Thank you for all your replies regarding the ONE quintessential Prince song. It sounds like most of you struggled with similar dilemmas but ultimately the critical mass appear to favour Controversy, When Doves Cry, 1999, Purple Rain and Kiss. Other notable suggestions include If I Was Your Girlfriend, Power Fantastic, Raspberry Beret and D.M.S.R.

Onto the next question. Which is the ONE most transcendent Prince song? By transcendent, I mean the ONE Prince song which absolutely uplifts you to a positive, possibly alternate but certainly God-like, dimension.

Again, it's a difficult question.

Purple Rain?

The keyword in your definition has to be "positive", which makes the choice much harder. To me, many Prince songs touch me in a way that I feel desperation, sadness, hurt or even anger and connect to the music on that level, but it still satisfies me to feel this way and share with the music.

But to a "positive" place...

Must be Gold.

Purple Rain is transcendent, so is If I Was Your Girlfriend, Sometimes It Snows In April, Power Fantastic, I Hate U, but they are all rather sad.

Another mention would have to go to Endorphinmachine, I Would Die 4 U and Automatic (although there's also some desperation in Automatic...).

.

[Edited 12/5/11 14:58pm]

^^ Same here Gold & I Would Die 4 U

All My Dreams

End of discussion

I'd go with ''Savior''

There's something when I listen to that song.

mojo said:

Uptown

'Ei8ht' is the most transcendental & 'otherworldly' song in Prince's line-up in my opinion.

It's one of the few songs that's actually strong enough to 'pierce the ego' and make it's impression on the mind.

Great topic, BTW...

Many songs reach that level...Perhaps Jughead-NOT! lol! Purple Rain seems to top my list, but he has many.

Great question. Definitely "I Would Die 4 U"

Gosh! He really has so many! I want to immediately go with 'Power Fantastic' That song has literally broken me down in tears, and afterwards I found myself really uplifted! But he has other songs like this too. Such as:

Into The Light/I Will

These two tracks which are essentially one, just also makes me so uplifted. The way he plays the guitar and the vocals of Rosie Gains and Prince...It really uplifts me.

The Holy River

HOW UNDERRATED IS THIS GEM? I mean seriously? The lyric: "Eye can still see the picture upon the wall, of 1 eye staring at nothing at all, the other one trying 2 focus through all your tears" It just really uplifts me and highly transcendent for me.

A Case Of U

This cover really just speaks to me, everything about it is perfect! As well as Have A Heart/ Objects In The Mirror These tracks are really uplifting to me, and always does it for me.

How can we forget about GLAM SLAM AND Eye Wish U Heaven! I just love them!

Beautiful Strange!

AHH SO MANY..I just can't give one. BUT If I had to..It would have to be 'Into The Light/I Will' because these songs have really uplifted me in this part of my life now, and of course Power Fantastic. But so many really transcend.

Still Would Stand All Time

And again, The Love We Make

Hey Anji,

These "transcendent" songs are genuinely my favourite type of Prince songs. To pick one is pretty hard.

Most recently its been Future Soul Song, shutting my eyes and listening to that makes me imagine exactly that alternate, God-like dimension you describe.

Other faves that fall into that category include Welcome 2 The Dawn, One Song, Last December, The Ladder, Still Would Stand All Time, and Gold.

All of these have a similar lyrical subject asking the listener to question their physical existence but with the positive assurance that we will be ultimately rewarded with some sort of spiritual blissful state. I'm a bit of an atheist/agnostic but still find this sort of thing intriguing and comforting. Love to indulge myself every once in a while...

[Edited 12/6/11 2:13am]

I Would Die 4 U. It's in my top 5 Prince songs of all time as well. When I first became a Prince fan I kept listening to that song hundreds of times on repeat every week, and I still smile when it comes on. It's probably the song that makes me the happiest when listening to Prince.

I am not sure which one is the most butm for me it's:

AnnaStesia, LoveSexy, Joy in Repetition or The Holy River.

1+1+1 is 3

The Everlasting Now (especially the ONA Live version)

When The Lights Go Down

Gold

Come

Get On The Boat

The Grand Progression

Love Thy Will Be Done

STILL WOULD STAND ALL TIME. I get chills.

this may sound weird, but i believe Glam Slam takes me to this spiritual state you speak of

easy

When Doves Cry and Kiss... there have never been songs like that before or since

In fact you can say that about many Prince records but those two really standout

Dave1992 said:

The keyword in your definition has to be "positive", which makes the choice much harder. To me, many Prince songs touch me in a way that I feel desperation, sadness, hurt or even anger and connect to the music on that level, but it still satisfies me to feel this way and share with the music.

But to a "positive" place...

Must be Gold.

Purple Rain is transcendent, so is If I Was Your Girlfriend, Sometimes It Snows In April, Power Fantastic, I Hate U, but they are all rather sad.

Another mention would have to go to Endorphinmachine, I Would Die 4 U and Automatic (although there's also some desperation in Automatic...).

.

[Edited 12/5/11 14:58pm]

Gold? lol... goodness this site is hilarious sometimes. What does transcendent mean? Google it

It's a toss up between Future Soul Song & The Love We Make. Both make me feel closer to God.

Small Club. Just My Imagination. Guitar Solo.

Joy in Repetition.

Either "Power Fantastic," "Crystal Ball," or "Gold." But honestly, Prince has a dozen of transcendental songs. They're on the tip of my tongue and I can't think of the rest of them.

[Edited 12/7/11 18:28pm]

Alexandernvrmind said:

Dave1992 said:

The keyword in your definition has to be "positive", which makes the choice much harder. To me, many Prince songs touch me in a way that I feel desperation, sadness, hurt or even anger and connect to the music on that level, but it still satisfies me to feel this way and share with the music.

But to a "positive" place...

Must be Gold.

Purple Rain is transcendent, so is If I Was Your Girlfriend, Sometimes It Snows In April, Power Fantastic, I Hate U, but they are all rather sad.

Another mention would have to go to Endorphinmachine, I Would Die 4 U and Automatic (although there's also some desperation in Automatic...).

.

[Edited 12/5/11 14:58pm]

Gold? lol... goodness this site is hilarious sometimes. What does transcendent mean? Google it

You don't need to tell me to "google" words, thank you.

I find the keyboard riff, the fat production and sound, the lyrics and the build up to the magnificent solo to be very transcendent indeed. If you don't, that's okay.

Quite difficult to answer, though I assume that

GOLD is one of my fav

and also

MOUNTAINS of course

Alphabet Street

silverchild said:

Either "Power Fantastic," "Crystal Ball," or "Gold." But honestly, Prince has a dozen of transcendental songs. They're on the tip of my tongue and I can't think of the rest of them.

[Edited 12/7/11 18:28pm]

I forgot about that one. "Gold" is a good candidate too. I always thought that song was epic.