Here is my top 40 albums. I guess many folks will bitch at how low 1999 is on my list, but I'm just being honest, it is the one "classic" Prince album that leaves me cold. That's not to say I don't dig it, but there's plenty non-classic P albums I prefer to it.

1. Lovesexy

2. Parade

3. Purple Rain

4. Sign O the Times

5. Symbol

6. Emancipation

7. Rave Un2 Joy Fantastic

8. Around The World In A Day

9. The Black Album

10. The Rainbow Children

11. Art Official Age

12. The Gold Experience

13. Come

14. Dirty Mind

15. New Power Soul

16. Hit N Run Phase 1

17. Planet Earth

18. MPLSound

19. One Nite Alone

20. Graffiti Bridge

21. 1999

22. Controversy

23. Musicology

24. The Truth

25. Hit N Run Phase 2

26. Batman

27. Lotusflow3r

28. Chaos & Disorder

29. Diamonds & Pearls

30. 20Ten

31. The Vault

32. Plectrum Electrum

33. Chocolate Invasion

34. For You

35. 3121

36. Prince

37. The Slaughterhouse

38. Indigo Nights

39. Xpectation

40. N.E.W.S.

MattyJam said:

Here is my top 40 albums. I guess many folks will bitch at how low 1999 is on my list, but I'm just being honest, it is the one "classic" Prince album that leaves me cold. That's not to say I don't dig it, but there's plenty non-classic P albums I prefer to it.

1. Lovesexy

2. Parade

3. Purple Rain

4. Sign O the Times

5. Symbol

6. Emancipation

7. Rave Un2 Joy Fantastic

8. Around The World In A Day

9. The Black Album

10. The Rainbow Children

11. Art Official Age

12. The Gold Experience

13. Come

14. Dirty Mind

15. New Power Soul

16. Hit N Run Phase 1

17. Planet Earth

18. MPLSound

19. One Nite Alone

20. Graffiti Bridge

21. 1999

22. Controversy

23. Musicology

24. The Truth

25. Hit N Run Phase 2

26. Batman

27. Lotusflow3r

28. Chaos & Disorder

29. Diamonds & Pearls

30. 20Ten

31. The Vault

32. Plectrum Electrum

33. Chocolate Invasion

34. For You

35. 3121

36. Prince

37. The Slaughterhouse

38. Indigo Nights

39. Xpectation

40. N.E.W.S.

You can tell this is a YOUNG Prince fan!!

An old school fan would never have 1999 and Controversy and Prince so low!!

soladeo1 said:

MattyJam said:

Here is my top 40 albums. I guess many folks will bitch at how low 1999 is on my list, but I'm just being honest, it is the one "classic" Prince album that leaves me cold. That's not to say I don't dig it, but there's plenty non-classic P albums I prefer to it.

1. Lovesexy

2. Parade

3. Purple Rain

4. Sign O the Times

5. Symbol

6. Emancipation

7. Rave Un2 Joy Fantastic

8. Around The World In A Day

9. The Black Album

10. The Rainbow Children

11. Art Official Age

12. The Gold Experience

13. Come

14. Dirty Mind

15. New Power Soul

16. Hit N Run Phase 1

17. Planet Earth

18. MPLSound

19. One Nite Alone

20. Graffiti Bridge

21. 1999

22. Controversy

23. Musicology

24. The Truth

25. Hit N Run Phase 2

26. Batman

27. Lotusflow3r

28. Chaos & Disorder

29. Diamonds & Pearls

30. 20Ten

31. The Vault

32. Plectrum Electrum

33. Chocolate Invasion

34. For You

35. 3121

36. Prince

37. The Slaughterhouse

38. Indigo Nights

39. Xpectation

40. N.E.W.S.

You can tell this is a YOUNG Prince fan!!

An old school fan would never have 1999 and Controversy and Prince so low!!

No PRINCE fan would have 1999 and Controversy that low.

Actually MPLSOUND over 1999 and Controversy... This guy was complaining about my list... Hahaha PLEASEEEE....

