I always felt they treated prince as something else outside the rock sphere when he was one of the greatest rock musicians ever you only have to look at a number of greatest guitarist polls were he either does'nt appear or is low down on the list. Maybe there was racism there maybe it was just the fact prince didnt live the rock n roll cliche of drugs and alcohol that didnt fit in with there own prejudice views of what is and what isnt rock. It cant be the fashion rock has a long history of that look at little richard who's adored by the rock press. What do you think?

For the most part, it strikes me as P "not playing ball" and paying for it by not getting media coverage. It probably had a lot to do with most music critics being stuck in some time-warp as well. When you see photographers yelling or singing "Purple Rain" in 2009, it speaks volumes.

I think that attitude of categorization is changing. But you are right. But then again Beck (a white alternative artist) gets away with wide range musical outings. the problem with P is that his diversity is hard to follow or keep track of his, he is so undefineable its hard to know what radion station to play him on, his image was weird and confusing, he wasn't with a big record company for a large chunk of his career and his physical image can be overwhelming. And let's face it, he sometimes needed an editor to let him know when he was over-producing or picking the lesser of his songs to heavily promote. Those things didn't help.

his race can't be ignored entirely here either. "I am the wrong color and I play guitar" as he said in "Don't Play Me". He wasn't even listed in a ROlling Stone top 100 guitarist list around 2002 or 2003. He had to win a place in the ROck n Roll Hall of Fame the same year as having the top selling concert of the year and after overshadowing rock stars doing a beatles song...THEn, he was later listed and he still didn't make it to the top ten. And considering the top ten included some lesser guitarists who just happened to be extremely famous...yes, "rock" critics relegated him to "black" artist status.

jcurley said:

I think it's simply the very thing that dogged his whole career...his diversity. Even if you don't like a style of music it's easier to get people to dip into it iccassionally as they know what they're getting. So ironically tho you may have a narrower audience you sell more because you get non fans buying.People also become very protective of their sound so I feel a ricj obsezzive would see Prince as culturall appropriation rather a genius with diversity

1.) Jimi was primarily known for his guitar playing and played mostly rock (a more respected genre than funk, soul and rhythm and blues). .

2.) He was a big influence on the white players who proceeded him. Black ground breakers get some love but it doesn't seem to extend to those later black musicians once the white players start getting attention.

3.) Jimi is the exception to the rule and his number one spot is almost token in nature. I say "almost" because obviously he was extremely talented. But really there are quite a few black guitarists as good as anyone on those lists who don't get mention.

4.) Just because Obama was president it doesnt mean racism was eradicated. Just because Jimi wins top spots, it doesn't mean black guitarists who play in genres that are more associated with black performers now (funk, R and B and soul) get the attention they deserve.

NorthC said:

Then why is Jimi Hendrix always #1 in "Best Guitarist" lists?

Hell fucking no. Bitch pig motherfuckers. Especially the British press. New Music Express and their limey bitch fucks trying to convince us that Gold Experience is one star?? Emacipation is shit? kiss my ass.

They also said Kurt Cobain was a great guitarist. He knew 3 chords.

One star for Gold Experience? Wooh, that just sounds personal.

2freaky4church1 said:

Hell fucking no. Bitch pig motherfuckers. Especially the British press. New Music Express and their limey bitch fucks trying to convince us that Gold Experience is one star?? Emacipation is shit? kiss my ass.

yeah, that sounds like horseshit. I love Nirvana but Cobain's talent lied with his honest lyrics and raw talent for song writing. He was like punk rocker in terms of "musical talent" and even Dave Grohl knew Prince was a genius. He, unlike that magazine. didn't seem to have a prejudice. I also imagine their short-sided take on PRince was due to trendiness and hipsterism. I remember alternative rocks hold on everyone including myself. We all looked like homeless people/lumberjacks for while. Oddly, a lot of that obvious grunge stuff seems dated now (Nirvana is still cool though.) Ironically, Prince's blend of funk, pop, soul and rock seems fresh and exciting in comparison to the droning of NIckelback, Stone temple pilots, Collective soul (none of whom probably got a ridiculously low one star review) etc.

