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.

Kind of an impossible question to answer because of the subjectivity of art. But I can say that I like Prince better than anyone else ever.

no

NO, NO, NO - NOT NOW AND NEVER WILL BE!

Paul McCartney

JAMES BROWN

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.

I think Frank Zappa was at least as versatile and brilliant as Prince covering a great amount of styles and a genius on guitar. He released over 60 albums during his lifetime and has released nearly 40 more after his death. He was certainly musically more educated and his music was much more complex, but not as fluent on the amount of instruments that Prince is and his sound is a bit more clinical while Prince is more organic.

I love both their work!

rusty1 said:

I've been a fan since 1984..Prince hasn't Been relevant since 1987..I might give him up to "Diamonds & Pearls"..I will once again say 1979 to 87 was his most prolific & Legendary era.

Popular culture is littered with Prince ref and sounds today meaning hos relevancy is alive and strong

Yes, there are several who easily surpass Prince in all these aspects overall.

Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke, to begin with...

That's just a beginning, and that's only popular music, without getting into George Gershwin, Stravinsky, and back and back.

Prince is incredibly talented, but to say he's the best is.... narrow, at best.

Hm, this is a kind of complex question. In regards to what? Songwriting? Ability on certain instruments? etc etc

There is no doubting Prince is an extremely talented man, but I'm sure he has his downfalls in some places. Just as he excel's in others.

I don't think we could ever say x person is the best at everything musicwise because of as someone said above, the subjectivity of art.

Aint nobody better than Prince!

NO. Go wash your mouf out wit soap lolololol

i'm sorry but where is Bob Dylan's Housequake or James Brown's Dinner With Delores, Hendrix's Do Me Baby or Joni's Anne Christian?? So for me, on litmus test is depth/range. Dude really does cover all genres short of classical with proficiency at lhe least and genius at best, with lots of "middle of the range" stuff others would die to have in their catalogue. Answer is no for me

datdude said:

Dude really does cover all genres short of classical with proficiency at lhe least and genius at best, with lots of "middle of the range" stuff others would die to have in their catalogue.

oh man, really??... you don't know much about music, do you...

Of course not. Prince is the best.

Prince can hang w/ anybody musically...

he cant beat everybody though..

Paul McCartney would be the only one I would equate with Prince in terms of everything: songwriting, musicianship, showmanship, singing voice, style, etc.

.

Of course Prince is a shadow of his former self, but his former self was SO amazing and brilliant that even the shadow is still noteworthy.

.

I would say MJ, but anyone in consideration must also be a proficient musician.

datdude said:

i'm sorry but where is Bob Dylan's Housequake or James Brown's Dinner With Delores, Hendrix's Do Me Baby or Joni's Anne Christian?? So for me, on litmus test is depth/range. Dude really does cover all genres short of classical with proficiency at lhe least and genius at best, with lots of "middle of the range" stuff others would die to have in their catalogue. Answer is no for me

You had me until you name-dropped Dinner With Delores . . .

datdude said:

Let me think...entire body of work, the career achievements, longevity, musicianship, range and depth of talent, influence, originality, and overall relevance to real music.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing:

I don't think anyone has been BETTER than Prince, as far as popular music goes.

If Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney are considered as forerunners to the question, it has to be noted that they dropped down quite a peg in their "old age" just as Prince has been accused of. We can't look at them with Rose-colored glasses on as though they were at their peak for 40 years.

Tbo, I don't get the Paul McCartney praise. He has insane longevity, but...

Stevie is definitely worthy, but he stuck with his mostly only one genre for his whole career. He was excellent at it, I know. But when you think Stevie, you pretty much are stuck in RnB or Soul. You think Prince, you can be in RnB, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Dance, etc.

And I wouldn't even consider Michael Jackson - even though I am a BIG fan. He didn't write most of his stuff and I believe most of his biggest hits were written by someone else. And obviously, he didn't have much to do with playing any music. I do admit, though, he was EXCELLENT at what he did.

pdiddy2011 said:

Tbo, I don't get the Paul McCartney praise. He has insane longevity, but...

Just to keep it simple: first listen to Kamasutra.

Take a few aspirins.

Then listen to Standing Stone.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

pdiddy2011 said:

I don't think anyone has been BETTER than Prince, as far as popular music goes.

If Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney are considered as forerunners to the question, it has to be noted that they dropped down quite a peg in their "old age" just as Prince has been accused of. We can't look at them with Rose-colored glasses on as though they were at their peak for 40 years.

Tbo, I don't get the Paul McCartney praise. He has insane longevity, but...

Stevie is definitely worthy, but he stuck with his mostly only one genre for his whole career. He was excellent at it, I know. But when you think Stevie, you pretty much are stuck in RnB or Soul. You think Prince, you can be in RnB, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Dance, etc.

And I wouldn't even consider Michael Jackson - even though I am a BIG fan. He didn't write most of his stuff and I believe most of his biggest hits were written by someone else. And obviously, he didn't have much to do with playing any music. I do admit, though, he was EXCELLENT at what he did.

http://www.billboard.com/...ts-most-no

Hot 100: Top 100 Artists

Personally I don't think there's anyone quite as incredible as Prince was in his day.

Stevie and Macca are on the same level though of course

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

pdiddy2011 said:

I don't think anyone has been BETTER than Prince, as far as popular music goes.

If Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney are considered as forerunners to the question, it has to be noted that they dropped down quite a peg in their "old age" just as Prince has been accused of. We can't look at them with Rose-colored glasses on as though they were at their peak for 40 years.

Tbo, I don't get the Paul McCartney praise. He has insane longevity, but...

Stevie is definitely worthy, but he stuck with his mostly only one genre for his whole career. He was excellent at it, I know. But when you think Stevie, you pretty much are stuck in RnB or Soul. You think Prince, you can be in RnB, Soul, Rock, Jazz, Dance, etc.

And I wouldn't even consider Michael Jackson - even though I am a BIG fan. He didn't write most of his stuff and I believe most of his biggest hits were written by someone else. And obviously, he didn't have much to do with playing any music. I do admit, though, he was EXCELLENT at what he did.

http://www.billboard.com/...ts-most-no

Hot 100: Top 100 Artists

1	THE BEATLES
2	MADONNA
3	ELTON JOHN
4	ELVIS PRESLEY
5	MARIAH CAREY
6	STEVIE WONDER
7	JANET JACKSON
8	MICHAEL JACKSON
9	WHITNEY HOUSTON
10	THE ROLLING STONES
11	PAUL MCCARTNEY/WINGS
12	BEE GEES
13	CHICAGO
14	USHER
15	RIHANNA
16	THE SUPREMES
17	DARYL HALL JOHN OATES
18	PRINCE

Completely irrelevant list. The person you replied to is saying they don't think there's anyone better than Prince in the realm of popular music and artists, meaning they are not including classical musicians and such.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Let me think...entire body of work, the career achievements, longevity, musicianship, range and depth of talent, influence, originality, and overall relevance to real music.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing:

After seeing his SITKOL performance at MSG, I might be inclined to agree. I've never had an experience like that at a Prince show or any show for that matter. And I've been seeing Prince since Lovesexy. Truly transcendent in a way I've never seen.

I'll be seeing SITKOL on the 20th and I really cannot wait to see it!

[Edited 11/11/14 12:51pm]

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I'll be seeing SIKOL on the 20th and I really cannot wait to see it!

Bring some tissue.

If he made y'all cry in NYC - I'm in Detroit - I'm going to need a whole box!