206Michelle said:

MD431Madcat said:

flop..

tried to be this -----> carlos santana - supernatural.

It is a shame that Musicoogy did not receive the kind of promotion that Rave Un2 did because I thin that Musicology could have had more mainstream success than it did if it had the right promotion. Prince also looked quite good in the Musicology era in terms of his hair and his outfits.

What? Musicology received a shit ton of promotion and hit #1 I believe. Prince did VH1 specials, Leno, BET interviews, a massive tour, free CD giveaways, the cover of Rolling Stone, music videos, Rock and Roll HoF, Grammys with Beyonce...I'm probably forgetting a few things but Prince was everywhere in 2004.

GustavoRibas said:

SoulAlive said:

I have to admit,it was kinda strange to see Prince clearly following the Clive Davis/Supernatural approach as he tried to get a hit album.There were other times in the past when he was looking for a hit album (D&P comes to mind) but this time,it was a little too obvious.It felt weird.

.

- Yes, and the worst thing is he only did half of what Santana did. The special guests´ voices didnt have much of a spotlight and it seems they were only there to sing background vocals for Prince. And the promotion really sucked (dont know why).

.

With Diamonds and Pearls, he did the right thing.

[Edited 7/2/17 18:16pm]

He looked great during the D&P era and the videos for that album are awesome, especially Cream, Insatiable, and D&P. I don't like the Gett Off video all that much, but I'm sure that it worked for MTV because it was dripping with sex. Money Don't Matter 2 Night was a political video, not MTV material, but he already had 4 MTV-friendly videos. Plus he had the VMA performance that is well-known.

.

GustavoRibas said:

feeluupp said:

The promotion for RAVE was huge, it didn't suck... If you look at the TV and talk show appearances for Prince's entire career the RAVE era has some of the most promotional appearances. Along with D&P and MUSICOLOGY, those were the most promoted albums of his career, exluding the PURPLE RAIN phenomon which practically was a blockbuster...

RAVE simply flopped commercially barely going GOLD in U.S.A. and selling very poorly overseas. That year visibily, artistically, stylistically, he just wasn't "IN" that's the truth. Yes it was 1999 and he had that theme song of the year, but the charts were ruled by weird hip/hop rock (Limp Bizkit) cheesy boy bands and pop acts like Brittney Spears, NYSNC, BACKSTREET BOYS, and heavy dark metal acts which were all million plus sellers such as KORN, ORGE, MARYLN MANSON... His music just wasn't "IN" at the time, nor his image, and to be honest the RAVE album overall in his catalouges legacy is supbar to below subpar in most critic's and fan's opinions.

.

- Really? I remembered Prince insisted a lot on TGRES and did a DVD with the name similar to the album, but never understood why he didnt play stuff from the album there and I dont remember many videos and TV appearances with the songs (different from Santana).

.

And I agree that his music wasnt IN at the time, but the production and the songs didnt help, too. Sounded flat and dated. And The Greatest Romance is a very nice song to relax, but a DJ played it here in Brazil once at a dance club and people looked bored and left. If he wanted a ´comeback´ like Santana...

I wonder what would have happened if he had done a new video for 1999 and promoted the song more, if that single could have been more popular in 1999.

206Michelle said:

GustavoRibas said:

.

- Really? I remembered Prince insisted a lot on TGRES and did a DVD with the name similar to the album, but never understood why he didnt play stuff from the album there and I dont remember many videos and TV appearances with the songs (different from Santana).

.

And I agree that his music wasnt IN at the time, but the production and the songs didnt help, too. Sounded flat and dated. And The Greatest Romance is a very nice song to relax, but a DJ played it here in Brazil once at a dance club and people looked bored and left. If he wanted a ´comeback´ like Santana...

I wonder what would have happened if he had done a new video for 1999 and promoted the song more, if that single could have been more popular in 1999.

They did... They even released an EP and re released the single called 1999 The New Master.

206Michelle said:

GustavoRibas said:

.

