lustmealways said:

Some of these lists have gotta be trolling holy shit. Pop Life is one of the greatest things anyone has ever committed to tape.

Yes, ‘Pop Life’ does indeed deserve more love, I thoroughly agree.
Maybe it's because it sounds too simple in its chord construction.
But that's precisely its genius (to me).
And it's not funk, either. It is pure pop, in an upbeat melody, with somewhat wistful lyrics.

WhisperingDandelions said:

lustmealways said:

Elephants and Flowers is pure uplifting joy. Absolutely lovely track... perhaps if you hate it you haven't been there...


Boy is lonely on a burning hot summer night
He's looking for some action, he's looking for a fight
He's looking for a savior in a city full of fools
Maybe he just needs a good talker to give him a good talking to

Yuck, the omnipresent "Positive sentiment" take from the Prince community.

This is where the division in fans of "Free" comes in.

"Free" fans are like, wow, what a beautiful message/sentiment, how can you not abide, are you made of stone?

And the anti "Free" crowd are like..... wgaf the stupid message, the delivery/execution is corny and cheeseball. It could be the greatest lyrics ever but then you put them over some phoned-in nonsense...

for the record I love "Elephants and Flowers" tho. Though, uh, not for the lyrix.

More often than not, I like Prince's music for the music itself, not the lyrics.
Especially when the preachy drivel starts, or when he lashes out at non-believers as in TRC. That's where I completely drop out. I'm able to close my ears and mind for this... bar talk.
While the music in general on TRC is really among his best later work I think.
As a European, I don't always follow the full-blown religious mumbojumbo. (Not even when an American president says ‘and may god bless America...’. Secular? My ass. )
Free is a beautiful song. Parts of the lyrics are still doable. The subject of freedom is quite important. especially in these times. But I understand the distaste for the way the whole thing is put together. For me, the soldier's bootsteps are quite a bit about it. Especially for someone who sings ‘we don't want to fight no more, you can fight your own damn war.’
‘Princio In Terminus.’

And again, "elephants & flowers", great song, lukewarm lyrics, i agree.

bigtallwall said:

My list of songs I will skip every single time they come on. I listed in chronological order from 78-96

1. With You – corny and too country sounding

2. Ronnie Talk To Russia – corny and doesn’t fit with the album

3. Life Can Be So Nice – way too repetitive

4. It – Feels swampy and just trudges along

5. 2 Nigs United 4 West Compton – too manic & busy

6. The Arms of Orion – Not very catchy and kind of corny

7. Shake! – Corny and way too repetitive, doesn’t feel very inspired

8. Arrogance – Very lackluster and sounds like a throwaway

9. Right The Wrong- great message and theme but just corny and the music is corny

10. The 3 cover songs on Emancipation – why??? Just why???? Super corny

I can only agree with 7 and 8. Song I skip as well.

The rest (to me) are nonetheless inimitable Prince frivolities, with great excesses and craziness, funky and great weirdness. Something that barely exists today.

The reptitiveness of "Life Can Be So Nice"... I wish there was a 30 minute version of this! I mean it!

"It" is compelling, trippy, and beautiful in its darkness. I've heard many not liking this, but I really appreciate it a lot. Fantastic synths, atmosphere, and complementary non-solo-like guitar, the haunting lust in Prince's voice, and layers. And a great use of his then brand new 30K $ sampler machine. Love it!

"LaLa means I love U" for me is really a great take on that original. It suits Princ's falsetto so wonderfully. And the other two covers are... well doable.

WhisperingDandelions said:

And "It" is too gothed out to be considered a relative to "Hot Thing", gimme a break. "Hot Thing" is for the club, "It" is for isolated self-reflections and mental-breakdowns at 2AM. This thread granted insight into why it seems like 95% of the fanbase never seems to really "get" "It" if they take it as yet another generic dance track.

I could not say it any better.

Indeed, "It" isn't your avarage dance track. Far from.

There ya go.

TheBigBang said:

Vannormal said:

I don't get those choices, for the most part, when there's stuff like...

Baby Knows
Shut This Down
I Rock Therefore I Am
Da Da Da
77 Beverly Park
Hot Summer
Everyday Is A Winding Road
Daisy Chain
Graffiti Bridge
Everybody Loves Me

Now there's one I truly DON'T like at all : "Hot Summer."

It'(s for sure a "Shake" rip off, and. With a irritating drum-bongo break, lame guitar, useless synth, and it seems like the singing is way to loud compared to the music.

That lyric is also so empty, simple. Really Prince?

Or, to use someone's words, ugly noise.

"Everybody Loves Me", big yuck indeed.

I am seeing some absolute treasures on these lists; there really is no accounting for taste!

Do you Lie?

7

Pop Life

Free

Pink Cashmere

[Edited 12/11/24 13:45pm]

lustmealways said:

Some of these lists have gotta be trolling holy shit. Pop Life is one of the greatest things anyone has ever committed to tape.

bozojones said:

1. Free
2. Free
3. Free
4. Free
5. Free
6. Free
7. Free
8. Free
9. Free
10. Free

I'm still convinced some of the people here only like that song because it's by Prince. Y'all wouldn't give that shopping mall karaoke the time of day if anyone else had recorded it

You can say that about 50 Prince songs. I couldn't imagine anyone else having the audacity or courage to live outside the box so frequently, musically. It's like Prince refused to be placed in any 1 genre, even within the same album.

pdiddy2011 said:

bozojones said:

1. Free
2. Free
3. Free
4. Free
5. Free
6. Free
7. Free
8. Free
9. Free
10. Free

I'm still convinced some of the people here only like that song because it's by Prince. Y'all wouldn't give that shopping mall karaoke the time of day if anyone else had recorded it

You can say that about 50 Prince songs. I couldn't imagine anyone else having the audacity or courage to live outside the box so frequently, musically. It's like Prince refused to be placed in any 1 genre, even within the same album.

I'm not criticizing Prince's willingness to explore different styles, I'm criticizing his execution of that particular song because it fucking sucks

bozojones said:

pdiddy2011 said:

You can say that about 50 Prince songs. I couldn't imagine anyone else having the audacity or courage to live outside the box so frequently, musically. It's like Prince refused to be placed in any 1 genre, even within the same album.

I'm not criticizing Prince's willingness to explore different styles, I'm criticizing his execution of that particular song because it fucking sucks

Bingo.

Like "The Arms of Orion" gets called cheesy/cringe a lot but something about it, like he just sells it better, it's got an earnestness to it, it feels like he spent some time/energy on it. "Free" is like the tinker toys equivalent, like of all the kaleidscopic multigenres pdiddy2011 references he wanted to go out the box but didn't venture quite far enough for an artist of his caliber.

Everyone hand over your Prince fan cards right now!

Well, everyone except paisleyparkgirl, maybe. That list was pretty cool.

Any "bottom 10" list that doesn't include "Purple and Gold" is moot, anyway. I think this is the only Prince song that I really feel the need to skip. Since it's not on an album, I simply don't listen to it. Or only once every 5 years to convince me that it exists.



Also, I assume we're not including unreleased songs, remixes, etc.? I seem to remember "The P" was often listed as a very bad Prince songs, "back in the day". The "Gangster Glam" remixes were also pretty terrible.

[Edited 12/12/24 3:02am]

bozojones said:

1. Free
2. Free
3. Free
4. Free
5. Free
6. Free
7. Free
8. Free
9. Free
10. Free

I'm still convinced some of the people here only like that song because it's by Prince. Y'all wouldn't give that shopping mall karaoke the time of day if anyone else had recorded it

You know what?

Make you're own AI version without the lyrics.

And then listen to the instrumental and come back.

Temptation

I Rock,Therefore I Am

Dance On

P Control

Purple And Gold

Lemon Crush

Jughead

Everybody Loves Me

Tamborine

The Latest Fashion

One More :

1. Emancipation

2. Shut This Down

3. Guitar

4. Like a Mac

5. Everybody Loves Me

6. 3 Chains 'O Gold

7. Art Official Cage

9. Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful

10. Arogance

I'm going to avoid Vault tracks and HITnRun Phase One as well as placing these in any particular order here:

Tick Tick Bang

Shy

3121

Right The Wrong

Papa

Da, Da, Da

The Arms Of Orion

It

P Control

Eye Wanna Melt With U

Lists of 'Worst Songs' are the most interesting...

For the record, here are mine.

In no particular order.

1) Sexuality

2) Graffitti Bridge

3) Still Would Stand All Time

4) Arms Or Orion

5) Jughead

6) Thunder

7) Diamonds and Pearls

8) Partyman

9) My Name Is Prince

10) Planet Earth

JohnShaft said:

I'm going to avoid Vault tracks and HITnRun Phase One as well as placing these in any particular order here:

Tick Tick Bang

Shy

3121

Right The Wrong

Papa

Da, Da, Da

The Arms Of Orion

It

P Control

Eye Wanna Melt With U

Just curious: why did you include "3121" and "Papa"?

I prefer to call these my 'least favourite'. Off the top of my head...

.

Delirious

Free

Sea of Everything

Still Would Stand All Time

Walk in Sand

Purple and Gold

Play in the Sunshine

Jughead

The Love We Make

Everybody Loves Me

Challenge #2:
How would you SELL your 'Worstetest Of Prince' compilation?

"...dive in2 a world of unispired, phoned-in trax from the of music!!!'

In no particular order.
1) Purple and Gold
2) Hot Summer
3) Big Tall Wall
4) White Mansion
5) Life o the party
6) The One U wanna C
7) Lion of Judah
8) Million $ Show
9) Baltimore
10) 1999 New Master

What this thread tells me is that we could put together a stunning list of songs from selected from everyone's worst songs.

So many of my favorites being listed.

Yet I don't see the one Prince song I tried to like but couldn't, wasn't listed.

Solo

Another song I don't like, because the Lyrics are so historially wrong

Avalanche

bozojones said: