Prince has so many songs, I figure that this forum would have some good recommendations for album tracks that would rank with his best music... Not necessarily his most obscure stuff (although it could be,) just not his big hits.

Personally, in this category, I'm nominating "Good Love" - b/c today I listened to it with good headphones, and damn! Song has grooves my little computer speakers were hiding from me

Here are some of my faves...

.

- "Automatic" from "1999"

- "Computer Blue" from "Purple Rain"

- "Paisley Park" from "Around The World In A Day" (I know this was a single, but it wasn't a "hit" per se, and it's my favorite track from the album)

- "New Position" from "Parade"

- "Adore", "The Cross", "Housequake", "It" from "Sign 'O' The Times"

- "Eye No" and "Lovesexy" from "Lovesexy"

- "Bob George" and "Le Grind" from "The Black Album"

- "Vicki Waiting" from "Batman"

- "Elephants & Flowers" from "Graffiti Bridge"

- "Walk Don't Walk" from "Diamonds & Pearls"

- "The Continental" from "" (this is my least favorite album from "the classic period")

- "P. Control", "Now", "Endorphinemachine" from "The Gold Experience"

- "Chaos & Disorder" from "Chaos & Disorder"

- "Joint 2 Joint" from "Emancipation"

.

That should be enough to get you started.

GiggityGoo said:

Here are some of my faves...

.

- "Automatic" from "1999"

- "Computer Blue" from "Purple Rain"

- "Paisley Park" from "Around The World In A Day" (I know this was a single, but it wasn't a "hit" per se, and it's my favorite track from the album)

- "New Position" from "Parade"

- "Adore", "The Cross", "Housequake", "It" from "Sign 'O' The Times"

- "Eye No" and "Lovesexy" from "Lovesexy"

- "Bob George" and "Le Grind" from "The Black Album"

- "Vicki Waiting" from "Batman"

- "Elephants & Flowers" from "Graffiti Bridge"

- "Walk Don't Walk" from "Diamonds & Pearls"

- "The Continental" from "" (this is my least favorite album from "the classic period")

- "P. Control", "Now", "Endorphinemachine" from "The Gold Experience"

- "Chaos & Disorder" from "Chaos & Disorder"

- "Joint 2 Joint" from "Emancipation"

.

That should be enough to get you started.

Awesome!!! Thank you!!

This morning, "So Far, So Pleased" stood out to me as being a great non-hit.

Condition of the Heart

When the Lights Go Down

GiggityGoo said:

Here are some of my faves...

.

- "Automatic" from "1999"

- "Computer Blue" from "Purple Rain"

- "Paisley Park" from "Around The World In A Day" (I know this was a single, but it wasn't a "hit" per se, and it's my favorite track from the album)

- "New Position" from "Parade"

- "Adore", "The Cross", "Housequake", "It" from "Sign 'O' The Times"

- "Eye No" and "Lovesexy" from "Lovesexy"

- "Bob George" and "Le Grind" from "The Black Album"

- "Vicki Waiting" from "Batman"

- "Elephants & Flowers" from "Graffiti Bridge"

- "Walk Don't Walk" from "Diamonds & Pearls"

- "The Continental" from "" (this is my least favorite album from "the classic period")

- "P. Control", "Now", "Endorphinemachine" from "The Gold Experience"

- "Chaos & Disorder" from "Chaos & Disorder"

- "Joint 2 Joint" from "Emancipation"

.

That should be enough to get you started.

Vicki Waiting is soooo good. I have always loved this song. But what about Scandalous.

From 1999: Something in the Water

From Purple Rain: Darling Nikki

From ATWIAD: The Ladder

From Graffiti Bridge: Love Machine

From D&P: Strollin'

From TGE: Shy

From Emancipation: The Love We Make

From Crystal Ball: Goodbye

From Planet Earth: Lion of Judah

From 20Ten: Future Soul Song

There are soooo many song I will absolutely love for the rest o' my life (That's another one right there!).

SpiritOtter said:

IT'S GONNA BE LONELY WITH YOU WHY YOU WANNA TREAT ME SO BAD? STILL WAITING WHEN WE ARE DANCING CLOSE AND SLOW SEXY DANCER (EXTENDED) BAMBI ...just listen to the whole album, PRINCE.

Not an album track.

