Not counting all the songs spreaded on b-sides, OST's, other artists albums and the internet, based on studio and live albums:

.

1978: 1 (For You)

1979: 1 (Prince)

1980: 1 (Dirty Mind)

1981: 2 (The Time + Controversy)

1982: 3 (What Time Is It? + Vanity 6 + 1999)

1983: 0

1984: 4 (Ice Cream Castles + Purple Rain + The Glamorous Life + Appolonia 6)

1985: 4 (Double Live + Around The World In A Day + The Family + Romance 1600)

1986: 2 (Minneapolis Genius + Parade)

1987: 5 (8 + Sign "O" The Times + Jill Jones + 16 + Sign "O" The Times film)

1st decade: 23 albums = 2,3 albums/year.

.

1988: 1 (Lovesexy)

1989: 4 (Lovesexy Live 1 + Lovesexy Live 2 + Time Waits For No One + Batman)

1990: 1 (Graffiti Bridge)

1991: 2 (Times Squared + Diamonds And Pearls)

1992: 1 ()

1993: 4 (Carmen Electra + Gold Nigga + The B-Sides + The Undertaker)

1994: 2 (Come + The Black Album)

1995: 4 (The Sacrifice Of Victor + Exodus + The Gold Experience + Child Of The Sun)

1996: 2 (Chaos & Disorder + Emancipation)

1997: 1 (Kamasutra)

2nd decade: 22 albums = 2,2 albums/year.

.

1998: 6 (Crystal Ball + The Truth + Newpower Soul + Come 2 My House + GCS 2000 + The War)

1999: 3 (Beautiful Strange + Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic + The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale)

2000: 1 (Rave Un2 The Year 2000)

2001: 1 (The Rainbow Children)

2002: 3 (One Nite Alone + One Nite Alone... Live! + One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain't Over)

2003: 3 (Xpectation + Live At The Aladdin las Vegas + N.E.W.S.)

2004: 4 (The Chocloate Invasion + The Slaughterhouse + C-Note + Musicology)

2005: 0

2006: 2 (3121 + Ultimate CD2)

2007: 1 (Planet Earth)

3rd decade: 24 albums = 2,4 albums/year.

.

2008: 1 (indigo Nights/Live Sessions)

2009: 3 (Elixer + Mplsound + Lotusflow3r)

2010: 1 (20ten)

2011: 0

2012: 2 (Superconductor + Tramps (New York, NY), Sept 26, 1998)

2013: 0

2014: 2? (Art Official Age + PlectrumElectrum)

4th decade (so far) 9 albums in 7 years = 1,2 albums/year.

.

Surprisingly, the output has been pretty much the same for the first 3 decades and has only slowed down since the beginning of the fourth, with still an average slightly superior to 1 album a year. Whether this decrease in releases was only a momentary phase or will continue only time will tell, but there's maybe hope that will go back to his usual pace in the next few years. We'll have to do this again on December 31, 2017

.

All together that's 78 albums, not counting the tons of other songs released here and there. We're spoiled as fuck, I'm telling ya

[Edited 9/13/14 11:38am]

The folder on my computer where I've stored the internet-only tracks from 2013-2014 is quite big.

I'd compare this era to the pre-TG days when he put out new music on VHS (The Undertaker, The Sacrifice of Victor), sideproject albums (Exodus, Child Of The Sun, 1800-NEWFUNK.) and TV shows (The Beautiful Experience, L4OA). Back then he had problems with his record company, these days he's had problems with how the music industry in general functions.

you can't call Superconductor a Prince album any more than The Unexpected. and The Tramps?? not official

you have a very loose definition for "studio and live" albums.

also a very odd approach to "not counting songs on [...] other artists albums" in that you count most of them.

bigd74 said:

you can't call Superconductor a Prince album any more than The Unexpected. and The Tramps?? not official

Tramps is official, this website is 100% legit, official, a registered American company anyone can sue anytime (it was, in fact, sued at first: it was not shut down, it just had to make proper licensing deals with labels and artists, which it did).

Superconductor is a collaborative effort between and Andy Allo from begining to end: even though he didn't compose most of the songs he produced, arranged and almost entirely recorded all of them. In that regard, it would have not been shocking if the album had been credited to "Andy Allo and Prince". Same situation with GCS 2000.

