Prince’s 150 Best Songs

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to check out the top 150 Prince songs of all time.

Prince is probably the best songs artist of all-time. That’s not a fact, but it’s an informed opinion based on years and years of listening to music in both song and album form.

Prince Rogers Nelson released 39 albums in his lifetime (and one posthumously) and sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Throughout his prolific career, Prince had five No. 1 songs, 19 top 10s and 47 songs on the Hot 100, and never once compromised his artistic integrity, except when he made Rave N2 the Joy Fantastic. But everyone is allowed at least one do-over.

If you want to watch our ranking of Prince albums, you definitely should. We also did a top 10 Prince songs countdown, which is less relevant considering the content of this page, but if you want to check out the top 10 list of a Prince denier, you can.

Here are Prince’s 150 greatest songs. You may disagree, but you’re wrong. This is the definitive list. I must warn you, the song 7 is not on the list. It’s fine. It’s even pretty good. But I’ve never felt much love for it. It’s like Thieves in the Temple but not as good. Also, Batdance didn’t make the cut. If this was a ranking of greatest music videos of all-time, it would have. But it’s not.

But everything else you love is somewhere on this list. It’s up to you to watch and read along as I count down my favorite 150 Prince songs. You can’t miss it, its embedded above.

Here’s the list. The album the song is on is in parentheses along with how many songs have appeared from that album.

150./ Guitar – I love you, but not like I love my guitar… (Planet Earth 1)

149./ West – Instrumental from NEWS. Has some scintillating guitar work with a bunch of fuzz on it. (NEWS 1)

148./ Something in the Water (Does not Compute) – Worth it for the robotic synth parts alone. (1999 1)

147./ Hello – Written in response to critics who lambasted Prince for not being part of We Are the World (B-side 1)

146./ Shake – The Time’s 50s (with synths) old school rocker from Graffiti Bridge. Lots of fun. Great new meets old school sound. (Graffiti Bridge 1)

145./ 3121 – Prince tries for a modern sound and mostly succeeds thanks to some weird voices and squeaky guitars. (3121 1)

144./ One Kiss at a Time // Strong modern sounding (for the 90s) R&B. I once thought Prince didn’t adapt well to the 90s, but I’ll be honest. Compared to most of his contemporaries, he’s still way ahead of the game. Boyz II Men had some big hits, but they weren’t as deep and interesting as what Prince was doing. (Emancipation 1)

143./ Baltimore – Great protest song. (Hit and Run Part 2 1)

142./ Jam of the Year – Fun modern R&B/pop track from Emancipation. It’s funky and slinky and sounds very time period appropriate. (Emancipation 2)

141./ Judas Smile – Got a cool robotic synth line and some extra trashy sounding guitar. (Chocolate Invasion 1)

140./ I Wish U Heaven – Good pop song, nice guitar tone. (Lovesexy 1)

139./ Annie Christian – His first really weird track. But I love the guitar in the background. It’s oddly mixed though. Could be stronger and louder. (Controversy 1)

138./ P. Control – Great storytelling. (Gold Experience 1)

137./ Insatiable – Sexy little slow jam from Diamonds and Pearls. (Diamonds and Pearls 1)

136./ If It’ll Make You Happy – Relaxed, funky and Caribbean sounding. Some nice guitar from Dez Dickerson. (1999 outtakes 1)

135./ She Gave Her Angels – Beautiful sung cut from Crystal Ball (Crystal Ball 1)

134./ Sex Shooter – Originally written for Appolonia 6. Prince’s version is better. (Originals 1)

133./ The Holy River – Great gospel infused pop number from Emancipation. Epic in ambition, scope, execution. Just a wonderful tune. Epic guitar ending with a great saturated tone. (Emancipation 3)

132./ Electric Intercourse – Prince sounds great singing about Electric Intercourse – From Purple Rain expanded edition. (Purple Rain Expanded 1)

131./ Compassion – From 20Ten. I do like the way it mines some of the retro sounds and feels from Dirty Mind and Controversy. The lyrics aren’t nearly as fun… kind of dorky even. But it has a good sound. A little gospel in there. (20TEN 1)

130./ Lolita – Sounding like a jock jam cut with those synths. It’s funky and not-as-sexy as the title would indicate. It’s very anti-lolita actually. (3121 2)

