It's easy being on the thin line of cheesy or way too heavy on the New Jack Swing element during this particular period in music history. I believe Prince hit it perfectly, and that's why he's undisputed. Yes, he started chasing trends by 1991. But man, sounding as fresh today as the did back then is an achievement in itself. Not even Quincy or Madonnas producers did lay down beats in the same level or as intriguing, atleast around 87-89. Later on, yes.

To name a few:

-Adore

-SOTT

-If I Was Your Girlfriend

-Alphabet St.

-When 2 Are In Love

-Partyman (Cream of the crop)

-Scandalous (As above,maybe even better)

-Cream

-Insatiable (A personal favourite)

Keep 'em coming and what's your view.

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"Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" stands out in mind. Also some of the 1999 stuff is great too...He is definetly one the cats that got me interested in the drum machines back then. And when he plays live drums against the machines?....Ouch!!

dandan said:

What's special about Adore? Its all the track needs but its still just a completely straight, super simple, slow beat

It's all about how you incorporate your drum pattern with all the other music elements. You could release Adore today and it still sounds modern. Dub over Arianna Grande, Bruno Mars, Beyonce etc on the record and you've got a sure hit. Wouldn't work in the same way if you dubbed over their voices to say Whip Appeal, Someday is tonight. Those songs screams late 80's early 90's in production value. Adore is the most timeless song of the 80's in my humble opinion.

Oh lawd..let me think

God Is Alive

Alphabet Street

Dance On

Vicki Waiting

Lemon Crush (production on this one was amazing)

Elephants and Flowers

Walk Dont Walk

Ballad of Dorthy Parker

Strange Relationship

Those are some standout drum tracks I would love to have instrumentals to

Everyone goes on and on about LIVE this, LIVE that, drums drums... but his programming was the most innovative use of the LINN drum machine, that electronic musicians are STILL influenced by to this day. I usually prefer the earliest uses starting in 1981 but I agree that the late eighties were just as sublime.

Anything/everything on SOTT album
"Bob George"
"Alphabet Street"
"When 2 R In Love"
"Scandalous"
"Chocolate" (The Time, assuming this was Prince)

Listening to The Black Album again to freshen up my thoughts. Conclution? Stellar drum programming all the way through. Except Dead On It. Sounds like something like the Beastie Boys or Run DMC. And lord knows I'm a Public Enemy fan, not a Beastie Boys or Run DMC fan. Atleast not in their early days, ugh...

Whenever someone tries to mimick Prince's sound these days, they START with using the Linn drum using Prince's tuning (lowered rimshot usually is all it takes for an easy nod). But that just goes to show how unique he made it sound when EVERYONE used the same (default) Linndrum sounds in the 1980s.