The Unexpected is a Liv Warfield album with 2 songs penned/produced by on it and he's got absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the album. Those are 2 different things, really.

Askani said:

you have a very loose definition for "studio and live" albums.

also a very odd approach to "not counting songs on [...] other artists albums" in that you count most of them.

There is no absolute definition for "album", so I usually try and be as comprehensive as can be ^^

.

I actually meant "random" songs on OTHER artists' albums, such as The Dance Electric, Manic Monday, Shall We Dance or the 4 Martika tracks. The "non-Prince" albums listed above are all side-projects, i.e. albums was involved in from begining to end, it's not the same really so no I don't

novabrkr said:

The folder on my computer where I've stored the internet-only tracks from 2013-2014 is quite big.

I'd compare this era to the pre-TG days when he put out new music on VHS (The Undertaker, The Sacrifice of Victor), sideproject albums (Exodus, Child Of The Sun, 1800-NEWFUNK.) and TV shows (The Beautiful Experience, L4OA). Back then he had problems with his record company, these days he's had problems with how the music industry in general functions.

Very interesting comparison I must say

databank said:

bigd74 said:

you can't call Superconductor a Prince album any more than The Unexpected. and The Tramps?? not official

Tramps is official, this website is 100% legit, official, a registered American company anyone can sue anytime (it was, in fact, sued at first: it was not shut down, it just had to make proper licensing deals with labels and artists, which it did).

Superconductor is a collaborative effort between and Andy Allo from begining to end: even though he didn't compose most of the songs he produced, arranged and almost entirely recorded all of them. In that regard, it would have not been shocking if the album had been credited to "Andy Allo and Prince". Same situation with GCS 2000.

The Unexpected is a Liv Warfield album with 2 songs penned/produced by on it and he's got absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the album. Those are 2 different things, really.

The album includes two songs written or co-written by Prince: The Unexpected and Your Show. Additionally he is credited as executive producer on the whole album.

timmie said:

databank said:

Tramps is official, this website is 100% legit, official, a registered American company anyone can sue anytime (it was, in fact, sued at first: it was not shut down, it just had to make proper licensing deals with labels and artists, which it did).

Superconductor is a collaborative effort between and Andy Allo from begining to end: even though he didn't compose most of the songs he produced, arranged and almost entirely recorded all of them. In that regard, it would have not been shocking if the album had been credited to "Andy Allo and Prince". Same situation with GCS 2000.

The Unexpected is a Liv Warfield album with 2 songs penned/produced by on it and he's got absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the album. Those are 2 different things, really.

The album includes two songs written or co-written by Prince: The Unexpected and Your Show. Additionally he is credited as executive producer on the whole album.

databank says: The Unexpected is a Liv Warfield album with 2 songs penned/produced by on it

timmie says: NO!!! The album includes two songs written or co-written by Prince: The Unexpected and Your Show

Welcome to the org

I didn't know about being executive producer, though, thanks for making me aware of it. What it means, though, is more than blurry. While producers are usually highly involved in the creative/recording process, executive producers usually only oversee the practical aspects of production (studio booking, hiring sessions musicians, overseeing cover art, etc.) so I'm not sure how involved may have been. Princevault, though mentioning the exec prod credit, considers was only involved in the 2 songs he composed. Should he have been more involved than that, someone will eventually speak and we'll know but intil someone does, we have to assume he wasn't involved, creatively speaking.

what is: Doucle Live? What does "Doucle" mean..?

Is that the Purple Rain Syracuse concert on VHS tape?

thedoorkeeper said:

What is/was Tramps?

I know Disco Inferno by The Trammps,


I have never heard of Prince = Tramps either.. ?

databank said:

/

[Edited 9/13/14 11:38am]

thedance said:

what is: Doucle Live? What does "Doucle" mean..?

Is that the Purple Rain Syracuse concert on VHS tape?

Yes, it was its official title. Typo corrected.

thedoorkeeper said:

What is/was Tramps?

It's a 1998 aftershow that's officially available for purchase on a legit website the mods don't want us to name.

Askani said:

databank said:

There is no absolute definition for "album", so I usually try and be as comprehensive as can be ^^

.

I actually meant "random" songs on OTHER artists' albums, such as The Dance Electric, Manic Monday, Shall We Dance or the 4 Martika tracks. The "non-Prince" albums listed above are all side-projects, i.e. albums was involved in from begining to end, it's not the same really so no I don't

Disregarding the huge reach in crediting other artists's albums as full-fledged Prince albums, it's even odder that you would include explocitly-NOT studio albums as albums. The Hits, B-sides, Ultimate, etc. are explicitly compilation albums, not studio. And VHS tapes don't count as live albums. Neither do bootlegs streaming on webpages.

The problem with your first "disregarded" point is being narrow minded and unaware of the realities of creative processes. I don't claim those albums are not albums by said artists. Jill Jones is an album by Jill Jones because she sings on every track, and is officially credited as such. But Jill Jones is also a album because he was the main creative force behind it and involved in the whole process from beginning to end. It's more tricky in some other cases (who are Madhouse and NPG Orchestra?) where it's hard to even find anyone else than . Anyway creative processes are often collaborative processes regardless on who gets the credits. If an artist is totally involved in a record, I believe said record belongs in said artist's discography even if he doesn't get the "cover credit". Vanessa Paradis' 1992 album is indeed a Vanessa Paradis album but it's also a Lenny Kravitz album. Vanesse Paradis is a singer, Lenny Kravitz is a composer/arranger/producer: the album belong to both their discographies. There are many occurences where albums are credited to 2 artists and then no one will argue about whose discography said album belongs to.

.

Once again (a custom habit on the Org) someone puts words in my mouth that I never spoke in the first place. Can u please tell me where The Hits appear on the list above because I don't remember including it? I included The B-Sides, though, as well as Ultimate CD2 because both r compilations of non-album tracks (as opposed to compilations of album tracks). U also chose to ignore the part of my post above that says that their is no definitive definition of what an "album" is. If u wish to exclude those 2 entries from the list please do so, it won't change much to the statistics anyway.

.

VHS don't count as live albums? This is a 20th century stand that's no longer relevant. When DVD appeared the sound quality was equal on CD and DVD and so on with digital downloads and Blu-Ray. I don't see any reasonable reason, in 2014, to exclude a "video album" because image has been added to sound. I actually LISTENED to those albums many more times than I did WATCH them. The notion of "video album" is commonplace since the early 2000's at least and there is hardly anymore hierarchy between audio and video anymore, save the one that says that in the case both are being released, the audio version is considered the "main" release by opposition to its video counterpart (see recent Madonna live CD/DVD combos).

.

As for bootlegs streaming on webpages I don't know once again where u've seen this on the list above. The only ambiguous (out of bad faith) release is the Tramps show, which is neither bootleg nor streamed but can be purchased and dowloaded on a legit website that's being held by a legit American company. This same website also offers 2 other shows for streaming only, that can't be purchased nor downloaded: those shows aren't included on my list.

.

Some could also argue that Crystal Ball, The Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse weren't proper studio albums. Some could also argue that The War was a single. Some could also argue that C-Note is an EP (despite being longer than Dirty Mind). Some could also argue that only studio albums (as opposed to live) should be included. Some could also argue that only "Prince", "Prince And The Revolution", "Prince And The NPG", "" and "Prince And 3rdEyeGirl" albums should be included. Some could argue that Newpower Soul and The War should be included but not Gold Nigga and Exodus. Some could argue that 's involvement on Sheila E., I Am, Pandemonium, May 1992 and The Voice is enough that they should be included in the list above. Some could also argue that digital download don't count and for that matter I've even read on this very forum that instrumental albums shouldn't count (). As I've said there is no official, definitive and absolute definition of what an "album" is. I've tried to make a reasonable list based on reasonable arguments but I don't claim that it's an absolute and definitive list. The only absolute and definitive discography should and does include each and every song containing a contribution and I've been working for 5 years to establish it on a website (see link below). Everey other list is by definition partial and so is my list above. If u think the list above isn't accurate, feel free to make your own

databank said:

Remade excluding ALL ambiguous entries:

.

1978: 1 (For You)

1979: 1 (Prince)

1980: 1 (Dirty Mind)

1981: 1 (Controversy)

1982: 1 (1999)

1983: 0

1984: 1 (Purple Rain)

1985: 1 (Around The World In A Day)

1986: 1 (Parade)

1987: 1 (Sign "O" The Times)

1st decade: 9 albums = 0,9 albums/year.

.

1988: 1 (Lovesexy)

1989: 1 (Batman)

1990: 1 (Graffiti Bridge)

1991: 1 (Diamonds And Pearls)

1992: 1 ()

1993: 0

1994: 2 (Come + The Black Album)

1995: 1 (The Gold Experience)

1996: 2 (Chaos & Disorder + Emancipation)

1997: 0

2nd decade: 10 albums = 1 album/year.

.

1998: 1 (The Truth)

1999: 2 (Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic + The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale)

2000: 0 (Rave Un2 The Year 2000)

2001: 1 (The Rainbow Children)

2002: 1 (One Nite Alone)

2003: 2 (Xpectation + N.E.W.S.)

2004: 1 (Musicology)

2005: 0

2006: 2 (3121)

2007: 1 (Planet Earth)

3rd decade: 11 albums = 1,1 albums/year.

.

2008: 0

2009: 2 (Mplsound + Lotusflow3r)

2010: 1 (20ten)

2011: 0

2012: 0

2013: 0

2014: 2? (Art Official Age + PlectrumElectrum)

4th decade (so far) 5 albums in 7 years = 1,4 albums/year.

.

According to this, Prince has released MORE albums since 2008 than EVER before. Y'all happy?

[Edited 9/13/14 12:15pm]

databank said:

thedoorkeeper said:

databank said:

[Edited 9/13/14 12:15pm]

Thank you for redoing the chart - this basic simplified version is what I was envisioning when I opened this thread. It hurt my head to look at the orginal chart.

how is emancipation and sott each counted as 1 album but lotus mpls gets counted as 2?

4th decade has 2 releases so far .. that's it. and should it even count if u have to buy a newspaper from another country? .. make that 1 release

not sure plectrum can even count as a p release since it is more like an npg record than a prince record.

so 4th decade has 1 release and 1 on the way.

TrevorAyer said:

how is emancipation and sott each counted as 1 album but lotus mpls gets counted as 2?

4th decade has 2 releases so far .. that's it. and should it even count if u have to buy a newspaper from another country? .. make that 1 release

not sure plectrum can even count as a p release since it is more like an npg record than a prince record.

so 4th decade has 1 release and 1 on the way.

Emancipation is one triple album, Sign O The Times one double album. Lotusflow3r and MPLSound are 2 separate albums that were physically packaged as part of 3 disc set.

If Plectrum has Prince's name in it, then it's definitely a Prince album.

And an album is an album, however or wherever it is released. Which means the likes of The Slaughterhouse and The Chocolate Invasion really need to be a part of this list.

leecaldon said:

TrevorAyer said:

how is emancipation and sott each counted as 1 album but lotus mpls gets counted as 2?

4th decade has 2 releases so far .. that's it. and should it even count if u have to buy a newspaper from another country? .. make that 1 release

not sure plectrum can even count as a p release since it is more like an npg record than a prince record.

so 4th decade has 1 release and 1 on the way.

Emancipation is one triple album, Sign O The Times one double album. Lotusflow3r and MPLSound are 2 separate albums that were physically packaged as part of 3 disc set.

If Plectrum has Prince's name in it, then it's definitely a Prince album.

And an album is an album, however or wherever it is released. Which means the likes of The Slaughterhouse and The Chocolate Invasion really need to be a part of this list.

meh .. i am more of the mind that anything released online only does not count .. lotus had one title on the cover .. one .. both cds were short too .. i am calling it one album .. prince has released exactly 1 album in the last decade with 1 more on the way .. 3eg is not a prince album

.

[Edited 9/14/14 9:05am]

databank said:

.

2008: 0

2009: 2 (Mplsound + Lotusflow3r)

2010: 1 (20ten)

2011: 0

2012: 0

2013: 0

2014: 2? (Art Official Age + PlectrumElectrum)

4th decade (so far) 5 albums in 7 years = 1,4 albums/year.

.

According to this, Prince has released MORE albums since 2008 than EVER before. Y'all happy?

[Edited 9/13/14 12:15pm]

Doesn't that make 0,7 albums/year?

What about the minutes? I'd like to know how many minutes of music Prince has released each decade...

The Chocolate Invasion and Slautherhouse could be discarted on the basis that they're compilations of previously released songs, not new studio albums per se.

.

Following Trevor's logic, though, we could also discard Purple Rain, Parade, Batman and GB: I've already seen many discographies of other artists excluding OST's from the "studio album" category. I considered doing it but I thought I oughta be reasonable in my choices. + I really don't c the point in all those distinctions, though: it's like people (bot just here) are trying to find every possible way to limit access to the "holy" status of "album" for records, it's a bit silly IMHO.

.

On the other hand I fail to understand how the medium could make an album more or less of an album: if only LP and CD count and internet only releases don't, then why not say that only LP's count and exclude every album that hasn't been released on vinyl? I mean if logic is to dictate our decisions this is illogical: a release is a release no matter the format. Besides, in about 10 to 15 years at most, then we can just as well consider that no one ever release music anymore, for there will be almost exclusively digital releases by then (save limited editions in some cases, the way they do it now with vinyls). The only logic behind excluding digital-only releases is "I don't like them", i.e. "what I don't like doesn't exist": this is denial of reality and it has no place in any serious conversation: whether one likes such or such format, if it exists it exists, there's hardly anything to debate. Same goes with 20ten: the fact that an album is released in a limited and eccentric fashion (alongside a newspaper in that case) doesn't make it less of an album. There probably have been way more copies of 20ten printed than of ONA piano and I don't know of any rule that says that a release is only a release if available in record stores (which is even more absurd given that once again, there will hardly be any record stores left in existence in a decade or 2).

.

There is also no logic in considering LF, Mplsound and Elixer as one album: they carry different titles and cover arts (one is even credited to a different artist), they are 3 different concepts entirely. It would be like saying that Crystal Ball is a quadruple album and considering The Truth part of it: we're talking different concepts entirely and there was, in both cases, no ambiguity from 's part regarding the fact that we were talking about different albums. Besides, LF/Mplsound/Elixer were only available in Target shops and as imports in a few selected foreign stores, so maybe they shouldn't count either? And The Truth having been released alongside a compilatioon of unreleased tracks possible shouldn't count either, then.

.

And as to say PlectrumElectrum shouldn't count when it's being released as a "Prince & 3rdEyeGirl" album, it's sheer absurdity, or we better exclude everything released as "Prince And The Revolution" and "Prince And The New Power Generation" as well, on the ground that those were "bands" and not solo Prince albums. At this rate we will soon also exclude the "" albums because after all, "" is not "Prince". If you want we can even consider The Vault.... OF4S a collection of outtakes. And given that it was a "limited edition" and a "vault" release of sorts, maybe TBA shoudn't even be there either. And since some madmen said in the past that instrumental albums are not albums, let's get rid of NEWS while we're at it.

.

Once again there is no law written in stone regarding what is an album or not but if we exclude just everything that someone considers may be excluded on any possible ground, no matter how illogical, we get this:

.

Remade excluding ALL ambiguous entries:
.
1978: 1 (For You)
1979: 1 (Prince)
1980: 1 (Dirty Mind)
1981: 1 (Controversy)
1982: 1 (1999)
1983: 0
1984: 0
1985: 0
1986: 0
1987: 1 (Sign "O" The Times)

First decade: 6 albums

.
1988: 1 (Lovesexy)
1989: 0
1990: 0
1991: 0
1992: 0
1993: 0
1994: 1 (Come)
1995: 0
1996: 0
1997: 0

Second decade: 2 albums

.
1998: 0
1999: 0
2000: 0
2001: 1 (The Rainbow Children)
2002: 0
2003: 0
2004: 1 (Musicology)
2005: 0
2006: 1 (3121)
2007: 1 (Planet Earth)

3rd decade: 4 albums.

.
2008: 0
2009: 0
2010: 0
2011: 0
2012: 0
2013: 0
2014: 1 (Art Official Age)

4th decade (so far): 1 album.

.

OK, so in the end Prince has released THIRTEEN albums in his whole career. Cool! Now that this is settled, maybe we can start discussing those amazing figures.

funkomatic said:

What about the minutes? I'd like to know how many minutes of music Prince has released each decade...

I guess I could give u approximate figures thanks to Winamp but no time to play this now

Sh.., this thing called computer took all the fun out of it!

[Edited 9/14/14 10:57am]