We often debate Prince's most prolific era, but what was his best/most prolific year? I think it has to be either '83, '86 or '94.

1998:

newpower soul US tour
newpower soul european tour
then a furthey american tour / european tour
paisly park friday night concerts
newpower soul album
crystal ball
shed loads of tv apearences
interviews
chaka khans album
larry g's album
come on ep single
the one / come on videos
beautifull strange
channel 4's prince night

86/94 or just a tad before each year for sure, though 83 must have been a flurry of activity. Em, rum and raisin are you joking? I've taken lots of coke and cleaned my house a lot, but i wouldn't call it productive.

and even if you weren't joking crystal ball has 1986/1994 and before stamped all over it.

edit, just before semantics kick in...most prolific as in output of great music made in a certain year. he released loads of junk through npgmc at the same time in 1 year...

so I'm sure your original question is along the lines of 'when was his muse at its strongest'
[Edited 3/27/10 5:46am]
[Edited 3/27/10 5:47am]

RumAndRaisin said:

TV appearances, concerts and tours aren't considered part of being prolific.

Prolific is about producing an inordinate amount of material in a very short amount of time.

Besides, Crystal Ball was all pre-written stuff, not new matieral per se. So that cuts out those three disks right off.

I would have to say a year like 1983 is one. He wrote Purple Rain, plus The Time, and Apollonia 6's album, plus all the b-sides and remixes. 1987 is a good one with Madhouse records, Sign O The Times, all the b-sides and remixes, and eventually the black album.

The REAL way to find out is to literally go through a book like The Vault or DMSR, and find what year he wrote the most music. Whether it was released or not, he was making it and they were finished songs. Look at how much material was recorded between 1982-1984 for The Time, Apollonia, Prince, etc.

Those home, and Sunset Studio sessions produced a LOT of material throughout the years.

2010 is shaping up nicely.

SPOOKYGAS said:

Huh?
Purple & Gold?

Or do you mean all his problems mean plenty of anger taht could work as a nice impetus to write some kick-ass songs?

udo said:

If U listen closely U can hear the creaking of the vault door. It has began 2 leak already.

ernestsewell said:

I have to confess that I still haven't gotten The Vault yet. But yeah, I go through phases and right now, I'm heavy into that '82-'84 period. There was a lot of amazing stuff being made.

i would say between the years of 1982-1995

udo said:

again, ernestdude pointed out the definition...but that vault door is a creakin'

82/83 was obviously formative, but 86 and 93/94 are my favorites. I don't need the vault (book) to tell me that much, it is evident in the music that did and didn't surface. you got the years pretty much perfect in your first post xpertlova.

1986 was THE year
but the mid-90s were cool
skip a decade, it may be a while again

I would say 1983 just because it was the transitional year. '1999' the album was becoming a hit, the tour was a hit, and he didn't release a single album that year because he was working on the follow-up 2 '1999' with a even more of a pop twist 2 it. Prince recorded like crazy and all of his side projects went where he went musically, 2 some degree. Prince worked on his album, Vanity 6 (second album that became Apollonia 6's debut, The Time's third album and yet some amazing unreleased recordings).