This continuing Best Prince Songs list is brilliant, cool and well written. I havent seen it discussed on the Org...does anyone know who the author is or it's history?

http://www.500princesongs.com/

They lost me at the in order of greatness part. Purple Rain is in the 30's. Bob George is listed higher than hundreds of real songs.

lavendardrummachine said:

They lost me at the in order of greatness part. Purple Rain is in the 30's. Bob George is listed higher than hundreds of real songs.

Purple Rain wouldnt b in my PERSONAL Top 30...maybe fatigue, but I rarely play it. Even if u dont like the 500 writer's choices, his opinions and writings are intriguing.

lavendardrummachine said:

They lost me at the in order of greatness part. Purple Rain is in the 30's. Bob George is listed higher than hundreds of real songs.

That's why lists are bullshit. Period. No one ever is going to have the same opinion on anything, especially a list of one artist's songs in order of greatness. It's why I never even click on some "Greatest Guitarists of All Time" or whatever type lists. They're just a waste of time.

Surely the point of any list like this is to provoke discussion and give some insight. The numbers are alsmost irrelevant.

lavendardrummachine said:

They lost me at the in order of greatness part. Purple Rain is in the 30's. Bob George is listed higher than hundreds of real songs.

Bob George is in my top 10.

Everyone's list wil be different...I mean 1+1+1=3, which to me is a Jehovah-friendly rewrite of Erotic City is better than Uptown or 7? Please. But I really like the descriptions written about each song though.

leecaldon said:

Surely the point of any list like this is to provoke discussion and give some insight. The numbers are alsmost irrelevant.

Perfect description

Very funny/clever stuff. Thanks for the heads up on this. I don't nesessarily agree with everyhting written but it makes you think.

ufoclub said:

Bob George is in my top 10.

You'd make a top list of Prince songs and declare it a top 10 song, really? Huh. Okay.

It's barely a song, it's more of a skit revisiting U Got the Look.

lavendardrummachine said:

ufoclub said:

Bob George is in my top 10.

You'd make a top list of Prince songs and declare it a top 10 song, really? Huh. Okay.

It's barely a song, it's more of a skit revisiting U Got the Look.

It is his single most successful full flex of creative muscle, complete with the self deprecating step outside of his persona.

No other track shocks a casual listener into how far out of bounds he could go.

I consider it as much an artistic achievement as the track "Sign o' the Times" or "When Doves Cry".

A true anchor point for me and what really blew the lid off his range of flavors as a chef.

And apparently others agree.

lavendardrummachine said:

ufoclub said:

Bob George is in my top 10.

You'd make a top list of Prince songs and declare it a top 10 song, really? Huh. Okay.

It's barely a song, it's more of a skit revisiting U Got the Look.

He wrote and recorded Bob George weeks before.

Dandroppedadime said:

Very funny/clever stuff. Thanks for the heads up on this. I don't nesessarily agree with everyhting written but it makes you think.

Yesssss. Where each song fits on the list is besides the point...each selection is a great personal essay that extracts the genius of these songs. Makes u really appreciate Prince as a SONGWRITER.

mynameisnotsusan said:

Thanks for the link...the kneejerk reaction is to be mad at some misplaced ranking - my second was looking through the 400s thinking "Damn, he's got alot of great fucking songs" After dipping into a few it's smarter than most writing I've seen about Prince. 41: Sometimes it Snows in April Parade (1986) The utter ridiculousness of creating this ranked list comes into sharper focus when I have to consider songs like this. How can you compare this reservoir of loss, this reminder of grief, next to the sheer funk lunacy of Sexy MF or iconic spectacle of Purple Rain? It’s like ranking emotions.

Thanks for leading me back to that poignant entry...

"We weave myths to make sense of the irrational but unfortunately Sometimes it Snows in April will always be a reminder of the inexplicable: a Princeless world."

bob george is indeed a masterpiece and one of the coolest and most unique tracks i've ever heard from anyone

Bob George is one of the most underrated Prince songs. Absolutely a creative masterpiece.

LoveGalore said:

lavendardrummachine said:

You'd make a top list of Prince songs and declare it a top 10 song, really? Huh. Okay.

It's barely a song, it's more of a skit revisiting U Got the Look.

He wrote and recorded Bob George weeks before.

Okay, so it was a draft to get to U Got the Look.

ufoclub said:

It is his single most successful full flex of creative muscle, complete with the self deprecating step outside of his persona.

No other track shocks a casual listener into how far out of bounds he could go.

I consider it as much an artistic achievement as the track "Sign o' the Times" or "When Doves Cry".

A true anchor point for me and what really blew the lid off his range of flavors as a chef.

And apparently others agree.

I mean, he's not talking about suicide by autoerotic asphyxiation but okay. To each their own. Sounds like he heard Original Concept "Knowledge Me", or Beastie Boys "CookyPuss", to me.

Lists I don't mind. They're interesting... most of the time.

Unless they have ridiculously silly choices. E.G Da Bang above Colonized Mind.

Although the Top 75-50 of that list does seem to be settling down a little.

And when the list comes with the fluff accompanying each track... it's meh. I wish they had just said what they liked about the track and why it was in the position it was rather than the stuff they actually wrote.

It would be more interesting to do a poll of orgers Top 50...

But what to include?

Official releases only?

Bootlegs applicable?

And once that epic argument ended...

It wouldn't surprise me to see 75%-80% agreement upon said Top 50.

i am here to point out that this site is awesome and i like the write-ups and it's a clear labor of love

Thanks for the love.

I started it in 2016 to cope with the loss, and now, five years later, i'm nearly at the end of the project.

And to those who get annoyed by the list order. I hear you. Lists are infuriating. It's annoying me and it's mine. Or at least it was in some point in time. These things shouldn't be set in stone. I make no pretence of impartiality though. It's all subjective and I offer it in the spirit of fun.

If you prefer to read it in a random order (with images and paragraphs no less) I've started an Instagram... which I'll be adding to until I get bored or until the book gets published. Whichever happens first.

Thanks for reading

Hyperborea said:

Hyperborea said:

Thanks for the love.

I started it in 2016 to cope with the loss, and now, five years later, i'm nearly at the end of the project.

And to those who get annoyed by the list order. I hear you. Lists are infuriating. It's annoying me and it's mine. Or at least it was in some point in time. These things shouldn't be set in stone. I make no pretence of impartiality though. It's all subjective and I offer it in the spirit of fun.

If you prefer to read it in a random order (with images and paragraphs no less) I've started an Instagram... which I'll be adding to until I get bored or until the book gets published. Whichever happens first.

Thanks for reading

Your blog is exactly what happens on my long drive home with all Prince on shuffle.

Great write up's!

Thank you, Hyperborea!!!

jdcxc said:

Some of the best Prince-related writing I have read. Thanks for the purple passion. Looking forward to the book. And ppl hung up on the numbers are missing the point. BTW...ur “June” analysis deserves a Psychology Degree. Lol

Thanks jdcxc. June was one of my favourite entries to write. Researching Richie Havens made that whole song fall into place. Such poignant lyrics.

Hyperborea said:

jdcxc said:

Some of the best Prince-related writing I have read. Thanks for the purple passion. Looking forward to the book. And ppl hung up on the numbers are missing the point. BTW...ur “June” analysis deserves a Psychology Degree. Lol

Thanks jdcxc. June was one of my favourite entries to write. Researching Richie Havens made that whole song fall into place. Such poignant lyrics.

June has become one of my absolute fave Prince songs...you described it perfectly...those lyrics! Well done.

Number23 (based on his SotT Deluxe review alone), Duane Tudhal, and Tora Borealis, who has a fine taste in pen names, are the most exciting writers on Prince today. I even appreciate the longer time than he thought it would take him to finish his list, because I enjoy waiting for, and then relishing reading, every piece. This is the kind of criticism that fires you up and makes you discover new things to love (or not, but they'll be new) in Prince's music, no matter how much of a super-fan you think you are. So glad Tora Tora will be collecting his reviews in a book!