New article about Prince, MJ and Madonna:

http://www.theage.com.au/...91539.html


Three of pop's biggest icons will reach the half-century milestone this year. But in a youth-obsessed music market and with worthy successors nipping at their heels, will Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson stay relevant? Guy Blackman assesses their futures.

PRINCE

Of this trio of semi-centennial pop stars, Prince comes a distant third in sales figures and chart statistics, but, career-wise, has an arguable claim to the best position of all. The era of purple-tinged blockbuster albums, indulgent feature films and confusing monikers are decades gone, but Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958) makes his own rules these days.

Arranging a series of one-album deals, or just releasing records via his own label, NPG, Prince may only have reached the charts once this decade, with his 2004 "return to form" album Musicology, but he now can release whatever he wants, whenever he wants, in whatever form he wants. Thus the last decade of three-disc concept albums and instrumental records.

For at least one of his fans, Prince outstripped his contemporaries decades ago. "I was a massive Michael Jackson fan as a kid," says Joe Peruzzi, the 28-year-old moderator of Australia's only online Prince fan forum, Facedownunder. "But one day my sister came into my room and said, 'What the hell is this you're listening to? You should listen to Prince!' So the Michael posters came down, and up went the Prince ones."

Through his forum, Peruzzi has met fans who are far more obsessive than he, with love-symbol tattoos and houses bedecked in purple. But still, his passion for the small, hairy genius runs deep.

"It's all about the music for Prince," Peruzzi says. "With Michael Jackson and Madonna, it's all about the image or the video clips. When you watch Prince live, it's just flawless, but you know it's not overly rehearsed, like a Madonna concert. Michael Jackson will come on, do Billie Jean, do a moonwalk and leave. With Prince, it's always something different: never the same set list, never the same show."

It's in this way that Prince's star will endure until his 50th birthday is a distant memory. Famed around the world for the spontaneity and generosity of his live performances, Prince sells out huge tours regularly and often heads to smaller venues, once the main show is over, to play on until the wee hours - something it's hard to imagine Madonna and Jackson ever doing.


http://www.myspace.com/linusnrone

Fabulous!

This 50th year stuff is really going to be reported on alot from what I can see. With his penchant for numbers and his anti aging genes, he should write a new song called 50 is the new 25 - I can hear it now.

Great article and too true!

As I've always said Prince is the only true artist of the bunch

Michael is a performer not an artist and Madonna...well she is simply a corporate bastard and only about the image

He merely pimped the system, they took the long way to explain it.

bollocks!, the days of spontanaity went out in 1986. Fact, since then every tour has been rehearsed to death which has both positives and negatives. If anyone cares to read Eric leeds account of the Lovesexy tour and perhaps compare that to the sheer variety of the 02 tour then a big contrast can be found. I guess practice makes perfect and allows him to change tracks at will during a gig, but please lets all agree that P rehearses every show to death!.

Like them or not, all three deserve major props for all kinds of diffrent reasons.
All three worked their ass's off,.....other than Mike's plastic nose,they all look great fo 50 too.
[Edited 4/15/08 16:39pm]

Happy Birthday to Prince , Madonna and Michael...We love ya!

linus4000 said:

i think its safe to say that they will all remain "relevant"

'Arranging a series of one-album deals, or just releasing records via his own label, NPG, Prince may only have reached the charts once this decade, with his 2004 "return to form" album Musicology, but he now can release whatever he wants, whenever he wants, in whatever form he wants. Thus the last decade of three-disc concept albums and instrumental records.'




So 3121 entering the US charts at No. 1 was all a dream eh?
[Edited 4/15/08 18:33pm]

'Of this trio of semi-centennial pop stars, Prince comes a distant third in sales figures and chart statistics, but, career-wise, has an arguable claim to the best position of all. The era of purple-tinged blockbuster albums, indulgent feature films and confusing monikers are decades gone, but Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958) makes his own rules these days.' Quote




I seriously doubt that he trails in chart statistics, the man has released way more albums than the other two ' singers'. This article has more holes in it than a thing with a lot of holes in it.
[Edited 4/15/08 18:39pm]

That article is not new,it's been posted. but thanks.

SPOOKYGAS said:

This 'article' is from an Australian newspaper. I guess he is quoting Oz statistics. Sadly in Oz, we get virtually ZERO Prince news, clips, album reviews and certainly NO airplay!!! It SUCKS! But you are right, the story has lots o holes and the dude could have done a little more research.

barangel said:

I have been in Oz for 16 months and have questioned if Prince actually exists! WTF is up with that? The other thing U get is 'oh that poofter is he still around' and this came from a guy who has just bought tickets too see Sir Elton Johnny! I GIVE UP.

SPOOKYGAS said:

LOL! I KNOW!!!!! Oz Prince fans have to be THE most dedicated in the world!!

DJJillMonroe said:

Word!