cream-- i still don't get how this hit number one (it's okay, but #1 worthy?)

7-- one of my favorite songs, but always seemed more like an album cut than a top- 10 single

ICNTTPOYM--again, great song...but IIWYG seemed like a more obvious hit, or even IT

delirious--catchy, yes--but lady cab driver and dmsr are catchier songs (even though dmsr got cut from initial cd pressings)

cream, 7 and delirious are pretty mainstream sounding so i totally get it.

lady cab driver, iiwyg are pretty dark for radio.

"7", for sure. It's certainly a weird sounding track and I'm always surprised when people describe it as an "obvious single choice from the album", or something like that.

"Manic Monday" doesn't really sound like a huge hit to me. I have no idea how that managed to hit #1.

I could live without "Batdance" ever having been created, for that matter.

Off the top of my head I would say "Thieves In The Temple".

my name is prince...one of the very few hits he ever had that i didnt like at all...its was a big top ten hit here in the uk...horrible track..

Yeah, I hate "my name is prince" with a passion. Worst prince single ever.

I love "Batdance", but could never understand that it became a hit.

I like "most beautiful girl in the world", but I was shocked that almost everyone I knew liked this song. None of them were fans, some didn't even like him that much, then he sang in falsetto and was wearing lots of make up in the video, but they still loved that song.

ludwig said:

I love "Batdance", but could never understand that it became a hit.

...think that was as much to do with the movie hype as the song itself.

I've always been more surprised by the songs that weren't hits (at least in the UK) with Mountains and I Would Die 4 U being the ones that spring to mind....

I like My Name Is Prince.... especially the intro, (I Wanna Be Ur Love, Partyup, Controversy, that short mention/ sample in the intro), funky rhythm & bass --- yeah, I think MNIP the song is funky, and what a great video, Prince dancing, jumping in water with the chain mask, the black gloves with the gun microphone.. sorry I really like this song and video a lot..

to answer the question:

I was surprised to hear Cream was at number 1 in the US, I like the song.. but there's so many other Prince songs far better..

... for example why wasn't Pop Life, Girls & Boys and Mountains major hits, these are classics, to me..!

A shame IIWYGF was overlooked as well.... a shame and a crime.

Batdance, it was way too weird and that's what make it a great tune, but nothing like an ordinary pop song.

TMBGITW. I don't know who bought this. I was 17 back then and my friends couldn't care less about this kind of romantic ballads. I guess the people who bought it were older people who bought commercial crap back then but it certainly wasn't appealing to teenagers who were into more agressive stuff such as gangsta rap, metal or early electronica.

7 most definitely.

I never liked it and was dissipointed with

the remixes. Plus I still don't know what

its about.

Fury said:

cream-- i still don't get how this hit number one (it's okay, but #1 worthy?)

7-- one of my favorite songs, but always seemed more like an album cut than a top- 10 single

ICNTTPOYM--again, great song...but IIWYG seemed like a more obvious hit, or even IT

delirious--catchy, yes--but lady cab driver and dmsr are catchier songs (even though dmsr got cut from initial cd pressings)

Well, to be honest I was never surprised when a song became a big hit. I think people is stupid but in a some way, maybe thanks to their ancestral memory of human being, they are able to catch the real sense of art, even if it is deeply hidden in a song which is not so special but which has anyway the magic touch of pure, divine, Art.

(By the way, i think that Cream is a great song, pure sensual pleasure... And promoted by a very good video)

I always though Cream was average, same goes for Pop Life. My Name is Prince is poor (in single terms), I also think, without the film, Batdance would be considered nothing more than a half baked idea and certainly not worthy of being considered "great" especially when The Future and Electric Chair were to some degree overlooked.

Other honourable mentions as poor singles or surprise hits are:

Damn U

Betcha by golly wow

Call My Name

7 which I absoultely love because the lyrics are religious and really out there compared to what you usually hear on the radio.

Alphabet St. just because it was so completely different that everything else on the radio in 88.

Thieves in the Temple which was so dark but I literally could trace the progression of non-Prince fans who told me they absolutely hated it at first and then started to dig it.

Sign O the Times which was brilliant but so dark...not a lot of Top 5 pop songs that mention AIDS, crack, and ceilings being ripped off of churches.

These are among my favorite tracks but hard to believe the masses were along for the ride.

None. More like why didn't some songs become hits?

Mountains or the entire album SOTT. I mean SOTT wasn't a flop, but I expected to at least sale 3 million or more in the USA first year.

