Eric Leeds once said, "When a song really meant something to Prince he would just inhabit it, much like a gospel singer would. Whether the source is spiritual or secular, when you feel it, you feel it." So, if one wanted to play the best love songs that Prince had to offer between 1981 and 1991, here's where I would start…

1. Do Me, Baby (1981): "The one that started it all," is an easy way of putting it when it comes to handpicking which love songs will set the mood. With a running time of almost eight minutes, Prince's hormone-soaked whispers fit right in with the bump-and-grind tone and at 3:54, Prince knocks your socks off with one of those "weak-in-the-knees" screams.
2. The Beautiful Ones (1984): It's hard to overstate how awesome this record is, no matter how many times you’ve heard it. It’s a quiet storm of cold electronic drums, dramatic synths and a touching falsetto. Big thanks to Susannah Melvoin, his real-life love interest at the time, for bringing these emotions out of Prince.
3. Adonis and Bathsheba (1986): While I was writing my review for this song, it took me a long time to find the words to describe it (seriously, you would laugh if you saw how many times I started to type something and ultimately hit Backspace mid-sentence). "Adonis and Bathsheba" is a sonic fantasy; a colorful soundscape of flutes, trumpets, harps and a guitar solo that will make your ears melt. If you haven't heard the complete version, you are missing out!
4. If I Was Your Girlfriend (1987): In a recent interview, Susan Rogers said Prince came to her and asked if this song should be a single. Her response: "I think you should do it. I've never heard a man sing from this perspective before and as a woman I enjoy hearing that. It's a unique message, it makes you interesting. It's intriguing." Well said, Susan.
5. Adore (1987): Who else is bold enough to make love beneath an audience of angels who look down approvingly? Only Prince! In the second verse he says, "When we be making love, I only hear the sounds, Heavenly angels crying up above. Tears of joy pouring down on us. They know we need each other." This is my all-time favorite love song from Mr. Nelson and I'm not sure if it can be topped.
6. Scandalous! (1989): The rumor that circulated at the time about the sex noises on the 20-minute "Sex Suite" EP involved Prince, Kim Basinger, and a jar of honey that somehow ended up having to be cleaned off the mixing board at Paisley Park. If anyone has a hard time understanding why this is on the list, I strongly encourage you to go back and listen to this.
7. Joy in Repetition (1990): From the sensual atmosphere he creates to the riveting guitar solo at the end, most musicians would kill to have a song like this in their catalog. Not only is this the best song on the Graffiti Bridge album but I would say that the One Nite Alone version is even better!
8. Insatiable (1991): This buttery ballad features a plush, pillow-talk arrangement that was just as sultry as "Scandalous!" Few pop stars of the time ventured into sex tape-like lyrics like "Tonight we video… No one will ever know... We’ll erase the naughty bits."

I'm not kidding when I say I had a VERY hard time finalizing this list. An argument can be made for almost any ballad he did in that ten-year timeframe but this is my personal take on it. If you think I'm missing anything (e.g. International Lover, How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore, Condition of the Heart, Crucial, When 2 R in Love, Nothing Compares 2 U, The Question of U, Diamonds and Pearls, etc.), let your voice be heard!

this list is PERFECT

feeluupp said:

this list is PERFECT

Thank you very much! I am very proud of this list also.

ChrisLacy1990 said:

S3V3N said:

ChrisLacy1990 said:

Nice list, and well said. Not sure I agree with selections from Scandalous onward. They were a little too "more of the same" for my ear. But I get why people are impressed. [Edited 12/14/14 12:45pm]

"Joy In Repetition" more of the same??? It's really a one of kind song in the Prince canon.

I don't think it can really be done justice live. The atmosphere can't be recaptured. And the guitar solo(s) can't be bettered.

"Insatiable" is more of the same, I'd replace that with "Damn U". Or with the live version from the Diamonds And Pears tour, with Levi's solo and Prince & Rosie's great vocalising at the end. I'm sure that will be on the soon to be released deluxe remaster....

You like your tempos on the slow side...

Man, got sleepy only reading the titles.

But other than that, nice list.
But it needs sub-categories. How on earth can you sum his most creative decade (and it is a sin not to start at Dirty Mind)

in 8 tracks without musical genre subdivisions?

I think your list is very very good. I would add Forever In My Life. I definitely feel it's one of his best love songs. I especially love how he performed it live!

Pentacle said:

S3V3N said:

ChrisLacy1990 said: Nice list, and well said. Not sure I agree with selections from Scandalous onward. They were a little too "more of the same" for my ear. But I get why people are impressed. [Edited 12/14/14 12:45pm]

"Joy In Repetition" more of the same??? It's really a one of kind song in the Prince canon.

I don't think it can really be done justice live. The atmosphere can't be recaptured. And the guitar solo(s) can't be bettered.

"Insatiable" is more of the same, I'd replace that with "Damn U". Or with the live version from the Diamonds And Pears tour, with Levi's solo and Prince & Rosie's great vocalising at the end. I'm sure that will be on the soon to be released deluxe remaster....

"Damn U" (released in '92) just missed the cut since I only focused on songs released from 1981 to 1991. And yes, the feeling behind "Joy in Repetition" is difficult to re-capture but I believe ONA did it justice.

vinaysfunk said:

I think your list is very very good. I would add Forever In My Life. I definitely feel it's one of his best love songs. I especially love how he performed it live!

I thought about adding "Forever in My Life" but since I already had two songs from SOTT, I wanted to make sure other albums got some love. The live version on SOTT with snippets of "It" is incredible!

bonatoc said:

You like your tempos on the slow side...

Man, got sleepy only reading the titles.

But other than that, nice list.
But it needs sub-categories. How on earth can you sum his most creative decade (and it is a sin not to start at Dirty Mind)

in 8 tracks without musical genre subdivisions?

Hahaha! Your "sleepy" line cracked me up. Perhaps, I will do a sub-genre list on a future Great Eight post... I can see "When You Were Mine" or "Do It All Night" making that list.

By the way, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my "experimental" Great Eight post.

S3V3N said:

ChrisLacy1990 said:

Eric Leeds once said, "When a song really meant something to Prince he would just inhabit it, much like a gospel singer would. Whether the source is spiritual or secular, when you feel it, you feel it." So, if one wanted to play the best love songs that Prince had to offer between 1981 and 1991, here's where I would start…

1. Do Me, Baby (1981): "The one that started it all," is an easy way of putting it when it comes to handpicking which love songs will set the mood. With a running time of almost eight minutes, Prince's hormone-soaked whispers fit right in with the bump-and-grind tone and at 3:54, Prince knocks your socks off with one of those "weak-in-the-knees" screams.
2. The Beautiful Ones (1984): It's hard to overstate how awesome this record is, no matter how many times you’ve heard it. It’s a quiet storm of cold electronic drums, dramatic synths and a touching falsetto. Big thanks to Susannah Melvoin, his real-life love interest at the time, for bringing these emotions out of Prince.
3. Adonis and Bathsheba (1986): While I was writing my review for this song, it took me a long time to find the words to describe it (seriously, you would laugh if you saw how many times I started to type something and ultimately hit Backspace mid-sentence). "Adonis and Bathsheba" is a sonic fantasy; a colorful soundscape of flutes, trumpets, harps and a guitar solo that will make your ears melt. If you haven't heard the complete version, you are missing out!
4. If I Was Your Girlfriend (1987): In a recent interview, Susan Rogers said Prince came to her and asked if this song should be a single. Her response: "I think you should do it. I've never heard a man sing from this perspective before and as a woman I enjoy hearing that. It's a unique message, it makes you interesting. It's intriguing." Well said, Susan.
5. Adore (1987): Who else is bold enough to make love beneath an audience of angels who look down approvingly? Only Prince! In the second verse he says, "When we be making love, I only hear the sounds, Heavenly angels crying up above. Tears of joy pouring down on us. They know we need each other." This is my all-time favorite love song from Mr. Nelson and I'm not sure if it can be topped.
6. Scandalous! (1989): The rumor that circulated at the time about the sex noises on the 20-minute "Sex Suite" EP involved Prince, Kim Basinger, and a jar of honey that somehow ended up having to be cleaned off the mixing board at Paisley Park. If anyone has a hard time understanding why this is on the list, I strongly encourage you to go back and listen to this.
7. Joy in Repetition (1990): From the sensual atmosphere he creates to the riveting guitar solo at the end, most musicians would kill to have a song like this in their catalog. Not only is this the best song on the Graffiti Bridge album but I would say that the One Nite Alone version is even better!
8. Insatiable (1991): This buttery ballad features a plush, pillow-talk arrangement that was just as sultry as "Scandalous!" Few pop stars of the time ventured into sex tape-like lyrics like "Tonight we video… No one will ever know... We’ll erase the naughty bits."

I'm not kidding when I say I had a VERY hard time finalizing this list. An argument can be made for almost any ballad he did in that ten-year timeframe but this is my personal take on it. If you think I'm missing anything (e.g. International Lover, How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore, Condition of the Heart, Crucial, When 2 R in Love, Nothing Compares 2 U, The Question of U, Diamonds and Pearls, etc.), let your voice be heard!

Nice list, and well said. Not sure I agree with selections from Scandalous onward. They were a little too "more of the same" for my ear. But I get why people are impressed. [Edited 12/14/14 12:45pm]

Thanks for checking out my list! What changes would you make since Scandalous and onward sound too similar to you?

Do Me Baby

Electric Intercourse

The Beautiful Ones

Adore

When 2 R in Love

Eye Hate U

Joy in Repetition

Shhh!

(You can't argue these are love songs, you just can't)

Aerogram said:

Do Me Baby

Electric Intercourse

The Beautiful Ones

Adore

When 2 R in Love

Eye Hate U

Joy in Repetition

Shhh!

(You can't argue these are love songs, you just can't)

Agreed, all of those are incredible love songs! However, I gave myself a decade to work within (1981-1991) so "I Hate U" and "Shhh!" wouldn't make the cut due to the year they were released.

breakdown2k14 said:

Nice list.I recently just discovered the ONA version Of joy in repetition and it's a lot better than the graffiti bridge version,especially the guitar playing!

Yes, the more I listen to the One Nite Alone version, the more I fall in love with it. Prince's solo (along with the legendary Larry Graham on bass) take you to another planet.

Nice picks, I love all of these

Nice picks, I love all of these

love ur list, here r my picks:

International Lover

The Beautiful Ones

Condition of the Heart

When 2 R In Love

Scandalous

The Arms Of Orion

The Question Of U

Insatiable

I'd put Pink Cashmere on there (yes i know it was released later in the 90s, but it was actually recorded 1988/89 i believe)

I Love U In Me

feeluupp said:

I Love U In Me

Yes! I was just thinking of this song myself.

" wish U Heaven" would also be on my list.