Even Prince's big hits were unusual sounding. He was undeniable back in 82-84 but his songs did not really fit in with mainstream radio even back then. Neither did his image. He did not fit popular culture, he defined i though sheer will power.

That cannot last forever, though. So no, MPLSound probably would not have been a hit. But he's capable of having one, with the right editor and the right record label, and the right attitude. That may happen one day, and it may not.

NDRU said:

Even Prince's big hits were unusual sounding. He was undeniable back in 82-84 but his songs did not really fit in with mainstream radio even back then. Neither did his image. He did not fit popular culture, he defined i though sheer will power.

That cannot last forever, though. So no, MPLSound probably would not have been a hit. But he's capable of having one, with the right editor and the right record label, and the right attitude. That may happen one day, and it may not.

Seriously i dont think"HIT" will happen for him at this point, "musicology" was the last time he was really in that spotlight of being IN, after that it really ended with anything crossing over, because things just got so different in the way that the industry works, I mean if we are looking for him to have that Santana "Supernatural" type hit, i for one dont really want him sacrificing himself for that mainstream success, also to be honest i dont thinnk Supernatural today would be the hit it was by any means. MPLSound never had a shot, and really there was no chance that anything from that record could even be a minor hit, its a different time and he just isnt the IN thing, that simple.

NDRU said:

Even Prince's big hits were unusual sounding. He was undeniable back in 82-84 but his songs did not really fit in with mainstream radio even back then. Neither did his image. He did not fit popular culture, he defined i though sheer will power.

That cannot last forever, though. So no, MPLSound probably would not have been a hit. But he's capable of having one, with the right editor and the right record label, and the right attitude. That may happen one day, and it may not.

Yeah and if not commercial (hell 500,000 copies has always been good to me regardless of any "change"), then critical at least but who knows? Even Prince don't seem that interested in making music like that anymore so his heart wasn't into it anyway.

V10LETBLUES said:

Prince can have a hit album today regardless of his age or the dynamics of today's music industry, he just has to release a great album. Something he hasn't done in a long time. That some of you may like some of his newer music doesn't make it great. And MPLSound isn't. Not by a long shot.

So, in today's music industry, are hit records, "great albums"?

skywalker said:

V10LETBLUES said:

Prince can have a hit album today regardless of his age or the dynamics of today's music industry, he just has to release a great album. Something he hasn't done in a long time. That some of you may like some of his newer music doesn't make it great. And MPLSound isn't. Not by a long shot.

So, in today's music industry, are hit records, "great albums"?

"They" can make anything a hit. Sorry to beat a dead horse but Rhianna had two number one "hit" singles in 2011: "S & M" and "We Found Love", yet the following link from that same year tells a story of an artist who can't sell more than 3,700 tickets to a show. How does one explain the disconnect?

Big #1 radio hits + nobody wants to see her perform = methinks me smell some bull-crud in the music industry

They be trying to shove an artist down our throat for consumption when we clearly don't want it. Kind of makes you think.

see the link and tell me what u think...

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/slow_going_for_rihanna_tour_7mP3MdUhYJQQKzKQQnHMrN

Spanky said:

skywalker said:

So, in today's music industry, are hit records, "great albums"?

"They" can make anything a hit. Sorry to beat a dead horse but Rhianna had two number one "hit" singles in 2011: "S & M" and "We Found Love", yet the following link from that same year tells a story of an artist who can't sell more than 3,700 tickets to a show. How does one explain the disconnect?

Big #1 radio hits + nobody wants to see her perform = methinks me smell some bull-crud in the music industry

They be trying to shove an artist down our throat for consumption when we clearly don't want it. Kind of makes you think.

see the link and tell me what u think...

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/slow_going_for_rihanna_tour_7mP3MdUhYJQQKzKQQnHMrN

I see what you're saying but there are plenty of songs and artists that record companies try to force feed to the masses that don't hit. As far as RiRi goes, couldn't it be her not so great reputation as a live performer that keeps audiences away? Why does it have to be a conspiracy?