2freaky4church1 said:

They also said Kurt Cobain was a great guitarist. He knew 3 chords.

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[Edited 5/13/18 11:26am]

[Edited 5/13/18 11:27am]

purplerabbithole said:

Misslink88 said:

For the most part, it strikes me as P "not playing ball" and paying for it by not getting media coverage. It probably had a lot to do with most music critics being stuck in some time-warp as well. When you see photographers yelling or singing "Purple Rain" in 2009, it speaks volumes.

jcurley said:

I think it's simply the very thing that dogged his whole career...his diversity. Even if you don't like a style of music it's easier to get people to dip into it iccassionally as they know what they're getting. So ironically tho you may have a narrower audience you sell more because you get non fans buying.People also become very protective of their sound so I feel a ricj obsezzive would see Prince as culturall appropriation rather a genius with diversity

this and this. I think Prince was treated "fairly" for the most part. He was smart enough to avoid all that People Magazine/Entertainment Weekly shit most of the time. I think it actually HELPED him in the long run since there was always a mystique about him.

herb4 said:

True, but by that point, he was known primarily as a live act and a has-been. When he made his comeback, he was known primarily as a great live act and his reputation as a guitar player went up, but his presense online went down so proof of good playing was only seen if you literally were there.

206Michelle said:

herb4 said:

this and this. I think Prince was treated "fairly" for the most part. He was smart enough to avoid all that People Magazine/Entertainment Weekly shit most of the time. I think it actually HELPED him in the long run since there was always a mystique about him.

From 2000 onward, he was very rarely in the tabloids whereas MJ and Whitney were tabloid mainstays.

purplerabbithole said:

True, but by that point, he was known primarily as a live act and a has-been. When he made his comeback, he was known primarily as a great live act and his reputation as a guitar player went up, but his presense online went down so proof of good playing was only seen if you literally were there.

206Michelle said:

herb4 said: From 2000 onward, he was very rarely in the tabloids whereas MJ and Whitney were tabloid mainstays.

You have to remember though that he was on the covers of Music magazines that mattered, not tabloids. Bass Player, Guitar Player, etc.

Not sure what you mean by "rock" press if its refering to the old guard Rolling Stone, Spin, Village Voice etc crowd, I'd say they were VERY fair to Prince and played a big roll in getting the word out how great he was early on.

Prince ticked off many boxes for what was the mainstream rock press and was seemingly tailormade for that crowd at that time. Ambigious sexuuality check, dirrty words check, great guitar player check, writes his own songs check, has a multiracial-gender band check.... If rock critics had a wet dream, it would star someone like Prince.

Hell they even gave Graffiti Bridge a way too good review IIRC.

It was later when Prince tried too hard to stay "pop" and relevelent did they become very critical but they still never lost the love for his live shows and always held out for the next album to be THE ONE that brings it all back.

Misslink88 said:

You have to remember though that he was on the covers of Music magazines that mattered, not tabloids. Bass Player, Guitar Player, etc.

.

Go count those covers, please. I doubt you'll need two hands. And then realise that he got several of those covers as part of a record company organised publicity blitz.

BartVanHemelen said:

Misslink88 said:

You have to remember though that he was on the covers of Music magazines that mattered, not tabloids. Bass Player, Guitar Player, etc.

.

Go count those covers, please. I doubt you'll need two hands. And then realise that he got several of those covers as part of a record company organised publicity blitz.

You have to consider how magazines work. You must have a record label with other artists behind you. "Write something about this artist and we'll give you an exclusive with so-and-so artist." So-and-so artist happens to be "hot" right this very second (doesn't mean they're good) and then the magazine chases advertising $$$ by saying "we have an exclusive interview coming up with so-and-so". It's an inside job. Yet, inspite of not having a record label behind him, his sheer talent and recognition got him even those handful of covers. As I said, he didn't play ball with them but they still couldn't ignore him completely. I think, more importantly, his peers knew he was the greatest.