7 is one of my favorites so no surprise for me.
Cream is a good song and one of the few I remember being played a lot on radio and tv as a child. I don't think it's so surprising that it was a hit.
Batdance I've never liked and would also contribute it's success to the film. It's annoying as hell.
I love Diamonds but I'm gonna be honest, the part where Rosie spells out Diamonds is completely cringeworthy and I have to switch it off or fast forward through that part.. it's horrible.

Some of the non-hits just baffle me... (I'm basing this on the Billboard Hot 100 chart numbers)

Nothing Compares 2 U (DIDN'T CHART AT ALL ARE YOU KIDDING?)
Mountains
Anotherloverholenyohead

Girlfriend

Letitgo

Days of Wild (Okay, maybe not surprising but it is a personal favorite)
and most of all LET'S WORK! I can't believe that one wasn't bigger than what it was!

It's hard to believe that Thieves charted higher than ICNTTPOYM! Theives is good but come on.

And I think that Peach would have been a bigger single if the live version from MTV Europe Awards was released.. that version slays the album version, imo.

.

The Same December should have been a single, with the promo video they made, I think it would have done well.
Same for Empty Room, the promo video is great and it would have also done very well, imo. A Million days could have potentially done well, too. It's a great song.

.

[Edited 6/11/14 1:46am]

[Edited 6/11/14 8:27am]

kewlschool said:

None. More like why didn't some songs become hits?

Mountains or the entire album SOTT. I mean SOTT wasn't a flop, but I expected to at least sale 3 million or more in the USA first year.

Yeah Mountains was so catchy! Beats me!

SpookyElektrix said:

kewlschool said:

None. More like why didn't some songs become hits?

Mountains or the entire album SOTT. I mean SOTT wasn't a flop, but I expected to at least sale 3 million or more in the USA first year.

The release of IIWYG, which was an absoluteley horrible pop single choice (but a great album track) killed momentum of the sales. U Got the Look as a second single would have kept the momentum going imho.

GottaLetitgo said:

kewlschool said:

None. More like why didn't some songs become hits?

Mountains or the entire album SOTT. I mean SOTT wasn't a flop, but I expected to at least sale 3 million or more in the USA first year.

The release of IIWYG, which was an absoluteley horrible pop single choice (but a great album track) killed momentum of the sales. U Got the Look as a second single would have kept the momentum going imho.

The version he plays now in concert (pop version) Would have been a hit.

Bambi82 said:

7 is one of my favorites so no surprise for me.
Cream is a good song and one of the few I remember being played a lot on radio and tv as a child. I don't think it's so surprising that it was a hit.
Batdance I've never liked and would also contribute it's success to the film. It's annoying as hell.
I love Diamonds but I'm gonna be honest, the part where Rosie spells out Diamonds is completely cringeworthy and I have to switch it off or fast forward through that part.. it's horrible.

Some of the non-hits just baffle me... (I'm basing this on the Billboard Hot 100 chart numbers)

Nothing Compares 2 U (DIDN'T CHART AT ALL ARE YOU KIDDING?)
Mountains
Anotherloverholenyohead

Girlfriend

Letitgo

Days of Wild (Okay, maybe not surprising but it is a personal favorite)
and most of all LET'S WORK! I can't believe that one wasn't bigger than what it was!

It's hard to believe that Thieves charted higher than ICNTTPOYM! Theives is good but come on.

And I think that Peach would have been a bigger single if the live version from MTV Europe Awards was released.. that version slays the album version, imo.

.

The Same December should have been a single, with the promo video they made, I think it would have done well.
Same for Empty Room, the promo video is great and it would have also done very well, imo. A Million days could have potentially done well, too. It's a great song.

.

[Edited 6/11/14 1:46am]

[Edited 6/11/14 8:27am]

Was Nothing Compares 2 U actually released as a single? I mean Prince's version, obviously. If so, I missed it. He released his live version with Rosie just a few years after Sinead's version was a massive hit...and to me, his live version is really dreadful and takes all of the beauty out of that song, changing it from a sorrowful piece of gorgeousness to a rather rote, by-the-numbers pop song.

theblueangel said:

Bambi82 said:

7 is one of my favorites so no surprise for me.
Cream is a good song and one of the few I remember being played a lot on radio and tv as a child. I don't think it's so surprising that it was a hit.
Batdance I've never liked and would also contribute it's success to the film. It's annoying as hell.
I love Diamonds but I'm gonna be honest, the part where Rosie spells out Diamonds is completely cringeworthy and I have to switch it off or fast forward through that part.. it's horrible.

