It's always good to have these threads because our opinions can change over time.

So, as we're about to welcome 2023, what is in your opinion Prince's last great album and I hope you all won't say Sign o' the Times.

I wanna hear some updated opinions before I post my choice.

Post WB, for me:

The Truth -> Rainbow Children -> Lotusflower


close but every so slightly below great (for me)

Art Official Age

For me I think his last album was his last great one. He went out with a bang.

Hit and Run Phase Two was a great album (not in the level of the classics, but it was a real good album, and not because it was his last). But IMO, the last Prince album that had that kind of passion of the classics was The Rainbow Children. He was on fire there. Great songs, great musicianship, passion, etc.

The Truth -> Rainbow Children -> Art Official Age

HRN Phase 2 - But it all depends on nothing but individual choice on what each person thinks is a "great" album.

I don't know why this site so often seeks to continually just seek to find new ways to perpetuate the different Prince era wars.

It is like Elvis fans obsessing about about their prefernce for Rock n Roll Elvis, Movie Elvis or Las Vegas Elvis.

GustavoRibas said:

Lotusflower

IanRG said:

Last great album: The Gold Experience

Last really good album: Emancipation

Last good album: 3121

RJOrion said:

IanRG said:

HRN Phase 2 - But it all depends on nothing but individual choice on what each person thinks is a "great" album.

I don't know why this site so often seeks to continually just seek to find new ways to perpetuate the different Prince era wars.

It is like Elvis fans obsessing about about their prefernce for Rock n Roll Elvis, Movie Elvis or Las Vegas Elvis.

Or renowned pedophile Elvis

how long was Prince's renowned purple pedophile era?

Great? "3121"

I think all his albums that followed except for 20Ten were very good. AOA and HITNRUN2 close to great.

homesquid said:

Great? "3121"

I think all his albums that followed except for 20Ten were very good. AOA and HITNRUN2 close to great.

I agree, except in addition to 20Ten I'd also exclude Planet Earth.

TrivialPursuit said:

Last great album: The Gold Experience

Last really good album: Emancipation

Last good album: 3121

Emancipation is "really good"??????????? That would be in my bottom three Prince albums.

For a long time I'd thought Gold Experience was great, but these days I'm not as big a fan. I don't think it's aged well.

[Edited 12/30/22 17:39pm]

lurker316 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Last great album: The Gold Experience

Last really good album: Emancipation

Last good album: 3121

Emancipation is "really good"??????????? That would be in my bottom three Prince albums.

For a long time I'd thought Gold Experience was great, but these days I'm not as big a fan. I don't think it's aged well.

Emancipation disk 1 alone is great. I can put that on shuffle and it's great in most any order.
Disk 2 is mostly good. A couple of sleepers on there, but "One Kiss At A Time" is worth the cost of admission.

Disk 3 is a bit too EDM-esque for me in parts, but it warms up later. Again, "The Love We Make" is the gem here.
Even with its sleeper songs, it's still a really good record. It was just on this side of the acrylic production so it's doable.

I should note I still like Come and , and Exodus, but TGE came out after those things.

TGE is still golden for me. Based on recent conversations, I've altered it a tad. I never liked "Shy," took it out long ago and re-blended the segues in between. However, recently I updated it again. I incerted "Interactive" after "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World," and before "Dolphin; "Acknowledge Me" is after "319" and before "Billy Jack Bitch."

If I'm considering Great as a diamond-tier album, I'd say The Rainbow Children. However, there is a ton of gems on all his 2000's-2010 albums, and I love a lot of them.

lurker316 said:

homesquid said:

Great? "3121"

I think all his albums that followed except for 20Ten were very good. AOA and HITNRUN2 close to great.

I agree, except in addition to 20Ten I'd also exclude Planet Earth.

To this day I don't understand the hate for PE.

1. "Planet Earth" 5:51 Very Very Good 9/10

2. "Guitar" 3:45 Good 7/10

3. "Somewhere Here on Earth" 5:45 Great 10/10

4. "The One U Wanna C" 4:29 Very Good 8/10

5. "Future Baby Mama" 4:47 Fair 6/10

6. "Mr. Goodnight" 4:26 Weak4/10

7. "All the Midnights in the World" 2:21 Very Good 8/10

8. "Chelsea Rodgers" 5:41 Good 7/10

9. "Lion of Judah" 4:10 Very Good 8/10

10. "Resolution "Good 7/10

It really depends on how high you raise the bar for an album to be considered ‘great’. In my mind, Prince’s last significant album that I really enjoy is ‘Art Official Age’. Certainly a very good album, with some great tracks.

If, however, we’re taking about the small handful of incredible albums that I hold dearest to my heart (we’re talking top 5), then the last one for me was probably Chocolate Invasion. I love those NPGMC era tracks.

homesquid said:

Bighead909 said:

RJOrion said:

Bighead909 said:

how long was Prince's renowned purple pedophile era?

Why dont you go and ask him.

I'd have to go with the one-two punch of "The Chocolate Invasion" and "The Slaughterhouse".

Art Official Age for me, althogh HnR2 is a contender.