[Edited 10/1/13 12:21pm]

Genesia said:

Condition of the Heart

When the Lights Go Down

<3

I'll add :
Adore
DMSR

Anna Stesia

Vicki Waiting

Willing and Able

And God Created Woman

Some of my favourite lesser-known album tracks:

New World and Face Down from Emancipation

Future Soul Song from 20Ten

Mad Sex from New Power Soul

Man O War from Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

We Can Funk from Graffiti Bridge

All My Dreams from The Dream Factory

Power Fantastic from The B-Sides

Hello from The B-Sides

Dark from Come

Eye No and Positivity fron Lovesexy

Planet Earth and All The Midnights In The World from Planet Earth

Sweet Baby and Damn U from Love Symbol

[Edited 10/1/13 16:26pm]

Genesia said:

Condition of the Heart

When the Lights Go Down

I love the shifts of emotion/tempo in both of these songs... GREAT suggestions

SpiritOtter said:

IT'S GONNA BE LONELY WITH YOU WHY YOU WANNA TREAT ME SO BAD? STILL WAITING WHEN WE ARE DANCING CLOSE AND SLOW SEXY DANCER (EXTENDED) BAMBI ...just listen to the whole album, PRINCE.

I wonder why "Prince," the album, doesn't get more love..! All of the songs you listed are classic Prince.

The guitar solo at the end of "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" is genius.

If Prince released an actual new album of the quality of the PRINCE album nowadays, I would literally be BLOWN away. Excellent musicianship, stella production values, deep cuts, dance and pop grooves, and ... It's Gonna Be Lonely as a closer. Plus, one of my all time faves, Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad, which is so addictive especially after I Wanna Be Your Lover and before Sexy Dancer. Damn!

Now this is a great thread and I do think of Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad as a real peak of non hits. But added to that is the absolute feast of track after track on the 1999 album that were all fantastic but not singles. I would say that with his productivity rate of an album every 12 months then, give or take, that there could have been more hits but it always feels so indulgent listening to that album and getting past the hits that were tracks 1-3 and hearing so many top notch tunes. Every time I listen to it I have a new favourite. The sounds at the time were very up to the minute and futuristic and I have not lost that amazement when listening to them today. DMSR, Let's Pretend, Automatic and Something in the Water always remain among the best all time tracks for me with the latter being the lowest bpm but the one I return to most. After that there are loads of non hit/non single/non album tracks that I would rate amonst his greatest songs but these on 1999 in quick succession stand out for me.

[Edited 10/2/13 16:22pm]

LondonIrish1970 said:

Now this is a great thread and I do think of Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad as a real peak of non hits. But added to that is the absolute feast of track after track on the 1999 album that were all fantastic but not singles. I would say that with his productivity rate of an album every 12 months then, give or take, that there could have been more hits but it always feels so indulgent listening to that album and getting past the hits that were tracks 1-3 and hearing so many top notch tunes. Every time I listen to it I have a new favourite. The sounds at the time were very up to the minute and futuristic and I have not lost that amazement when listening to them today. DMSR, Let's Pretend, Automatic and Something in the Water always remain among the best all time tracks for me with the latter being the lowest bpm but the one I return to most. After that there are loads of non hit/non single/non album tracks that I would rate amonst his greatest songs but these on 1999 in quick succession stand out for me.

[Edited 10/2/13 16:22pm]

"Futuristic" describes "1999" perfectly, imo. Even though it spawned many imitators, nobody (before or since, from what I've heard) has ever sounded quite like this... It's like the album beamed into 1982 from another galaxy...

The album tracks are so diverse -- what's amazing to me is that they sound great as a cohesive album. I mean, "Something in the Water" still sounds so unique - and that it sits between "Automatic" (awesome! - only Prince can pull off a jam like this,) and "Free" (which sounds like soulful, solo John Lennon - produced by a spaceman...) He's making mastery of diverse styles seem easy!

Thank you, everyone, for these recomendation I've got an epic playlist going... If anyone can think of any more album-track gems, it'd be great.

MattyJam said:

Some of my favourite lesser-known album tracks:

New World and Face Down from Emancipation

Future Soul Song from 20Ten

Mad Sex from New Power Soul

Man O War from Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

We Can Funk from Graffiti Bridge

All My Dreams from The Dream Factory

Power Fantastic from The B-Sides

Hello from The B-Sides

Dark from Come

Eye No and Positivity fron Lovesexy

Planet Earth and All The Midnights In The World from Planet Earth

Sweet Baby and Damn U from Love Symbol

[Edited 10/1/13 16:26pm]

Thank you!!! I've tracked down all of these except "All My Dreams" -- is it released?

No, it's an unreleased track from Parade era. IMO the greatest song he ever recorded and hugely popular around these parts.