Some of the non-hits just baffle me... (I'm basing this on the Billboard Hot 100 chart numbers)

Nothing Compares 2 U (DIDN'T CHART AT ALL ARE YOU KIDDING?)
Mountains
Anotherloverholenyohead

Girlfriend

Letitgo

Days of Wild (Okay, maybe not surprising but it is a personal favorite)
and most of all LET'S WORK! I can't believe that one wasn't bigger than what it was!

It's hard to believe that Thieves charted higher than ICNTTPOYM! Theives is good but come on.

And I think that Peach would have been a bigger single if the live version from MTV Europe Awards was released.. that version slays the album version, imo.

.

The Same December should have been a single, with the promo video they made, I think it would have done well.
Same for Empty Room, the promo video is great and it would have also done very well, imo. A Million days could have potentially done well, too. It's a great song.

.

Was Nothing Compares 2 U actually released as a single? I mean Prince's version, obviously. If so, I missed it. He released his live version with Rosie just a few years after Sinead's version was a massive hit...and to me, his live version is really dreadful and takes all of the beauty out of that song, changing it from a sorrowful piece of gorgeousness to a rather rote, by-the-numbers pop song.

You're right.. it was released as a promo single for The Hits/B-Sides. I love that live version!

[Edited 6/12/14 18:25pm]

Wow Princes live version of Nothing Compares is dreadful

Sineads cover is overproduced Hollywood bullshit.Princes

version is raw

,gritty with amazing vox by Prince and Rosie,and that killer sax solo.

thebanishedone said:

Wow Princes live version of Nothing Compares is dreadful

Sineads cover is overproduced Hollywood bullshit.Princes

version is raw

,gritty with amazing vox by Prince and Rosie,and that killer sax solo.

Love Sinead's version. Disappointed by the Prince duet version. Love the Prince one night alone version (Prince's best version IMO).

Thieves in the Temple (not a bad track....just never liked it)

Bat-dance (horrible novelty track)

My Name Is Prince (awfull...Blue Light woulda been better)

Alphabet Street (never understood what the songs about..and i dnt like things i dont understand)

Arms of Orion (hate it)

Gett Off (his most awfull rap..love the melody tho)

U Got The Look (dnt know why it just isnt that impressive.....Adore woulda been a better single)

Optimus2 said:

Thieves in the Temple (not a bad track....just never liked it)

Bat-dance (horrible novelty track)

My Name Is Prince (awfull...Blue Light woulda been better)

Alphabet Street (never understood what the songs about..and i dnt like things i dont understand)

Arms of Orion (hate it)

Gett Off (his most awfull rap..love the melody tho)

U Got The Look (dnt know why it just isnt that impressive.....Adore woulda been a better single)

Bold.. Yes! I wish he'd have released that.. would have made such a fun summer track. I love that song.

I also really love NC2U! What is it you guys don't like about it? I think I'd love it more if it were a solo effort so that we knew he was singing to someone and not a chincy duet with someone completely unreleated to the song. I think Rosie did a great job but having her on it really took away from the impact of the song, I think.

Bambi82 said:

Optimus2 said:

Thieves in the Temple (not a bad track....just never liked it)

Bat-dance (horrible novelty track)

My Name Is Prince (awfull...Blue Light woulda been better)

Alphabet Street (never understood what the songs about..and i dnt like things i dont understand)

Arms of Orion (hate it)

Gett Off (his most awfull rap..love the melody tho)

U Got The Look (dnt know why it just isnt that impressive.....Adore woulda been a better single)

Bold.. Yes! I wish he'd have released that.. would have made such a fun summer track. I love that song.

I also really love NC2U! What is it you guys don't like about it? I think I'd love it more if it were a solo effort so that we knew he was singing to someone and not a chincy duet with someone completely unreleated to the song. I think Rosie did a great job but having her on it really took away from the impact of the song, I think.

Blue light would have never made the top 30 pop charts. It may do okay on the R&B charts.

kewlschool said:

Bambi82 said:

Bold.. Yes! I wish he'd have released that.. would have made such a fun summer track. I love that song.

I also really love NC2U! What is it you guys don't like about it? I think I'd love it more if it were a solo effort so that we knew he was singing to someone and not a chincy duet with someone completely unreleated to the song. I think Rosie did a great job but having her on it really took away from the impact of the song, I think.

Blue light would have never made the top 30 pop charts. It may do okay on the R&B charts.

yanno when ive played that song.....and people are round my house.....they always comment how much they like it......so id disagree...its a fun little track and with a lovely little melody

Optimus2 said:

kewlschool said:

Blue light would have never made the top 30 pop charts. It may do okay on the R&B charts.

yanno when ive played that song.....and people are round my house.....they always comment how much they like it......so id disagree...its a fun little track and with a lovely little melody

Damn U charts:

I would think about the same results.