Prince song poll 2016

[StevieFan13]

How do you suppose Purple Rain missed out on the top 10?

[jamieW]

How do you suppose Purple Rain missed out on the top 10?

Well, I didn't help any, since I only rated "Purple Rain" a 7.

But then I have a really difficult rating scale - usually a 7 indicates a song I'm considering for my top 100 of the year.

[Moonbeam]

How do you suppose Purple Rain missed out on the top 10?

"Purple Rain" may be his most celebrated song by the world, but there are other songs that Prince love at least just as much, in my experience. He doesn't have an obvious "signature song" among the fanbase, so it doesn't surprise me that it finished outside the top 10. Among Prince fans, I think songs like "Joy in Repetition", "Anna Stesia", and "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" are viewed with about equal reverence, if not moreso.

That said, with only 39 voters, the positions are more or less interchangeable within a certain level of granularity. If the poll had reached, say 100 voters, it wouldn't surprise me if "Purple Rain" managed a top 10 finish. I would be surprised if it was number 1, though.

The real surprises to me are as follows.

I expected these to place much higher:

"Open Book" (not in the top 365, I thought it would place in the top 100)
"La, La, La, He, He, Hee" (#340, top 100)
"Prettyman" (#316, top 200)
"Alexa de Paris" (#265, top 150)
"The Grand Progression" (#261, top 100)
"When We're Dancing Close and Slow" (#250, top 100)
"Movie Star" (#246, top 150)
"Bob George" (#235, top 100)
"Somewhere Here on Earth" (#233, top 150)
"Sexy Dancer" (#219, top 100)
"All My Dreams" (#189, top 100)
"In a Large Room With No Light" (#185, top 100)
"Electric Intercourse" (#178, top 50)
"The Love We Make" (#173, top 100)
"Partyman" (#167, top 75)
"Old Friends 4 Sale" (#158, top 75)
"Insatiable" (#144, top 50)
"Scandalous" (#129, top 50)
"Condition of the Heart" (#113)
"Extraloveable" (#109, top 50)
"Bambi" (#108, top 50)
"Head" (#83, top 25)
"Lady Cab Driver" (#50, top 25)
"Mountains" (#42, top 20)
"She's Always in My Hair" (#36, top 15)
"Adore" (#35, top 10)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" (#31, top 10)
"Sometimes It Snows in April" (#20, top 5)

I expected these to place much lower:

"Right Back Here in My Arms" (#224, not in top 365)
"Count the Days"(#201, not in top 365)
"1000 X's and O's" (#176, top 300)
"Tamborine" (#142, top 250)
"Life Can Be So Nice" (#105, top 200)
"I Wonder" (#91, top 200)
"It" (#81, top 150)
"Eye Hate U" (#54, top 100)
"Anotherloverholenyohead" (#17, top 50)
"The Question of U" (#15, top 40)

[StevieFan13]

I guess I'm not quite as hardcore a Prince fan as I thought! I love a bunch of his album tracks, but just as a song (since I try to consider songs individually, not just how they place in an artist's catalogue), Purple Rain is just such a toweringly perfect song. Every '80s power ballad kneels at it.

[Moonbeam]

I guess I'm not quite as hardcore a Prince fan as I thought! I love a bunch of his album tracks, but just as a song (since I try to consider songs individually, not just how they place in an artist's catalogue), Purple Rain is just such a toweringly perfect song. Every '80s power ballad kneels at it.

I love it as well, and its place here means that most fans do, too! It probably wouldn't make my top 50 Prince songs, but Prince is so dominant as a favorite artist that his top 50 would likely all fall within my top 500.

[jamieW]

Okay, trying to come up with the remaining 2 was driving me crazy, so I turned to the AM list for possibilities and I don't see "Girls & Boys" yet. I'd be surprised to see it in the top 10, but I guess I'd be more surprised to see it nowhere in the top 365, so it's a definite possibility. Still searching for the tenth, though...

[jamieW]

Could it be D.M.S.R.? I didn't see it after a quick scan of the 355, but it's getting late so I might've missed it. I guess we'll know soon enough...

Looking forward to the top 10!

[Moonbeam]

I'll keep you in suspense.

[Romain]

Also, I'm absolutely stunned that "Purple Rain" and "Kiss" didn't make the top 10. If they were still coming, I'd have them at #2 and 3, respectively.

I agree. How it's possible (except if everybody think them like favourites and already on the top 10 and favorise other songs).

And I have thinking about the missing "Girls & Boys". A surprise...but an very pleasant surprise if it finished on the Top10 (and a scandal if it finished outside the top )


Whatever, if the top 10 is this:
1. When Doves Cry
2. Little Red Corvette
3. Let's Go Crazy
4. Sign 'O' the Times
5. 1999
7. Raspberry Beret
8. If I Was Your Girlfriend
8. D.M.S.R.
9. Erotic City
10. Girls and boys

I would be happy too.

[Romain]

I expected these to place much higher:

"Partyman" (#167, top 75)
"Old Friends 4 Sale" (#158, top 75)
"Scandalous" (#129, top 50)
"Bambi" (#108, top 50)
"Head" (#83, top 25)
"Lady Cab Driver" (#50, top 25)
"Mountains" (#42, top 20)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" (#31, top 10)
"Sometimes It Snows in April" (#20, top 5)

I expected these to place much lower:
"Right Back Here in My Arms" (#224, not in top 365)
"Count the Days"(#201, not in top 365)
"1000 X's and O's" (#176, top 300)

I agree for these, not for the other I skip.

[Moonbeam]

Also, I'm absolutely stunned that "Purple Rain" and "Kiss" didn't make the top 10. If they were still coming, I'd have them at #2 and 3, respectively.

I agree. How it's possible?

I'm honestly more shocked that "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" came in at #31 and "Sometimes It Snows in April" came in at #20. If you go to prince.org, you'll find songs like these and a few others that seem to be at least as loved, if not more loved, than "Purple Rain".

Average ratings for "Purple Rain" vs. fan favorites that aren't as widely celebrated by the public:

"17 Days": 9.35
"The Question of U": 9.24
"Purple Rain": 9.20
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 9.16
"Housequake": 9.16
"Joy in Repetition": 9.15
"Crystal Ball": 9.02
"Anna Stesia": 9.02
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 9.00
"Adore": 8.87

The number of perfect 10 ratings:

"17 Days": 20/31 (65%)
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 21/35 (60%)
"Joy in Repetition": 19/34 (56%)
"Adore": 19/35 (54%)
"Purple Rain": 18/36 (50%)
"Crystal Ball": 15/30 (50%)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 16/33 (48%)
"The Question of U": 16/34 (47%)
"Housequake": 16/34 (47%)
"Anna Stesia": 15/35 (43%)

The number of 9.5+ ratings:

"17 Days": 21/31 (68%)
"Joy in Repetition": 22/34 (65%)
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 22/35 (63%)
"Purple Rain": 22/36 (61%)
"Adore": 20/35 (57%)
"Crystal Ball": 16/30 (53%)
"The Question of U": 18/34 (53%)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 17/33 (52%)
"Housequake": 17/34 (50%)
"Anna Stesia": 17/35 (49%)

The number of 9+ ratings:

"17 Days": 26/31 (84%)
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 27/35 (77%)
"Housequake": 26/34 (76%)
"Joy in Repetition": 26/34 (76%)
"The Question of U": 26/34 (76%)
"Purple Rain": 27/36 (75%)
"Crystal Ball": 22/30 (73%)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 24/33 (73%)
"Adore": 25/35 (71%)
"Anna Stesia": 23/35 (66%)

Obviously these are small sample sizes, but you can see the margins are pretty small.

I feel that many Prince fans would put some, if not most of the other tracks in this group ahead of "Purple Rain" if they submitted ranked lists and we did a typical scoring system like AM, a few of them would be ranked ahead of "Purple Rain". In fact, "Purple Rain" only places ahead of "17 Days" and "The Question of U" here because it got more ratings.

My own rank (and ratings) for these:

"Crystal Ball": 10 (top 10 all-time)
"Anna Stesia": 10 (top 10 all-time)
"The Question of U": 10 (top 100)
"17 Days": 9.8 (top 300)
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 9.8 (top 400)
"Purple Rain": 9.8 (top 500)
"Joy in Repetition": 9.5 (top 1200)
"Housequake": 9 (top 2000)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 7.7
"Adore": 6.5

[Moonbeam]

I expected these to place much higher:

"Partyman" (#167, top 75)
"Old Friends 4 Sale" (#158, top 75)
"Scandalous" (#129, top 50)
"Bambi" (#108, top 50)
"Head" (#83, top 25)
"Lady Cab Driver" (#50, top 25)
"Mountains" (#42, top 20)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" (#31, top 10)
"Sometimes It Snows in April" (#20, top 5)

I expected these to place much lower:
"Right Back Here in My Arms" (#224, not in top 365)
"Count the Days"(#201, not in top 365)
"1000 X's and O's" (#176, top 300)

I agree for these, not for the other I skip.

Bear in mind, this is my sense of the Prince fan community, not my own personal feelings! "Adore" probably would not make my top 500 Prince songs, even though I like it!

[Romain]

Also, I'm absolutely stunned that "Purple Rain" and "Kiss" didn't make the top 10. If they were still coming, I'd have them at #2 and 3, respectively.

I agree. How it's possible?

I'm honestly more shocked that "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" came in at #31 and "Sometimes It Snows in April" came in at #20. If you go to prince.org, you'll find songs like these and a few others that seem to be at least as loved, if not more loved, than "Purple Rain".

Average ratings for "Purple Rain" vs. fan favorites that aren't as widely celebrated by the public:

"17 Days": 9.35
"The Question of U": 9.24
"Purple Rain": 9.20
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 9.16
"Housequake": 9.16
"Joy in Repetition": 9.15
"Crystal Ball": 9.02
"Anna Stesia": 9.02
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 9.00
"Adore": 8.87

My own rank (and ratings) for these:

"Crystal Ball": 10 (top 10 all-time)
"Anna Stesia": 10 (top 10 all-time)
"The Question of U": 10 (top 100)
"17 Days": 9.8 (top 300)
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 9.8 (top 400)
"Purple Rain": 9.8 (top 500)
"Joy in Repetition": 9.5 (top 1200)
"Housequake": 9 (top 2000)
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 7.7
"Adore": 6.5

Thanks for all of this. The average rating is maybe more important than the final rate.

I'm like you, I never understand the love for Adore (but it's the Prince's side I like the least).
Here are my rate:
"Crystal Ball": 9.6
"Anna Stesia": 9.8
"The Question of U": 10
"17 Days": 7.9
"Sometimes It Snows in April": 10
"Purple Rain": 10
"Joy in Repetition": 6.5
"Housequake": 9
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker": 9.3
"Adore": 5.5

The big surprise is the average rating for 17 days. I have never see this song like an all time fans top.

[Moonbeam]

The top 10! You guys correctly identified which 10 songs would feature, but the order was anyone's guess.

10. D.M.S.R. (1982): 34 votes, 9.33 average, 15.38 points
9. Little Red Corvette (1982): 37 votes, 9.24 average, 15.44 points
8. Girls & Boys (1986): 34 votes, 9.35 average, 15.46 points
7. 1999 (1982): 37 votes, 9.27 average, 15.53 points
6. When Doves Cry (1984): 37 votes, 9.28 average, 15.58 points
5. Let's Go Crazy (1984): 37 votes, 9.30 average, 15.65 points
4. Raspberry Beret (1985): 37 votes, 9.31 average, 15.66 points
3. Erotic City (1985): 33 votes, 9.45 average, 15.70 points
2. Sign o' the Times (1987): 37 votes, 9.34 average, 15.79 points
1. If I Was Your Girlfriend (1987): 37 votes, 9.36 average, 15.87 points

[jamieW]

Wow, what a countdown! (And what a surprising #1 - I didn't see that coming.)

Moonbeam, I'd be curious to know (since you're very familiar with the tastes of Prince's greatest fans), did you have any idea that "If I Was Your Girlfriend" could be the highest rated song?

Thanks again for inviting us to the poll. It was a privilege to participate. (And a tremendous tribute to one of the all-time greatest musicians.)

[Live in Phoenix]

Assuming I've gotten this correctly: Top song from each album (song of the decade in bold, unrepresented album in red)

127. Soft and Wet *top song from For You* (1978)
19. I Wanna Be Your Lover *top song from self-titled album* (1979)

29. Dirty Mind *top song from Dirty Mind* (1980)
18. Controversy *top song from Controversy* (1981)
7. 1999 *top song from 1999* (1982)
5. Let's Go Crazy *top song from Purple Rain* (1984)
4. Raspberry Beret *top song from Around the World in a Day* (1985)
8. Girls & Boys *top song from Parade* (1986)
1. If I Was Your Girlfriend *top song from Sign o' the Times* (1987)
94. When 2 R in Love *top song from "The Black Album"* (1987/1988)
24. Anna Stesia *top song from Lovesexy* (1988)
95. Electric Chair *top song from Batman soundtrack* (1989)

15. The Question of U *top song from Graffiti Bridge* (1990)
25. Gett Off *top song from Diamonds and Pearls* (1991)
51. 7 *top song from [Love Symbol Album]* (1992)
65. Come *top song from Come* (1994)
54. Eye Hate U *top song from The Gold Experience* (1995)
247. I Like It There *top song from Chaos and Disorder* (1996)
164. In This Bed Eye Scream *top song from Emancipation* (1996)
38. Crystal Ball *top song from 1998 Crystal Ball* (1986)
193. Don't Play Me *top song from The Truth* (1997)
Kamasutra
158. Old Friends 4 Sale *top song from 1999 album The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale* (1985/1991)
170. Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore *top song from Rave Un2/In2 the Joy Fantastic albums* (1999)

115. Last December *top song from The Rainbow Children* (2001)
122. A Case of U *top song from One Nite Alone..." (1983/2002)
Xpectation
N.E.W.S
130. Musicology *top song from Musicology* (2004)
188. When Eye Lay My Hands on U *top song from The Chocolate Invasion* (2000)
The Slaughterhouse
76. Empty Room *top song from C-Note* (1985/2001)
132. Black Sweat *top song from 3121* (2006)
233. Somewhere Here on Earth *top song from Planet Earth* (2007)
128. Dreamer *top song from Lotusflow3r* (2009)
241. Dance 4 Me *top song from MPLSound* (2009)

364. Act of God *top song from 20TEN" (2010)
192. Anotherlove *top song from Plectrumelectrum* (2014)
71. Way Back Home *top song from Art Official Age* (2014)
176. 1000 X's & O's *top song from Hitnrun Phase One* (1992/2015)
109. Extraloveable *top song from Hitnrun Phase Two* (1982/2011/2013)

Also:
3. Erotic City *top B-side* (1985)
53. A Love Bizarre *top collaboration - Sheila E. song* (1985)
74. Cool *top song with The Time* (1981)
91. I Wonder *top unreleased song* (1990)
96. The One *top song with "solo" New Power Generation* (1998)
122. A Case of U *top cover song, unassociated act*

[Moonbeam]

Wow, what a countdown! (And what a surprising #1 - I didn't see that coming.)

Moonbeam, I'd be curious to know (since you're very familiar with the tastes of Prince's greatest fans), did you have any idea that "If I Was Your Girlfriend" could be the highest rated song?

Thanks again for inviting us to the poll. It was a privilege to participate. (And a tremendous tribute to one of the all-time greatest musicians.)

Yeah, it doesn't surprise me at all! Even though I wouldn't personally put "If I Was Your Girlfriend" in my top 365, I am happy it won, because it is such a Princely song and it really is a MASSIVE fan favorite.

[Romain]

The top 10! You guys correctly identified which 10 songs would feature, but the order was anyone's guess.

10. D.M.S.R. (1982): 34 votes, 9.33 average, 15.38 points
9. Little Red Corvette (1982): 37 votes, 9.24 average, 15.44 points
8. Girls & Boys (1986): 34 votes, 9.35 average, 15.46 points
7. 1999 (1982): 37 votes, 9.27 average, 15.53 points
6. When Doves Cry (1984): 37 votes, 9.28 average, 15.58 points
5. Let's Go Crazy (1984): 37 votes, 9.30 average, 15.65 points
4. Raspberry Beret (1985): 37 votes, 9.31 average, 15.66 points
3. Erotic City (1985): 33 votes, 9.45 average, 15.70 points
2. Sign o' the Times (1987): 37 votes, 9.34 average, 15.79 points
1. If I Was Your Girlfriend (1987): 37 votes, 9.36 average, 15.87 points

It's what I like with Prince, even if theses songs are not all my favorites (change If I was your Girlfriend with Kiss and Erotic City with Sometimes it's snow in april), it's nonetheless a perfect top10. We can have thousand of different perfect Top10 with this artist

I'm so happy to see Girls and Boys here, it's really a good surprise. A little bit disapointed for the results of the songs of Lovesexy and Come mostly (it always been a favorite for me).

My notes:
10. D.M.S.R. (1982): 9.5
9. Little Red Corvette (1982): 10
8. Girls & Boys (1986): 10
7. 1999 (1982): 10
6. When Doves Cry (1984): 9.6
5. Let's Go Crazy (1984): 10
4. Raspberry Beret (1985): 10
3. Erotic City (1985): 9.1
2. Sign o' the Times (1987): 10
1. If I Was Your Girlfriend (1987): 9

A huge thanks to you moonbeam.

P.S.:
Do you have a link to the complete speadsheet? The link to facebook doesn't work for me.

[Live in Phoenix]

My Facebook share got some likes and hearts, and of course would it really be complete without some saucy comments:

"Bambi at 108?!!!!"

"Show me another artist whose 49th best song and 1st best song could , arguably, switch positions and be no more or less controversial.
Having said that, 'Sign O' the Times' (the song) should never be this high."

"Computer Blue is the best way to score a layup."

[Rob]

For me the biggest surprise is the placing of Erotic City. I don't know anything about the fans of Prince and I like the song, but I never knew it was seen as one of the biggest standouts.

[StevieFan13]

Of course, this doesn't explain how I've had such a hard time finding Prince song lists with over 30 songs when the guy has hundreds of songs to choose from.

[Live in Phoenix]

Of course, this doesn't explain how I've had such a hard time finding Prince song lists with over 30 songs when the guy has hundreds of songs to choose from.

It's kind of surprising, because I've seen rather exhaustive song lists by publications on other musicians. I could assume that they're intimidated by the sheer and ever-expanding volume. It reminds me of the frank admission in a Duke Ellington box set that critics hadn't even heard all of his available, but extremely high, output.

As for "Erotic City," any review I saw of The Hits/The B-Sides, even if the B-Sides was dealt with in one sentence, would mention the song as a classic. I think it's maybe the funkiest song he did, plus there's that sort of allure of hiding on a B-side and removing all commercial considerations.