Purple Rain The Billboard Hot 100 2
1984 When Doves Cry/17 Days Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1
1984 When Doves Cry Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1984 When Doves Cry The Billboard Hot 100 1
1985 America Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 31
1985 America Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 35
1985 America The Billboard Hot 100 46
1985 Around the World in a Day Hot Dance Music/Club Play 8
1985 I Would Die 4 U Hot Dance Music/Club Play 50
1985 Pop Life/Hello Hot Dance Music/Club Play 5
1985 Pop Life Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1985 Pop Life Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 8
1985 Pop Life The Billboard Hot 100 7
1985 Raspberry Beret/She's Always In My Hair Hot Dance Music/Club Play 4
1985 Raspberry Beret Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1985 Raspberry Beret Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 3
1985 Raspberry Beret Mainstream Rock Tracks 40
1985 Raspberry Beret The Billboard Hot 100 2
1985 Take Me With U Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 40
1985 Take Me With U The Billboard Hot 100 25
1986 Anotherloverholenyohead/Girls & Boys Hot Dance Music/Club Play 21
1986 Anotherloverholenyohead Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 10
1986 Anotherloverholenyohead Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 18
1986 Anotherloverholenyohead The Billboard Hot 100 63
1986 Kiss/Love Or $ Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1
1986 Kiss Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1986 Kiss Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1986 Kiss The Billboard Hot 100 1
1986 Mountains Hot Dance Music/Club Play 11
1986 Mountains Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 2
1986 Mountains Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 15
1986 Mountains The Billboard Hot 100 23
1987 Hot Thing Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 14
1987 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man/Hot Thing Hot Dance Music/Club Play 4
1987 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 13
1987 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man The Billboard Hot 100 10
1987 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 5
1987 If I Was Your Girlfriend Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 32
1987 If I Was Your Girlfriend Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 12
1987 If I Was Your Girlfriend The Billboard Hot 100 67
1987 Sign 'O' the Times/La La La Hee Hee Hee Hot Dance Music/Club Play 2
1987 Sign 'O' the Times Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1987 Sign 'O' the Times Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1987 Sign 'O' the Times The Billboard Hot 100 3
1987 U Got the Look Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 18
1987 U Got the Look Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 11
1987 U Got the Look The Billboard Hot 100 2
1988 Alphabet St. Hot Dance Music/Club Play 22
1988 Alphabet St. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 7
1988 Alphabet St. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 3
1988 Alphabet St. The Billboard Hot 100 8
1988 Glam Slam Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 47
1988 Glam Slam Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 44
1988 Hot Thing The Billboard Hot 100 63
1988 I Wish U Heaven Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 18
1989 Batdance Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1
1989 Batdance Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1989 Batdance Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1989 Batdance Modern Rock Tracks 18
1989 Batdance The Billboard Hot 100 1
1989 Partyman Hot Dance Music/Club Play 45
1989 Partyman Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 21
1989 Partyman Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 5
1989 Partyman The Billboard Hot 100 18
1989 Scandalous Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 19
1989 Scandalous Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 5
1989 The Arms Of Orion Adult Contemporary 21
1989 The Arms of Orion The Billboard Hot 100 36
1990 New Power Generation Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 27
1990 New Power Generation The Billboard Hot 100 64
1990 Thieves in the Temple Hot Dance Music/Club Play 9
1990 Thieves in the Temple Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1990 Thieves in the Temple Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1990 Thieves in the Temple The Billboard Hot 100 6
1991 Cream Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 16
1991 Cream The Billboard Hot 100 1
1991 Diamonds and Pearls The Billboard Hot 100 3
1991 Gett Off Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1
1991 Gett Off Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1
1991 Gett Off Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 6
1991 Gett Off The Billboard Hot 100 21
1991 Insatiable Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 3
1991 Insatiable The Billboard Hot 100 77
1991 New Power Generation Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 38
1992 7 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 61
1992 7 Rhythmic Top 40 19
1992 7 The Billboard Hot 100 7
1992 7 Top 40 Mainstream 3
1992 Damn U Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 32
1992 Diamonds and Pearls Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 1
1992 Money Don't Matter 2 Night Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 14
1992 Money Don't Matter 2 Night The Billboard Hot 100 23
1992 My Name Is Prince Hot Dance Music/Club Play 9
1992 My Name Is Prince Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 6
1992 My Name Is Prince Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 25
1992 My Name Is Prince Rhythmic Top 40 20
1992 My Name Is Prince The Billboard Hot 100 36
1992 Sexy M.F. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 76
1992 Sexy M.F. The Billboard Hot 100 66
1993 7 Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 8
1993 Nothing Compares 2 U Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 62
1993 Pink Cashmere Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 14
1993 Pink Cashmere Rhythmic Top 40 18
1993 Pink Cashmere The Billboard Hot 100 50
1993 Pink Cashmere Top 40 Mainstream 30
1993 The Morning Papers Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 68
1993 The Morning Papers The Billboard Hot 100 44
1993 The Morning Papers Top 40 Mainstream 18
1994 Letitgo Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 22
1994 Letitgo Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 10
1994 Letitgo Rhythmic Top 40 13
1994 Letitgo The Billboard Hot 100 31
1994 Letitgo Top 40 Mainstream 17
1994 Space Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 45
1994 Space Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 71
1994 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Adult Contemporary 25
1994 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 13
1994 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 2
1994 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Rhythmic Top 40 3
1994 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World The Billboard Hot 100 3
1994 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Top 40 Mainstream 3
1995 Gold The Billboard Hot 100 88
1995 Gold Top 40 Mainstream 39
1995 I Hate U Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 3
1995 I Hate U Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 3
1995 I Hate U Rhythmic Top 40 9
1995 I Hate U The Billboard Hot 100 12
1995 Purple Medley Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 15
1995 Purple Medley Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 74
1995 Purple Medley The Billboard Hot 100 84
1996 Betcha by Golly, Wow Adult Top 40 38
1996 Betcha by Golly, Wow Rhythmic Top 40 10
1996 Betcha by Golly, Wow Top 40 Mainstream 23
1996 Betcha by Golly, Wow Top 40 Mainstream 25
1996 Gold Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 92
1997 Holy River Adult Top 40 31
1997 The Holy River Top 40 Mainstream 19
1999 1999 Adult Top 40 33
1999 1999 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 45
1999 1999 Rhythmic Top 40 13
1999 1999 The Billboard Hot 100 40
1999 1999 Top 40 Mainstream 36
1999 1999 Top 40 Tracks 27
1999 The Greatest Romance Ever Sold Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 6
1999 The Greatest Romance Ever Sold Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 23
1999 The Greatest Romance Ever Sold The Billboard Hot 100 63
2004 Call My Name Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 27
2004 Call My Name The Billboard Hot 100 75
2004 Musicology Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 44
2006 Black Sweat European Hot 100 Singles
2006 Black Sweat Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 83
2006 Black Sweat Pop 100 50
2006 Black Sweat The Billboard Hot 100 60
2006 Satisfied Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 70
2006 Te Amo Corazon Canadian Singles Chart 7
2006 Te Amo Corazon European Hot 100 Singles
2006 Te Amo Corazon Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 67

Chart information courtesy of Billboard.com © 2006 VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

tane1976 said:

From looking at those numbers it looks like most of the RnB crowd have jumped ship just like the pop crowd. He was doing better in 78 than he is now.

whoknows said:

Different perspective. 50 (48 actual) year olds don't normally rule the charts.

Graycap23 said:

Agreed. I was just observing the fact rather than speculating on the cause. Although the fall from grace happened in his mid 30s.

whoknows said:

Not 2 even mention the impact of hip-hop on the charts.....

Thats because Prince's singles are trite throwaways now.
Starting officially in full glory when he decided to do that trainwreck "Betcha by golly wow" cover.

Someone had a brilliant article why Prince's recent albums suffered terribly. And they pointed out what equipment he was using to record his songs with. It was just one amazing insight after another.

3121 was just a trainwreck,period. Alot of Prince's recent work doesn't deserve attention. The only thing Prince should have got attention from 3121 was his guitar SNL performance to FURY.

Last Prince lp I bought was in 2001,no lie. And I dont see any change in the near future if I hear more "Holla and Shout's"

AND Im not the only one we all tapered off every album and it will continue.

Trickology said:

Wow, do you remember where that article was? I would love to read it. One of the things that perplexed me around the mid 90s was how his sound could go from being so big and powerful, to so small, weak, and plastic sounding. Up until Emancipation, one of the many joys of a Prince album had been those great Princely drum sounds. Even when he changed the sounds, you could still tell it was Prince, because it had that dramatic presence to it, like something important was happening and you'd better pay attention. Then after TGE, for the 1st time, that quality totally disappeared and it's never come back. The funny thing is he still sounds great live, yet the studio work sounds so flat.