# Why is Prince considered so great? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216 "2010-11-02T15:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/41 "2010-11-02T23:39:04Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > When Prince was under 30, he was still credited as an amazing talent. Longevity is a plus, but it’s neither necessary nor sufficient for his status, nor is his ability to self-promote (which evaporated in the late '90s anyway). Prince’s third album, when he was 22, was outstanding as-is. > > If Lady Gaga was a self-produced multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with Prince’s talent, you bet she’d be regarded as a real find. Self-promotion has nothing to do with it. But was Prince held up as this amazing artist after his first Album in 1978? That’s what I mean. Sure, by Prince’s third album he was recognized as a giant talent, but that’s still not his first album (which is all Gaga’s really got-- I mean, technically they are two, but it’s basically one album). Actually, looking at [Prince’s discography](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_discography), it looks like his first album wasn’t much of a success, the next three did very well, but it was his 5th album (1999) that shot him into super stardom (general population wise 🙂 ). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/42 "2010-11-02T23:43:52Z")
As a guitar player, he has few peers, IMO. Hendrix, Duane Allman, Clapton, maybe Santana & Zappa are the only guitar players who are his equals or superiors. He is tremendously influential on all the musical trends that have happened since the 1980’s. I’ve never seen him live, but I have seen him play on television, including the 2006 Super Bowl, and he delivers superior performances. Finally, John Lennon once remarked he wanted the Beatles do a song as good as Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Prince accomplished this with “Little Red Corvette,” the greatest rock song of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/43 "2010-11-02T23:47:57Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Well, that may be, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never heard the man’s name once in my 24 years on this planet. I know who Meatloaf is, I know what Bat Out of Hell is, but I did not know who Todd Rundgren is. Ah, but I bet you a doughnut you can sing along to [this song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZclddLcOYYA)! ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/44 "2010-11-02T23:56:03Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Ah, but I bet you a doughnut you can sing along to [this song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZclddLcOYYA)! Yeah, when I Wiki’ed him, I saw that one. I do know that song, I just had no idea who sang it :D. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/45 "2010-11-03T00:31:01Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I’m younger and not very worldly, but I had to Google who that was. I’d never have to Google Prince. . . In a profile of Todd in _Mojo_, one of Todd’s ex-girlfriends told of a young Prince Rogers Nelson, pre-_Dirty Mind_, making his way back stage at a Todd concert. He told the woman (Karen Darvin, I think) that “I record myself and play all the instruments just like Todd!” Here’s the quick summary, just the bullet points: [ul] [li]Produced one of the biggest selling albums of all time - “Bat Out of Hell”[/li][li]Has songs so recognizable that they are [used](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RXgqKgPiSE)in [commercials](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-GxwaVKvNY)[/li][li]Produced a few dozen other bands from Bad Brains to the New York Dolls to Patti Smith to XTC to Badfinger all the way back to Janis Joplin and The Band.[/li][li]Has been recording and touring since he was 16 and he’s 62 now and still doing it[/li][li]Has had songs recorded by dozens of artists all over the world[/li][li]And, like Prince, is known mostly for a couple of songs by the vast majority, but has a huge and deep catalog know to the fans.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/46 "2010-11-03T00:54:03Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > When Prince was under 30, he was still credited as an amazing talent. Longevity is a plus, but it’s neither necessary nor sufficient for his status, nor is his ability to self-promote (which evaporated in the late '90s anyway). Prince’s third album, when he was 22, was outstanding as-is. > > If Lady Gaga was a self-produced multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with Prince’s talent, you bet she’d be regarded as a real find. Self-promotion has nothing to do with it. Yeah, I was going to say that Dirty Mind and Controversy really made his reputation, 1999 and Purple Rain made him famous. But he changed music way back in the early 80s with those two albums. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/47 "2010-11-03T01:23:48Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I will gladly make up a play list of what I consider an excellent Prince sampler for anyone who is interested. I am! I bridled when I read the title of this thread but thankfully others (word - WORDMAN) have more eloquence than I in expressing their appreciation of Prince - but I’d love to hear someone’s top 20 Prince songs. Hell any fans top 20 of anyone they know and love. I’ll exchange my top 20 XTC songs if anyone’s interested. For another thread maybe? Are you an uberfan who’d like to give a brother a heads up? Someone help me with Zappa! Maybe I should start one. MiM ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/48 "2010-11-03T01:29:49Z")
His style. Sexuality, attitude, ego, androgyny- I dunno. But whatever it is, he _oozes_ it. Seriously, everything in my room is all sticky now. Can’t nobody else do that. He’s the distilled essence of 500 Elvises, except with androgyny infusion. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/49 "2010-11-03T02:29:13Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > As a guitar player, he has few peers, IMO. Hendrix, Duane Allman, Clapton, maybe Santana & Zappa are the only guitar players who are his equals or superiors. He is tremendously influential on all the musical trends that have happened since the 1980’s. > I’ve never seen him live, but I have seen him play on television, including the 2006 Super Bowl, and he delivers superior performances. > Finally, John Lennon once remarked he wanted the Beatles do a song as good as Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Prince accomplished this with “Little Red Corvette,” the greatest rock song of all time. Huh!? I’m glad you hear that because I sure don’t. Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/50 "2010-11-03T02:40:51Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > As a guitar player, he has few peers, IMO. Hendrix, Duane Allman, Clapton, maybe Santana & Zappa are the only guitar players who are his equals or superiors. Er, “maybe” Santana and Zappa? Zappa could play him under the table. (And Hendrix is overrated, and Clapton is a hack. Methinks horizons need to be broadened …) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/51 "2010-11-03T03:31:11Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > \ I love Prince. Love Michael more, though. Okay, fine, you can be next in the cage. > [@twickster](#): > > [Damn U.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BskNrTr9zTY) I see your “Damn U,” and raise you [“Somewhere Here On Earth (live)”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjTBQzuD9u4) > [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > I am! I bridled when I read the title of this thread but thankfully others (word - WORDMAN) have more eloquence than I in expressing their appreciation of Prince - but I’d love to hear someone’s top 20 Prince songs. Hell any fans top 20 of anyone they know and love. I’ll exchange my top 20 XTC songs if anyone’s interested. > For another thread maybe? Are you an uberfan who’d like to give a brother a heads up? Someone help me with Zappa! > Maybe I should start one. > > MiM I will certainly do so. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/52 "2010-11-03T03:57:04Z")
Okay, I have compiled my favourite Prince songlist. I could only get it down to 23 songs; sorry. 🙂 Ripopgodazippa / Crystal Ball (Disk 1) Da Bang / Crystal Ball (Disk 2) Don’t Play Me / Crystal Ball (Disk 4) Fascination / Crystal Ball (Disk 4) Thunder / Diamonds and Pearls Joy In Repetition / Graffiti Bridge Thieves in the Temple / Graffiti Bridge Colonized Mind / LOtUSFLOW3R Anna Stesia / Lovesexy Mountains / Parade - Under the Cherry Moon Planet Earth / Planet Earth Chelsea Rodgers / Planet Earth The Greatest Romance Ever Sold / Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic She Spoke 2 Me / The Vault: Old Friend 4 Sale When the Lights Go Down / The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale There Is Lonely / The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) / 1999 Te Amo Corazon / 3121 Incense and Candles / 3121 The Dance / 3121 I Wanna Melt With U / O(+\> Damn U / O(+\> And God Created Woman / O(+\> You can load 'em up off my computer if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/53 "2010-11-03T03:57:43Z")
Since MJ’s untimely passing a year ago, this is the third multi-page thread I’ve seen lauding the talents of Prince. (I know because I started [the first one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=531991)). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/54 "2010-11-03T04:04:14Z")
OH yeah, I forgot another of Prince’s many talents - looking AMAZING at 51! ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/55 "2010-11-03T06:58:38Z")
> [@Lobot](#): > > If Lady Gaga was a self-produced multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with Prince’s talent, you bet she’d be regarded as a real find. Self-promotion has nothing to do with it. Except she _is_ regarded as a real find - not by many on this forum, of course, but this forum in general doesn’t exactly have it’s finger on the pulse when it comes to music - and self-promotion is a huge part of it. Lady Gaga is one of the biggest stars in music and it only took her two years to get there because she did what Prince did - she acted as if she was a superstar and so people started treating her like one. Some pop fans act like she’s the second coming of Jesus Christ and a big part of it is because of her music/live performance/how good she looks in comparison to some of the half-assed artists she shares the charts with, but an even bigger part is the way that she projects her image, just like a huge part of the Prince manifesto is the way he projected his. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/56 "2010-11-03T08:17:10Z")
> [@multimediac17](#): > > Except she _is_ regarded as a real find - not by many on this forum, of course, but this forum in general doesn’t exactly have it’s finger on the pulse when it comes to music - and self-promotion is a huge part of it. I suppose the distinction I’m trying to draw is between an artist who is popular with the public vs. an artist who is well-regarded by other musicians. Most acts fall into one camp or the other, and it’s not often you find an artist who is both hugely popular and highly respected by musos. This is what sets Prince apart from other high-profile acts. He’s in a rarefied space with artists like Lennon and McCartney, in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/57 "2010-11-03T13:42:39Z")
I’ve been a Prince fan by default since I was a little kid, dancing around the living room to “Kiss.” I _love_ him. What I’ve experienced in talking to people who don’t like Prince is that they usually still appreciate him as an awesome _something_. People who think a lot of his music (and R&B in general) is lame still think he’s a great guitar player. People who don’t like his singing still think he’s a great songwriter. People who think he’s a weirdo/arrogant jerk still admit he can bust a serious move. That sort of thing. He’s got so much going for him that while all aspects may not please everyone, he tends to hit a positive note somewhere with most people. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/58 "2010-11-03T14:26:15Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > Or both! And Puerto Rican. Everybody just a-freakin’. Lyrics from [Uptown off Dirty Mind](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxRRt8HJdro)! (youtube link) It is hard to stress how weird, different and revolutionary Dirty Mind was when it came out. Early 80’s music was pretty silo’d - corporate rock vs. new wave vs. rap vs. r&b. Prince had been solidly pigeon-holed as R&B with his first 2 albums - and its easy to see why with [I Wanna Be Your Lover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz4uSYaGfi0). (youtube link) But Dirty Mind is different in so many ways: - It puts the synths way up front - with a thick tone that treats them like a guitar. Kinda new wavey, like Gary Numan’s Cars, but far more funk - It strips the rhythm back - very thin drums, super-thin guitar sounds and no disco - really holds on to a small rock combo feel - The heavily sexual feel - overtly provocative - But expert song-craft - listen to [Do it All Night](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsUTfZW2kcI)- what a perfect, engaging little story song > [@](#): > > Someone over there says he wants to get to know you - > but I don’t care 'cause I really want to hold you - and I’m > so scared that he might do something to you that you like Pop gold, Jerry. No one knew what to do with Prince at the time. I remember coming to Dirty Mind a few years later - right around Purple Rain maybe - and wearing the grooves out of it. I didn’t get it until the pop world had started moving in Prince’s direction. I would put Dirty Mind as an influence up there with the Ramones first album or The Velvet Underground and Nico - we are still feeling the ripples of it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/59 "2010-11-03T14:35:21Z")
I don’t really “get” Prince either, but he’s a hell of an accomplished musician as a player, a prolific songwriter and he exudes charisma. But his music does nothing to move me. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216/60 "2010-11-03T15:25:14Z")
I love that _Dirty Mind_ is so short - I like to think Prince knew that what he had done was so revolutionary and perfect that there was no reason to add anything that wasn’t already there to bring it to the length of a normal album. It was perfect as it was, and nobody has time to complain that it only lasts for half an hour because that half hour is so brilliant. Overall I rate _Purple Rain_ and _Parade_ just above it but _Dirty Mind_ is surely the most important Prince album, both within his career and just in the general narrative of pop music. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-prince-considered-so-great/559216.md?page=4)