129./ Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got – A little bit of rockabilly and blues work their way into the sound. It’s upbeat, breezy and fun. (Graffiti Bridge 2)

128./ La La La Means I Love You – Anyone smart enough to cover The Delfonics in 1996 deserves some praise. It sounds wonderful too. He nails that distinctive falsetto of William Hart. (Emancipation 4)

127./ Thunder – His best new jack swing song. The a cappella intro is powerful. Some cool guitar heroics in there as well. Big and theatrical and over the top. (Diamonds and Pearls 2)

126./ Dreamer – Prince rips through some blistering leads while singing about civil rights and Martin Luther King Jr.. He’s still got it, even thirty years into his career.. (Lotusflower 1)

125./ Letitgo – Slinky R&B number from Come. Was a hit on the R&B charts. And I get why. It’s really good for the time period. Which was not a great time for R&B. But Prince really doesn’t lose a beat here. (Come 1)

124./ Black Sweat – You almost think it’s a Dre cut with that whistling synth intro. Really good contemporary funk and R&B here. For an artist this late in his career to be effortlessly fitting in with the young guns in the game… incredibly impressive. (3121 3)

123./ Calhoun Square – Very James Brown funk from Crystal Ball. (2)

122./ Sexuality – Rip roaring synth funk number. Gets a little preachy at the end. (Controversy 2)

121./ International Lover – Another sexy, smooth number from 1999. (1999 2)

120./ Shy (Gold Experience 2)

119./ Nothing Compares 2 U – It’s not as good as Sinead’s, but it’s still a brilliant song. (Originals 2)

118./ Christopher Tracy’s Parade – Psychedelic number very much in the Around the World in a Day style. (Parade 1)

117./ Fury – Killer late period guitar focused cut from 3121. Prince’s guitar tone is always immaculate. Underrated part of his repertoire. (3121 4)

116./ Around the World in a Day – What is this? A totally new sound for Prince. Weird Sgt. Pepper like energy. (Around the World in a Day 1)

115./ Soft and Wet – Slyly sexy disco number. A lot of implication without coming out and saying it. Soft and wet is pretty close to double entendre. (For You 1)

114./ Betcha By Golly Wow! – Prince kills this Motown (in a good way) classic. As good as he was at originals. He was just as good at covers. But his label discouraged it until he finally broke free with (Emancipation 5).

113./ Damn U – Jazzy – almost loungey– soft, nice and pretty Prince with some understated guitar. (Love Symbol 1)

112./ Jack U Off – Prince doing that horny thing. The wonky bass and way too happy synthesizers really just add to the ridiculousness of it all. Best part – the totally into it “I’ll jack you offffff” lead from Lisa Coleman. (Controversy 3)

111./ New Power Generation/Bold Generation – Originally called Bold Generation – and was just Prince and Morris Day on drums. Recorded during the original sessions for What Time is It? By The Time. It was then re-recorded as New Power Generation for Grafitti Bridge. Both versions are a lot of fun. (Graffiti Bridge 3)

110./ Lovesexy – Tons of fun. A hectic combination of horns, big synths and a party atmosphere. (Lovesexy 2)

109./ Planet Earth – A little hokey lyrics about global warming and stuff. But it rocks a lot harder than most. (Planet Earth 2)

108./ The Future – Uneasy lead off track from Batman. That retro-futuristic synth line really nails the duality of the song and of Batman. (Batman 1)

107./ Girls and Boys // Funky 80s pop. Great horns. Playful vocals. Lots of Wendy and Lisa. (Parade 2)

106./ U’re Gonna C Me // Beautiful staggering/drunken tune from MPLSound. Super sweet. Throwback drum and synth sounds. (MPLSound 1)

105./ Endorphinmachine – Nice messy guitar song. Love that steady cowbell beat. Really loud and catchy and just a sonic blast. (Gold Experience 3)

104./ Love and Sex – Tonsil annihilating bonus track from Purple Rain. Replaced on the album by The Beautiful Ones. (Purple Rain Bonus 2)

103./ Feel U Up (Partyman) – Another b-side from Batman better than the A-Side, which was Partyman. Originally written in 1981 and recorded for the shelved Camille album in 1986. (B-side 2)

102./ 3 Chains o’ Gold // Super oddly theatrical in both Prince’s vocal performance and the arrangement. Tons of strings throughout. Big stops and flourishes. Great guitar solo. Really the big standout on the disappointing Love Symbol album. (Love Symbol 2)

101./ Do Me, Baby – Smooth and seductive. Not his first foray into smut. But the way he luxuriates in the dirty talk part for about half the song really takes it to another level. (Controversy 2)

100./ When Eye Lay My Hands on U – The undulating guitar. The passionate vocals. Great performance… it’s catchy too. Killer latin-flavored guitar solo at the end. (The Chocolate Invasion 2)

99./ Extraordinary – From The Vault Old Friends 4 Sale is a great classic 60s sounding piece dominated by Prince’s smoothly classic voice. Lightly jazzy, lightly funky, fully beautiful. (The Vault … Old Friends 4 Sale 1)

98./ If I Was Your Girlfriend – Deeply odd cut from Sign o the Times. Part of the abandoned Camille project. Got a unique sounding groove to it. The lyrics blur gender and sex and everything else. He sings like he’s in a casual conversation. There exists nothing like it in the universe though. Prince’s super high pitch shifted vocals and the low masculine backing vocals. Sign ‘o’ the Times 1)

97./ Willing and Able – Bluesy, stripped down. Possibly part of his jettisoned album with Bonnie Raitt. It’s got that sound. (Diamonds and Pearls 2)

96./ Power Fantastic – Unreleased Sign o the Times cut built of a tune written by Lisa and Wendy. Really understated and pretty. Jazzy pop. (Sign ‘o’ the Times Bonus 1)

95./ Pink Cashmere – Early 90s sounding. But Prince doesn’t sound out of time with the production and the tones. The falsetto is lovely. Got a great outro with the strings and sizzling guitar interplay. An update of his Purple Rain sound. Reached No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. (Single 1)

94./ Sometimes it Snows in April – Really pretty, emotional, closing number to Parade. Maybe a little slow to develop… a little self-indulgent. But the emotion comes through. (Parade 2)

93./ Joy in Repetition – – One of the highlights of Graffiti Bridge. Great guitar tone and epic soloing. Interesting lyrics. (Graffiti Bridge 4)

92./ Money Don’t Matter 2 Night – Understated with copious religious overtones. Jazz rock… downright yacht rock leaning music. (Diamonds and Pearls 3)

91./ Delirious – Tons of fun. Part of 1999’s killer opening salvo of fun and sexy pop jams. (1999 3)

90./ Ballad of Dorothy Parker (It’s a very good song. But maybe too odd for lots of repeated listenings. Works great on the album. Less so as a standalone single. The lyrics (or are they dialogue) is super out there. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 2)

89./ The Arms of Orion – Winsome duet with Sheena Easton from the Batman soundtrack. It’s really pretty. (Batman 2)

88./ Into the Light – Pretty melodic tune from Chaos & Disorder. Catchy as F chorus with some powerful female backing vocals and jagged guitar, Great outro sax solo. (Chaos & Disorder 1)

87./ Moonbeam Levels – Really could have used a song with hooks this good on the backend of 1999. (1999 bonus 2)

86./ In This Bed Eye Scream – Great pop track with a very 90s feel to it. Great falsetto vocal from Prince. (Emancipation 6)

85./ Solo – Incredible showcase for Prince’s voice. Very little backing music. (Come 2)

84./ We can funk – George Clinton teams up with Prince for a funky, dirty stomper with a lot of Atomic Dog in it. (Graffiti Bridge 5)

83./ Black Muse – Wonderful, warm, 70s sounding funk from his final record. Incredible that Prince was able to maintain this level of quality so late in his career. If you love the sounds of the 70s you could move this even higher because it sounds amazing. (Hit and Run Part 2 2)

82./ Free – Slightly forgotten about “serious” tune from the second half of 1999 – i.e. it’s not about sex. But it’s also super catchy and uplifting. (1999 4)

81./ Play in the Sunshine (Sign O The Times) – Peppy, upbeat, fun funker with some screaming electric guitar work. But really it’s just a big group party. That downcast coda is pretty interesting little addition. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 3)