[Edited 7/19/12 3:22am]

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Okay, this WHOLE thread has got to be one huge fuckin' joke. There's nothing about this so-called album that says it could've been a hit, let alone a "megahit". The album is shit, pure and simple. You want to know why it didn't do shit beyond the very first week of sales?? Because I'm sure at least SOME radio programmers took a listen to it for potentials singles, and heard absolutely NOTHING! So, they weren't going to give shit on there any real airplay. Prince said they were all ready for radio?? Sure, the Fisher Price toy radio that plays 2 seconds of shit when you press the big red button.

Those programmers heard some 50-year old trying to be a part of the "cool" crowd with shit songs crafted that had some Linn samples added over top of them to make them even shittier songs. And then the muthafucka had the nerve to call the album Minneapolis Sound!!! He thinks his fanbase is stupid! We KNOW what the the real Minneapolis sound sounds like, and it ain't that....by a mile!!

So, to answer the OP's question, hell to the NO, and stop doin' those damn bath salts and cocaine and then getting online and posting bullshit like this!!!

My answer: NO!

Toofunkyinhere said:

If Katie Perry or Lady Gagonit ect had released this it would still be on the charts, and would be talked about as a classic album, possibly the greatest album of all time, no joke. Modern music is all corrupt in my opinion, that is all.

silverchild said:

Ever since the whole LOTUSFLOW3R project came and went, I had to reaccess the MPLSoUND album and look real closely at the songs as well as what was happening in pop music during 2009-2010. I feel that if he would've released this album individually and put some work into promoting it further, it would've been a surprise hit from the jump. Almost every song seems like it could've appealed to almost everyone, specifically the pop and urban audience. As far as radio appeal, it wouldn't have been a fluke either. "Ol' Skool Company," "Valentina," "Dance 4 Me," "Chocolate Box," "Here," "No More Candy," and "You're Gonna C Me" would've definitely made some type of impact. It's widely known that LOTUSFLOW3R failed to achieve what was it was expected to do impact-wise, even though it was a success for Prince at this point in his career and it was a great deal overall. Not that P really cares anyway. But I feel that MPLSound as an individual album would've given him a surprise hit and the era itself would've blown up.

So, what do you all think? Was it a missed opportunity? Or, did the entire LOTUSFLOW3R project and era meet and exceed your expectations overall?

[Edited 7/12/12 14:34pm]

Urrr they are mega hits for me....Prince cares, any project he puts together and releases is a sucsess for him. Lotusflow3r and MPLSound are great albums, I love them. Fans who think they are shite are way too stuck in the old skool, i urge them to go and re-study both albums right away. It is possible that they could have been mega hits, of course.

[Edited 7/19/12 7:59am]

iloveannie said:

So I put MplSound on twi days ago whilst I es doing things about the house. It was okay. I didn't hate it, some of it now sounds a lot better. Was it outstanding like some of his other work? Difficult to say as i'm now 41 and don't get so fired up as I once did. Not being a teenager has a markedly different aspect on things. It's closer to For You, in as much as I can see the incredible potential of the man but he hasn't quite found his creative peak. If that makes sense.

I would agree with this statement. It doesn't really have inspired songwriting (like For You) but it certainly has good music.

NDRU said:

iloveannie said:

So I put MplSound on twi days ago whilst I es doing things about the house. It was okay. I didn't hate it, some of it now sounds a lot better. Was it outstanding like some of his other work? Difficult to say as i'm now 41 and don't get so fired up as I once did. Not being a teenager has a markedly different aspect on things. It's closer to For You, in as much as I can see the incredible potential of the man but he hasn't quite found his creative peak. If that makes sense.

I would agree with this statement. It doesn't really have inspired songwriting (like For You) but it certainly has good music.

It's like, "I may have cum but I'd like to stay in bed for a cuddle."

OzlemUcucu said:

NDRU said:

you are so weird!

Why? He's talkin about Valentina cause he can't bang her, I think this song is reflective to everyday life like no other. Besides the drums are a killer, I love drums that's why I love Bacon Skin

Just when I thought I couldn't be more creeped out by that song.

You realize the song is about Salma Hayek's toddler daughter, Valentina - right? Can't bang her? Really?

iloveannie said:

NDRU said:

I would agree with this statement. It doesn't really have inspired songwriting (like For You) but it certainly has good music.

It's like, "I may have cum but I'd like to stay in bed for a cuddle."

I prefer not to think of it that way, but okay!

lastdecember said:

NDRU said:

Even Prince's big hits were unusual sounding. He was undeniable back in 82-84 but his songs did not really fit in with mainstream radio even back then. Neither did his image. He did not fit popular culture, he defined i though sheer will power.

That cannot last forever, though. So no, MPLSound probably would not have been a hit. But he's capable of having one, with the right editor and the right record label, and the right attitude. That may happen one day, and it may not.

Seriously i dont think"HIT" will happen for him at this point, "musicology" was the last time he was really in that spotlight of being IN, after that it really ended with anything crossing over, because things just got so different in the way that the industry works, I mean if we are looking for him to have that Santana "Supernatural" type hit, i for one dont really want him sacrificing himself for that mainstream success, also to be honest i dont thinnk Supernatural today would be the hit it was by any means. MPLSound never had a shot, and really there was no chance that anything from that record could even be a minor hit, its a different time and he just isnt the IN thing, that simple.

He's still going after the R&B crowd as if it were still the 1980s. Lord knows, I didn't like it when I heard "Little Red Corvette" being played on pop radio back then because I didn't want him crossing over. But in this day and age, for someone like him to make it, he needs to go the rock route because R&B has changed and funk is not the mainstream in R&B anymore. Even if he completely sold out 100% and made some horrible sounding shit hop that sounds just like today's R&B artists, he's still that "fag" from the 1980s and today's R&B world is homophobic as hell. He should try his luck at an all hard rock album with stuff like "Dolphin", "Endorphinemachine", "I Like It There", "Interactive", etc. if he wants to see if he can gain any other sales other than his hardcore fans. Either that, or go the Elton John adult contemporary Disney route which I'd rather see him retire first.

.

.

.

[Edited 7/19/12 14:26pm]

vainandy said:

lastdecember said:

Seriously i dont think"HIT" will happen for him at this point, "musicology" was the last time he was really in that spotlight of being IN, after that it really ended with anything crossing over, because things just got so different in the way that the industry works, I mean if we are looking for him to have that Santana "Supernatural" type hit, i for one dont really want him sacrificing himself for that mainstream success, also to be honest i dont thinnk Supernatural today would be the hit it was by any means. MPLSound never had a shot, and really there was no chance that anything from that record could even be a minor hit, its a different time and he just isnt the IN thing, that simple.

He's still going after the R&B crowd as if it were still the 1980s. Lord knows, I didn't like it when I heard "Little Red Corvette" being played on pop radio back then because I didn't want him crossing over. But in this day and age, for someone like him to make it, he needs to go the rock route because R&B has changed and funk is not the mainstream in R&B anymore. Even if he completely sold out 100% and made some horrible sounding shit hop that sounds just like today's R&B artists, he's still that "fag" from the 1980s and today's R&B world is homophobic as hell. He should try his luck at an all hard rock album with stuff like "Dolphin", "Endorphinemachine", "I Like It There", "Interactive", etc. if he wants to see if he can gain any other sales other than his hardcore fans. Either that, or go the Elton John adult contemporary Disney route which I'd rather see him retire first.

.

.

.

[Edited 7/19/12 14:26pm]

I agree. I don't totally think he needs to go hard rock, but clearly his greatest commercial successes, 1999 and Purple Rain, came from him being marketable to a pop/rock audience.

But those two albums are not rock, they are prince music. He is not pandering to rock or to R&B and that is why they work so well.