Forget other artists: how many songs could have been huge hits for Prince had he decided to release better singles?

"Sleep Around" might have been a major course correction in terms of his chart success in the latter half of the 90s.

I admire Prince for being unpredictable, but it led to some pretty anti-commercial decisions and statements. "Cinnamon Girl" as a single with a video about the root causes of terrorism in the 9/11 years? Like I said, I admire that his millionaire status afforded him the freedom to say what he wanted.

"Beautiful, Loved, and Blessed"? How about "Love," "Fury," "Satisfied," even "The Dance"? Any would have built on the momentum from "Black Sweat," but he'd have rather launched Tamar's career.

None. Yes Prince was still capable of puting out great songs even in his later years, but his "hit making" capabilities were gone long long ago. Popular taste and times moved beyond him and any time he tried to sound contemporary, with a few exceptions, it rang a bit forced.

Prince himself has only had 6 "#1" hits:

When Doves Cry

Lets Go Crazy

Kiss

Batdance

Cream

Nothing Compares to You (Sinead Version)

"non-weak tracks' that other did that didnt make it to #1 include

Manic Monday (2)

I Feel For you (3)

Glamourous Life (7)

Jungle Love (20)

(I realize you probably mean 'would have been hits' but still making the point that Prince was not a #1 hit machine)

Yeah I keep saying I'm realizing it's the production and arrangement that turned me off from certain periods, and there were great songs in there that had he given them away or recorded them during other eras, they would have been bigger.

Doesn't mean he wrote them in his sleep though. Black Sweat was a hit he could have done sleepwalking but that one was a hit because he recorded it.

I don't know if Beyonce would have done more with Breakdown for example. If she made it a hit it wouldn't have been because of the song but because of the promotion. It's a great song though, and despite the emotional lyrics I picture him having the bones of that song very quickly.

I Am would have made a great Lenny Kravitz hit.

[Edited 8/4/20 12:55pm]

AvocadosMax said:

emesem said:

None. Yes Prince was still capable of puting out great songs even in his later years, but his "hit making" capabilities were gone long long ago. Popular taste and times moved beyond him and any time he tried to sound contemporary, with a few exceptions, it rang a bit forced.

Prince himself has only had 6 "#1" hits:

When Doves Cry

Lets Go Crazy

Kiss

Batdance

Cream

Nothing Compares to You (Sinead Version)

"non-weak tracks' that other did that didnt make it to #1 include

Manic Monday (2)

I Feel For you (3)

Glamourous Life (7)

Jungle Love (20)

(I realize you probably mean 'would have been hits' but still making the point that Prince was not a #1 hit machine)

Prince still had hit making capabilities up until his passing. It's the record companies and media that determine if your music becomes a hit. Yes, some songs are undeniable, but if say WB and the media "big up'ed" a song say like Strollin', it could have made it to number #1. If the machine is behind you, any trash ass song can reach the top.

[Edited 8/4/20 17:58pm]

joyinrepetition said:

emesem said:

None. Yes Prince was still capable of puting out great songs even in his later years, but his "hit making" capabilities were gone long long ago. Popular taste and times moved beyond him and any time he tried to sound contemporary, with a few exceptions, it rang a bit forced.

Prince himself has only had 6 "#1" hits:

When Doves Cry

Lets Go Crazy

Kiss

Batdance

Cream

Nothing Compares to You (Sinead Version)

"non-weak tracks' that other did that didnt make it to #1 include

Manic Monday (2)

I Feel For you (3)

Glamourous Life (7)

Jungle Love (20)

(I realize you probably mean 'would have been hits' but still making the point that Prince was not a #1 hit machine)

Prince still had hit making capabilities up until his passing. It's the record companies and media that determine if your music becomes a hit. Yes, some songs are undeniable, but if say WB and the media "big up'ed" a song say like Strollin', it could have made it to number #1. If the machine is behind you, any trash ass song can reach the top.

[Edited 8/4/20 17:58pm]

I know you were just using Strollin' as an example BUT...that song could have been a hit if it was pushed like you said. I love it! Prince had a lot of songs like that on a lot of his albums. Songs like "And God Created..." and "Superfunkicalifragisexi" and "Strange Relationship"!

So being number 1 in other countries don't count? Ok.

joyinrepetition said:

emesem said:

None. Yes Prince was still capable of puting out great songs even in his later years, but his "hit making" capabilities were gone long long ago. Popular taste and times moved beyond him and any time he tried to sound contemporary, with a few exceptions, it rang a bit forced.

Prince himself has only had 6 "#1" hits:

When Doves Cry

Lets Go Crazy

Kiss

Batdance

Cream

Nothing Compares to You (Sinead Version)

"non-weak tracks' that other did that didnt make it to #1 include

Manic Monday (2)

I Feel For you (3)

Glamourous Life (7)

Jungle Love (20)

(I realize you probably mean 'would have been hits' but still making the point that Prince was not a #1 hit machine)

Prince still had hit making capabilities up until his passing. It's the record companies and media that determine if your music becomes a hit. Yes, some songs are undeniable, but if say WB and the media "big up'ed" a song say like Strollin', it could have made it to number #1. If the machine is behind you, any trash ass song can reach the top.

[Edited 8/4/20 17:58pm]

Yes he had the capablities.

I still think in the 80s if it was good it was good and there was a lot of good music to choose from in the 70s and 80s. As the industry opened you had more voice, more choice, but less quality.

I don't fully believe any trash song can reach the top overall, no matter what's pushing it. But a few slip through. Big hit makers and artists don't always succeed, even if something isn't so good.

This is my sentiment as well.

Someone like Prince had such a strong musical 'culture' foundation, that staying from that did not always lend to electricity.

emesem said:

None. Yes Prince was still capable of puting out great songs even in his later years, but his "hit making" capabilities were gone long long ago. Popular taste and times moved beyond him and any time he tried to sound contemporary, with a few exceptions, it rang a bit forced.

Prince himself has only had 6 "#1" hits:

When Doves Cry

Lets Go Crazy

Kiss

Batdance

Cream

Nothing Compares to You (Sinead Version)

"non-weak tracks' that other did that didnt make it to #1 include

Manic Monday (2)

I Feel For you (3)

Glamourous Life (7)

Jungle Love (20)

(I realize you probably mean 'would have been hits' but still making the point that Prince was not a #1 hit machine)

Arms of Orion

joyinrepetition said:

If the machine is behind you, any trash ass song can reach the top.

[Edited 8/4/20 17:58pm]

Proof of that would be Most Beautiful Girl in the World at #2, and Batdance hitting #1.

Maybe not trash but not Prince at his best, or most classic.

inovio said:

P had an interview and the journalist asked him what do you think is your greatest hits, he said the music I'm making right now. That's why he had the end of the greatest hits tour like 2 or 3 years in a row because he wanted to stop singing those songs. I don't think he liked those songs. he asked the journalist what do you consider to be a hit? The journalist said most people think that purple rain soundtrack was your best work, he was like that's what they think. Some time ago, I read that Wendy or Lisa went to the studio this is back in the 80s and she said he created this amazing song, she said she never heard anything like that before but she told him this is a great song, it's going to be hit, as soon as she said that he deleted the track and left the room, so the people that worked around him learned to keep their opinions to themselves, he didn't need anybody to tell him this is great this is good, he likes to do things his own way, it's a Gemini trait we don't care what anybody thinks good bad or indifferent.

Stop the press, we found an orthodox zealot worse better than ChocolateBox!

Doing things not giving an eff about anyone's opinion?
Thank God it's not the only Gemini trait,
that would make all Geminis patented assholes.

But you don't care, so everything's fine in the world of Kool-Aid™.
Having an epiphany listening to Planet Earth requires gallons of it.


A #1 hit can be many things.

The Beatles had many.
But so had the "La Macarena" guys.

As the eighties faded away, number one hits became
more and more a thing of studio pimps (although it can be said of every decade).
Going after the kids by prostituting fine session musicians,
until they no longer needed them. It became pure entertainment,
and musicianship was no longer a requirement.

Prince is of another breed. He turned into an has-been not because
he wasn't good anymore, it's the whole show-business that was turning into a pure shit fest.
The problem being that any cretin under twenty is persuaded
anyone who says this is a bitter old fart.

But if you're serious about pop music, it don't take Stevie Wonder to see
that something definitely broke with "Thriller", with its clean calibrated FM sound
and the video marketing that followed.

This was industrialization of pop music
at its highest level, pure cynicism (propelled by real talent, sure).
This massive success fascinated every MBA, and suddenly, record companies
were flooded by guys who could have worked in banking or insurance,
except they preferred to bang the groupies left-overs and snore some coke.
But they could have been traders, for that matter.
Decent A&R guys became less and less.


Besides, good luck finding a number one hit post-70's that hasn't horribly aged.
But lots of #1 records suck. They're awful. They just happened to make
people laugh for a season, and they no one is going to ever broadcast that shit again.

Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now"?
Bros' "When Will I Be Famous"?
Yes dudes, when?

And too many too mention, have a look at wikipedia,
there are #1 singles list for every decade.

"The Boy Is Mine"?
"Men in Black"?
Who listens to this shit anymore?
But "Forget Me Not" still makes the playlists.

I bet you can save only a few a year.
The rest is pure, prefabricated shit.
Only internet radio with a dedicated sub-section for Boomers play these abominations.
Same goes for the 90's. Nowadays they're like cars.
They all look the same. And they look awful.

Was Prince into prefabricated shit?
Well, sometimes he flirted with the idea.
But thank God he was too talented a musician.
When he tried, he got nothing more but (interesting) failed experiments.

As for weak songs, when a song is weak, it's weak.
It doesn't matter who sings it.

[Edited 8/15/20 12:00pm]