Just Think about it

Diamonds and Pearls
The Gold Experience
Graffiti Bridge
Girl 6
Emancipation
Love Symbol

Prince continued to make great music throughout the 90s. Cream, Space, I Hate U, The Love We Make, The One etc. The 90s are often criticized too much on this forum in my opinion, but still, it doesn't fully compare to the 80s. The 80s had killer albums like 1999, Purple Rain, Parade and Sign O The Times, albums on which he did almost nothing wrong.

peter430044 said:

I think it's apples and oranges. Prince's mood and goals changed. His sound changed. His band changed. His name changed. HE changed. He was more angry, anxious, and heady. The 80's were just good pop fun, despite the turmoil of bad relationships, love or band related. The 90's had him falling in love with a girl, yet falling OUT of love with WB. Very interesting juxtaposition which spawned great music. I've always said when Prince is angry or opposed with something, it's then that he makes great music. When he got free and happy and all that is when his music started to suffer. I don't want the dude miserable, but he needs less men around him.

I like both era's, but in the 1990's, his peak was from 1992-1996. The NPG lineup by the time The Gold Experience came out is my favorite lineup of the NPG and the songs from that era are among my favorite.

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

Good layout and comparison. Just think if TGE had been released in 1994, it would have lined up against Purple Rain, and it really is PR part 2, or PR for the 90's.

I agree about that NPG lineup. Once he dropped Levi, the dancers, and just honed it down to Sonny, Michael, Tommy, Morris, and himself, it was a true rock band that could kick anyone's ass. I was really disappointed to see it break up and put in folks like Kat Dyson and Kirk Johnson. It suffered a lot at that time.

I agree also that 92-96 was probably the best time period for him. It's a very close call with the same period in the 80's. But again, it's apple and oranges. A LOT Of the 80's stuff was just him, experimenting and trying new things. The 90's was all that knowledge in full throttle. It's hard to chose a favorite.

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

Good layout and comparison. Just think if TGE had been released in 1994, it would have lined up against Purple Rain, and it really is PR part 2, or PR for the 90's.

I agree about that NPG lineup. Once he dropped Levi, the dancers, and just honed it down to Sonny, Michael, Tommy, Morris, and himself, it was a true rock band that could kick anyone's ass. I was really disappointed to see it break up and put in folks like Kat Dyson and Kirk Johnson. It suffered a lot at that time.

I agree also that 92-96 was probably the best time period for him. It's a very close call with the same period in the 80's. But again, it's apple and oranges. A LOT Of the 80's stuff was just him, experimenting and trying new things. The 90's was all that knowledge in full throttle. It's hard to chose a favorite.

ITS GOOD just not as good as the 80's
80's made more of a mark MUSICALLY on the industry
constantly proved himself

Erika2k8 said:

The 90's means he didn't have to prove himself, but he did anyway, which made it spectacular.

I like both era's, but in the 1990's, his peak was from 1992-1996. The NPG lineup by the time The Gold Experience came out is my favorite lineup of the NPG and the songs from that era are among my favorite. The 1980's are epic in so many ways, but here is my breakdown.

If you compare the two decades in a 10 year flashback (studio albums of original material---excluding Greatest Hits, internet releases, Girl 6)

1990(Grafitti Bridge) vs. 1980 (Dirty Mind)= Dirty Mind

1991(Diamonds & Pearls) vs. 1981(Controversy)=Controversy

1992 (0(+>) vs 1982 (1999)=Tie (my two favorite albums)

1993-nothing

1994(Come) vs 1984(Purple Rain)= Purple Rain

1995 (The Gold Experience) vs. 1985(Around the World in a day)=The Gold Experience

I bought the Gold Experience based on I Hate U(one of my favorites) but in my opinion the rest of the music felt same it reminded me of what Janet Was doing after the Velvet Rope with the continuous flow(talking in between all 20 songs) it just didn't have the depth I believe Around the World in a Day had, the broadening of instruments and sounds compared to the same feel of the songs on the Gold Experience just doesn't compare in my book

1996(Emancipation/Chaos & Disorder) vs. 1986(Parade)=Parade (although I love Chaos & Disorder)

1997 (nothing) vs. 1987(Sign O the Times)=Sign O the Times

1998(New Power Soul) vs. 1988(Lovesexy)=Lovesexy

1989(Batman soundtrack) vs. 1999(Rave)=Rave

Just Think about it

Diamonds and Pearls
The Gold Experience
Graffiti Bridge
Girl 6
Emancipation
Love Symbol

Diamonds & Pearls was a very good album
.....and over all the whole rappish thing he tried to incorporate for me when rating those albums or songs will get a negative, because it just wasn't cutting edge Prince, it was conforming Prince...

OldFriends4Sale said:

He went through the change after Lovesexy. The band had changed after the Lovesexy tour, and when Batman came out in 1989, so by Graffiti Bridge in 1990, the band was all but established (with Fink, who did tour on the Nude Tour, but left camp after that). He was well over his pain of Susannah by early 1987. He had moved on to other chicks like Sheena Easton and Kim Basinger.

It all depends love pains can linger for a long time, and breakups with lovers and friends (Susannah Lisa & Wendy) I think were still in affect, we see the seclusion he went thru holding up in Paisley Park, Graffiti Bridge was in the works even during the Lovesexy era and bet it's probably worse than it could have been ... I didn't think he was 'seeing' Sheena Easton but Kim Basinger someone who could not replace Susannah, the relationship was a bore.

Girl 6 had 80's and 90's songs on it.

Your right it did but dominated by 80's songs
Even Pink Cashmere was inspired and written during the Lovesexy years

She Spoke 2 Me•
Pink Cashmere•Count The Days
Girls & Boys•
The Screams Of Passion•
Nasty Girl
Erotic City•
Hot Thing•
Adore•
The Cross
How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?•Don't Talk 2 Strangers
Girl 6

Emancipation had him OVER the WB fight and free of the contract, not IN it. If any album showed the WB struggle, it was The Gold Experience. Songs like "Dolphin", "Gold", and others noted that struggle, as did a lot of the Exodus album from the NPG.

I'll correct that I meant that Emancipation was the end of the WB fight and I with him going thru all that up to Emancipation I'll cut it some slack.

You mean the 1.800.New.Funk album? "lovesign" was a single, not an album.

Prince and rap was him starting to follow the trends instead of create them, like he used to do.