If you love music, you can (and should) love them both because they have the ability to take their influences and fuse them into something unique. It boggles my mind how so many different types of songs can keep coming from one guy but still ultimately sound like they belong to that guy.

So, in this blog, let's take a look at each musician's "Golden Era," discuss what you like/dislike about it, and (if you're bold enough) decide which artist had the better output:

Prince (1984-1988)

• Purple Rain
• Around the World in a Day
• Parade
• Sign o' the Times
• Lovesexy

Stevie Wonder (1972-1976)

• Music of My Mind
• Talking Book
• Innervisions
• Fulfillingness' First Finale
• Songs in the Key of Life

I feel like Stevie's golden era was stronger and at least more consistent. But I also feel like you should start Prince's at 1999. He was already making next level stuff in 1982.

Prince.

As much as I like Stevie's best work I still think Prince's stuff just generally kicks more ass.

And yeah, you should include 1999 and Secret Life Of Plants on those lists. Prince did his more experimental and psychedelic records in the middle of his "golden era", but Stevie also had his own with Secret Life Of Plants, it just doesn't interrupt his string of more accessible albums. It's not really a fair comparison if you can so easily exclude something from the end of Stevie's list that you know would divide opinion like ATWIAD does in Prince's case. Secret Life Of Plants is still the album that sounds most like Songs In The Key Of Life in Stevie's discography anyway, as it's a continuation of the same sound with all kinds of weirdness just added to that sound.

besides, Prince is still going through the golden era.

since i love music, i won't debate on which of my children is stronger. to me 1999 is one of the greatest pop albums ever made so if i was choosing a golden age for prince it could not be left off. I have a unique perspective because from 1972 to 1982 my all time favorite artist was stevie wonder. when prince came out with 1999 in 1982 it confirmed for me that i had a new all time favorite artist. if you put a gun to my head given the golden age you chose i would have to say stevie was stronger. critically stevie accomplished something that will never be done again-he won the grammy for album of the year for 3 straight albums (innervisions,fulfillingness first finale & songs in the key of life) talking book in my mind was superior to innervisions or fulfillingness . i will say on prince's behalf that his golden age went from dirty mind in 1980 through lovesexy in 1988 & no act in the popular music era that is not named the beatles can boast of a lengthier continuous mind-blowing period of critical & popular success. great subject thread

since i love music, i won't debate on which of my children is stronger. to me 1999 is one of the greatest pop albums ever made so if i was choosing a golden age for prince it could not be left off. I have a unique perspective because from 1972 to 1982 my all time favorite artist was stevie wonder. when prince came out with 1999 in 1982 it confirmed for me that i had a new all time favorite artist. if you put a gun to my head given the golden age you chose i would have to say stevie was stronger. critically stevie accomplished something that will never be done again-he won the grammy for album of the year for 3 straight albums (innervisions,fulfillingness first finale & songs in the key of life) talking book in my mind was superior to innervisions or fulfillingness . i will say on prince's behalf that his golden age went from dirty mind in 1980 through lovesexy in 1988 & no act in the popular music era that is not named the beatles can boast of a lengthier continuous mind-blowing period of critical & popular success. great subject thread

triplethreat said:

since i love music, i won't debate on which of my children is stronger. to me 1999 is one of the greatest pop albums ever made so if i was choosing a golden age for prince it could not be left off. I have a unique perspective because from 1972 to 1982 my all time favorite artist was stevie wonder. when prince came out with 1999 in 1982 it confirmed for me that i had a new all time favorite artist. if you put a gun to my head given the golden age you chose i would have to say stevie was stronger. critically stevie accomplished something that will never be done again-he won the grammy for album of the year for 3 straight albums (innervisions,fulfillingness first finale & songs in the key of life) talking book in my mind was superior to innervisions or fulfillingness . i will say on prince's behalf that his golden age went from dirty mind in 1980 through lovesexy in 1988 & no act in the popular music era that is not named the beatles can boast of a lengthier continuous mind-blowing period of critical & popular success. great subject thread

Perhaps I should extend my Golden Era timeline a bit LOL! I certainly don't want anyone to feel I'm sleeping on 1999 because it's unquestionably a classic album (and in my personal Top 3). Reason why I started at '84 was because the material from '78 to '83 set the groundwork for Purple Rain to become what it is today.

This thread is a pick-your-poison kind of question because music lovers like me and you have great respect for both men and their catalog. However, if I was forced to choose one, I'd probably go with Prince because each album during that time was unlike anything else his peers were doing. Sign o' the Times is still my favorite album by any artist (just imagine the impact that Dream Factory and/or Crystal Ball '86 would have had on the game!)

I absolutely LOVE your views on why you feel Stevie's run during the '70s was superior. Innervisions is my favorite album by him but an argument can be made for Music of My Mind or Songs in the Key of Life.

I'll always have a hint of envy because folks like you got to see my four favorite artists (MJ, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown) in their primes.

ChrisLacy1990 said:

As big a Prince fan as I am - Stevie. Prince never approached the emotional maturity of Stevie lyrically and I believe Stevie has far more sonic variety by playing well with others musically.
but I have them both in my LP collections so I really DON'T have to choose

Alexandernvrmind said: