Last year I got this neat Bluetooth CD player, which revived my deep interest in collecting and listening to CDs.

I've slowly been collecting more and more, but I have yet to secure any official Prince albums for myself (I do own a Musicology Release Party CD, but it doesn't count).

I would base a future purchase on my favorite albums by The Artist; however, I wanted to come on here and ask y'all: in your opinion, what Prince albums are the most essential to own on CD?

musicalmarvell said:

Last year I got this neat Bluetooth CD player, which revived my deep interest in collecting and listening to CDs.

I've slowly been collecting more and more, but I have yet to secure any official Prince albums for myself (I do own a Musicology Release Party CD, but it doesn't count).

I would base a future purchase on my favorite albums by The Artist; however, I wanted to come on here and ask y'all: in your opinion, what Prince albums are the most essential to own on CD?

Every officially released CD that he put out is mandatory to eventually buy as far as I'm concerned.Every album he did has it's merits and is better than pretty much what everyone else was doing.

Far as someone who doesn't actually want all the albums but only want what might be considered most popular or essential to many fans here's a list below (I'm only including the albums still in print currently):

Not needed to buy in this order at all. These are just 15 that popped in my head if I was personally going to only buy an essential kind of collection and not everything.

1. 1999

2. Purple Rain

3. Sign O The Times

4. Parade

5. Around the World in a Day

6. Lovesexy

7. The Gold Experience

8. Batman

9. Musicology

10. Controversy

11. The Rainbow Children

12. One Nite Alone Box Set (Includes the Piano & Voice and 3 Live CD's)

13. Art Official Age

14. Prince

15. Dirty Mind

You can add "The Hits" promo CD.

I have an extra one sealed 4 sale.

I bought as well "The Crown Jewels" promo CD (sealed).

Ramzoo said:

You can add "The Hits" promo CD.

I have an extra one sealed 4 sale.

I bought as well "The Crown Jewels" promo CD (sealed).

Whilst not official albums there are collections of official Prince 12" single releases on CD. I would add these

FYI "The Hits" & "The Crown Jewels" promo R official.

I agree with you regarding singles CD: have all of them (except "Lovesexy" era) & some in Japanese versions.

Ramzoo said:

FYI "The Hits" & "The Crown Jewels" promo R official.

I agree with you regarding singles CD: have all of them (except "Lovesexy" era) & some in Japanese versions.

Understood, I was taking about other collections.

I try to seek out Japanese CD especially those that have additional tracks.

Ramzoo said:

PsychoCowboy said:

By the way, I noticed that many of the albums are now sold in paper (carton?) covers rather than standard plastic cd boxes? It annoys me a bit as I'm used to having standard size and CD shelves nicely presenting album names on the edge of the box. What's the thing with this change?

Only cost reduction even if they will highlight the ecological aspect...

On Japanese CD versions, I like to see on the edge, the Japanese writing.

musicalmarvell said:

Last year I got this neat Bluetooth CD player, which revived my deep interest in collecting and listening to CDs.

I've slowly been collecting more and more, but I have yet to secure any official Prince albums for myself (I do own a Musicology Release Party CD, but it doesn't count).

I would base a future purchase on my favorite albums by The Artist; however, I wanted to come on here and ask y'all: in your opinion, what Prince albums are the most essential to own on CD?

All of the responses you get will simply be people listing their own subject favorites.

My advice to you is get the ones *you* like best.

In other words, what's essential to someone else isn't going to be what's essential to you. When it comes to your listening enjoyment, all that matters is what sounds good to your ears, not what sounds good to other people.

PsychoCowboy said:

I'm doing a very similar thing now, having sold my cd collection back in the day (including Black Album and Crystal Ball to my despair) when mp3 seemed to take over. My goal is to eventually have a fairly complete collection of officially released albums, although that's not straightforward with our Prince. Trying to buy what's available and new. I'm hesitating between SDE releases of 1999 and Sign 'o' the Times, and their standard versions (I have vinyl SDEs). If you don't want all albums, just start with the ones you like, and I would agree with the list above to be sort of great-to-haves. By the way, I noticed that many of the albums are now sold in paper (carton?) covers rather than standard plastic cd boxes? It annoys me a bit as I'm used to having standard size and CD shelves nicely presenting album names on the edge of the box. What's the thing with this change? Plus, I'm not sure I got the original Love symbol from Amazon. It's been years, but the cd disc and the insert I remember seemed better quality.

I went through a similar experience. I sold my CD collection when mp3 took over. After Prince passed, I decided to rebuld it. Some discs, such as the two you named (Crystal Ball and Black Album) were very hard to find and expensive. And even when I found them and paid a ransom to get them, the copies I got weren't in great shape. I took care of my CDs and, had I kept them, I'm sure they would have been in better shape than the replacements I picked up.

By the way, the carboard cases you mention are called digipacks.

I took care of my CDs and, had I kept them, I'm sure they would have been in better shape than the replacements I picked up.

