The thing I love most about Prince is the fact that he does so many different things in music so well. Calling him a pop star or a rack star or a R&B star is actually limiting in his case. Throughout his career his hs made some pristine, flawless pop songs. We have all come to know him to be the consumate craftsman. He puts a record together like no one else can. His pop songs are among the best ever made. Raspberry Beret always comes to mind for me - maybe Little Red Corvette but I always considered that a rock tune more than a classic pop song. Looking bac, I think Dinner with Delores is my fav for the sharp, layered combination of lyrics and music in a pop format.

Very interesting thread. Many people talk about Prince's "rock" music and his "funk" music, but, to me, his best songs are the pop ones. He's one of the best pop composers of our time.

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That said, I agree with you that "Raspberry Beret" is his best pop song. Some other choices: "Paisley Park", "Desire", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man", "And God Created Woman", "Dolphin", "Lion Of Judah"... and a recent one: "Tictactoe".

Manic Monday. One of the catchiest pop songs of all time, imo. I was really surprised when I found out Prince penned something this bubblegum and melodic.

too many to mention

CharismaDove said:

Manic Monday. One of the catchiest pop songs of all time, imo. I was really surprised when I found out Prince penned something this bubblegum and melodic.

It's just 1999 with different lyrics.

without eevn giving it a thought

and without reading any of these posts

"Little Red Corvette" instantly crossed my mind.

referencing a hot little car to a girl?

"Mustang Sally" style...

how much more Pop can you get?

IMO

JoshuaWho said:

The thing I love most about Prince is the fact that he does so many different things in music so well. Calling him a pop star or a rack star or a R&B star is actually limiting in his case. Throughout his career his hs made some pristine, flawless pop songs. We have all come to know him to be the consumate craftsman. He puts a record together like no one else can. His pop songs are among the best ever made. Raspberry Beret always comes to mind for me - maybe Little Red Corvette but I always considered that a rock tune more than a classic pop song. Looking bac, I think Dinner with Delores is my fav for the sharp, layered combination of lyrics and music in a pop format.

Great topic! Today's definition of "pop music" covers so many genres that a case can be made for almost any Prince song. To name a few of my favorites: I Wanna Be Your Lover, I Would Die 4 U, 17 Days, Raspberry Beret, Pop Life, Play in the Sunshine, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, Alphabet Street, Partyman, Endoprhinmachine, etc.

JoshuaWho said:

The thing I love most about Prince is the fact that he does so many different things in music so well. Calling him a pop star or a rack star or a R&B star is actually limiting in his case. Throughout his career his hs made some pristine, flawless pop songs. We have all come to know him to be the consumate craftsman. He puts a record together like no one else can. His pop songs are among the best ever made. Raspberry Beret always comes to mind for me - maybe Little Red Corvette but I always considered that a rock tune more than a classic pop song. Looking bac, I think Dinner with Delores is my fav for the sharp, layered combination of lyrics and music in a pop format.

Great topic! Today's definition of "pop music" covers so many genres that a case can be made for almost any Prince song. To name a few of my favorites: I Wanna Be Your Lover, I Would Die 4 U, 17 Days, Raspberry Beret, Pop Life, Play in the Sunshine, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, Alphabet Street, Partyman, Endorphinmachine, etc.

[Edited 3/9/15 18:15pm]

For pure pop, the first song that jumped to my mind was Raspberry Beret.

Genesia said:

CharismaDove said:

Manic Monday. One of the catchiest pop songs of all time, imo. I was really surprised when I found out Prince penned something this bubblegum and melodic.

It's just 1999 with different lyrics.

Yeah, but I always found Manic Monday much more 'bubblegum' somehow. Maybe it's those cheesy lyrics.

I'd say "Little Red Corvette" is his most perfect pop song, and possibly "When Doves Cry" is also up there. Well, okay... and "Kiss".

I consider all of those to be pop... popular with a teen audience. That's how I define pop which is ever changing in it's ingredients.

So many to choose from: Raspberry Beret and Cream come to mind. But what about U Got the Look. Goofy dumb (but somehow brilliant) lyrics. Awesome hook. Classic not too long shredding guitar solo. Screamed radio hit the moment it was decided to release it as a single.

The thing about Prince and pop is that he could make a radio hit and then make a song like 7 or Thieves in the Temple (or even When Doves Cry) radio hits also even though they sound nothing like the other pop songs on the radio. For a dozen years or so, Prince could confirm when he wanted to or he could make a left field song into a catchy hit. 1982-1992 when Prince was a regular on the radio...what an awesome time that was.

