I'm a relatively new fan, and so far have the following albums:

-Prince (self titled)

-Dirty Mind

-1999

-Purple Rain

-Around the World in a Day

-Sign O' the Times

-Love Symbol Album

-Emancipation

-3121

Any recommendations on any 'must haves' that I'm currently missing?

I say Parade, I love every song on this album

bc002k said:

I'm a relatively new fan, and so far have the following albums:

-Prince (self titled)/-Dirty Mind/-1999/-Purple Rain/-Around the World in a Day/-Sign O' the Times/-Love Symbol Album/-Emancipation/-3121

Any recommendations on any 'must haves' that I'm currently missing?

Just buy any album.. you've got all the most popular ones, and everyone has a different opinion on which albums are best.

If you share your opinions on the albums you've already heard, people could give you better recommendations.

If you loved Prince, get For You

If you loved Dirty Mind and/or 1999, get Controversy

If you loved Purple Rain/ATWIAD/Sign O The Times, get Parade and Lovesexy

If you loved (symbol album) , get Diamonds and Pearls and The Gold Experience

If you loved Emancipation, get Newpower Soul and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

If you loved 3121, get Musicology, Planet Earth and Lotusflow3r

^ I made those recommendations based on which albums are similar to the ones you own.

Parade, The Gold Experience and The Rainbow Children are probably the most popular albums that you're missing.

[Edited 5/23/12 14:10pm]

Controversy

It probably makes the most sense to fill in the blanks and start buying them in chronological order. So you ought to get For You, Controversy, Parade, The Black Album and Lovsexy and then just keep going from there.

Buy Parade, then immedietely turn your attention to another artist.

Prince hasn't been relevant since 1987, so unless you're downloading this crap, save your money.

Definetly "Lotusflow3r" and "The Gold Experience".

Batman Soundtrack

Parade

Come

3121

Lotusflow3r

The Gold Experience

The Rainbow Children

Batman

New Power Soul (don't listen to what people say, the real prince fans have a soft spot for this one)

Come

Parade

Revelations2.1 lol

Wildboy said:

Wildboy said:

Newpower Soul (don't listen to what people say, the real prince fans have a soft spot for this one)

One of my favorite Prince albums.

Yeah, I think the only problem NPS had was that people were expecting emancipation part 2 (which I wouldn't have wanted anyway)

bc002k said:

I'm a relatively new fan, and so far have the following albums:

-Prince (self titled)

-Dirty Mind

-1999

-Purple Rain

-Around the World in a Day

-Sign O' the Times

-Love Symbol Album

-Emancipation

-3121

Any recommendations on any 'must haves' that I'm currently missing?

In order of necessity (My view only)

Parade

Controversy

Lovesexy (These 3 albums are must haves for any Prince fan, they will complete your 1980 -88 period sans the Black Album)

Diamonds and Pearls

The Gold Experience

The Black Album (Less essential but very welcome additions)

Lotusflow3r/MPLSound

For You

Crystal Ball

Rave un2 the Joy fantastic (Useful to have)

The Rainbow Children

Planet Earth

At least one bootleg copy of any permutation of the Dream Factory/Crystal Ball (Can be helpful to have)

After that u should be brave enough to contemplate a complete set of his works (IE get whatever you want after this lot)

Some albums may be out of print and very hard to get, so if you can not find them, Purcahsing the Hits/Bsides may be necessary (Even just to get at the Bsides) and the Ultimate for its selection of dance 12' mixes).

Do not get next

Batman

Chaos and Disorder

Newpowersoul

These albums are so bad, they may put you off Prince

[Edited 5/23/12 17:26pm]

[Edited 5/23/12 21:56pm]

Either Parade, Lovesexy, Controversy, Diamonds And Pearls, Planet Earth, or Come

[Edited 5/23/12 18:54pm]

Do like the rest of us....buy 1 of each and don't cry over spilt milk...enjoy the investment.

Adorecream said:

Do not get next

Batman

Chaos and Disorder

Newpowersoul

These albums are so bad, they may put you off Prince

I never get tired of telling people this but Chaos and Disorder was my first Prince album and I have been a fan ever since.

i think the good on chaos and disorder really outweighs the bad

Adorecream said:

Do not get next

Batman

MAN WHAT.

There really is no accounting for taste.

NeonCraxx said:

Chaos and Disorder is a must have IMO. A lot off good songs on there.

I replaced the few duff tracks I didn't like with outtakes from the same era, on the suggestion from someone on the org, and it's now a stonkingly good album, IMO.

Chaos & Disorder

I like It There

Dinner with Delores

Calhoun Square

The Same December

Right The Wrong

Zannalee

Da Bang

Into the Light

I Will

Empty Room (1995 version)

Had U

Gets played so much more now. Wish he'd have released it like that.

rialb said:

It probably makes the most sense to fill in the blanks and start buying them in chronological order. So you ought to get For You, Controversy, Parade, The Black Album and Lovsexy and then just keep going from there.

This.

The 80s albums (all of them) are absolutely essential.

Wall said:

Buy Parade, then immedietely turn your attention to another artist.

Prince hasn't been relevant since 1987, so unless you're downloading this crap, save your money.

It's a world wide web, if you feel this way, navigate somewhere else...

Parade, Lovesexy and The Rainbow Children...The best for me

Fill in the gaps:

PARADE ( I love this album. Probably consistently in my tope 3 always)

LoveSexy ( not a favorite, but it's an interesting album coming after SOTT).

The Black Album and all the Camille related boots.

Lotusflow3r & Planet Earth ( combined with 3121, they form an unintended trilogy)

The Gold Experience (excellent from beginning to end--just a bit too likable).

Imago, you have the creepiest looking avatar I've seen in a while

The Gold experience isn't that bad, but to be honest, if you can find 'The Dawn' online, that's get you through almost everything from 1993-1997 and it's free.

CuriousPoses said:

Adorecream said:

Do not get next

Batman

MAN WHAT.

There really is no accounting for taste.

I am just saying to a new fan, you need to know his other music quite well, before you can stomach this very average album.

Adorecream said:

I am just saying to a new fan, you need to know his other music quite well, before you can stomach this very average album.

It's OK, we can all like different things (hence 'no accounting for taste').

I think Batman was my second, third (?) Prince album. Very much an intro for me, anyway.

Sure, it's not essential, but I would certainly recommend it ahead of Planet Earth or For You (and I quite like Planet Earth).

My personal pick for next album to get: Lotusflower.

Definitely Controversy.