- Really? I remembered Prince insisted a lot on TGRES and did a DVD with the name similar to the album, but never understood why he didnt play stuff from the album there and I dont remember many videos and TV appearances with the songs (different from Santana).

.

And I agree that his music wasnt IN at the time, but the production and the songs didnt help, too. Sounded flat and dated. And The Greatest Romance is a very nice song to relax, but a DJ played it here in Brazil once at a dance club and people looked bored and left. If he wanted a ´comeback´ like Santana...

I wonder what would have happened if he had done a new video for 1999 and promoted the song more, if that single could have been more popular in 1999.

1999 The New Master was so shit.

.

"Love4OneAnother.com stated at the time that every track released by Warner Bros. had been re-recorded as a "new master" by Prince (specifically as ) (to, in essence, regain control over the songs), and that this was the first taste of these recordings. No other "new masters" have been made publicly available, however."

.

Is there really a recorded version of everysong from every album? Really? Let's hope they all have Doug E. Fresh on them.

feeluupp said:

206Michelle said:

I wonder what would have happened if he had done a new video for 1999 and promoted the song more, if that single could have been more popular in 1999.

They did... They even released an EP and re released the single called 1999 The New Master.

Also surprisingly 1999 re entered the charts only at #40 in 1999... You'd think the theme song for the millenuem year would've been more played but Prince was just so out of commercial touch those years, probably 1997 and 1998 being at his lowest commercial point...

GustavoRibas said:

rebelenterprise said:

(...)They didn't understand what the chorus meant... But I do remember them liking "Hot Wit U" with Eve on it...so as far as the so-called "urban" market is concerned, that track probably would've been the biggest hit if released with a video directed by Hype Williams or somebody like that. Just my IMO.

.

- Yes. To have a big hit in this era, sometimes a good song is not enough. Great videos help, cool image, airplay etc. Then, one thing leads to another. I think Musicology promo was a lot better, including the videos (Musicology and Cinnamon Girl, some of Prince´s best)

Hot Wit U Remix could have worked for sure. I love the sampling of "Nasty Girl" and the song makes enough sense that it could have worked. It has hit written all over it. A video by someone like Hype Williams would have been a great choice. The blue pleather and pigtails/braids did not work on him AT ALL!!! He looked like a weirdo! In terms of his look, something like the photo below would have worked well for him:

Source: http://prince.org/msg/7/403247?pg=4

206Michelle said:

GustavoRibas said:

I am glad that Prince seemed to give up trying so hard to have hits after the 2000s and had such a great ´comeback´ with a solid album like Musicology.
Also glad that he lived to see himself recognized as a music icon.

I believe that the Super Bowl halftime performance was really important in cementing his status as an icon. I don't remember the RRHOF induction first hand, but that was important as well. He had some great appearances and/or performances at award shows. I remember the Grammy's from 2015: Standing ovation. His stance around artistic freedom seemed sensible, especially in the 2000s with the proliferation of Napster and file-sharing programs like it. He earned a couple of Grammy awards, so people knew that he was still making good music, even if his music wasn't on the radio. His commercial success was very modest after 1995, and at times he struggled to stay relevant, but he certainly had people's respect and recognition.

Even if he hadn't recorded another note after 1990, I think his status as a major icon in music history would have been guaranteed. His 80s work was just too influential and critically acclaimed for it to be otherwise, and I'm sure that he was fully aware of his status. Broad public awareness is a different thing I think. I agree that the Super Bowl reignited public interest in Prince. In London the O2 shows seemed to have a significant impact as well. It was such an extended run that a lot of people went to see him who may not have done so otherwise, and there was enough time for word-of-mouth to really have an effect. I'd been singing Prince's praises for years and had stuck with him throughout the 90s, but Rave/TRC represented the point that I began to lose interest in his contemporary releases. After the O2 shows, all of a sudden people were actively asking me about Prince. Aside from a few individuals who were already familiar with his work, that had never been the case during my time as a young fan.

[Edited 7/20/17 9:26am]

herb4 said:

206Michelle said:

MD431Madcat said: It is a shame that Musicoogy did not receive the kind of promotion that Rave Un2 did because I thin that Musicology could have had more mainstream success than it did if it had the right promotion. Prince also looked quite good in the Musicology era in terms of his hair and his outfits.

What? Musicology received a shit ton of promotion and hit #1 I believe. Prince did VH1 specials, Leno, BET interviews, a massive tour, free CD giveaways, the cover of Rolling Stone, music videos, Rock and Roll HoF, Grammys with Beyonce...I'm probably forgetting a few things but Prince was everywhere in 2004.

The Musicology era was very successful for Prince with his established fan base. It did not expose him to a younger fan base.

.

I graduated from high school in 2004 and was in college in 2004-2009. Artists who were popular in 2004 were Usher, Outkast, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Lil' John, Jay Z, Ludacris, Kanye West, R. Kelly, Nelly, Ciara, P. Diddy, Green Day, Maroon 5, The Neptunes, and Snoop Dog. Hip hop/rap was all over top 40 radio: https://en.wikipedia.org/...s_of_2004.

.

I remember the Grammy performance with Beyonce. I don't remember seeing the Musicology videos at the time. The album sold well because Prince packaged it with the concert tickets. Musicology had NO PRESENCE ON RADIO. I heard a whole lot more of LRC, WDC, and 1999 than I heard Musicology or Call My Name. I was in high school/college in 2004...radio was still how many teenagers accessed music then, at least when I was in high school. College was different because I went to school in a small college town, but I heard the music at football games, in the dining halls, and around campus generally.

feeluupp said:

feeluupp said:

They did... They even released an EP and re released the single called 1999 The New Master.

Also surprisingly 1999 re entered the charts only at #40 in 1999... You'd think the theme song for the millenuem year would've been more played but Prince was just so out of commercial touch those years, probably 1997 and 1998 being at his lowest commercial point...

and it didn't help that he was still The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

fen said:

206Michelle said:

I believe that the Super Bowl halftime performance was really important in cementing his status as an icon. I don't remember the RRHOF induction first hand, but that was important as well. He had some great appearances and/or performances at award shows. I remember the Grammy's from 2015: Standing ovation. His stance around artistic freedom seemed sensible, especially in the 2000s with the proliferation of Napster and file-sharing programs like it. He earned a couple of Grammy awards, so people knew that he was still making good music, even if his music wasn't on the radio. His commercial success was very modest after 1995, and at times he struggled to stay relevant, but he certainly had people's respect and recognition.

Even if he hadn't recorded another note after 1990, I think his status as a major icon in music history would have been guaranteed. His 80s work was just too influential and critically acclaimed for it to be otherwise, and I'm sure that he was fully aware of his status. Broad public awareness is a different thing I think. I agree that the Super Bowl reignited public interest in Prince. In London the O2 shows seemed to have a significant impact as well. It was such an extended run that a lot of people went to see him who may not have done so otherwise, and there was enough time for word-of-mouth to really have an effect. I'd been singing Prince's praises for years and had stuck with him throughout the 90s, but Rave/TRC represented the point that I began to lose interest in his contemporary releases. After the O2 shows, all of a sudden people were actively asking me about Prince. Aside from a few individuals who were already familiar with his work, and that had never been the case during my time as a young fan.

In the late 90s, including the Rave Un2 era, Prince just didn't have much cache and he didn't know how to market himself or appeal to the general public. Fortunately, he improved his image greatly in the 2000s. The Bowl performance was definitely very significant.

.

The Super Bowl halftime show has a lot of cache to it in the USA because it provides an incredible amount of exposure. When the performance is really good or memorablem, the Super Bowl halftime show performance can greatly influence an artist's resume, for better and for worse. Janet Jackson is a perfect example of how the SB halftime performance was bad for her career. Justin Timberlake doesn't seem to have suffered as much from nipplegate, though. Prince's performance absolutely bolstered his resume because the performance was just outstanding in every way.

.

The performance without a doubt re-introduced him to the public in the best possible way. Instead of remembering SLAVE on his face and his days as , people could now remember his awesome Super Bowl performance. I watched it live and just remember how great of a performance it was. I was much more interested in the game though. The game had a lot of buzz around it because it was Colts vs. Bears, so Peyton Manning and Brian Urlacher were playing. Also, both of the head coaches were Black, and that was a first. I didn't remember the rain and other details of the performance until I watched it again after 4/21. I just remember that it was a fantastic performance. Watching it again made me appreciate it even more.

.

Reading various articles following his death, the fact that it was raining while he played Purple Rain made the performance even more memorable to many people. I believe that 2007 is the only year when there has been rain during a Super Bowl halftime show. Watching it from a technical standpoint, P's SB halftime performance is virtually flawless. It's amazing how well he and the NPG pulled off the performance. Prince looked great, he danced well, his vocals were great, and the guitar playing was phenomenal. The symbol stage was cool, the people in the stadium were feeling the performance, the Twinz were great, and Shelby J and the rest of the band were great. He played some of his biggest hits, so people knew a lot of the music. The marching band was cool. The performance was virtually flawless and people remember it every year around the Super Bowl. The world was his stage, and he absolutely owned the moment.

fen said:

206Michelle said:

I believe that the Super Bowl halftime performance was really important in cementing his status as an icon. I don't remember the RRHOF induction first hand, but that was important as well. He had some great appearances and/or performances at award shows. I remember the Grammy's from 2015: Standing ovation. His stance around artistic freedom seemed sensible, especially in the 2000s with the proliferation of Napster and file-sharing programs like it. He earned a couple of Grammy awards, so people knew that he was still making good music, even if his music wasn't on the radio. His commercial success was very modest after 1995, and at times he struggled to stay relevant, but he certainly had people's respect and recognition.

Even if he hadn't recorded another note after 1990, I think his status as a major icon in music history would have been guaranteed. His 80s work was just too influential and critically acclaimed for it to be otherwise, and I'm sure that he was fully aware of his status. Broad public awareness is a different thing I think. I agree that the Super Bowl reignited public interest in Prince. In London the O2 shows seemed to have a significant impact as well. It was such an extended run that a lot of people went to see him who may not have done so otherwise, and there was enough time for word-of-mouth to really have an effect. I'd been singing Prince's praises for years and had stuck with him throughout the 90s, but Rave/TRC represented the point that I began to lose interest in his contemporary releases. After the O2 shows, all of a sudden people were actively asking me about Prince. Aside from a few individuals who were already familiar with his work, that had never been the case during my time as a young fan.

[Edited 7/20/17 9:26am]

I totally agree that his 80s material established him as an icon. All oh his post-80s accomplishments are really icing on the cake. (Personally, I fell in love with Prince when I heard the song Diamonds and Pearls 5 years ago, but that's just me.)

[Edited 7/20/17 9:40am]

fen said:

206Michelle said:

I believe that the Super Bowl halftime performance was really important in cementing his status as an icon. I don't remember the RRHOF induction first hand, but that was important as well. He had some great appearances and/or performances at award shows. I remember the Grammy's from 2015: Standing ovation. His stance around artistic freedom seemed sensible, especially in the 2000s with the proliferation of Napster and file-sharing programs like it. He earned a couple of Grammy awards, so people knew that he was still making good music, even if his music wasn't on the radio. His commercial success was very modest after 1995, and at times he struggled to stay relevant, but he certainly had people's respect and recognition.

Even if he hadn't recorded another note after 1990, I think his status as a major icon in music history would have been guaranteed. His 80s work was just too influential and critically acclaimed for it to be otherwise, and I'm sure that he was fully aware of his status. Broad public awareness is a different thing I think. I agree that the Super Bowl reignited public interest in Prince. In London the O2 shows seemed to have a significant impact as well. It was such an extended run that a lot of people went to see him who may not have done so otherwise, and there was enough time for word-of-mouth to really have an effect. I'd been singing Prince's praises for years and had stuck with him throughout the 90s, but Rave/TRC represented the point that I began to lose interest in his contemporary releases. After the O2 shows, all of a sudden people were actively asking me about Prince. Aside from a few individuals who were already familiar with his work, that had never been the case during my time as a young fan.

