Commentary and Chart Analysis by Rick Hiduk
I thought that I was shocked by David Bowie’s death, but I was absolutely bowled over by the surprise demise of Prince. In some ways, they had so much in common: crossing ethnic and gender lines, creating alternate personas, and only occasionally granting serious interviews. They were both funky, new wave artists, but quite different at the same time.
Just as I resisted the urge to eulogize Bowie too quickly, I took some time to mull over my memories and feelings about Prince. When my mother asked me how I felt about Prince’s death four days later, I knew that it was time to write something. (I was stalled in my efforts but figured the debate over the cause of his death afforded me some time to dig into his chart history.)
It was the overlapping of the careers of Bowie and Prince and a parallel mid-’80s heyday that will always endear both of them to me. I missed a personal connection to Prince because I never saw him concert, while seeing Bowie twice. Nonetheless, I loved dancing to his songs as much as I loved playing them on the radio and in clubs.
Elvis was remembered as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll without every playing an instrument on his recordings. Michael Jackson was regarded as the King of Pop, and he might well have been.
But Prince burst on to the scene with that peculiarly singular name that assumed royalty. He seemed simultaneously part Little Richard and part Jimi Hendrix, and we weren’t sure we liked the Little Richard part at first. It took some people years to acknowledge his genius, but eventually most music critics couldn’t deny the Purple One’s claim to some esoteric throne.
What follows is a synopsis of his chart history from various perspectives and then, if you’ll indulge me, a list of my favorite prince songs. In an era when the record industry had all but left the concept of a two-sided hit record behind, Prince excelled with B-sides that found notoriety in alternative genres and medium. Many of them are included here ( / ).
He released 104 singles during his incredible career. Those from 1978 to ’84 were by Prince; 1984 to ’86 by Prince & the Revolution; 1987 to ’90 by Prince; 1990 to ’92 by Prince & the New Power Generation; 1992 as ‘the artist formerly known as Prince; and 1993 on mostly as Prince.
The rankings are based first on the highest position reached on each chart (the number after the ranking). Ties were broken first by the number of weeks at the peak position (in parenthesis for #1 & #2 hits), then the total number of weeks on the chart. The last number is the year the song peaked on the charts.
Top Pop Singles (US Billboard Chart)
- 1 When Doves Cry (5) / 17 Days 84
- 1 Cream (2) 91
- 1 Let’s Go Crazy (2) / Erotic City 84
- 1 Kiss (2) 86
- 1 Batdance (1) 89
- 2 You Got the Look w/Sheena Easton (2) 87
- 2 Purple Rain (2) 84
- 2 Raspberry Beret (1) 85
- 3 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World 94
- 3 Diamonds & Pearls 92
- 3 Sign ‘O’ The Times 87
- 5 Little Red Corvette 83
- 6 Thieves of the Temple 90
- 7 7 93
- 7 Pop Life 85
- 8 Delirious 83
- 8 I Would Die 4U / Another Lonely Christmas 84
- 8 Alphabet St. 88
- 10 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man 88
- 11 I Wanna Be Your Lover 79
- 12 1999 82
- 12 I Hate U 95
- 18 Partyman 89
- 21 Gett Off 91
- 23 Money Don’t Matter 2 Night 92
- 23 Mountains 86
- 25 Take Me With U f: Appolonia 85
- 31 Let It Go 94
- 31 Betcha By Golly Wow! 96
- 36 The Arms of Orion w/Sheena Easton 89
- 36 My Name is Prince 92
- 40 1999 99
- 44 The Morning Papers 93
- 46 America 85
- 50 Pink Cashmere 93
- 52 Let’s Pretend We’re Married / Irresistible Bitch 84
- 56 1999 00
- 58 The Holy River 97
- 59 U Make My Sun Shine w/Angie Stone 01 / When Will We Be Paid?
- 60 Black Sweat 06
- 63 The Greatest Romance Ever Sold 00
- 63 Anotherloverholenyohead 86
- 63 Hot Thing 88 (b-side of # )
- 64 New Power Generation 90
- 66 Sexy M.F. 92
- 67 If I was Your Girlfriend 87
- 70 Controversy 81
- 72 Love Sign 94
- 75 Call My name 04
- 77 Insatiable 92
- 84 Purple Medley 95
- 88 Gold 95
- 92 Soft & Wet 78
- 101 Uptown 80
- 104 Let’s Work 81
- 107 Peach 94
- 108 Damn You 93
- 111 S.S.T. 05
- 120 Musicology 04
Top R&B Hits (US Billboard Chart)
- 1 When Doves Cry (8) 84
- 1 Sign ‘O’ The Times (3) 87
- 1 Kiss (4) 86
- 1 I Wanna Be Your Lover (2) 79
- 1 Diamonds & Pearls (1) 92
- 1 Let’s Go Crazy (1) 84
- 1 Thieves of the Temple (1) 90
- 1 Batdance (1) 89
- 2 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (1) 94
- 3 Controversy 81
- 3 Raspberry Beret 85
- 3 Insatiable 92
- 3 Alphabet St. 88
- 4 1999 82
- 4 Purple Rain 84
- 5 Uptown 80
- 5 Scandalous! 90
- 5 Partyman 89
- 6 Gett Off 91
- 8 Pop Life 85
- 9 Let’s Work 81
- 10 Let It Go 94
- 10 Betcha By Golly Wow! 96
- 11 You Got the Look w/Sheena Easton 87
- 11 I Would Die 4U 84
- 12 Soft & Wet 78
- 13 Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad 80
- 14 Hot Thing 87
- 14 Money Don’t Matter 2 Night 92
- 14 Pink Cashmere 93
- 15 Little Red Corvette 83
- 15 Mountains 86
- 15 Somebody’s Somebody 97
- 18 Delirious 83
- 18 Anotherloverholenyohead 86
- 18 I Wish You Heaven 88
- 25 My Name is Prince 92
- 27 New Power Generation 90
- 27 Call My Name 04
- 32 Damn You 93
- 32 Love Sign w/Nona Gaye 94
- 35 America 85
- 39 Future Baby Mama 07
- 44 Glam Slam 88
- 44 The One 98
- 45 1999 99
- 40 Take Me With You f: Appolonia 85
- 55 Let’s Pretend We’re Married / Irresistible Bitch 82
- 61 7 92
- 62 Nothing Compares 2 U f: Rosie Gaines 94
- 62 Shhh 94
- 65 Still Waiting 79
- 65 Dirty Mind 80
- 68 The Morning Papers 93
- 71 Space 94
- 74 Purple Medley 95
- 77 Sexy M.F. 92
- 91 Just As Long as We’re Together 78
- 92 Gold 95
Top Pop Hits (UK Chart)
- 1 The Most Beautiful Girl in the World 94
- 2 1999 82
- 2 Little Red Corvette 83
- 2 Batdance 89
- 2 Thieves of the Temple 90
- 3 Alphabet Street 88
- 4 When Doves Cry 84
- 4 Girls & Boys 86
- 4 Gett Off 91
- 4 Sexy M.F. 92
- 5 Controversy (re-issue) 93
- 6 Purple Rain 84
- 6 Kiss 86
- 6 Sign ‘O’ The Times 87
- 7 My Name is Prince 92
- 8 Partyman 89
- 7 Let’s Go Crazy 84
- 7 Take Me With You 85
- 7 Cream 91
- 8 If I Was Your Girlfriend 87
- 9 I Wish You Heaven 88
- 10 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man 87
- 10 Gold 95
- 10 1999 98
- 11 Paisley Park 85
- 11 Glam Slam 88
- 14 Peach 93
- 15 Mountains 86
- 15 Anotherloverholenyohead 86
- 19 Money Don’t Matter Tonight 92
- 19 The Holy River 97
- 19 Somebody’s Somebody 97
- 20 I Hate U 95
- 25 Raspberry Beret 85
- 25 Diamonds & Pearls 91
- 26 New Power Generation 90
- 27 7 92
- 28 Thunder 92
- 30 Letitgo 94
- 33 Purple Medley 95
- 36 Dinner With Delores 96
- 40 1999 99
- 41 I Wanna Be Your Lover 79
- 43 Cinnamon Girl 04
- 43 Black Sweat 06
- 52 The Morning Papers 93
- 58 I Would Die For You 84
- 60 Pop Life 85
- 60 Furry 06
- 81 Guitar 07
- 90 Pretzelbodylogic 14
- 113 Fallinlove2nite 14
- 121 Rock and Roll Love Affair 12
Upon Prince’s untimely death, Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 Chart for May 7, 2016 showed Prince returning to the chart at the following positions based largely on airplay tributes on pop stations:
17 Purple Rain
20 When Doves Cry
28 Kiss
29 Little Red Corvette
39 Let’s Go Crazy
41 1999
On the Rock Chart, where he’d never done particularly well despite being critically acclaimed as a rocker, Prince fared even better with a handful of songs for the week ending May 7, 2016:
2 Purple Rain
3 When Doves Cry
4 Little Red Corvette
6 Let’s Go Crazy
My Favorite Prince Songs (based on my experience of sharing his music in clubs and with friends since I first heard of him in 1979):
- When Doves Cry 84
- 1999 82
- 7 93
- Raspberry Beret 85
- Little Red Corvette 83
- Gett Off 91
- Kiss 86
- Purple Rain 84
- 17 Days 84
- Cream 91
- Another Lonely Christmas 84
- Sign ‘O’ The Times 87
- Let’s Go Crazy 84
- Paisley Park 85
- I Wanna Be Your Lover 79
- Erotic City 84
- Alphabet St. 88
- Controversy 81
- I Would Die 4U 84
- Take Me With U f: Appolonia 85
- You Got the Look w/Sheena Easton 87
- Hot Thing 88
- The Most Beautiful Girl in the World 94
- Delirious 83
- Pop Life 85
- I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man 88
- Diamonds & Pearls 92
- Glam Slam 88
- Thieves of the Temple 90
- Mountains 86
- Let’s Work 81
- Housequake 87
- America 85
- Betcha By Golly Wow! 96
- If I was Your Girlfriend 87
- Partyman 89
- Let’s Pretend We’re Married 84
- She’s Always in My Hair 85
- Batdance 89
- Irresistible Bitch 84
- My Name is Prince 92
- Anotherloverholenyohead 86
- Sexy M.F. 92
- Insatiable 92
- Purple Medley 95