skywalker said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Really? Name Prince's ROCK epic? Not songs you like that Prince rocked on, either! Tell me what's considered his ROCK epic?

Have you never picked up a copy of a guitar magazine with Prince on the cover? Typically they give their list of best Prince rock songs. Usually, Let's Go Crazy, Peach, Bambi, and Endorphin Machine make these types of lists. [Edited 11/12/14 15:22pm]

Yes, I have, in fact.

I've also picked up the next issue, where letters to the editor made cracks along the lines of "Who will you have on the cover next, Dolly Parton?"

[Edited 12/2/14 8:00am]

JoshuaWho said:

I mean really - not just today but when you take into account the entire body of work, the career achievements, longevity, musicianship, range and depth of talent, influence, originality, and overall relevance to real music.

Tough question?? I would say Probably not better, but there are people who would give Prince a run for his money.

IMHO. The ones who are super bad at what they do, who come close to having the total package(Defined in the OP), and the one's who come extremely close are, Paul McCartney Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Carlos Santana, and Todd Rundgren(especially!). Also. Although im no classical music expert, i always finding myself liking the music of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.

There are a few more(especially in the Rock & Roll, and Jazz categories), but im drawing a blank at this moment.

The thing about Prince is the guy has so many damn songs !

Anyway, God definitely broke the mold when he made that dude(prince). No doubt.

I just wish he(prince) would challenge his fan base(musically) a little more that what he has been doing lately. I know he has it in him... I just know he does !

[Edited 12/2/14 12:34pm]

JoeyC said:

JoshuaWho said:

I mean really - not just today but when you take into account the entire body of work, the career achievements, longevity, musicianship, range and depth of talent, influence, originality, and overall relevance to real music.

Tough question?? I would say Probably not better, but there are people who would give Prince a run for his money.

IMHO. The ones who are super bad at what they do, who come close to having the total package(Defined in the OP), and the one's who come extremely close are, Paul McCartney Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Carlos Santana, and Todd Rundgren(especially!). Also. Although im no classical music expert, i always finding myself liking the music of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.

There are a few more(especially in the Rock & Roll, and Jazz categories), but im drawing a blank at this moment.

The thing about Prince is the guy has so many damn songs !

Anyway, God definitely broke the mold when he made that dude(prince). No doubt.

I just wish he(prince) would challenge his fan base(musically) a little more that what he has been doing lately. I know he has it in him... I just know he does !

[Edited 12/2/14 12:34pm]

Prince has been doing this since 1978.

If folks have not be challenged by now......they never will.

When I look at your list, thee only 2 I even care about are Wonder and George Clinton. The rest mean nothing 2 me musically.

LittlePurpleYoda said:

'"

skywalker said:

Graycap23 said:

Didn't prince write some country tunes 4 Kenny Rogers and also perform some and C&D?

Prince wrote country music: http://www.princevault.co...re_My_Love

You're My Love is barely a song, and certainly ain't country. Kenny Rogers doesn't make it country.

But I'd love to hear Prince's version of it. Without the smoothness of the re=recorded music, therre might have been something interesting in the original.

Deborah Allen was a "country" artist, too. But Telepathy sure isn't country.

As to the original question. No, no one I know of is better as a whole (and to keep this within the realm of discussion, I'm restricting things to Western American-based pop, because, well, it's the musical world from which he came and in which he works). He isn't at the very top of any area (others either beat him or are just as good), but I don't see anyone else being as close to the top in as many ways.

Darshy said:

Aint nobody better than Prince!

you ever heard of MICHAEL JACKSON? the greatest of all time!

Prince and Michael Jackson are my 2 favorite musicians/artists/performers. As a huge fan of both, let me give you 10 reasons that I like Prince better. I wrote this before Michael Jackson died.

-

1. Prince has more music. Prince simply has a lot more music than MJ for his fans to listen to. Some will argue that MJ has less "crappy music" and that he has a better filter however, besides being a totally subjective statement, this is simply not true. Pound for pound, MJ has made just as much "average" music as Prince has. As a fan of both, I am happy to have stacks of Prince Albums and sad to have roughly 6 legit MJ albums since 1979. Waiting 5+ years between MJ albums sucks and lately it hasn't been worth the wait. If I don't like Prince's latest album, within a year or so I'll have a new one.

-

2. It is arguable who is a better live performer. Critics and fans alike both herald Prince and MJ as two of the best showman ever. Take your pick. That being said, Prince Concerts are more "live" than MJ. Prince's shows are not as rehearsed looking and are more spontaneous. The energy is different. Plus, Prince's live show is not the same as it has been since 1988. The fact is that, they are both great and you cannot definitively say one is head and shoulders above the other in this regard. MJ cannot work an audience like Prince. Prince's shows are more audience involving than MJ. MJ's shows are like going to a movie. It's a performance that could happen the exact same way regardless of the audience. Because of the nature of his concerts, Prince always takes the crowd into account and his concerts change based on the crowd. When did MJ last let audience members (who weren't planted groupies) up onstage to dance? Prince has an actual band that he leads, guides, and plays with. MJ just has hired musicians put together for a tour. Sheryl Crow used to play with him and was quoted as saying that MJ didn't know her name. I assure you, Prince knows his band.

-

3. It is easier to defend Prince's actions. Hey Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol-super weird right? However, it is rock star weird. MJ used to just be rock star weird, now he is scary and creepy weird. MJ's personal life has overshadowed his art, and forced his music to take a back seat to his circus and court appearances.

-

4. Prince evolves. Don't get me wrong, as a fan of MJ I realize he has grown as an artist. However, every one of his albums is chasing after "Thriller", both in style, and in sales figures. Prince is not constantly trying to top, redo, outdo, or copy "Purple Rain". MJ got himself in a rut.

-

5. Prince has more variety to his music. Sure, MJ's pop sweeps over different genres, but not as aggressively as Prince does it. When was the last time MJ did a solo acoustic guitar album? A solo piano album? An instrumental album? A blues rock album? A jazz/funk album? Not only does Prince do different types of music from album to album. Often, he'll do it from song to song on one album. No one crosses genres as effectively as Prince. MJ definitely does not.

-

6. Prince is more true to himself musically. Lately, MJ has gotten into the habit of hiring a load of "hot" producers to give him the latest sound, but it makes MJ's music seem contrived, forced, and not authentic. Even, when Prince is biting new trends he still sounds like Prince. He sounds authentic. You might not like Prince's rapping, but "pussy control" is an authentic club anthem whether you like it or not. MJ singing things like "2000 Watts" seems artificial and forced-it's hard to believe MJ feels what he is singing.

-

7. Prince is more accessible to his fans. I know this sounds weird, but Prince often opens up his recording studios for his fans to tour- as MJ does with Neverland. However, the difference is the fact that Prince will often do intimate late night shows at his place with a few hundred fans. These gigs used to cost maybe $7. Often they were free. Prince casually walks amongst the crowd at these shows and just hangs out. I bet you'd be hard pressed to name another "reclusive" superstar of Prince's magnitude that allows his hardcore fans to get so close.

-

8. Prince's lyrical themes are more varied and more mature. How many monster and ghost songs can MJ do? How many of us still relate to that? Prince's music is often accused of being all sexual, but the fact is that his relationship based lyrics are more complex than MJ, more sincere, and more believable. Love, romance, sex, and God are questions and themes that all humans ask and deal with. Prince explores these themes with authenticity and an understanding that MJ has rarely, if ever, been able to capture. Prince also can do the fantastical, kid's stuff-look at the "batman" album. That album was fairly complex and mature for a superhero album.

-

9. Onstage- Prince sings. Prince dances. Prince plays guitar. Prince plays piano/keyboard. Prince plays drums. Prince plays bass guitar.

-

Onstage-MJ dances, MJ sings. We MJ fans often argue that he does these better than anyone else. That is opinion.

-

Fact is- Prince does more onstage than MJ. He does all of these really really well. Better singer and dancer than MJ? Some think so. However, without a doubt Prince is more varied onstage than MJ.