I understand & agree. Myself I don't like someone else touches my collection & thus don't lend any CD.

I respect so much Prince's work...

lurker316 said:

PsychoCowboy said:

lurker316 said:

Digipacks, that's the word! OK, I don't dislike them, but prefer the old fashioned ones. Probably depending whether that's the Rainbow Children type of case (which I like) or Planet Earth type of sleeve. Once I travel to a country with more "wrecka stows" I'll probably try to buy the used but more rare albums as well. I guess it's the only way to check the quality beforehand.

[Edited 6/21/23 7:33am]

Yeah, the old school carboard digipacks like Rainbow Children were a bit more substantial and had a plastic disc tray. They were thick enough that you could see the spine when on a shelf.

But these days, CDs are sometimes put into thin cardboard sleves. I dislike those. I sometimes tear them trying to remove the CD. And if you put them on a shelf they're too thin to see.

I say buy them all eventually--Prince's writing is all over the place and he recycled and reworked his music throughout his career, so that some of his songs influence the sound of others of his.

>

What's your favorite style of music or kinds of songs? Take that into consideration when asking what's good to first buy, and when people can verify a decent matching of these tastes it will be a good suggestion for you to try. I do advise streaming to familiarize yourself with the album work. Listening to his albums for yourself will ultimately take care of everything!

Stick with your favorites first. I kinda went in a random order just buying what I could initially find through preowned copies or whatnot.

Adding on the Digipack discourse, I hate those things. My copy of 4Ever was ruined because the discs literally got stuck inside the case. Only thing I could do was take something and try to pry it open because pulling on the CD made it feel like it would break any second. Both discs got super scratched I'm pretty sure I just ended up throwing it away.

You know, there are lists, then there is just the discography.

Start at the very beginning, and work your way through it, through the end. Some stuff is digital only of course, but go with the studio albums.

I think The Hits/The B-Sides and Ultimate is essential as well. The former has a ton of b-sides with it, and 6 new tracks; the latter has some 12" mixes. I shuffle The Hits/The B-Sides all the time.

I wouldn't worry about bootlegs or unique packaging (like the Batman tin or the box). Just get the studio discography.

After that, build your 12" or EP collection as you see fit. I think a few essentials are:

New Power Generation EP

Gett Off EP

Cream EP

Space maxi

Peach 2-CD set

The Holy River 2-CD set

The War

TrivialPursuit said:

Official CD's from UK: I have them.

Start with Purple Rain (Mid 80s) and work outwards from there. Forwards or back, it doesn't matter.

1999 and Controvery are both good next choices. And ATWIAD, Parade and Sign O' The Times.

I'd say it's important to hear what made him famous first, then start hitting the very early and later albums.

[Edited 6/22/23 7:54am]

PJMcGee said:

Are Peach and Holy River official releases or boots? I don't remember those. I think I saw Peach imports that had some other hits and/or b-sides that weren't included in the Hits/B-sides release, but it was stuff I already had.

Totes legit. Peach was a 2-CD set where both CDs were sold separately, but CD 1 had a large cardboard foldout case to put CD 2 in. They both had "Peach" on them, but also had some songs not included on The Hits/The B-Sides.

CD 1:

Peach

Mountains

Partyman (Edit)

Money Don't Matter 2 Nite (Edit)

CD 2:

Peach

I Wish U Heaven

Girls & Boys (Edit)

My Name is Prince (Edit)

The Holy River was much the same makeup. Both had the song, plus some extras, including the live studio mix of "Somebody's Somebody." One cover was Prince in a green outfit, the other was from the video shoot. I believe there were some photo postcards in it, as well as some form to join a fan club or something.

CD 1:

The Holy River (Radio Edit)

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Mustang Mix)

Somebody's Somebody (Edit) (listed as Radio Edit on other editions)

On Sale Now!

CD 2:

The Holy River (Radio Edit)

Somebody's Somebody (Edit)

Somebody's Somebody (Livestudio Mix)

Somebody's Somebody (Ultrafantasy Edit)

OP seems pretty familiar with Prince and OP's profile lists their favorite albums, I don't think is supposed to be "what Prince albums should I check out as a brand new fan" thread, for all the PR and Hits suggestions.

[Edited 6/23/23 5:08am]

WhisperingDandelions said:

Omey said:

Ramzoo said:

You can add "The Hits" promo CD.

I have an extra one sealed 4 sale.

I bought as well "The Crown Jewels" promo CD (sealed).

Far as Crown Jewel I don’t see that as currently in print to buy so that would be an eBay or download thing.

The Crown Jewels was a promo only cd.

Am3121 said:

He says in his post he has musicology album

also says "it doesn't count" right after mentioning it because it's that promo giveaway. You make it seem like that sets a precedent of relevancy.

People gave those away with the quickness in '04, it was so insulting. You could probably fill the grand canyon with those things.

WhisperingDandelions said: