But instead went with Lets Go Crazy, or Purple Rain. Would the album have had the same impact? We can safely say Doves changed his entire career. And the fact it sounded different really attracted peoples ears! and eyes to the music video. And the momentum obviously helped lets go crazy get off and be a huge hit.

But what if he did Lets Go Crazy as the first single? or purple rain? do you think they would have been huge hits still? and would the album have the same impact? imagine if Doves was the 3rd single released instead.

I think "Let's Go Crazy" would have had the same impact,commercially.The title track? I don't think so.

I believe Purple Rain would have been just as successful no matter what the first single was. Post 1999 Prince was building up a head of steam all the way up to the release of PR. In many ways, he was at the height of his popularity in the time between 1999 and PR. No backlash from his base yet , not overexposed, and hot off the success of 3 hit singles. People were foaming at the mouth for his next release. Every song on PR is a killer and if WDC was released as a 2nd or 3rd single it wouldn't have mattered. The only thing I think you can argue is that WDC did make a wonderful 'summer' hit where the other two songs may not have. In that respect , it was released at the perfect time. It was the song of the summer of '84.

[Edited 5/2/14 19:40pm]

Purple Rain really doesn't have much, if any, filler, and P was in the perfect position to breakthrough into megastardom at that point. My guess is that almost any track off the album except for Nikki or CB (both of which would never have been singles anyway) would have been a big hit then. However, as far as cementing his legacy as not just having the top album of the year, but also being a true musical genius, I think WDC was important just because it's SO original. Even stuff almost nobody associates with P (like the White Stripes not having a bass player) can arguably be traced back to WDC. That song changed popular music.

LewArcher said:

Purple Rain really doesn't have much, if any, filler, and P was in the perfect position to breakthrough into megastardom at that point. My guess is that almost any track off the album except for Nikki or CB (both of which would never have been singles anyway) would have been a big hit then. However, as far as cementing his legacy as not just having the top album of the year, but also being a true musical genius, I think WDC was important just because it's SO original. Even stuff almost nobody associates with P (like the White Stripes not having a bass player) can arguably be traced back to WDC. That song changed popular music.

I doubt "Take Me With U" or "Baby I'm a Star" would have been hits as studio singles. Both of those depend on either the movie vibe or live performance to make them appeal to the mainstream as anything remarkable. On their own they couldn't have really competed with other top 40 hits of that year.

Let's Go Crazy would have been a hit song, but I don't think it would have had the same impact as When Doves Cry. That song, its b-side 17 Days and the video created one of those rare moments in pop music history when a truly innovative song got to be so big it was a game changer.

ufoclub said:

LewArcher said:

Purple Rain really doesn't have much, if any, filler, and P was in the perfect position to breakthrough into megastardom at that point. My guess is that almost any track off the album except for Nikki or CB (both of which would never have been singles anyway) would have been a big hit then. However, as far as cementing his legacy as not just having the top album of the year, but also being a true musical genius, I think WDC was important just because it's SO original. Even stuff almost nobody associates with P (like the White Stripes not having a bass player) can arguably be traced back to WDC. That song changed popular music.

I doubt "Take Me With U" or "Baby I'm a Star" would have been hits as studio singles. Both of those depend on either the movie vibe or live performance to make them appeal to the mainstream as anything remarkable. On their own they couldn't have really competed with other top 40 hits of that year.

But I hear baby i;m a star on the radio more now than any other Prince song....weird? *But i almost never listen to the radio

If there are to be any singles for the remaster of PR I think Baby Im a Star would be a good choice. Why not release a single that hasnt been released before? Or maybe one of the outakes as a single?

LewArcher said:

Even stuff almost nobody associates with P (like the White Stripes not having a bass player) can arguably be traced back to WDC. That song changed popular music.

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What gives you that idea? Lots of bands didn't have a bass, or used keys for the bass lines.

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The idea of the "first single" or lead single is a tad overblown.... I'm pretty sure Let's go crazy was released about the same time WDC hit #1, only a month after the video debut, so they piggy backed. Both were out before the film's release. In some markets, Let's Go Crazy was given preference because it had more guitars, and it was faster paced plus every bit as compelling. Stations were programming WDC, Let's Go Crazy, and sometimes Erotic City, interchanegably. The same thing happened with Michael Jackson's Billie Jean/Beat It singles coming out a month apart. The music was undeniable and the timing was right, so I don't think it mattered which song blew the door open.

Gunsnhalen said: