Closer runner ups:

• How Come U Dont Call Me Anymore?
• 17 Days

Both of which have been covered by other artists - thats how good they are

I don't think one thing can ever be the greatest of all time. At best, there are tiers of best-considered tracks. But yes, Erotic City and How Come' are definitely bigger than the rest.

There is no debate in my mind. Often I think Erotic City is the best Prince song of all time. Usually when it is playing.

Don't forget She's Always In My Hair

1. Erotic City

2. She's Always In My Hair

3. 17 Days

4. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore
5. Irresistable Bitch

IMO

[Edited 3/14/15 9:45am]

[Edited 3/14/15 9:49am]

joyinrepetition said:

Don't forget She's Always In My Hair

I knew I was forgetting one - great point.

Shockadelica !!!!!

Erotic City and She's Always In My Hair are his best two B-Sides in my opinion.

I bet if they were released as singles rather than B-Sides they would be huge hits.

Can you imagine She's Always In My Hair being the first single released after the Purple Rain album... Wow.

That's one I never want to stop playing...

Irrisistable Bitch was the B side... Pretty Badass!

[Edited 3/14/15 13:25pm]

No, not in my eyes. Erotic City is an amazing b-side. The best. The other choice are all very good as well. I also like another lonely christmas which I believe is another b side as well.

And debate thoust shall have.

Shockadelica is arguably the best song on Camille,
which is arguably the best record of the SOTT 3-disc set,
which is arguably P's best record.

Alexa de Paris is the best score of all UTCM.
Clare Fischer, Sheila E. and Prince turning all of 1986 Jazz-Rock records to smoking ashes, including Miles Davis "Tutu".

Girl is an underrated ethereal synth-pop masterpiece.

God (instrumental) is "I'm Yours" rebooted, without the hair metal stadium neurosis, and some real drama.
God (vocal) is part of why Prince fans are the zealots they are.

Irresistible Bitch was a traumatic experience, never to be recovered from,
for : D'Angelo, Dre 3000, Terence Trent D'Arby, Trent Reznor, Beck, Massive Attack, and countless others.
It's one heck of a diamond on P's crown.

17 Days reached the Billboard's #1 in many parallels worlds.

Feel U Up kicks "Erotic City" in the nuts, with cowbell please.

Violet The Organ Grinder is historically important, as it was the confirmation that P's had definitely lost his marbles
and was now writing songs looking at himself in the mirror.



Yet, "Erotic City" remains one of the greatest Linn Drum programming, flangered hi-hat, tape-reversed shakers, accelerated guitars and all.

"If we cannot make babies, maybe we can get some time." — This is the bleak party mood, creeping paranoia straight from 1999.
It sounds like Nicole Kidman's last phrase in "Eyes Wides Shut".
The phrase sounds fun, but the Linn machinery underneath reminds you of George Orwell or Aldous Huxley.
They cannot make babies? Either P's condom was still stuck from the last time, or they're both sterile.
More seriously, real intimacy in the eighties is becoming an issue.
No more emotional commitments.
There is nothing left for us but to go home and fuck.
How sad and bluesy is that?

"That would wanna be my wife, That was my intention"...
Prince is tired of feeling, and gives up to technology.
No more "When We're Dancing Close And Slow". No more pianos or acoustic guitars.
In the near future there will be, for both sex, no other choice/joy but to fuck.
Like drum machines. Repeateadly. Hearts hidden.

Does today's internet prove him right?


And I don't care what you, history or people say, to me it will always be the very first appearance of Camille.

[Edited 3/14/15 14:42pm]

Erotic City was THE number one club banger in the 80s. It is probably Prince´s greatest "club" song ever, and one of my all time favorite Prince songs.

Don´t know about "best" though because back then he created magic....almost all his b-sides from 1982 to 1986/87 were just as good as his album or a-side material. Other musicians could only wish they had such strong album material like Prince´s b-sides.

Too bad they kind of fell under the radar over time. I mean, She´s Always In My Hair, Erotic City, 17 Days, Irrisistible Bitch , How Come U Don´t Call Me.... those are extremely good songs and one could easily compile a full album with them but sadly, there are no videoclips, they are just b-sides and never made it to the top 10 or aren´t even that wellknown outside the Prince fans community.

I also like his 90s b-sides a lot...the Space remixes, especially the Universal Love remix, the Come On remixes, the incredibel I Hate U remix. Some of those sound better than the album versions.

Violet The Organ Grinder is in my opinion so much better than Gett Off.

Horny Toad

Run, go tell your boyfriend his lovin' has got too old

He might as well pack his things
And get his dead ass on the road
Tell him you live on a lily pad with a horny toad, yyyeeeahhhh

Not that its necessarily the best b-side but I'm surprised that ♥ Or $ does not get more appreciation.

BTW, Alexa De Paris is a fine piece of art in my book.

[Edited 3/14/15 15:44pm]

This is a tough one. I think I will say She's Always in my Hair.

I would say that Erotic City is Prince's best club/dance b side but as far as the best b side period ? I would have to say no. I do think that its the most played, and to the general public, Prince's most well known b side though. Shoot back in the 80's, they played that song so much that i kinda got sick of hearing it.



I pretty much love all of Prince's 80's b sides but the ones that hold a super special place in my heart are another lonely christmas, 17 days, shes always in my hair, irresistible bitch, and how come u don't call me anymore.


As other people have mentioned, love or money, Alexa de Paris, Girl, and feel u up are bad ass as well.

Either way, prince's 1980's b sides are the stuff of legend. And especially erotic city.

Come to think of it. The only b side that i remember disliking is 200 balloons.

[Edited 3/14/15 23:17pm]

Gustavm said:

This is a tough one. I think I will say She's Always in my Hair.

That's my #1 choice. Erotic City is second.

La La La He He He is a rollercoaster ride and even though it is not most popular, it is right up there next to Erotic City, in my book.

Considering the great stylistic leaps from one album to another,
it's always going to be unfair to other songs if you try to pinpoint the best B side.

Scarlet Pussy is miles away from Hello, Another Lonely Christmas is miles away from Love or Money, and so on.

misiu said:

Yeah, cool song! But a shame its a rip off.

You are thinking of Laid Back´s "White Horse", right?

I used to think that Erotic City was released first but then I found out that White Horse came out earlier. However, I wonder if it was the other way around...that Laid Back somehow heard Erotic City first and copied from Prince, since they spent some time together around that time, and if I recall correctly there´s even a Warner Bros. maxi single that contains a Prince song on one side and a Laid Back song on the other side. But I guess if they had stolen from him he would´ve said so back then.

Or is there another song that you are thinking of that is similar to Erotic City?

It's usually been one of the three:

Erotic City

17 Days
She's Always In My Hair

The SOTT era B-sides have been gaining more love lately. "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" has definitely the feel of a "classic" piece of music, but I think the fans like the ones with beats a little bit more.

The great thing about this topic is that his B-sides back then were far better than the released singles (many of which were hits) from other artists. Nobody could touch him. I'm torn on this question. Erotic City is hot, but I'm also partial to 17 Days, She's Always in My Hair, and How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore. Man, man, man.......sittin' at work, time to take out the headphones!

Love Bizarre Part II should be right up there.

♥ Or $ has on of my fave relentless Prince bass lines

Averett said:

Not that its necessarily the best b-side but I'm surprised that ♥ Or $ does not get more appreciation.

BTW, Alexa De Paris is a fine piece of art in my book.

[Edited 3/14/15 15:44pm]