One of the great things about being a Prince fan is that he's created an album a year for years. His music has been with us through thick and thin. Not all of his albums have been great, but for personal reasons, we love certain ones more than others. Which Prince album means the most to you, and why?

Don't laugh, but for me it's "Graffitti Bridge".

I was coming off a breakup. My heart was shattered. "Theives in the Temple" was the first single, and it seemed to speak directly to my feelings. I couldn't wait for the album to come out. I remember seeing a preview for the movie--they showed a clip of Prince doing "Tick Tick Bang", and I remember thinking 'holy shit!!' It was just Prince moving forward artistically, with new long wild hair, doing this weird, crazy dance, and the song was NASTY!

When the album finally came out in the summer of 1990, I played it all the time in my car while I simultaneously got over my breakup and met someone new and magical. To this day, "Graffitti Bridge" has a really special place in my heart.

Lovesexy, hands down. Probably the closest music has ever come to actually saving my life.

1999

Probably Diamonds & Pearls as it's the one that got me on board.

Purple Rain, because i was 16 going on 17 and it was perfect.

Diamonds and Pearls That summer I left school and me and my friends would ride round in my mates land rover with the top off playing Gett off and horny pony at top volume .we really did think we were studs lol. me and my friend used 2 wear a bandanna like prince did in the vid for gett off.
Needless 2 say we looked totall nob heads
Them were the days

Purple Rain, cuz I was 12, gay and lonely and it showed me there was a much larger, more exciting world than I'd imagined.

And I know people are going to think I'm crazy, but Musicology's running a close second. It seems a very personal album to me, even though it's also his most pop in ages, and it's really making me feel how much I've changed since I first unwrapped PR 20 years ago.

I dunno, a lot of the early ones are special to me for different reasons...

I distinctly remember buying a 45 of Kiss & being all giddy about it

I don't listen to it much nowadays, but I remember err let's say "getting tipsy" and listening to Sign of the Times for several days in a row when I was a senior in high school (the album had just been released). It was the right music at the right time for me.

Gold Experience for me because that was the time in my life that I was the happiest.

1999 -- I was 13 years old -- asked for it and got it for Christmas -- and played it several times a day. Not one person I knew owned this album, and other kids' parents wouldn't let them buy it, so it felt like I had something very special just to myself. Nothing else sounded like it, with many of the songs being long and funky and weird.

This is going to sound ridiculous to some people, but Chaos & Disorder. For timing purposes - some incredibly bad shit was going down at that time, and I remember going for a long walk in the countryside, for hours and hours, at a very emotional time, listening to this on my headphones.

VERY difficult. I would have to say "Purple Rain" with "The Rainbow Children" a close second

This is a hard one, but I would have to say SOTT! I love most of his albums, but this one rocks from start to finish and contains one of my top 10 favourite Prince songs (if I was your girlfriend) AND there is also a kick ass concert video too.

The Gold Experience, for the best, and The Rainbow Children, for the worst (lyrically).

Parade----Sr. yr in high school.

Emancipation~i delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl, while Prince lost his beautiful baby boy. "Sex in the Summer"

I'd have to pick 2 albums because I was pretty messed up on drugs in 1986 & 1987. Parade was my salvation during this period. Sign O' The Times helped me kick the habit. I played both these albums I'd say for 3 years every day. I was taking a lot of LSD and listening to Prince while I was trippin'. Listening to Prince made it a positive trip. But the cool thing is I've been clean over 15 years now

Lovesexy for my soul


Parade for my heart

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

NAAAW!!!? REALLY!!!??

JediMaster said:

Co-sign

A toss up between ATWIAD and Parade. AAh, the memories!!!

Purple Rain for me. From everything from the B-sides that came out during that time, to his fashion style, to him being on a the covers of so many magazines, to going to the Purple Rain concert, was a "paradise" for me. That album and everything associated with it was such an escape for me during a very difficult time for me. Someone earlier said it showed them there was a much bigger and better life out there and I felt the same way. It literally was a lifesaver for my 12 year old life.

I would also add 1999 and Controversy but to a lesser degree. Such great memories.

EverlastingNow said:

Co-sign this

So many emotions from all his work but If I had 2 pick 1 that changed my life 4 ever it would have 2 b Parade!

I have to say Emancipation because he was at a place that I have never heard before. I could tell that he was in love with life, his wife and his unborn child. I never thought of him as the family man, but here he was, just like everyone else! I actually dusted that one off the other day and gave it a listen and it made me a little sad

But onward and upward to all the new music. First Prince, Sheila on Diva's, new Time album, is it 20years ago or what?

Hard 2 choose but I must co with Parade because it changed my life 4 ever!

JediMaster said:

Most definitely LoveSexy is the most important Prince Album to me. It helped me thru some hard times.