1999

I cant choose between SOTT or PR...

PR is more rockier and that is fantastic, but SOTT is so varied and includes more styles and genres.

Both are pure magic.

I alway think Purple Rain is my favorite Prince album but when I put on Sign O' The Times I realize that really is the greatest!

You know all the songs on Purple Rain are great but SOTT has so many tracks that sound so different from each other but brilliant together.

Sign. Because of Take Me With U. That slams the brakes pretty hard.

Sign O The Times for me due to the amount of creativity on it

Purple Rain is more iconic, but Sign O The Times musically and artistically is the better album.

not just because they are double albums, but I always feel 1999 - SOTT are the comparison

But my vote is Purple Rain, it moves so fast

HardcoreJollies said:

SOTT easily. PR has some great songs but it is merely among my top third of his albums. As a fan from Day 1 I actually looked at PR-ATWIAD as a bit of a letdown amid the brilliance of 1999 and then Parade-Lovesexy. I prefer funky and hard-rocking Prince to pop Prince.

Purple Rain not as hard-rocking as SOTT?

Sign o the times by a mile. PR has a few more stand out tracks, but the cohesiveness of the different generes of music make it a little piece of heaven on earth.

SOTT screams out for my love and yet those damn PR b-sides always tip the scales...

Sign O' The Times is the more experimental album of the two.Stylistically,it's all over the place while Purple Rain pretty much stays in pop/rock territory (with very little funk).

I choose SOTT.Both albums are brilliant,though.

Purple Rain, if counting b-sides.

17 Days, Erotic City, Another Lonely Christmas, GOD + the Purple Rain album= invincible.

OldFriends4Sale said:

HardcoreJollies said:

SOTT easily. PR has some great songs but it is merely among my top third of his albums. As a fan from Day 1 I actually looked at PR-ATWIAD as a bit of a letdown amid the brilliance of 1999 and then Parade-Lovesexy. I prefer funky and hard-rocking Prince to pop Prince.

Purple Rain not as hard-rocking as SOTT?

PR does rock harder overall but SOTT does include some of that with Play in the Sunshine, The Cross and ICNTTPOYM. But the overall diversity and experimentation cannot be topped in SOTT. I remember playing SOTT for non-fans and totally blowing their minds at the talent and depth of that masterpiece. With PR they were more like hey this is pretty good pop-rock, with SOTT they were like holy fuck this is other worldly. It was the same when I exposed people to 1999. Also I always had to skip Baby I'm a Star and I would Die 4 U; they were among my least favorite Prince tunes up to that point. Of course my girlfriend at the time loved those ones. All that said, his explosion on the back of PR and the movie was thrilling.

Purple Rain

SOTT...hands down his best.

#1 -- 1999

#2 -- PR

#3 -- SOTT

I stand by my words.

PR - 6

SOTT - 12

Both - 1

Can't front on the awesomeness of P.R., but SOTT is just the bee's knees to me. My all-time favorite .

SOTT

Sign o' the Times.

Purple Rain.

Sign 'O' The Times, doesn't even crack my top 5 fave Prince albums. I have never understood why anyone would think SOTT is better than Lovesexy, but that's just me. And after 28 years, I have finally figured out why... "Slow Love." No offense to anyone that loves this song, but it throws off the whole groove of the album imho.

This became clear after listening to the "Crystal Ball" boot. Slow Love throws off the flow of that tracklisting as well.

My top 5:
1. Lovesexy
2. Parade
3. Purple Rain
4. Dirty Mind
5. 1999
...

6. Crystal Ball, 1986 tracklisting, unofficial release
7. SOTT...

REALLY difficult.

But, Purple Rain. It has no fat on it.

PR by a mile.

PR - 9

SOTT - 16

Both - 1