Surely Prince would love to be on the charts again, but to be honest I think that maybe at this stage in his life he finds joy in so many other things besides billbord recognition .

Prince no longer sells records like he used to, given his talent I think that's a shame. Madonna has managed to stay ahead of her game in terms of commercial success but Prince hasn't. Why do you think this is?

I just read an interview with him where he said the commercial aspect doesn't matter to him anymore (well, this interview was in 1998, so maybe that's changed?) but all the matters is creative growth.

But surely he'd rather have an album peak at #1 than #42.

Because Madonna has mastered a game that Prince never cared about playing.

LleeLlee said:

Because Madonna has mastered a game that Prince never cared about playing.

Prince no longer sells records like he used to, given his talent I think that's a shame. Madonna has managed to stay ahead of her game in terms of commercial success but Prince hasn't. Why do you think this is?

LleeLlee said:

Madonna, wanted to be come rich and famious because she knows where she comes from. She knows where she came from, and she will never forget. This is what keeps her in this worlds reality.

Prince, wanted to be come rich and famious to escape where he comes from. He's created a world of illusions with walls so think he can't even see the sun. This is why what Prince does quickly turns to shit. He's living in Princeville not in the real world.

Prince no longer sells records like he used to, given his talent I think that's a shame. Madonna has managed to stay ahead of her game in terms of commercial success but Prince hasn't. Why do you think this is?

I'm not comparing the two in musical ability because Prince leaves her standing, but she has remained in the public eye and still shifts tons of records.

Is it because she is tapped into current trends and is able to exploit that? How come Prince doesn't chart anymore?

Does he even care anymore?

MickG said:

I dont understand this. Can you compare and contrast with both Madonna and Prince examples so I could comprehend this better?

wonder505 said:

yes I could, but sorry I don't care to.

Fair enough, then I'll just write it off as bullshit.

LleeLlee said:

Madonna, wanted to be come rich and famious because she knows where she comes from. She knows where she came from, and she will never forget. This is what keeps her in this worlds reality.

Prince, wanted to be come rich and famious to escape where he comes from. He's created a world of illusions with walls so think he can't even see the sun. This is why what Prince does quickly turns to shit. He's living in Princeville not in the real world.

MickG said:

I think the problem is that it comes so easily to Prince that he's become complacent. I know creative growth is important to him but I dont see why you would have to sacrifice that for success. That is like saying that no record that is a hit is creative, and thats not true. I know you get to a stage where hits dont matter because you've earned the respect you deserve, eg David bowie. But I just think that maybe Prince dismisses a lot of contemporary music as clap trap. Times change, people change, we move on, Madonna knows this and she embraces it, whereas Prince still seems to want to play by the old rules. I'm not a huge Madonna fan, I prefer Prince but I just wondered how come I hear her records on the radio more often and not his.

LleeLlee said:

I think you have to ask the question as to why topping the charts is so important. I mean Danity Kane or whatever their name is, Puff Daddy's latest group debut at #1. with the current state of the music industry, why are charts still so important?

He'd rather just sit there in his darkened room reading these words.

MickG said:

There are a thousand things he does rather than waste his life like that.

Prince no longer sells records like he used to, given his talent I think that's a shame. Madonna has managed to stay ahead of her game in terms of commercial success but Prince hasn't. Why do you think this is?

I'm not comparing the two in musical ability because Prince leaves her standing, but she has remained in the public eye and still shifts tons of records.

Is it because she is tapped into current trends and is able to exploit that? How come Prince doesn't chart anymore?

Does he even care anymore?

I liked Madonna a lot untill Erotica but afterwards I got the feeling(and not only me but a lot of people and press) that she was only intrested in scoring Hits,finding the best or well-known producer of the moment 2 help her achive this.
Ray of Light was a good album,I loooved Music(the single),Die another Day is a personal fav but I just miss a real Madonna album,listen 2 Like a prayer and you know what I mean.

And her latest disco revival,the first hit was nice but it's so clear this is a money-project!The song already excisted,she just had 2 sing her line.

And that's the problem,or not the problem,with Prince.
Imagine him giving his songs 2 the Björk producer or saying;give me a disco beat 2 fit Lolita

Prince no longer sells records like he used to, given his talent I think that's a shame. Madonna has managed to stay ahead of her game in terms of commercial success but Prince hasn't. Why do you think this is?

I'm not comparing the two in musical ability because Prince leaves her standing, but she has remained in the public eye and still shifts tons of records.

Is it because she is tapped into current trends and is able to exploit that? How come Prince doesn't chart anymore?

Does he even care anymore?

LleeLlee said:

Because Madonna is a media and attention whore. She loves the spotlight so much that she is willing to put out what the public wants so she can remain successful in the charts. I won't go so far as to say that Prince doesn't care AT ALL about the charts, but I don't think he cares enough to change his desire to put out the music that makes HIM happy.

MickG said:

I think the problem is that it comes so easily to Prince that he's become complacent. I know creative growth is important to him but I dont see why you would have to sacrifice that for success. That is like saying that no record that is a hit is creative, and thats not true. I know you get to a stage where hits dont matter because you've earned the respect you deserve, eg David bowie. But I just think that maybe Prince dismisses a lot of contemporary music as clap trap. Times change, people change, we move on, Madonna knows this and she embraces it, whereas Prince still seems to want to play by the old rules. I'm not a huge Madonna fan, I prefer Prince but I just wondered how come I hear her records on the radio more often and not his.

This is me pontificating, but anyway.

...
[Edited 9/21/06 15:00pm]

LleeLlee said:

There is no doubt in my mind upon the ease of Prince's talents. I question if he understands them as fully as I do. He's gifted, but so are many others. Sometimes Gifts can seem a curse. Prince's biggest Problem is he wants to live in a world that doesn't exist. He doesn't want to live in the world that does exist. He's unwilling to make the world he would like to live in a reality across the collective consciouness. He'd rather just sit there in his darkened room reading these words.

MickG said:

dseann said:

what?