Best Prince album?

April 14, 21 and 22

there's only 3 shows guys

The first press release was kinda mangled as it implied that all 21 shows would be at the Forum, but Quoting from here

Pop star Prince is planning to perform 21 shows of his "Welcome 2 America Live" tour in Los Angeles, Live Nation said Monday.

Three shows have been announced -- April 14, 21 and 22 will take place at the Los Angeles Forum.

The dates and locations of the additional concerts will be announced later, the concerts' promoters said.

"In an effort to make the show affordable for all of his fans, Prince has declared that roughly 85 percent of all tickets will be available at $25, inclusive of all service fees," Live Nation said in a news release. "Prince has taken a different approach with his concerts, announcing shows a matter of days before they happen, but the fans have come out in full force and shown their support."

Then Play Long finally gets to Prince, at last: http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/prince-lovesexy.html

1. Parade
2. Sign O The Times
3. 1999

Three amazing albums – I can’t think of any artist/band with a stronger top 3 profile.

I love Prince but 1) these aren't necessarily his best 3 albums for me and 2)Stevie Wonder's
- Talking Book
- Innervision
- Songs in the key of life

It's two of his three best, though (third being Purple Rain instead of 1999)

my top 3 rn would prob be purple, dirty, parade

Calling Parade a top 3 Prince is like calling Secret Life of Plants one of Stevie's top 3.

Jon Lewis on the money, Eric H. off the money.

I sometimes think Parade might be my favorite, and then I think, wait, that can't possibly be right, and then I listen to it again and think, yeah, it might be my favorite.

Gah, I always conflate the tracklists of Parade and Around the World in my head. Parade isn't bad. But it's definitely the swing position of any Prince top 3, two slots of which have to go to Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times and fuiud.

I'd opt for 1999 tho.

Don't get me wrong, I love Parade too (and Kiss is my favourite song by anybody ever on some days !) but I don't think it would make my top 3 since, yeah, Purple Rain is difficult to put aside...

I don't know why SotT isn't top 3 for me. It should be. It just isn't. Top 5, sure. Maybe I like Prince better at single-LP length.

This isn't to be contrarian, but I like For You the best of any of his albums.

SotT is special since it has less smash hits than most other Prince 80s albums (and the title track is far from a favourite) but it's the whole thing that is great.

SotT had 3 US top ten hits, which puts it ahead of:

1999
Around the World in a Day
Parade
Lovesexy
Batman

oh OK, I hadn't checked how it charted, it just felt less "hit singles" than most other albums.

also: "Hot Thing," "If I Was Your Girlfriend," and "Adore" got massive R&B play.

Didn't realized until looking just now that each album from 1999 --> The Gold Experience had at least one top 10 hit. (Well, it was Come that broke the string, but "Most Beautiful Girl in the World" was already a top 10 hit prior.)

to me there's no hit as big/good (since I've never really liked SotT the song) as : when you were mine, 1999, little red corvette, purple rain, when doves cry, raspberry beret, kiss, alphabet street, etc.

"U Got the Look" is a fucking steamroller.

I feel like I'm still just learning about SotT. It's been a slow grower. And I've never quite been able to get over the hump of its lackluster first track in the way I can with Song In The Key Of Life.

yes it's great of course. as are many (all !) of the other songs on the album.
but, for instance, if you consider the tracklisting of "The very best of Prince" (90s tracks not included) :

1. "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
2. "1999"
3. "Little Red Corvette"
4. "When Doves Cry"
5. "Let's Go Crazy"
6. "Purple Rain"
7. "I Would Die 4 U"
8. "Raspberry Beret"
9. "Kiss"
10. "Sign o' the Times"
11. "U Got the Look"
12. "Alphabet St."

well, for me, the tracks from SotT would rank the lowest.

I don't know why I always mistakenly think "The Beautiful Ones" was a single. Probably because it effing should've been.

"U Got the Look" is a fucking steamroller.

Also, "Girlfriend" is a serious contender for my absolutely #1 favorite Prince single OAT.

i thought the sample at the beginning of "lovesexy" was delia? doesn't sound anything like roger limb's stuff to my ears!

ok, nvm, it is roger limb- just mis-credited a lot of places

that's a bbc radiophonic sample? ha cool

Talking of samples,

There's a bit of a ruckus noise on "Pop Life", near the end then the music comes back in.

The exact same noise is used on Chris Hill's "Rentasanta" from 1975 or so.

Any ideas what it's from?