[Edited 7/20/17 9:26am]

Co sign to all this. His legacy was intact and real music lovers were wise.

206Michelle said:

herb4 said:

What? Musicology received a shit ton of promotion and hit #1 I believe. Prince did VH1 specials, Leno, BET interviews, a massive tour, free CD giveaways, the cover of Rolling Stone, music videos, Rock and Roll HoF, Grammys with Beyonce...I'm probably forgetting a few things but Prince was everywhere in 2004.

The Musicology era was very successful for Prince with his established fan base. It did not expose him to a younger fan base.

.

I graduated from high school in 2004 and was in college in 2004-2009. Artists who were popular in 2004 were Usher, Outkast, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Lil' John, Jay Z, Ludacris, Kanye West, R. Kelly, Nelly, Ciara, P. Diddy, Green Day, Maroon 5, The Neptunes, and Snoop Dog. Hip hop/rap was all over top 40 radio: https://en.wikipedia.org/...s_of_2004.

.

I remember the Grammy performance with Beyonce. I don't remember seeing the Musicology videos at the time. The album sold well because Prince packaged it with the concert tickets. Musicology had NO PRESENCE ON RADIO. I heard a whole lot more of LRC, WDC, and 1999 than I heard Musicology or Call My Name. I was in high school/college in 2004...radio was still how many teenagers accessed music then, at least when I was in high school. College was different because I went to school in a small college town, but I heard the music at football games, in the dining halls, and around campus generally.

You're arguing a different point than I am making and moving goalposts on me.

Also, suggesting that Musicology didn't get the same promotional push as Rave did (It did. More even) and it positlvey blew up in 04, for the reasons I cited. I saw a TON of younger fans at those 2004 concerts I went to to and a lot of older fair weather fans who'd never seen him before as well. Radio was already dead by then anyway and no one looked to it as a measure of measuring popularity, even if within the time frame you cite.

To the extent that Prince was even capable of reaching younger audiences at his age, Musicology was far, far more successful in that regard and, again, promoted very heavily. Here's a hint: kids don't want to listen to shit their parents like and, by 1999 ot 2004, THAT'S where the "cool" demographic had shifted. The Moms and the Dads liked Prince.

The legends break through and transcend it all eventually because the fucking music is so good, but from 1999-2004, no "hip" teenager anywhere was crashing through walls telling you how awesome Prince was, Santana's success aside, which was equal parts fluke and what I wrote earlier about music simply being good and (eventually) transcending generational gaps.

herb4 said:

206Michelle said:

The Musicology era was very successful for Prince with his established fan base. It did not expose him to a younger fan base.

.

I graduated from high school in 2004 and was in college in 2004-2009. Artists who were popular in 2004 were Usher, Outkast, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Lil' John, Jay Z, Ludacris, Kanye West, R. Kelly, Nelly, Ciara, P. Diddy, Green Day, Maroon 5, The Neptunes, and Snoop Dog. Hip hop/rap was all over top 40 radio: https://en.wikipedia.org/...s_of_2004.

.

I remember the Grammy performance with Beyonce. I don't remember seeing the Musicology videos at the time. The album sold well because Prince packaged it with the concert tickets. Musicology had NO PRESENCE ON RADIO. I heard a whole lot more of LRC, WDC, and 1999 than I heard Musicology or Call My Name. I was in high school/college in 2004...radio was still how many teenagers accessed music then, at least when I was in high school. College was different because I went to school in a small college town, but I heard the music at football games, in the dining halls, and around campus generally.

You're arguing a different point than I am making and moving goalposts on me.

Also, suggesting that Musicology didn't get the same promotional push as Rave did (It did. More even) and it positlvey blew up in 04, for the reasons I cited. I saw a TON of younger fans at those 2004 concerts I went to to and a lot of older fair weather fans who'd never seen him before as well. Radio was already dead by then anyway and no one looked to it as a measure of measuring popularity, even if within the time frame you cite.

To the extent that Prince was even capable of reaching younger audiences at his age, Musicology was far, far more successful in that regard and, again, promoted very heavily. Here's a hint: kids don't want to listen to shit their parents like and, by 1999 ot 2004, THAT'S where the "cool" demographic had shifted. The Moms and the Dads liked Prince.

The legends break through and transcend it all eventually because the fucking music is so good, but from 1999-2004, no "hip" teenager anywhere was crashing through walls telling you how awesome Prince was, Santana's success aside, which was equal parts fluke and what I wrote earlier about music simply being good and (eventually) transcending generational gaps.

2004 was unquestionably the commercial comeback moment. All of the stuff already mentioned, and the hot younger artists (Alicia Keys, OutKast, Beyonce) bigging him up. Musicology the album got tons of exposure with the concert giveaway (meaning it was on record store top 10 shelves most of the year. Call My Name was his longest-running RnB hit, and the tour was the biggest one of the year.

feeluupp said:

feeluupp said:

They did... They even released an EP and re released the single called 1999 The New Master.

Also surprisingly 1999 re entered the charts only at #40 in 1999... You'd think the theme song for the millenuem year would've been more played but Prince was just so out of commercial touch those years, probably 1997 and 1998 being at his lowest commercial point...

The original made #10 in the UK charts in 98/99 and then #40 a year later.

Sadly, I discovered "Rave" after he passed. I wasn't into his music during most of the 90's. I guess I'm one of the few who liked "Rave." "ManOWar" is my favorite. It had a "New Jack" vibe to it & should have been promoted on black radio along with the remixed version of "Hot Wit U." Also liked "Love U, Don't Trust U," "Whereever U Go" & "Pretty Man."

leecaldon said:

herb4 said:

You're arguing a different point than I am making and moving goalposts on me.

Also, suggesting that Musicology didn't get the same promotional push as Rave did (It did. More even) and it positlvey blew up in 04, for the reasons I cited. I saw a TON of younger fans at those 2004 concerts I went to to and a lot of older fair weather fans who'd never seen him before as well. Radio was already dead by then anyway and no one looked to it as a measure of measuring popularity, even if within the time frame you cite.

To the extent that Prince was even capable of reaching younger audiences at his age, Musicology was far, far more successful in that regard and, again, promoted very heavily. Here's a hint: kids don't want to listen to shit their parents like and, by 1999 ot 2004, THAT'S where the "cool" demographic had shifted. The Moms and the Dads liked Prince.

The legends break through and transcend it all eventually because the fucking music is so good, but from 1999-2004, no "hip" teenager anywhere was crashing through walls telling you how awesome Prince was, Santana's success aside, which was equal parts fluke and what I wrote earlier about music simply being good and (eventually) transcending generational gaps.

2004 was unquestionably the commercial comeback moment. All of the stuff already mentioned, and the hot younger artists (Alicia Keys, OutKast, Beyonce) bigging him up. Musicology the album got tons of exposure with the concert giveaway (meaning it was on record store top 10 shelves most of the year. Call My Name was his longest-running RnB hit, and the tour was the biggest one of the year.

Musicology was indeed a commercial comeback, probably his lat real "commercial" success for an album.

His push for commerciality was evident with Diamonds & Pearls with large promotion, music videos, apperances, tour, hiring MJ's manager to promote the album... In the end it became his second biggest selling album in his carrer, selling over 6.7 million to this date, could even have reached the 7 million mark by now if calculated...

Emancipation was a failed attempt for commercial status, with all the appearences he did that year, Emancipation only sold 500,000 but was certified as 2x Platinum in USA as being 3 discs...

Rave was another commercial push and that completely bombed... Within those 5 years, Prince was kind of low on the radar, but by 2004 everything exploded with Musicology. He was everywhere that year, and literally the king of music for 2004. With the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame induction and performance, the Grammy opener with Beyonce, appearences on major talk shows such as Ellen, the anouncement of the new album, many music videos for Musicology, A Million Days, Call My Name, Cinnamon Girl, the #1 world tour of the year... Musicology was the last real commercial Prince album. It sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. alone, and over 3 million copies total world wide. Musicology was also his last certified Platinum album by the RIAA.

feeluupp said:

leecaldon said:

2004 was unquestionably the commercial comeback moment. All of the stuff already mentioned, and the hot younger artists (Alicia Keys, OutKast, Beyonce) bigging him up. Musicology the album got tons of exposure with the concert giveaway (meaning it was on record store top 10 shelves most of the year. Call My Name was his longest-running RnB hit, and the tour was the biggest one of the year.

His push for commerciality was evident with Diamonds & Pearls with large promotion, music videos, apperances, tour, hiring MJ's manager to promote the album... In the end it became his second biggest selling album in his carrer, selling over 6.7 million to this date, could even have reached the 7 million mark by now if calculated...

You made me look this up. I would have never guessed D&P was his second biggest selling album. I would have guessed 1999 or Batman.

I introduced a student of mine to Prince from this album and he's now a super fan.

I listen to it every now and then but like someone else said Rave In2 was much better.

herb4 said:

feeluupp said:

His push for commerciality was evident with Diamonds & Pearls with large promotion, music videos, apperances, tour, hiring MJ's manager to promote the album... In the end it became his second biggest selling album in his carrer, selling over 6.7 million to this date, could even have reached the 7 million mark by now if calculated...

You made me look this up. I would have never guessed D&P was his second biggest selling album. I would have guessed 1999 or Batman.

People forget that his best albums didn't sell.

Not wanting to be 100% off topic but in 1999 Beck appeared to be carrying the Prince flame with Midnite Vultures, though on reflection some of the latter tracks sound like MTV sonic beds to pimp my skateboard shows or whatever they had then.
Maybe Prettyman being the only good song on the album* was the heralding of Prince as a beyond million dollar heritage act moving forward into the 21st Century, and Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic was simply the slow protracted death of .


* if you ignore all the Mayte breakup songs

Im glad to have it, but it is definitiely a bottom 5 album for me.

muleFunk said:

herb4 said:

You made me look this up. I would have never guessed D&P was his second biggest selling album. I would have guessed 1999 or Batman.

People forget that his best albums didn't sell.

By superstar standards if you compare Prince to Madonna's sales, MJ and Janet Jackson, in the 80's, no they didn't sell like that. Purple Rain was the only album that achieved a massive sales figure which was over 21 Million.

But to say his "best" albums didn't "sell"... You have to keep in mind in the 80's everyone of his albums went Platinum counting world wide sales, so he was very consistant with his sales.

ATWIAD - over 3 MILLION

PARADE- over 4 MILLION

SOTT - over 4 MILLION

LOVESEXY - over 2 MILLION

BATMAN - over 4 MILLION

so he did "SELL" in the 80's... But like I said only PURPLE RAIN achieved astronomical sales figures. 1999 and D&P both sold over 6 million each.

feeluupp said:

muleFunk said:

People forget that his best albums didn't sell.

By superstar standards if you compare Prince to Madonna's sales, MJ and Janet Jackson, in the 80's, no they didn't sell like that. Purple Rain was the only album that achieved a massive sales figure which was over 21 Million.

But to say his "best" albums didn't "sell"... You have to keep in mind in the 80's everyone of his albums went Platinum counting world wide sales, so he was very consistant with his sales.

ATWIAD - over 3 MILLION

PARADE- over 4 MILLION

SOTT - over 4 MILLION

LOVESEXY - over 2 MILLION

BATMAN - over 4 MILLION

so he did "SELL" in the 80's... But like I said only PURPLE RAIN achieved astronomical sales figures. 1999 and D&P both sold over 6 million each.

feeluupp, You forgot about Thriller.

206Michelle said:

feeluupp said:

By superstar standards if you compare Prince to Madonna's sales, MJ and Janet Jackson, in the 80's, no they didn't sell like that. Purple Rain was the only album that achieved a massive sales figure which was over 21 Million.

But to say his "best" albums didn't "sell"... You have to keep in mind in the 80's everyone of his albums went Platinum counting world wide sales, so he was very consistant with his sales.

ATWIAD - over 3 MILLION

PARADE- over 4 MILLION

SOTT - over 4 MILLION

LOVESEXY - over 2 MILLION

BATMAN - over 4 MILLION

so he did "SELL" in the 80's... But like I said only PURPLE RAIN achieved astronomical sales figures. 1999 and D&P both sold over 6 million each.

feeluupp, You forgot about Thriller.

I'm talking about PRINCE albums.

feeluupp said:

206Michelle said:

feeluupp, You forgot about Thriller.

I'm talking about PRINCE albums.

Maybe Prince was just depressed about the apocalypse, and that's why anything in 1999 had to be monumentally awful

herb4 said:

feeluupp said:

His push for commerciality was evident with Diamonds & Pearls with large promotion, music videos, apperances, tour, hiring MJ's manager to promote the album... In the end it became his second biggest selling album in his carrer, selling over 6.7 million to this date, could even have reached the 7 million mark by now if calculated...

You made me look this up. I would have never guessed D&P was his second biggest selling album. I would have guessed 1999 or Batman.

In the UK, I'm pretty sure D&P was commercial/exposure high point (more so than Purple Rain) those singles/videos were on heavy rotation on the radio/music video channels.

feeluupp said:

muleFunk said:

People forget that his best albums didn't sell.

By superstar standards if you compare Prince to Madonna's sales, MJ and Janet Jackson, in the 80's, no they didn't sell like that. Purple Rain was the only album that achieved a massive sales figure which was over 21 Million.

But to say his "best" albums didn't "sell"... You have to keep in mind in the 80's everyone of his albums went Platinum counting world wide sales, so he was very consistant with his sales.

ATWIAD - over 3 MILLION

PARADE- over 4 MILLION

SOTT - over 4 MILLION

LOVESEXY - over 2 MILLION

BATMAN - over 4 MILLION

so he did "SELL" in the 80's... But like I said only PURPLE RAIN achieved astronomical sales figures. 1999 and D&P both sold over 6 million each.

Yeah, Prince's records sold fine and arguing about his commercial success versus his atistic accomplishments, his long game, his legacy and where he ultimately wound up financially strikes me as silly. Eventually he went more and more underground, sold less but kept more of the net so it was a wash and the dude never ever had to worry about money from the time he was, what, 20?. 25? Christ, he had a different set of clothes for every day of his life. Prince's money, in retrospect, seems like the least of his troubles when you think about it.

I don't measure success by sales, otherwise Hendrix and Zappa suck, but Prince sold fine and for a long time.

I just never would have thought that D&P was his SECOND BEST all time selling record. I honestly had no idea. I remember that era and it was cool to see him out publically again, and most espcially with a real live band, even if the material backing it was occasionally shaky, and also D&P is not even amongst his top 5 (or maybe top 10) albums in terms of quality by my ears.

I'd put SOTT, 1999, Purple Rain, Lovesexy, Exodus, Parade, Dirty Mind, Gold Experience, Love Symbol, Lotus FLower, 3121 and AoA ahead of D&P.

Oh yeah, but this thread is about Rave. I'd put all those albums in front of Rave too. Not a good record but not without its moments. It was promoted heavily and failed because the material was just substandard. Simple as that really. Prince's fucking hair or weird look or awkward media ppearances had nothing to do with it. He wore assless pants on MTV and D&P is his second selling record. The idea that if Prince changed his hairstyle or something it might have made a differennce with Rave is simply dumb thinking. Motherfucker was naked on a flower in 1988, wearing bikini briefs in 1982 and was still wearing a corset in 2007. He looked like a fly in 2010, past coke fiend in 1994 and a three eyed spider with an afro by 2014. When Purple Rain ruled the world, he looked like Little Richard and Hendrix had fathered a love child.

I guess that's enough for tonight.

I checked on Lovesexy sales which hit Gold status by selling 500,000 in the USA and another 750,000 world wide in 1988. It may have reached 2 million by 2017 but in 1988 it was a flop as far as sales are concerned in the USA.

SOTT did much better but it was expected to do way better.