I was always bummed that Prince's shining moment had to compete with some of the best albums of all time that year- Thriller, Synchronicity, Let's Dance, Like a Virgin and Born in the USA. Sure it was a great time for music fans but if Purple Rain was a year earlier or later, he would have taken home all the Grammy's and he would have been even huger. What a year that was for music. I still listen to all those albums almost 20 years later!

It should have come out in 1986 that year there was Nothing going on. Prince should have waited 1 year to release his Masterpiece and he would have cleaned up. Thriller wasn't over in 1984-85. Prince just was 1 year too Early. Always ahead of the times.

DMSR said:

The only thing that mattered in 1984 was the holy triumverate of Purple Rain, Born In The USA and Like A Virgin. After that, record sales of under 2 million would not be the blocklbusters they once were. Other years had major sales but 1984 changed shit forever. Those three artists destroyed Journey, Styx...all the bland groups. Artist became larger than life that year, and those three were the largest and the litmus test that all other subsequent artists had to live up to. There wil neva-eva be a year like 1984 again.

Purple Rain came out at the perfect time. Who cares about the competition...it was number one for 6 fucking months in a row..in a year of The Cars, Lauper, The Fix, Billy Ocean, Ghostbusters, the olympics, Rock Me Amadeus...

rdhull said:

I just think it would have been nice to hav him kick even more ass! I remember Bruc on the cover of Rolling Stone that year winning the Critics Poll with Prince also getting many votes, but any othe ryear and he would have won all of em. Awards don't matter, but he was a little overshadowed by the sheer brilliance of 1984.

Oh yea, forgot about VAN HALEN "1984"!!!

DMSR said:

Prince won the critics poll in RS for 1999 in 1983. I see what youre saying abut if it was only him that year...but in my eyes,it WAS only him. He wasnt over shadowed..he had EVERYONE eating out of the palm of his hands..everyone except Greg Tate.
[This message was edited Fri Oct 18 13:09:04 PDT 2002 by rdhull]

1986 or 1987 and granted he would have!

it wouldn't have had the same Impact IMHO.He got a Big Swing with the "MichaelMania" Backlash IMHO.the timing was Right&Couldn't have really mattered at any other time IMHO.I say this Because Prince Himself Seemed Bored with it after a while.but Come On not really because that Only Happens Once in a Career if you are even Half Way Lucky?

DMSR said:

1982 album.


1983 album.


1983 album.







Don't take it personally, I'm picky when it comes to years albums were released.


The backlash would have ended up more intense.

MJ won an armload of Grammy Awards and American Music Awards for Thriller, but Prince did take home the big price -- an Oscar for Purple Rain. I know that he is very proud of that award. It sits in a prominent display case at Paisley Park.

Supernova said:

I'm not just talking release dates, but these albums were all on the charts then, competing for airplay and MTV rotation.

http://www.80sxchange.com...s/1984.htm

http://infoplease.lycos.c...50934.html

I'll tell ya what I hate. Well when Prince won his AMA awards in 1985 why did Jackson and Ritchie have to Steal his Thunder and Ruin his night with WE ARE THE WORLD? And why in the Hell couldn't he Celebrate his Win with Wendy without being called a Creep for not doing the sessions? Couldn't he Celebrate at a Club? He promised them a song well why was he made to look shitty and like he had no Heart for USA for AFRICA? That wasn't Fair and the Academy and Dick Clark and Michael and All Owe Prince Big Apologies and he Deserves not only a Star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and at least 1 block before Jackson cause of his Games which I don't like. He Deserves a Lifetime Achievement of Some kind and Michael should really stop his War against Prince and stop naming his kids Prince. That's RUDE! Nobody knows what went down between Prince and Jackson but they should quit the Bullshit Already! And Prince Michael quit the Jehovahs and why was that? Investigate ! Don't be a Puppet please be Free!

DMSR said:

True, but you brought up Grammys so I thought you meant albums competing for album of the year award, which if you go technically by release date PR would only be competing with "Like A Virgin" (I don't even remember if it was nominated) and "Born In The USA" of those you named. Actually, Lionel Richie's "Can't Slow Down" won the album of the year award for 1984. And that's the safest album of them all, really. Grammy voters suck.

Or was it Tina Turner who won it that year?

Anywho...

I just checked: it was Lionel Richie.
[This message was edited Thu Oct 17 21:41:23 PDT 2002 by Supernova]

The title of this thread makes me wanna break out my red pen...

CalhounSq said:

I was thinking blue pencil. You a teacher?

PFunkjazz said:

Nah, I just love the shit outta spellcheck... :X

Oh man, "Prurple Rain"?

And what if Prince never wore high heels?

As far as Awards go,I think Prince really got a raw deal.His '1999' album should have won several major awards,but it lost out to Michael's 'Thriller',which took home 8 Grammys in one night.Then,a year later,Prince's 'Purple Rain' should have won MOST of the major awards for 1984,but it lost out to Lionel Ritchie's 'Can't Slow Down'.It won a few awards,but an album like 'Purple Rain' should have DOMINATED the Grammys (the same way 'Thriller' did the year before).

I think the problem was,the competition was so fierce back then (1982-84) and there were ALOT of landmark albums being released.Those years were the most commercially successful period for not only Prince,but also MJ,Lionel,Tina Turner,Bruce Springsteen and Madonna.

I also think the Grammys did Prince wrong by not giving him the "Album Of The Year" award in 1987 for 'SOTT'.U2 won this award,and I think Prince was a little angry about this.
[This message was edited Fri Oct 18 4:57:23 PDT 2002 by DavidEye]

DavidEye said:

Lionel fucking Ritchie...

CalhounSq said:

Hey!! 'Can't Slow Down' is a great album

"We were Running With The Night
Playing in the shadows
Just you and I
Til' the morning light"

gooeythehamster said:

And what if Prince never got rid of his fro?

DavidEye said:

When's the last time you cracked a Lionel Ritchie album? NOT w/ the Commodores - a solo album???

...

...

I'm waiting...

Well...I'm waiting for the re-mastered version of 'Can't Slow Down' to come out

DavidEye said:

LOLOL!!! Yea right!!!

btw,do you remember seeing Sheila E. in Lionel's "Running With The Night" video? She's the lady in the red dress that he serenades at that wedding!!

DavidEye said:

Yup, I remember. So glad she came out & did her own thing. It's always fun to see people you "know" in stuff they did before they became who you "know", you know?

Do you remember Crapples in the "The Other Woman" video by Ray Parker Junior??? LOLOL... that shit is hilarious!

We just hijacked this thread, reminds me of the old days...

CalhounSq said:

Who is "Crapples"??