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Thread started 06/17/25 10:47am

anthonyparkin

Which 3 Prince albums would you choose to recommend to your friends?

Asked this about a different artist, and considering how different each Prince album is, what 3 albums would you choose to introduce someone who’s never listened to Prince before.
I think I would have to go with most recognisable sound to ease them in. Purple Rain, 1999, and sign o’ the times. What is yours?

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Reply #1 posted 06/17/25 1:56pm

psyche2

I'm a bit uncompromising. Your question depends on who are your friends (what do they actually like, or their age) and then will choose what's more suitable for them. I know of some grown-ups who only got it through the Small Club bootleg, for instance. You never know.

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Reply #2 posted 06/17/25 3:51pm

happyshopper

Purple Rain

Sign O The Times

.

Then choices: 1999, Parade or Dirty Mind

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Reply #3 posted 06/17/25 4:38pm

paisleyparkgir
l

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It depends on how old they are, what type of music they usually listen to etc...

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Reply #4 posted 06/17/25 5:55pm

ShellyMcG

Like Paisleyparkgirl said, it depends entirely on who I'm recommending it to. Prince's stuff was so diverse that you could recommend three albums to one person that they would love but another person might hate and vice versa.

However, for the purposes of the game, I would choose;

Purple Rain
It's his most well known album and contains several of his most well known songs. If you can't find ANYTHING on this album that you like, then there's no point in even continuing with any more recommendations.

3121
One for the 90s RnB lovers, this album was one of the two albums my cousin played for me to get me into Prince's music. (As a bonus, the other album was Hit'n'Run Phase Two). 3121 has a diverse collection of ballads (Satisfied), uptempo songs (Fury) and cool-as-shit RnB (Black Sweat). Plus, it's not THAT old so younger people shouldn't immediately turn their noses up at it.

The Hits & B-Sides
Ok, so maybe this is cheating, but I often find that the best albums to check out first when you're unsure about an artist who is new to you is their greatest hits. I did it with Lenny Kravitz, Hall & Oates and Shania Twain and given that The Hits & B-Sides collection contains several deep cuts as well as the big hits, it really is the best place for someone to start.
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Reply #5 posted 06/17/25 10:17pm

BalladofPeterP
arker

All my friends KNOW Prince! If you grew up in his era no introduction is needed. biggrin

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Reply #6 posted 06/18/25 5:26am

keywiz

None.

People either already know and get Prince. Or they don't. In my experience.

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Reply #7 posted 06/18/25 1:02pm

pdiddy2011

Purple Rain

The Hits/The B-Sides

Sign O The Times

(If not The Hits/The B-Sides then 1999)

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Reply #8 posted 06/18/25 1:19pm

leecaldon

keywiz said:

None.

People either already know and get Prince. Or they don't. In my experience.

There's a whole generation that barely know him, and there plenty in other generations who know a handful of hits.

.

I know one person who became a huge Prince fan (because of me) who wasn't that interested after seeing him play Baby Knows on Top of the Pops. I popped in The Rainbow Children when I gave him a lift home from university. The next day, he sought it out and bought it from the one store in the city that was stocking it. He never looked back. Within two years we had crossed the Atlantic to see him at MSG (and if it hadn't sold out, he would have come to the Celebration in 2002, only months after hearing TRC).

.

You know who you are biggrin

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Reply #9 posted 06/18/25 1:46pm

Poplife88

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pdiddy2011 said:

Purple Rain

The Hits/The B-Sides

Sign O The Times

(If not The Hits/The B-Sides then 1999)

I remember when it was all about cassette and making mix tapes for people...friends would ask me to make them a Prince mix (they knew who to go to cool. I used to make one side Purple rain with Erotic City & 17 Days, and other side songs from 1999 and SOTT with a few other Bsides. It was a sure-fire hit.

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Reply #10 posted 06/18/25 4:29pm

homesquid

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Like others have said...depends on their age. Prince's best album is SOTT but a youngin' might not get it because they've been raised on shitty trap rap garbage. Trap rap music especially mumble rap is straight up trash and ANYONE can do it.

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Reply #11 posted 06/18/25 6:04pm

skywalker

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anthonyparkin said:

Asked this about a different artist, and considering how different each Prince album is, what 3 albums would you choose to introduce someone who’s never listened to Prince before.
I think I would have to go with most recognisable sound to ease them in. Purple Rain, 1999, and sign o’ the times. What is yours?

Same.
-
That said, often my Prince recommendations depend on the listeners musical tastes. For example: I have a friend who is into classic and hard rock and din't really know Prince's more guitar oriented albums. I recommended Chaos and Disorder and Plectrum Electrum and he loved them both.

"New Power slide...."
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Reply #12 posted 06/18/25 7:40pm

antonb

It seems like a pretty easy question, however I’m struggling because honestly, they probably wouldn’t rate em! They wouldn’t have the patience for the album to grow on them!
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Reply #13 posted 06/18/25 8:50pm

nv34

1999, Purple Rain and SOTT, hands down the best 3 Prince albums!
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Reply #14 posted 06/18/25 11:11pm

BSonmor

anthonyparkin said:

Asked this about a different artist, and considering how different each Prince album is, what 3 albums would you choose to introduce someone who’s never listened to Prince before.
I think I would have to go with most recognisable sound to ease them in. Purple Rain, 1999, and sign o’ the times. What is yours?

Diamonds And Pearls

Love Symbol

1999

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Reply #15 posted 06/19/25 12:56am

kitbradley

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Controversy, Prince and 1999.



[Edited 6/19/25 1:02am]

"It's not nice to fuck with K.B.! All you haters will see!" - Kitbradley
"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
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Reply #16 posted 06/19/25 2:51am

purplethunder3
121

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nv34 said:

1999, Purple Rain and SOTT, hands down the best 3 Prince albums!

yeahthat

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #17 posted 06/19/25 5:51am

TrivialPursuit

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Sign O The Times

The Gold Experience

Parade

Every day when I awake, the greatest of joys is mine: that of being ME.
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Reply #18 posted 06/19/25 7:04am

Funkyslap

TrivialPursuit said:


The Gold Experience




Bold choice, I think you'll probably loose 90 % of listeners at P.Control.
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Reply #19 posted 06/19/25 10:22am

leecaldon

Funkyslap said:

TrivialPursuit said:

The Gold Experience

Bold choice, I think you'll probably loose 90 % of listeners at P.Control.

On the other hand, I know someone who became a fan specifically because of that song.

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Reply #20 posted 06/19/25 11:47am

thisisreece

Parade - My favourite album, (so why waste time not showing people what you love?). Not only does it clock in at a digestible runtime, it’s grounded by one of his most recogisible and beloved songs and closes with one of his most beautiful, while retaining all the weird qualities and musical dynamism I love Prince for. The album is utterly unique, it almost stands apart from time. If they’re not pulled in by sheer magic of the album’s opening 4 song suite, then we are so musically opposed that I don’t care if they never come to appreaciate Prince. I don’t think the album gets credit for the audacity of its first ten seconds, undoubtedly the boldest opening of any Prince album - what I would give to hear that for the first time again.

Dirty Mind - it’s raw, it’s fun and funky, and actually a little shocking for people who don’t know much about Prince (in my experience they’re surprised and really admire the lack of polish).

The Undertaker - for much the same reason as Dirty Mind.

Tend to stay away from SOTT (it’s too much), Purple Rain (there’s no sense of discovery with an album everyone knows is a classic), or even 1999 (sometimes the production turns people off at first, it did for me in my early Prince days, though I quickly attuned).
Hundalasiliah!
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Reply #21 posted 06/19/25 6:02pm

Dauphin

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Purple Rain - Iconic and classic
HITNRUN Phase 2 - some very great tunes, catchy
Custom Mix Playlist - I would probably have to grab like 10 songs and mix them in. Preferably with Videos, like the SOTT movie If I was your Girlfriend, It's About That Walk, etc
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Still it's nice to know, when our bodies wear out, we can get another

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Reply #22 posted 06/20/25 2:51pm

BlueShakooo

Purple Rain
The Undertaker
The Rainbow Children
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Reply #23 posted 06/20/25 4:17pm

TrivialPursuit

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Funkyslap said:

TrivialPursuit said:

The Gold Experience

Bold choice, I think you'll probably loose 90 % of listeners at P.Control.


Well - that's my list.

Every day when I awake, the greatest of joys is mine: that of being ME.
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Reply #24 posted 06/20/25 9:09pm

nayroo2002

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Great Friend:
"have you seen that clip of ol' boy at the RnR Hall O' Fame?"
Me:

"yeah, that was a hoot, but check out his cover of 'Creep' at Coachella..."
Great Friend:
"Brilliant!!!"

Autopen Signature
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Reply #25 posted 06/22/25 10:37am

PurpleColossus

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Purple Rain

1999

Diamonds and Pearls

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Reply #26 posted 06/23/25 4:59pm

ShellyMcG

TrivialPursuit said:



Funkyslap said:


TrivialPursuit said:

The Gold Experience



Bold choice, I think you'll probably loose 90 % of listeners at P.Control.


Well - that's my list.



I don't disagree. Any album that includes Shhh is worthy of inclusion as far as I'm concerned
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Reply #27 posted 06/24/25 10:17am

leecaldon

I would suggest avoiding 1999 initially. As a whole, it's not a super accessible album.

.

Purple Rain is a cert. Sign O the Times an abvious pick. Maybe throw in something later like The Gold Experience, Art Official Age or something a bit different like One Nite Alone. I'd choose a third album based on the person.

.

Or just start with The Hits 1 and 2 biggrin

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Reply #28 posted 06/24/25 7:50pm

Wontolla

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Purple Rain

Sign O' The Times

Parade

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Reply #29 posted 06/24/25 10:53pm

SoulAlive

I would just simply pick my three favorite Prince albums 😁

1999,Dirty Mind and Purple Rain.

I’m pretty sure they would find something they like on these three albums.
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