1999 is number one on my list this person has it at number 21?! LMAO

SoulAlive said:

1999 is number one on my list this person has it at number 21?! LMAO

MattyJam said:

SoulAlive said:

1999 is number one on my list this person has it at number 21?! LMAO

feeluup said:

No PRINCE fan would have 1999 and Controversy that low.

Actually MPLSOUND over 1999 and Controversy... This guy was complaining about my list... Hahaha PLEASEEEE....

I'm terribly sorry I don't base my musical tastes on what a bunch of sheep on a message board tell me I should enjoy.

Controversy has three great songs, the title track, Lets Work and Annie Christian. Jack U Off is juvenile nonsense, Ronnie Talk To Russia is filler, Private Joy is just pop fluff.

1999 is a tricky one for me. Of course I love Lady Cab Driver and DMSR as much as the next fan, but too many of the songs are drawn out and long-winded for my tastes. And stuff like Delirious and Automatic are kinda weak to my ears.

The only sheep on here is u... Placing MPLSOUND and NEWPOWERSOUL higher... Guess you don't have musical taste at all.

soladeo1 said:

MattyJam said:

Here is my top 40 albums. I guess many folks will bitch at how low 1999 is on my list, but I'm just being honest, it is the one "classic" Prince album that leaves me cold. That's not to say I don't dig it, but there's plenty non-classic P albums I prefer to it.

1. Lovesexy

2. Parade

3. Purple Rain

4. Sign O the Times

5. Symbol

6. Emancipation

7. Rave Un2 Joy Fantastic

8. Around The World In A Day

9. The Black Album

10. The Rainbow Children

11. Art Official Age

12. The Gold Experience

13. Come

14. Dirty Mind

15. New Power Soul

16. Hit N Run Phase 1

17. Planet Earth

18. MPLSound

19. One Nite Alone

20. Graffiti Bridge

21. 1999

22. Controversy

23. Musicology

24. The Truth

25. Hit N Run Phase 2

26. Batman

27. Lotusflow3r

28. Chaos & Disorder

29. Diamonds & Pearls

30. 20Ten

31. The Vault

32. Plectrum Electrum

33. Chocolate Invasion

34. For You

35. 3121

36. Prince

37. The Slaughterhouse

38. Indigo Nights

39. Xpectation

40. N.E.W.S.

You can tell this is a YOUNG Prince fan!!

An old school fan would never have 1999 and Controversy and Prince so low!!

I've been a fan for 21 years (since I was 10). I'm 31 now, so I'd call myself an old school fan, but obviously not as old school as some of you guys, seeing as I was very young in the 80s. Having said that, my top 4 albums are all from the 80s, so I'd say I have a pretty healthy appreciation of his older work.

[Edited 2/22/17 13:46pm]

feeluupp said:

MattyJam said:

feeluup said:

No PRINCE fan would have 1999 and Controversy that low.

Actually MPLSOUND over 1999 and Controversy... This guy was complaining about my list... Hahaha PLEASEEEE....

I'm terribly sorry I don't base my musical tastes on what a bunch of sheep on a message board tell me I should enjoy.

Controversy has three great songs, the title track, Lets Work and Annie Christian. Jack U Off is juvenile nonsense, Ronnie Talk To Russia is filler, Private Joy is just pop fluff.

1999 is a tricky one for me. Of course I love Lady Cab Driver and DMSR as much as the next fan, but too many of the songs are drawn out and long-winded for my tastes. And stuff like Delirious and Automatic are kinda weak to my ears.

The only sheep on here is u... Placing MPLSOUND and NEWPOWERSOUL higher... Guess you don't have musical taste at all.

How does that make me a sheep? Do you even understand what I meant when I said that? You really are a very obnoxious and arrogant person feeluupp.

[Edited 2/22/17 13:45pm]

stpaisios said:

Adorecream said:

This is a nice list, and beside LoveSymbol, Emancipation & Chocolate Invasion which i would rank a lot higer, how the heck 'The Rainbow Children' is mediocre, when musically is so tight and his huge comeback after that weird mid-end 90's era...?

I don't like the Rainbow children, the music is okay in parts but songs like the title track which goes on too long, the darth vader God voices and other overflows in song length and construction mark it down.

.

Also the repellent lyrics with their anti semitism, dogmatic preaching for a CULT and of course the rampant sexism in songs like Muse to the Pharoah, put it amongst the worst albums he has ever made. Being a socialist and atheist free floater, I could never abide by such medieval nonsense on this album.

feeluupp said:

Guess you don't have musical taste at all.

You do realise 6 of the albums in my top ten are the same as yours??

I guess unless someone agrees with EVERYTHING you dig, they're not fit to call themselves a Prince fan? LOL. Such dickholery.

MattyJam said:

Controversy has three great songs, the title track, Lets Work and Annie Christian. Jack U Off is juvenile nonsense, Ronnie Talk To Russia is filler, Private Joy is just pop fluff.

"Private Joy" is pop fluff?! that's the best song on the album!!!

MattyJam said:

1999 is a tricky one for me. Of course I love Lady Cab Driver and DMSR as much as the next fan, but too many of the songs are drawn out and long-winded for my tastes. And stuff like Delirious and Automatic are kinda weak to my ears.

but what about the title track and "Little Red Corvette"?! Those are classic Prince songs.

SoulAlive said:

MattyJam said:

1999 is a tricky one for me. Of course I love Lady Cab Driver and DMSR as much as the next fan, but too many of the songs are drawn out and long-winded for my tastes. And stuff like Delirious and Automatic are kinda weak to my ears.

but what about the title track and "Little Red Corvette"?! Those are classic Prince songs.

Agreed.

So that's 2 classics (although LRC is a bit MOR for my tastes) and two great funk jams (Lady Cab Driver, DMSR). That's still only four songs.

I quite enjoy Lets Pretend We're Married too, even though it goes on for too long. Automatic is nearly 10 minutes on the album, and it would be too long even at 4 minutes imo. And I'm not a big fan of those naff synth/rockabilly tracks he liked to do back in the early 80s, dross like Delirious, Horny Toad and Jack U Off.

TBH, I always felt that Prince gave two of his best songs to The Time in 1982. Wild & Loose and 777-93-11 smoke anything on 1999.

If I was stuck on a desert island for the rest of my days and could only take either 1999 or What Time Is It, I would choose the latter without a moments hesitation.

[Edited 2/22/17 14:41pm]

I'll add to the 40-album fun.

1. 1999: 10
2. Lovesexy: 10
3. Sign o' the Times: 9.9
4. The Gold Experience: 9.9
5. Controversy: 9.9
6. : 9.8
7. Parade: 9.8
8. Purple Rain: 9.8
9. Dirty Mind: 9.7
10. 3121: 9.5
11. Around the World in a Day: 9.3
12. Prince: 9.1
13. Art Official Age: 9.0
14. Batman: 9.0
15. Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic: 8.8
16. LotusFlow3r: 8.7
17. Come: 8.6
18. Graffiti Bridge: 8.4
19. One Nite Alone...: 8.3
20. The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale: 8.2
21. Planet Earth: 8.0
22. Diamonds and Pearls: 7.8
23. The Black Album: 7.8
24. MPLSoUND: 7.7
25. HITnRUN Phase Two: 7.5
26. Chaos and Disorder: 7.3
27. Plectrumelectrum: 7.2
28. 20Ten: 7.1
29. Musicology: 7.0
30. For You: 6.8
31. HITnRUN Phase One: 6.7
32. Emancipation: 6.5
33. The Rainbow Children: 6.3
34. The Chocolate Invasion: 6.2
35. The Slaughterhouse: 6.0
36. The Truth: 6.0
37. NEWS: 5.5
38. Newpower Soul: 4.3
39. Xpectation: 3.8
40. Kamasutra: 3.0

As someone who thinks 1999 is the greatest album of all-time, I think MattyJam's list is just fine. To me, the quality of a list is judged by how well it truly confirms to its creator's taste, not how well it conforms to conventional notions of greatness. This guffawing at the tastes of others is ugly, misfounded snobbery.

If anyone can honestly give an objective reason why Purple Rain is better than, say, 20Ten, have at it. My guess is that such an attempt would be filled with subjective arguments (most of which I would agree with, by the way).

MattyJam thinks that "Automatic" would be too long at 4 minutes? I think it would be just fine at 20 minutes. Who is right? Both of us, as that is how the song feels to us individually.

Adorecream said:

stpaisios said:

This is a nice list, and beside LoveSymbol, Emancipation & Chocolate Invasion which i would rank a lot higer, how the heck 'The Rainbow Children' is mediocre, when musically is so tight and his huge comeback after that weird mid-end 90's era...?

I don't like the Rainbow children, the music is okay in parts but songs like the title track which goes on too long, the darth vader God voices and other overflows in song length and construction mark it down.

.

Also the repellent lyrics with their anti semitism, dogmatic preaching for a CULT and of course the rampant sexism in songs like Muse to the Pharoah, put it amongst the worst albums he has ever made. Being a socialist and atheist free floater, I could never abide by such medieval nonsense on this album.

It's seems that ur dissmising is 80% based on what you perceive as unpleasant religious/dogmatic/preaching topics. And that is a usual scenario for a lot of people when it comes to this album, imo. But when one gives chance to it on musical level and maybe cut off that narrator voices, no chance to see it as mediocre. On scoring list should be on great to very good position.

Even when it comes to lyrics, i see it as a very brave record...

Moonbeam said:

As someone who thinks 1999 is the greatest album of all-time, I think MattyJam's list is just fine. To me, the quality of a list is judged by how well it truly confirms to its creator's taste, not how well it conforms to conventional notions of greatness. This guffawing at the tastes of others is ugly, misfounded snobbery.

If anyone can honestly give an objective reason why Purple Rain is better than, say, 20Ten, have at it. My guess is that such an attempt would be filled with subjective arguments (most of which I would agree with, by the way).

MattyJam thinks that "Automatic" would be too long at 4 minutes? I think it would be just fine at 20 minutes. Who is right? Both of us, as that is how the song feels to us individually.

Good post.

MattyJam said:

soladeo1 said:

You can tell this is a YOUNG Prince fan!!

An old school fan would never have 1999 and Controversy and Prince so low!!

I've been a fan for 21 years (since I was 10). I'm 31 now, so I'd call myself an old school fan, but obviously not as old school as some of you guys, seeing as I was very young in the 80s. Having said that, my top 4 albums are all from the 80s, so I'd say I have a pretty healthy appreciation of his older work.

[Edited 2/22/17 13:46pm]

I agree with you on 1999 and Controversy, which didn't make my top 10 though all of his other golden age CDs made my top 5. I wouldn't have put them so low as you but I get your points. However, I do think there was immense excitement about each Prince release during this period that I got caught up in even when the release wasn't my favorite. I admired how different 1999 sounded, and for me it was more proof of his genius. That said, too many long, repetitive and mechanical sounding songs for these ears made it the 1980s release I played the least. As far as Controversy, it is really good but I absolutely tripped over Dirty Mind and it just seemed somewhat of a letdown by comparison. I love some of the songs on it though. By the way, I am on the older side of orgers and not some "kiddo" . I know the saying "it's all good" has become a cliche,but people loving their favorite Prince albums is all good to me.

in no particular order, if i could only ever listen to these ten again, i'd be okay with it...

love symbol

parade

the rainbow children

lotusflower

20ten

art official age

hnr phase 2

dirty mind

the black album

lovesexy

Moonbeam said:

As someone who thinks 1999 is the greatest album of all-time, I think MattyJam's list is just
If anyone can honestly give an objective reason why Purple Rain is better than, say, 20Ten, have at it. My guess is that such an attempt would be filled with subjective arguments (most of which I would agree with, by the way).

MattyJam thinks that "Automatic" would be too long at 4 minutes? I think it would be just fine at 20 minutes. Who is right? Both of us, as that is how the song feels to us individually.

Purple Rain is better than 2010 simply by virtue of ambition. PR reeks of it, 2010 feels just stream of consciousness

Whether myself or anyone else agrees with another person's list or not, they still have the right to that opinion. We need to stop berating each other over choices. If some one does not like Controversy or 1999 as much as a modern album - that is their choice. We don't have to agree with it, but we do have to respect their right to hold their opinion.

.

This happens with every Top 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20. 35 album thread, several people offer similar and "expected list" and then someone comes out with a curve ball or a maverick list that may not follow the expected pattern of the others and we all pounce on it. Here someone got told off for their age and was called a "Newbie" a term of abuse here for any post Purple Rain fan - this music snobbery needs to stop. We love Prince here, that is enough!

.

You will notice I have only defended why I do not like a recent album (TRC) and yet that even attracts abuse as the collective here tends to rank the album fairly highly (Usually in the top 3rd) and I rank near the bottom, as Prince's output in my opinion is much better than this album.

.

Still let us just be thankful the opinions are coming forth and enjoy and respect each other's diversity of choice. I mean I think Sign o the Times is the greatest thing made, and so do many others along with Purple Rain being a popular #1, but some big time fans don't like those 2 albums as much and a couple may not even like them. Some of us really like Planet Earth and HitnRun Phase 2 and rate them highly, others hate them. That is life agree to disagree, this is not communism where we all have to think the same.

Adorecream said:

Whether myself or anyone else agrees with another person's list or not, they still have the right to that opinion. We need to stop berating each other over choices. If some one does not like Controversy or 1999 as much as a modern album - that is their choice. We don't have to agree with it, but we do have to respect their right to hold their opinion.

.

This happens with every Top 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20. 35 album thread, several people offer similar and "expected list" and then someone comes out with a curve ball or a maverick list that may not follow the expected pattern of the others and we all pounce on it. Here someone got told off for their age and was called a "Newbie" a term of abuse here for any post Purple Rain fan - this music snobbery needs to stop. We love Prince here, that is enough!

.

You will notice I have only defended why I do not like a recent album (TRC) and yet that even attracts abuse as the collective here tends to rank the album fairly highly (Usually in the top 3rd) and I rank near the bottom, as Prince's output in my opinion is much better than this album.

.

Still let us just be thankful the opinions are coming forth and enjoy and respect each other's diversity of choice. I mean I think Sign o the Times is the greatest thing made, and so do many others along with Purple Rain being a popular #1, but some big time fans don't like those 2 albums as much and a couple may not even like them. Some of us really like Planet Earth and HitnRun Phase 2 and rate them highly, others hate them. That is life agree to disagree, this is not communism where we all have to think the same.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Made me chuckle being accused of being a newbie fan, when I've been a member of the org since the black and purple days and have been listening to the mans music almost everyday for over 20 years now.

TBH, I see Prince's entire canon of work as one long piece of music, just split up into chapters. There really is not any piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit or add to the collective whole.

themend said:

rusty1 said:

Purple Rain will always be Prince's best album Of all time.. Too many people on here shying away from it. I don't get it.. No other album Should be number one.. Sign o'the times & 1999 will always come after it

Agreed 100%.

It's shocking to see some lists, and no some people are so over sensitive, thinking cause I don't agree with a list... They take it so personal... Everyone has their own opinion as do I.

To make a thread for BEST Prince albums and see some people listing Chaos & Disorder, MPLSOUND, NEWPOWERSOUL over SOTT, PURPLE RAIN, 1999, baffles me. I respect their opinion, but... How can a subpar album to music critics, scholars, and Prince fans be "better" than his historical "BEST".

rusty1 said:

feeluupp said:

214 said: