http://www.vh1.com/music/...ts/prince/

The list:

Bambi
One of Prince's earliest killer riffs is dedicated to this plea for a lesbian to change her ways and get horizontal with our hero. "Bambi, can't you understand," he sings as his guitar wails. "It's better with a man."

When You Were Mine
Sounding like he'd been spinning the Cars debut nonstop, the pop prodigy makes heartbreak sound so darn happy. Who says breakups can't leave a sweet taste in your mouth?

Controversy
The title track to his 1981 album found him waxing provocative. "Am I straight or gay?" he mocked, making his own headlines before anybody was really paying attention, and creating a pertinent club anthem in the process.


Little Red Corvette
Prince's first Top Ten hit was a fresh spin on the time-honored equation between cars and sex. The lyric is a masterpiece of innuendo, and the Revolution treats the tune like the gem it is, sneaking up on it, then putting it into overdrive.

I Would Die 4 U
Prince has never shirked from self-promotion, and here his ego runs rampant over a synthesized electro beat. The detached vocal casts him as a modern messiah, ready to climb on his cross for all us sinners on the dance-floor.

Kiss
Arguably the sexiest number in the Purple canon. A kick drum provides the sensual beat, the acoustic guitar acts as sonic caress, and somewhere between male and female is Prince piping in his squeakiest falsetto, "I know how to undress me."

Mountains
"Once upon a time in a land called Fantasy ..." He sketches a quasi-Biblical allegory of love triumphant, but packs it with a killer chorus and one of his nuttiest arrangements, sending the '80s wall of sound straight into the heavens.

Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, The
Atmosphere reigns supreme on this smoky Sign 'o' the Times cut, with a distinctly dirty drum machine throbbing as our hero tries to take a bubble bath with the tease of the song title. Don't worry Tipper, he keeps his pants on in the tub.

Cream
Prince spent most of the time between Parade and Diamonds & Pearls paying praise to the groove, but decked out with a new band - the NPG - in 1991, he took a narcotic rock 'n' roll beat and got truly filthy with it.

My Name Is Prince
The plot first went astray on 1992's infamous "symbol" album. But the housequaking opening track is whatsisname hitting full-tilt: sampling his own "I Wanna Be Your Lover," delivering orgasmic gasps, and yelping party chants in a tribute to his own madn

bambi & when you were mine

the rest is pretty typical.

I don't know why, but I could never stand Little Red Corvette.


It's so blah to me.

Now Controversy...

That's one of his best.

I'm surprised When Doves Cry wasn't mentioned!!

What about SOTT the title track. Nothin got the club movin, better than the bass drum on SOTT blastin'! Plus the social commentary, shows that Prince is smart in other ways too.

Is there some cowbell in "Bambi"?? I'd love to see a band member shakin' it real hard onstage with an intense look on their face while tappin' that cowbell. "Get it"!! .

OdysseyMiles said:

I've got a fever. And the only cure . . .





IS MORE COWBELL!!!!!

citizenkeith said:

Sampling "I Wanna Be Your Lover"??? When / where?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

those surprised me, too. i expected 'purple rain' and 'darling niki'.

funkyfine said:

Just before the first chorus is heard! U hear a full sample of the words "i wanna be your lover" for about 10 seconds! Just that exact phrase about 4 times! Then after the first chorus begins, the sample stops! Hear it, u can't miss it! I think it's cool!

Good 2 c "Cream" and "My name is prince" there! Alot of reviewers forget that he was still great in the early 90's, and still better than anyone else in his field!

i never noticed that either....that's prety cool, tho I think it'd kind of a travesty that that songs and "Cream" made this list. Both fine, neither exceptional in my book.

Oh to know the songs on the in between... Alas, there are his best songs besides these obvious tunes

Does no one understand that "I Would Die 4 U" is not P trying to be Jesus -- it is spoken from the point of view of Jesus. Jesus is the speaker in the lyric. Therefore "I'm your messiah" and "I'll forgive you by and by."

Otherwise not a bad list.

Anotherwontdare said:

"I'm not a human / I'm a dove / I'm your conscious / I am love" Yep, talking about God here. Pretty obvious it's about Jesus dying for us. Just like at the end of "Let's Go Crazy" with "He's coming..." Talking about God again.

Jasziah
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[This message was edited Tue May 11 13:45:28 2004 by Jasziah]

hi 2 all. my 1st post at prince.org

my top ten would be alittle different:

Bambi and When u were mine - yes- cool, but, how about "Do Me baby".

Delirious, anotherloverholenyohead, Sexy MF, i could never take the place of your man, (love some b-sides) la,la,la,he,he,he shockadelica, and she's always in my hair
and i also like "chaos and disorder". that sh*t rocks! there are so many it is almost silly 2 try 2 name just 10.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Typical !!

Nope.

Controversy, Mountains, Dorothy, I would die 4 u.....awwww c'mon.

These are tracks I love as a fan. Not ya average joe in the street !!



Someone has a bee in there bonet about 1 album. Cool album. But times change people change. That raw sound has gone. So has that pussy sound of the mid-late 90's.

For over 10 years now I personaly have been waiting for the likes of TRC and Musicology. The energy, the sound (yep Prince has always played funk/jazz/raw styles, not all the time but has).

Listen to TRC for example - how can anyone argue that the music is not some of the guys best work. Ever. Yes Ever.

Musicology - Ditto ^



>>>>>


Well said XT



Opps I'm clapping myself is that allowed ?

Nooooo

thesexofit said:

I think it's actually "I wanna be your lover" / "Partyup" / "Controversy" / "Prince" repeated four times (though the scream cuts off the last rep).

P. wasn't the first non-rap artist to sample himself, though...I think it was Robert Plant, who used Zeppelin samples in "Tall Cool One" in 1988.

glad to see "Mountains" listed.

CinisterCee said:

Ditto that, and Dorothy Parker.

I also can't get enough of Pink Cashmere.

Huh?! Apart from Bambi and Mountains, I don't see ANY of these songs as being the best. Subjectivity knows no limits. Here's the list of my favorite songs:

Crystal Ball
Play In the Sunshine
Rock-n-Roll Is Alive
Computer Blue
Irresistable Bitch
She's Always In My Hair
Alexa de Paris
Dance On
All the Critics Love U In New York
Power Fantastic
Prettyman
Race
The Cross
Billy Jack Bitch
Still Would Stand All Time
The Love We Make
Hide the Bone
1+1+1=3
The Everlasting Now
Life O' the Party

not a bad list for a vh1 list...could do alot worse

Housequake,D&P's, SSH, Tamborine,Billy Jack Bitch,Irresistable Bitch,I Hate U,SHY,Love2tha9's,Live4Love,I'm Yours,Jam of The Year,TMBGW,Everlasting Now! I could go on and on.

WHERE IS IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND?????

Where is When Doves Cry?? It's by far his best song.

It should also have
The Morning Papers
7
Thieves In the Temple
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
A Million Days

I'm a bit surprised; I thought it would have been only songs that had videos.

Some REALLY strange choices here.

I Would Die 4 U? Come on, this song's good, but it really does sound quite 80's by now. I don't think it'd held up so well over time. Definitely not one of his best.

My Name is Prince? Huh?! The AMAZING ballad known as Purple Rain isn't mentioned, but this song makes it? The song with that ridiculous rap in it? Come on, I like this song, it's good fun, but it doesn't belong anywhere near this list.

No Something in the Water? Beautiful Ones? Ah well.
[This message was edited Wed May 12 3:46:32 2004 by PurpleKnight]
[This message was edited Wed May 12 3:46:45 2004 by PurpleKnight]

thesexofit said:

Right after the "lover" in "I Wanna Be Your Lover," I think he also samples "Controversy"... It just sounds to me like "I wanna be your lover... (whispered) Controversy... I wanna be your lover..." etc.

Of course, it's mixed so low that he might just be whispering "Got some pussy," but who knows.

ML88 said:

THANK U!!!! Some1 said "The Morning Papers"! never get tired of that song!