-

10. Prince has hot female backup dancers. MJ's back up dancers seem like Madonna's leftovers.

-

I know a lot of my points can be filed under "different stokes for different folks", but so can this entire thread.

1. more music doesnt mean GOOD music

2.u smoking!!mj was electric on stage,,,,prince not in his league

3.mj treated his employees with respect....paisley park employees cant even look him in the eye.

4. prince evolve? no he regressed from cutting edge to james brown sly stone wannna be

5. prince only does rock and funk...mj did it all

6.

skywalker said:

Prince and Michael Jackson are my 2 favorite musicians/artists/performers. As a huge fan of both, let me give you 10 reasons that I like Prince better. I wrote this before Michael Jackson died.

-

1. Prince has more music. Prince simply has a lot more music than MJ for his fans to listen to. Some will argue that MJ has less "crappy music" and that he has a better filter however, besides being a totally subjective statement, this is simply not true. Pound for pound, MJ has made just as much "average" music as Prince has. As a fan of both, I am happy to have stacks of Prince Albums and sad to have roughly 6 legit MJ albums since 1979. Waiting 5+ years between MJ albums sucks and lately it hasn't been worth the wait. If I don't like Prince's latest album, within a year or so I'll have a new one.

-

2. It is arguable who is a better live performer. Critics and fans alike both herald Prince and MJ as two of the best showman ever. Take your pick. That being said, Prince Concerts are more "live" than MJ. Prince's shows are not as rehearsed looking and are more spontaneous. The energy is different. Plus, Prince's live show is not the same as it has been since 1988. The fact is that, they are both great and you cannot definitively say one is head and shoulders above the other in this regard. MJ cannot work an audience like Prince. Prince's shows are more audience involving than MJ. MJ's shows are like going to a movie. It's a performance that could happen the exact same way regardless of the audience. Because of the nature of his concerts, Prince always takes the crowd into account and his concerts change based on the crowd. When did MJ last let audience members (who weren't planted groupies) up onstage to dance? Prince has an actual band that he leads, guides, and plays with. MJ just has hired musicians put together for a tour. Sheryl Crow used to play with him and was quoted as saying that MJ didn't know her name. I assure you, Prince knows his band.

-

3. It is easier to defend Prince's actions. Hey Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol-super weird right? However, it is rock star weird. MJ used to just be rock star weird, now he is scary and creepy weird. MJ's personal life has overshadowed his art, and forced his music to take a back seat to his circus and court appearances.

-

4. Prince evolves. Don't get me wrong, as a fan of MJ I realize he has grown as an artist. However, every one of his albums is chasing after "Thriller", both in style, and in sales figures. Prince is not constantly trying to top, redo, outdo, or copy "Purple Rain". MJ got himself in a rut.

-

5. Prince has more variety to his music. Sure, MJ's pop sweeps over different genres, but not as aggressively as Prince does it. When was the last time MJ did a solo acoustic guitar album? A solo piano album? An instrumental album? A blues rock album? A jazz/funk album? Not only does Prince do different types of music from album to album. Often, he'll do it from song to song on one album. No one crosses genres as effectively as Prince. MJ definitely does not.

-

6. Prince is more true to himself musically. Lately, MJ has gotten into the habit of hiring a load of "hot" producers to give him the latest sound, but it makes MJ's music seem contrived, forced, and not authentic. Even, when Prince is biting new trends he still sounds like Prince. He sounds authentic. You might not like Prince's rapping, but "pussy control" is an authentic club anthem whether you like it or not. MJ singing things like "2000 Watts" seems artificial and forced-it's hard to believe MJ feels what he is singing.

-

7. Prince is more accessible to his fans. I know this sounds weird, but Prince often opens up his recording studios for his fans to tour- as MJ does with Neverland. However, the difference is the fact that Prince will often do intimate late night shows at his place with a few hundred fans. These gigs used to cost maybe $7. Often they were free. Prince casually walks amongst the crowd at these shows and just hangs out. I bet you'd be hard pressed to name another "reclusive" superstar of Prince's magnitude that allows his hardcore fans to get so close.

-

8. Prince's lyrical themes are more varied and more mature. How many monster and ghost songs can MJ do? How many of us still relate to that? Prince's music is often accused of being all sexual, but the fact is that his relationship based lyrics are more complex than MJ, more sincere, and more believable. Love, romance, sex, and God are questions and themes that all humans ask and deal with. Prince explores these themes with authenticity and an understanding that MJ has rarely, if ever, been able to capture. Prince also can do the fantastical, kid's stuff-look at the "batman" album. That album was fairly complex and mature for a superhero album.

-

9. Onstage- Prince sings. Prince dances. Prince plays guitar. Prince plays piano/keyboard. Prince plays drums. Prince plays bass guitar.

-

Onstage-MJ dances, MJ sings. We MJ fans often argue that he does these better than anyone else. That is opinion.

-

Fact is- Prince does more onstage than MJ. He does all of these really really well. Better singer and dancer than MJ? Some think so. However, without a doubt Prince is more varied onstage than MJ.

-

10. Prince has hot female backup dancers. MJ's back up dancers seem like Madonna's leftovers.

-

I know a lot of my points can be filed under "different stokes for different folks", but so can this entire thread.

back in your box MJ fans! You have your own thread for a reason

Graycap23 said:

FunkyD said:

Wasn't MJ known to be a perfectionist? the quality of the songs did matter to MJ..

[Edited 12/2/14 6:58am]

Sorry dude.....those songs just aren't that good. The video's were GREAT though.

You do know his (Michael Jackson) albums broke guiness book of world records, in term of sales. The videos were great, but it's the music that continues to make MJ the King of Pop. Not to complete urinate on Prince's afro, but he was the next best thing to MJ....in the 80's. Prince lost his way musically, when he started focusing his creative energy on record sales and ownership of recordings. The biggest difference between MJ and Prince is, MJ make music he felt his fans would love. Prince made music that HE would love.

Scarfo said:

Graycap23 said:

Sorry dude.....those songs just aren't that good. The video's were GREAT though.

You do know his (Michael Jackson) albums broke guiness book of world records, in term of sales. The videos were great, but it's the music that continues to make MJ the King of Pop. Not to complete urinate on Prince's afro, but he was the next best thing to MJ....in the 80's. Prince lost his way musically, when he started focusing his creative energy on record sales and ownership of recordings. The biggest difference between MJ and Prince is, MJ make music he felt his fans would love. Prince made music that HE would love.

Lol............not buying it and there is nothing 2 can tell me otherwise.

prince fires 3eg just days after i post my cookie jar reloaded proving how bad of a band 3eg really is .. coincidence? .. gotta go .. my neon telephone is ringing

rainbowchild said:

Does it matter, wow.

Heehee..I see what cha did there. ^_^

TrevorAyer said:

prince fires 3eg just days after i post my cookie jar reloaded proving how bad of a band 3eg really is .. coincidence? .. gotta go .. my neon telephone is ringing

Did he 4 realz?

Graycap23 said:

JoeyC said:

Tough question?? I would say Probably not better, but there are people who would give Prince a run for his money.

IMHO. The ones who are super bad at what they do, who come close to having the total package(Defined in the OP), and the one's who come extremely close are, Paul McCartney Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Carlos Santana, and Todd Rundgren(especially!). Also. Although im no classical music expert, i always finding myself liking the music of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.

There are a few more(especially in the Rock & Roll, and Jazz categories), but im drawing a blank at this moment.

The thing about Prince is the guy has so many damn songs !

Anyway, God definitely broke the mold when he made that dude(prince). No doubt.

I just wish he(prince) would challenge his fan base(musically) a little more that what he has been doing lately. I know he has it in him... I just know he does !

[Edited 12/2/14 12:34pm]

Prince has been doing this since 1978.

If folks have not be challenged by now......they never will.

When I look at your list, thee only 2 I even care about are Wonder and George Clinton. The rest mean nothing 2 me musically.

Aw fuck it...

[Edited 12/3/14 15:27pm]