Little Red Corvette

When Doves Cry

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man

Raspberry Beret

Kiss

Good Love


Those are my picks

1. Kiss - LIttle Red Corvette ( I can't pick!)


2. Nothing Compares 2 U


3. I Feel For You (Chaka)

4. Manic Monday


They were all massive pop hits.

[Edited 3/9/15 20:46pm]

CharismaDove said:

Genesia said:

It's just 1999 with different lyrics.

Yeah, but I always found Manic Monday much more 'bubblegum' somehow. Maybe it's those cheesy lyrics.

It's the "harpsichord."

-Little Red Corvette

-Take Me With U

-1999

Man, he wrote so many.

I Wanna Be Your Lover

Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad

When You Were Mine

Uptown

1999

Little Red Corvette

Delirious

When Doves Cry

17 Days

Let's Go Crazy

Erotic City

Take Me With U

Baby I'm A Star

I Would Die 4 U

Purple Rain

Raspberry Beret

Pop Life

She's Always in My Hair

Kiss

Mountains

Girls & Boys

I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man

Diamonds & Pearls

7

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

Gold

and then there's all the protege stuff like A Love Bizarre, Get It Up, Glamourous Life, etc. etc.

all the great songs recorded by other artists like I Feel For You, Manic Monday and Nothing Compares 2 U etc.

Plus Unreleased tracks like All My Dreams

God damn, I am in awe of Prince

Gotta be "When you were mine".

Take Me With U.

"Pop" being a shortened form of "popular", then listening to your radio will answer what are the most "popular".

.

1999

Little Red Corvette

Let's Go Crazy

When Doves Cry

Purple Rain

Kiss

Really, those are the ones that are still in steady rotation even 30 years later.

Genesia said:

CharismaDove said:

Yeah, but I always found Manic Monday much more 'bubblegum' somehow. Maybe it's those cheesy lyrics.

It's the "harpsichord."

Some of Prince's catchy but off-putting tracks like "7" "Thieves in the Temple" "Sign o' the Times" became big hits but for some reason, songs with instant singalong choruses like "Take Me with U" "Glam Slam" and "The Arms of Orion" were lesser hits... I know the first two are unusual/psychedelic, but the three are so catchy pop, I'm surprised the mainstream didn't pick them up but picked 7/Thieves/etc

Perfect pop songs by Prince...here are some gems that I strongly feel come to my mind.

Rock And Roll Love Affair

The One U Wanna C
Cinnamon Girl
Clouds
Fallnlove2nite
This Could Be Us
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
Future Baby Mamma
Guitar
Chelsea Rodgers
Resolution
Space

319
I Hate U
Gold
She Loves Me 4 Me
Somebody's Somebody
The Holy river
Sleep Around
Sex In The Summer
Damned If Do
Get Yo Groove On
In This Bed I Scream
My Computer
Emancipation
Strange Relatioship
Starfish and Coffee
Hot Thing
I Could Never Take The Place Of You Man
Blue Light
Diamonds and Pearls
Cream
7
So Far, So Pleased
Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do
Come On
I Wish U Heaven
Manic Monday
Trust

I Feel For You
Raspberry Beret
Take Me With U
Pop Life
U Got The Look
I Would Die 4 U
Forever In My Life
Walk Don't Walk
Money Don't Matter 2nite
The Morning Papers
Delerious
The Beautiful Ones
Glam Slam
Alphabet Street
When U Were Mine
Round and Round
Theives In he Temple
Elephants and Flowers
New Power Generation
Good Love
17 Days
She's Always In My Hair
Purple Rain
1999
Little Red Corvette
Partyman
Batdance
The Arms Of Orion
Vicky Waiting
And God Created Woman
She Spoke 2 Me
Girl 6
Private Joy
Soft And Wet
Girls And Boys
Kiss
Anootherloverholnyohead
Mountains
New Position
Under The Cherry Moon
Beautiful Loved and Blessed
Song Of The Heart
Fury
Te Amo Corizon
A Million Days
The Work
The Everlastig Now

Strange Relationship

For me so many tracks over the year and although I don't like them all he does have a knack for pumping out good short guitar-riff tracks over and over like these which I consider perfect forumlaic pop songs;

...Cream, Peach, Loose!, Baby Knows, Fury, Guitar, Dreamer, 2 young 2 dare...

TMBGITW