Thanks to everyone who participated. What follows is simply data collection and numerical observations. I'm going to post my thoughts on what I think any of this might mean separately.

So, what observations do you make from this? Anything seem interesting to you?

THE RESULTS...

THE ORG'S TOP 10 FAVORITE PRINCE ALBUMS:

1. SIGN O THE TIMES (29 votes)
Average age: 15
Most common age: 13, 15, 17 (3 people each)
2. PARADE (26 votes)
Average age: 13
Most common age: 12, 13, 16 (2 people each)
3. LOVESEXY (18 votes)
Average age: 15.5
Most common age: 17 (5 people), 20 (3 people)...almost 70% were over 17!
4. (tie) 1999 (15 votes)
Average age: 14
Most common age: 16 (3 people)
4. (tie) PURPLE RAIN (15 votes)
Average age: 12.5
Most common age: 16 (3 people...same as 1999)
5. DIRTY MIND (7 votes)
Average age: 9
Most common age: most people got into this when they were 10 or younger!
6. AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY (6 votes)
Average age: 11
Most common age: most respondants were 12-14 years old
7. (tie) THE GOLD EXPERIENCE (5 votes)
Average age: 14
Most common age: 12 (2 people)
7. (tie) MUSICOLOGY (5 votes)
Average age: 29
Most common age: 3/5 of people were over 30
8. (tie) THE RAINBOW CHILDREN (4 votes)
Average age: 21
Most common age: 75% were over 18
8. (tie) CONTROVERSY (4 votes)
Average age: 10
Most common age: none
9. (tie) PRINCE (3 votes)
Average age: 17
Most common age: Most people were 10 or younger when it hit and got into it in their 20s
9. (tie) EMANCIPATION (3 votes)
Average age: 22
Most common age: none
10. DIAMONDS AND PEARLS (2 votes)
Average age: 15.5
Most common age: none

ALSO RANS...Albums that received one vote and the age of the voters:

RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC (32 years old)
FOR YOU (8 years old)
BATMAN SOUNDTRACK (20 years old)
THE TRUTH (15 years old)
ONE NIGHT ALONE (36 years old)
CHAOS & DISORDER (13 years old)


Enjoy!
Keith/Kacey

For those of us fans who are in our late 20s and 30s, I think it's interesting to note that it seems like our favorite Prince albums dropped when we were teenagers.

Obviously, this fits with the critics' theory that Prince did his "best" work in the mid-80s.

It also, though, supports the original idea that started this survey and post...the fact that some of us have at least doubled our age since the album we love came out and we have carried with us a romantic/mythical notion of how important that album was to us. This high regard will likely never be topped because there are so many memories and good feelings attached to that album's importance to us.

Time, ultimately, makes these albums significant! I'd be really curious to hear from people who listed Rainbow Children or Musicology as their faves, because most respondants here were older and less time has gone by. These people kind of defy the data we collected.

But anyhoo...

Keith/Kacey

Kacey725 said:

This is fascinating. I was listening to "Do Me Baby" and I can still practically hear the needle on the vinyl next to my girlfriend's bed.

That's all i'm sayin.

This survey seems to support my claim , in the original post, that the reason a bulk of people love Prince's album from the 80's is not just because they are vastly superior to his newer material.

Nostaligia and the magic of being young and impressionable has a lot to do with that.

Look at it this way- Kids these days think "Spider-Man" is the best superhero movie ever. I say give me Christopher Reeves as Superman anyday. Was it a better movie? Maybe. It's more magical to me though due to my age.

Yes I am a geek I know.
[This message was edited Fri May 7 9:48:00 2004 by skywalker]

I think this TOTALLY supports your claim, Skywalker!

Great observation...what do U think?

Keith/Kacey

Its very hard to say.

I think what you would have to do is take into account people's years of birth.

I mean like, Sign O' The Times came out on top and the average age of getting into that album was 15 years old. Well, how many 15 year olds got into that album in 1987 and how many 15 year olds got into that album in 2004?

I think a good alternate would be to post the year of your birth and then post the year that your favourite album came out (including the album title).

A great point, BinaryJustin. Of course I don't feel like collecting all of this data again...hee hee

You also have to think about the fact that Prince WAS the mainstream popular music when guys like you and me were teenagers, but he isn't now. (If he was, and even dispite this commercial comeback, why are radio stations so nervous to play his single? They're afraid today's kids won't dig it!) A 15 year old who discovers Prince in today's world is on the fringes, not the mainstream.

P.S. To all of you wonderful 18 and unders...you ROCK for being so smart at such a ripe young age! My hat's off to you!

Keith/Kacey

i was 16 when SOTT came out and I loved it and it is my fave P album of all time . that said, it was NOT very popular when it came out. P was kind of on the way down as far as mainstream popularity goes.