1999: The album that does it all and really shows off his range. Plus he did it almost entirely by himself, one overdub at a time.

Purple Rain: His most consistent album if not his best (and certainly the most overplayed). There's not a clunker on it.

Sign o the Times: The spiritual extension of 1999. Another double album that expanded his range. This one built on the foundation laid by 1999 but merged the psychadelic experimentation of ATWIAD with that sound and brought a little more rock into the forefront.

Exodus: This thing is just thick as hell, dripping with angry and sexy funk. It feels like a logical extension of the Black Album and shows off Prince at his funkiest. Too bad he buried it under an NPG moniker.

Symbol: Yeah, the raps are tired and the Kirstie alley segues suck, but within it all is a really layered, diverse and crazy album. It built on the stuff he was doing with SOTT combined with the more hip hop elements of D&P and brewed it into really weird stew. That's Prince at his best.

I never really thought about it before, but so many of his records take what he'd done before and meld them into something else. Often something more realized and..well...thicker and more mature. Like, 1999 + The Black Album = Exodus, Controversy + ATWIAD = SOTT, Diamonds and Pearls + SOTT = Symbol...

There's a lot of growth, evolution and building upon previous sounds, experiments and song structures from Dirty Mind up until around The Gold Experience, then it seems Prince just got too interested in "being Prince" and less intersted in blowing our minds with challenging music. Lotus Flower was a step in the right direction but when was the last time you heard a new Prince song and froze in your tracks and stopped what you were doing to really absorb it?

Seems like it's been quite a while, and don't give me that Rainbow Children shit either.

Too many replies are leaving out the "why" part of the answer.

herb4 said:

1999: The album that does it all and really shows off his range. Plus he did it almost entirely by himself, one overdub at a time.

Purple Rain: His most consistent album if not his best (and certainly the most overplayed). There's not a clunker on it.

Sign o the Times: The spiritual extension of 1999. Another double album that expanded his range. This one built on the foundation laid by 1999 but merged the psychadelic experimentation of ATWIAD with that sound and brought a little more rock into the forefront.

Exodus: This thing is just thick as hell, dripping with angry and sexy funk. It feels like a logical extension of the Black Album and shows off Prince at his funkiest. Too bad he buried it under an NPG moniker.

Symbol: Yeah, the raps are tired and the Kirstie alley segues suck, but within it all is a really layered, diverse and crazy album. It built on the stuff he was doing with SOTT combined with the more hip hop elements of D&P and brewed it into really weird stew. That's Prince at his best.

I never really thought about it before, but so many of his records take what he'd done before and meld them into something else. Often something more realized and..well...thicker and more mature. Like, 1999 + The Black Album = Exodus, Controversy + ATWIAD = SOTT, Diamonds and Pearls + SOTT = Symbol...

There's a lot of growth, evolution and building upon previous sounds, experiments and song structures from Dirty Mind up until around The Gold Experience, then it seems Prince just got too interested in "being Prince" and less intersted in blowing our minds with challenging music. Lotus Flower was a step in the right direction but when was the last time you heard a new Prince song and froze in your tracks and stopped what you were doing to really absorb it?

Seems like it's been quite a while, and don't give me that Rainbow Children shit either.

Well ur right about the last ten years not Having that ONE song that defines or anything but he has been consistent on his albums such as musicology and 3121. SOngs that somewat or do captivate me from the last ten years are mellow, chelsea rodgers, colonized mind, get on the boat and dreamer.

Sign O The Times because it sums up brillantly several decades of music. Apart from one or two tunes, it is pure genius all the way in terms of arrangements, compositions etc.

1999 because this album is a musical revolution by itself. The work of a visionaire. The creation of a sound that will remain unique. The arrangements are pure genius.

Dirty Mind because it's Prince's dirty side and dirty sound. It is wild, sensual, sexual. There is black sweat all over this album. It is the black musical answer to Iggy Pop.

Around the World in A Day because this CD is a unique musical journey. No need to take drugs to see beautiful colours and landscapes while listening to this masterpiece. There is everything on it: great compositions, amazing arrangements, tremendous performances. Woaw.

The Rainbow Children because the musicianship on this CD is genius. That's the CD I did not expect anymore from him. That's the kind of work Prince should be aiming at everytime. I always see this CD as a duet between Prince and John Blackwell whose amazing drums work shines all the way throughout.

1. Emancipation - Because It was and is the ultimate love letter.

2. Purple Rain - Because It was the first album to let him break away from the shell.

3. Controversy - It's just a kickass politically themed album.

4. Sign of the times - Look at the answer to #3.

5. Musicology - Because this is the album that got me hooked on Prince.

Sign o the Times - It has EVERYthing I love about Prince's music without being too commercial. I love the STYLE of it all too. It never gets old. I have been listening to it regularly since the day it was released back in 1987. I love the hits, the album cuts, the b-sides, and the live versionst

Parade - Only Prince could make an album so absolutely original as Parade. Every track is different from the last but somehow it all flows remarkably well. It contains my all time fave song from him (Mountains) and like Sign I love the style of it all. The black and white, the horns, the strings, the French touch, and The Revolution.

Purple Rain - The commercial blockbuster that just simply RAWKS! Even though I knew of Prince because of 1999 this is the album that sealed the deal. I played this to death in 1984/85...which is one reason why its not #1. Another reason is its just drenched in that 80s sound...even tho I do love those synths and drum machines, there is just no denying when this was made. Not a flaw so much itjust gets old fast when I listen to it now. However the song Purple Rain & the Beautiful Ones will always be an all time faves of mine as will Lets Go Crazy 12" and of course Erotic City. Finally when the hell will he ever officially release that rockin hallway version of Computer Blue??? That thing is brilliant!

The Gold Experience - I came dangerously close to STOP being a fan of Prince before this came out. I didn't get the Symbol album or the name change. I didn't even know Come had been released. Then a friend gave me a tape of the then-unreleased Gold Experience for my birthday and ALL was forgiven. From Endorphinmachine, Dolphin, Days of Wild, to Now, 319, and Gold I wore that tape OUT. When it was finally released I was somewhat disappointed as I wasnt crazy about Pussy Control and REALLY wanted a clear version of DOW and Acknowledge Me...but I still listened to it non-stop for at least a year and its still a fave to this day. I wish more people heard this...

The Black Album - Sign's bad, fun, funky step-cousin. I mentioned on an earlier thread that this is a PARTAY album and well, IT IS! I cherished my bootleg 8th generation (at least!) tape back in 88 and was played at a LOT of parties my senioryear (the bass was crazy deep on that thing!). I loved how Prince was getting a bit of his cool factor back as friends who normally ripped me for liking the guy LOVED the Black Album. I think this one is getting BETTER with age as I play it just as much now as I did then.

Dirty Mind-His first turning point classsic. This is the album where Prince became Prince. His do', his drag, his lyruc content. He created his manifesto with Uptown..and never had there been a lyric that was so secure in ones manhood etc than the "was never the kind to make a fuss..when he was there...sleeping in between the two of us." ..at least from a black man. This is the album where folk were alerted that he was on some other shit. Sister.....lawd. It's dated but this is where he became the lewd, lascivious, enigma we all know as Prince.

Controversy-where he learned to "freak" the slow jam (Do Me Baby) in ways that he wanted tp take you on a journey and sang as if he was talking specifivally to each individual lady (and some men). He created his mish mash of styles on this one for the future..pop cotton candy with Private Joy, rockabilly workouts via Jack U Off, out ther ribald sex withg Sexuality, and new wave upping the ante above Rick James with Annie Christian. But he also creates his ultimate groove by way of bass and patented chicken-scrarch guitar on the ultimate Prince statemnt of Controversy. The spng and video is a funhouse of Prince effects of ovice (the contant grunts buried in the mix) that redated Little Red Corvette, and a push-pull rhythm of deep old school style bass funk. He can live and die by this as his representative song.

1999-His second turning point classic. The apex of his one man masturbaton do it yourself fantasy and the skills and studio to do it. Simply put, this is album is like living in his basement.

SOTT--His third turning point classic. The one where he is able to put all of his experineces and skills into one cohesive statement. It took all of his previous tours, recordings, bands, loves and licks to create this masterwork. The songs are so diverse but the album is still a cohesive whole. Its almost like his The Wall. One thing is that Loder stated that he just missed the mark from making the grand statement. Loder was three years too late as he already did it with Purple Rain (and in some parts of 1999).

The Rainbow Childen-his fourth turning point classic. A Dylan at 50 like rebirth of inspiration on wax after a long journey in limbo. Love it or hate it, it showed an artist who was actually inspired in his work. Bold in the inspiraton to dare to offend, not by sexuality this tme as the world was a different place than in 1980, but with an unabashed social and religious doctrine. It wouldnt really mean a thing if the music wasnt outstanding.

.

[Edited 1/4/13 10:18am]

rdhull said:

1999-His second turning point classic. The apex of his one man masturbaton do it yourself fantasy and the skills and studio to do it. Simply put, this is album is like living in his basement.

That's the single best summation of that album I've ever read. That's EXACTLY what that record is like and why I think it's his best. You can hear a young, hungry artist, overfilling with talent and raw sexual energy, who defies categorization, looking for something to say and how to say it. And, boy, did he say it. The drum solo and guitar freakout on 'Lady Cab Driver' just reeeks of someone with a point to make and talent that needs to be taken seriously. I listen to that album from end to end all the time.

Very well put.

herb4 said:

rdhull said:

1999-His second turning point classic. The apex of his one man masturbaton do it yourself fantasy and the skills and studio to do it. Simply put, this is album is like living in his basement.

That's the single best summation of that album I've ever read. That's EXACTLY what that record is like and why I think it's his best. You can hear a young, hungry artist, overfilling with talent and raw sexual energy, who defies categorization, looking for something to say and how to say it. And, boy, did he say it. The drum solo and guitar freakout on 'Lady Cab Driver' just reeeks of someone with a point to make and talent that needs to be taken seriously. I listen to that album from end to end all the time.

Very well put.

Thank you, Herb.

I like your description too.

1999 is my fav album by him.

Sign O' the Times

Purple Rain

The Rainbow Children

Lotusflow3r

The Gold Experience

because....

sign o the times - this album sums up prince for me .. it's got everything i would want from a prince record .. his lyrics are probably at their most sophisticated and poetic and the production on several of the tunes is still inspiring

purple rain + b sides - i prefer the extended lets go crazy .. but the rest is great as is .. classics in every corner on this one .. i'll take the b sides included in all these choices

1999 - another flawless top to bottom gem especially production wise and the rediculously catchy pop hits

parade - i really love the sounds of this one too .. more acoustic less machine but still had that robot funk flavour .. very french feeling .. just too good ..

the family - i really enjoy around the world in a day .. i only like a few songs on dirty mind and controversy .. all tho the songs i do like i really love a lot .. but that family record was just great

Purple Rain - One of the few albums were I actually like ALL the songs, can't say a bad word about this album. I personally don't think he's released an album since that tops this. I think SOME of his best work is from the days with The Revolution.

The Gold Experience - I lovelovelove this album! Minus the NPG Operator stuff on it.

1999 - The songs on this bad boy are catchy and has one of my favourite songs of his, Little Red Corvette.

Come - I have always loved this album, which suprises me. Not a lot of people rate this album but I do. It's kinda dark and dripping in sex haha.

Chaos & Disorder - I'm sure I'm probably the only person who likes this album haha. But I've always loved it and I think it's underrated! Although I realllly don't like 'The Same December'.

I'm sure this top 5 will change again haha!

Me being obsessed with statistics, I decided to work out which album is doing the best in our favourites list with some provison.

From counting up the result to this point, I got 36 valid groups of votes, from these I decided 3 of the votes all ranked their choices the same and I gave each choice the same number of marks - 3. 2 people had less than 5 votes so I decided to just rank their top choices and one person had two albums in 5th place, as it was 5th and its only 1 mark, I included a mark for each album.

My system.

Any album ranked 1st = 5pts, 2nd = 4pts and 3rd = 3pts, 4th = 2pts, 5th = 1 pts. Any albums ranked 6th, 8th 10th, honourable mention excluded, I then added the marks for each album and ranked them, so albums with lots fo 1st and 2nds would get higher than albums with many 5ths.

Many albums got no marks at all, not that they are no good, just they are not in anyone's top 5. They are Graffitti Bridge, 4U, Batman, New power soul, both raves, The Hits/Bsides, Ultimate, very best, Goldnigga, The Kamasutra album, and very shocklingly 3121 and Planet Earth, finally 20Ten did not rank either.

Results - Is anyone surprised about 1 - 5

1st. Sign o the Times 109 points (29 out of 36 included it)

2nd. Purple Rain 89 - 24 votes

3rd. 1999 78 - 23 votes

4th. Parade 50 - 16 votes

5th. Dirty Mind 40 - 13 votes

6th. The Gold Experience - 32 points - 13 votes

7th. Around the World in a day - 25pts - 8 votes

8th. Controversy - 23pts - 9vts

9th. The Rainbow Children 19pts - 7vts

10th. Lovesexy 18pts - 7vts

Also

Prince - 1 point - 1 vote

Diamonds and Pearls - 11pts - 4 votes

Lovesymbol - 11pts - 5 votes

Come - 2pts 1 vote

Black Album - 1point and 1 vote

Chaos and Disorder 6 points and 2 votes

Emancipation 9 points and 4 votes

N.E.W.S. - one vote worth 3 points

Musicology - 2 votes of a single point each

Lotusflow3r package, 11th place with 15 points from 6 votes

The Truth - 4points one vote

The Dawn 4:1 1point

Exodus 2 points form one vote

The family 1 point, not really accepted as a protege album.

[Edited 1/7/13 18:25pm]

[Edited 1/7/13 18:33pm]

DarlingJo said:

Chaos & Disorder - I'm sure I'm probably the only person who likes this album

No, you're not. It's in my top 5.

Adorecream said:

Me being obsessed with statistics, I decided to work out which album is doing the best in our favourites list with some provison.

From counting up the result to this point, I got 36 valid groups of votes, from these I decided 3 of the votes all ranked their choices the same and I gave each choice the same number of marks - 3. 2 people had less than 5 votes so I decided to just rank their top choices and one person had two albums in 5th place, as it was 5th and its only 1 mark, I included a mark for each album.

My system.

Any album ranked 1st = 5pts, 2nd = 4pts and 3rd = 3pts, 4th = 2pts, 5th = 0 pts. Any albums ranked 6th, 8th 10th, honourable mention excluded, I then added the marks for each album and ranked them, so albums with lots fo 1st and 2nds would get higher than albums with many 5ths.

Many albums got no marks at all, not that they are no good, just they are not in anyone's top 5. They are Graffitti Bridge, 4U, Black album (Surprised there), Batman, New power soul, both raves, The Hits/Bsides, Ultimate, very best, Goldnigga, The Kamasutra album, and very shoclingly 3121 and Planet Earth, finally 20Ten did not rank either.

I have Black Album in my top 5

My top 5 favorites are,

One Nite Alone...

Because I like piano music.

N.E.W.S.

Because I like instrumental music.

Chaos and Disorder

Because I like rock music.

Prince

Because I prefer laid back/carefree music over ambitious music.

Xpectation

Because I like instrumental music.

Top 3 are definite. 4 & 5 could change. NPS would possibly be in my top 5, but I won't count it as it's an NPG album.

[Edited 1/7/13 18:24pm]

Poplife88 said:

Adorecream said:

Me being obsessed with statistics, I decided to work out which album is doing the best in our favourites list with some provison.

From counting up the result to this point, I got 36 valid groups of votes, from these I decided 3 of the votes all ranked their choices the same and I gave each choice the same number of marks - 3. 2 people had less than 5 votes so I decided to just rank their top choices and one person had two albums in 5th place, as it was 5th and its only 1 mark, I included a mark for each album.

My system.

Any album ranked 1st = 5pts, 2nd = 4pts and 3rd = 3pts, 4th = 2pts, 5th = 0 pts. Any albums ranked 6th, 8th 10th, honourable mention excluded, I then added the marks for each album and ranked them, so albums with lots fo 1st and 2nds would get higher than albums with many 5ths.

Many albums got no marks at all, not that they are no good, just they are not in anyone's top 5. They are Graffitti Bridge, 4U, Black album (Surprised there), Batman, New power soul, both raves, The Hits/Bsides, Ultimate, very best, Goldnigga, The Kamasutra album, and very shoclingly 3121 and Planet Earth, finally 20Ten did not rank either.

I have Black Album in my top 5

I just corrected my original post, I had it on my tally sheet after sign and come and realised the one after come had a single mark on it, my apologies.

CrabalockerFishwife,

Based on your listening preferences, I would highly recommend that you listen to The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale LOUD. I think you might you like it.

love,

Spirit

Adorecream said:

Results - Is anyone surprised about 1 - 5

1st. Sign o the Times 109 points (29 out of 36 included it)

2nd. Purple Rain 89 - 24 votes

3rd. 1999 78 - 23 votes

4th. Parade 50 - 16 votes

5th. Dirty Mind 40 - 13 votes

6th. The Gold Experience - 32 points - 13 votes

7th. Around the World in a day - 25pts - 8 votes

8th. Controversy - 23pts - 9vts

9th. The Rainbow Children 19pts - 7vts

10th. Lovesexy 18pts - 7vts

^ thanks,

I am happy to see Lovesexy on the list.

the Lovesexy album is my personal favourite, in my Top 5.

.

[Edited 1/10/13 21:20pm]

Afer much thought, I've settled on these:

1999
Lovesexy
Lotusflower (everything TRC promised sonically, only with less screwy lyrics)
Controversy (unlike most albums, as I get older this album continues to rise in my eyes)
Rave Un2 (probably for sentimental reasons as this was the first 'new' Prince album I ever bought, but even when I try to remove my bias, I still think it's a very underrated album)

Dirty Mind, PR, Parade, SOTT, Batman, , Gold, Emancipation, 3121... All worthy contenders that on any given day could replace Rave for spot 5.

Prince has released so many amazing albums it is really difficult to choose. I think though if I ignored overplay, and the subsequent taking for granted that insures my list would be as follows:

1) Purple Rain: I donlt listen to it much, but everyo once in a while I will hear a track from this album and I'm blown away after all these years. LGC, TBO, PR, CB, BIAS - all still unique, slamming tracks.

2) SOTT: The best display of Prince's breadth of musical talents.

3) Parade: So different, it took me years to appreciate it, but now a definite fav.

4) 1999 : The album that introduced me to Prince and will therefore always hold a very special spot

5) The Gold Experience: Despite the fact I can't listen to Pussy Control, this album marked the return of Prince's guitar and I m forever changed. Shhh, especially live, is short listed.

Honorable mention

Lotusflow3r - more guitar please

Controversey

rdhull said:

Batman....upbeat tempos

Purple Rain......it had a movie to go with it

Come....nice long song that didn't leave too much to the imagination

1999.....A-u-t-o-matic

Sign of the Times....great concert

1) "Dirty Mind" - Waving the freak flag high in 1980. The songs made you think he really lived a life of sex, incest, bikini breifs, Hubba Bubba bubble gum and rebellion.

2) "Parade" - Middle Eastern, funk, r&b, pop, jazz, acoustic, Wendy & Lisa. All of the perfect ingredients. By 1986, artists were still copying P's "Purple Rain" rock guitar/Linn drum glam look and he went in the opposite direction.

3) "S.O.T.T" - Headphone candy. Everyone from Lenny Kravitz to Timbaland to Pharell has bit something off of this record. You can hear the Sly and Shuggie influence on this record too.

4) "Chaos & Disorder" - A very outside the box record (like "S.O.T.T"). P stretched out and shifted gears on some the songs. For a "anti WB" record I thought it rocked. I heard songs off of this record more on the alternative rock stations than the r&b stations.

5) "N.E.W.S" - I know a lot of orgers rag on this record but I took to it the 1st time I heard it. As a big fan of Miles' 1970's work, Return To Forever, etc, it was cool to hear P really put something out that was challenging and non commercial. Pop stars come and go but the serious musicians are the ones that stay around for a long time.

"N.E.W.S" is not for everybody, but that's one of the things that I always loved about P.

Im absolutely sure about a top 3, the rest of it, not so sure.

1. Purple Rain

(Practically all songs here are not only Prince's, but pop music classics)

2. 1999

(It's pop, it's funk, it's edgy, it's conceptual, it's fun, it's young, it's hedonistic, it has long funk jams, it has long rockabilly jams, it has so many things)

3. Sign 'o the times

(A collage of the diversity of Prince's artistry, all the genres he could approach, notably two jazzy gems: If i was your girlfriend and Ballad of Dorothy Parker. Would be as good as the first two if it wasn't for it's two bad songs: Hot thing and Slow love.)

4. Parade

(It has these lovely short diverse experimental pieces, some a little psychedelic, and even a French chanson, Do u lie?, and, if that wasn't enough, here are also 4 of the funkiest things on earth, Kiss, Anotherlover, Girls & boys and Mountains)

5. Lovesexy

(Great arrangements, great female vocal and horn contributions, great exploring of many different instruments, all songs seem to blend pop, funk and rock equally - with the exception of Alphabet street, Eye wish u heaven and When 2 r in love, that are more clearly a funk song and two ballads - all the rest seems to mix in an impressive genre blending sequence.)

I enjoyed your descriptions very much!

Nailed it!

(Only thing: yes, there's at least the title track, Uptown and When you were mine to blast on my boombox anyday!!)

eyewishuheaven said:

Not necessarily my top five favourite albums, but I believe Prince's top 5 albums overall to be (in no particular order):

• Purple Rain - albums don't get much more perfect than this. Listen to it again, and imagine you're hearing it for the first time.
• Sign o' the Times - yes it's just an album, but it's bigger than that... it's an art exhibition. Walk from room to room, look at the paintings...
• 1999 - an intimate peek into the mind of a very young American man who really, really, really wants to be a star, and who's not convinced he'll completely get there, but goddamnit, he's at least gonna make a mark on his way out.
• Parade - but he did get there. And this is the fruit of those efforts.
• Dirty Mind - the best (and probably only) album you kept in your underwear drawer. Maybe not something you'd blast on your boombox, but a sacred, sexy pact between artist and listener...

Adorecream said:

Results - Is anyone surprised about 1 - 5

1st. Sign o the Times 109 points (29 out of 36 included it)

2nd. Purple Rain 89 - 24 votes

3rd. 1999 78 - 23 votes

4th. Parade 50 - 16 votes

5th. Dirty Mind 40 - 13 votes

6th. The Gold Experience - 32 points - 13 votes

7th. Around the World in a day - 25pts - 8 votes

8th. Controversy - 23pts - 9vts

9th. The Rainbow Children 19pts - 7vts

10th. Lovesexy 18pts - 7vts

About top 5, naturally, not surprised. Happy about 7 and 10, since I feel they come next these 5 as his greatest albums.

But very surprised by the irony of Gold and Rainbow Children, a 90s and a 00s album that are getting way high in fan's preferences. Ironically since it's been exaustively discussed among fans that everything he did after 1988 should be considered very debatable.

[Edited 1/12/13 10:36am]