80./ One Night Alone – Gorgeous piano playing. Prince’s singing is fantastic. Definitely the most jazzy Joni Mitchell thing he ever wrote. (One Night Alone 1)

79./ Interactive – Bouncy, hard rocking tune from Crystal Ball. One of its many hidden gems… If Lenny Kravitz was good, he’d write songs like this. (Crystal Ball 3)

78./ How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore – Prince vamping jazzily at a piano. Just effortless, beautiful pop. (B-side 3)

77./ The Most Beautiful Girl in the World – Shimmering synth riff and a delightful positive and upbeat Prince vocal. Nothing dirty about this one, just really cute and sentimental. Lots of harps and starry-eyed-lyrics and silly sound effects. Went all the way to No. 2 on the charts. (Gold Experience 4)

76./ A Case of U // Really nice, low key cover of Joni Mitchell’s classic. Understated in its simplicity. Prince owns it with his vocals… the falsetto is as sweet as it was back in the 70s. (One Night Alone 2)

75./ Dark – Jazzy slow jam from the underrated Come. Love the addition of the organ. Just super smooth and sexy. (Come 3)

74./ Cream – His last #1 ever on the Billboard Hot 100. Great raunchy blues number. (Diamonds and Pearls 4)

73./ Starfish and Coffee – Cute with some childlike whimsy. Part of the kaleidoscope of songs, genres and styles on Sign o The Times. The little touches like harp and that swooping drum make it stand it out. (Sign ‘o’ The Times 4)

72./ Wonderful Ass – This one might be a little too subtle for most people, but it’s about a woman or man – who really knows – with a wonderful ass. –It begins as funk, gets a little chic and ends with one of the best jazzy Steely Dan imitations I’ve heard. // Love the jazzy, downright Steely Danish guitar that comes in at the end. (Purple Rain Expanded Edition 2)

71./ Dolphin – Prince is one of the few rock stars would could make a song about reincarnating as a dolphin such a banger. Guitar guitar, as per usual, it’s on Gold Experience after all. (Gold Experience 5)

70./ 100 MPH – Great heavy, busy, outrageous pop song written originally for and released by Mazarati. Prince’s version is, as usual, superior. (Originals 3)

69./ Head – Hilarious. Seriously. Prince at his sleazy best. Stealing a bride on her way to be wed. All the talk of head. All to a cute impish synth pop backing track. This is what Dirty Mind is all about. (Dirty Mind 1)

68./ Good Love – Originally on the Bright Lights Big City soundtrack. It sounds like Carly Rae Jepsen. Seriously. He’s doing the camille voice and it’s a bouncy, very 80s sounding pop song. It’s so bizarre that it’s Prince, but it also is incredibly catchy so you may not think about the weirdness until it’s already taken over your brain. (Single 3)

67./ I’m Yours – The first time you realize Prince is a guitar god. Heavy metal disco. It’s about as successful as you can get bridging those two different worlds. The bass playing is absolutely sick, too. Kind of reminds me of Kiss actually. (For You 2)

66./ Strays of the World – Crystal Ball weird gospel meets I don’t even know, Todd Rundgren, Styx, Jellyfish… not sure where he’s getting those synth breaks and vocal harmony parts from. It’s absolutely great though. One of the reasons why Crystal Ball is a must listen. (Crystal Ball 4)

65./ Call My Name – Prince decides to make a focused, commercial sounding album and it’s great. Call My Name doesn’t set the world on fire. But it has a perfect arrangement. Sparse and funky. Some classic sounding lyrics about love and infatuation without being sleazy. (Musicology 1)

64./ Temptation – Maybe Prince’s most unhinged vocal performance… starts out as a heavy guitar stomper and ends with an avant garde jazz section that features Prince talking with God and his realization that love is more important than sex. —– Prince putting on a really strong, really magnetic vocal performance that has a lot of that Purple Rain energy. Horns abound. (Around the World in a Day 2)

63./ Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) – Single from Dirty Mind era. Super new wave-y. Good stuttering stop start beat. It sounds like The Cars as performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks. Which is awesome. (Single 4)

62./ Paisley Park – Nice swirling psychedelic number. Got some flutes, spacey guitars, nice group vocals. Such a change after Purple Rain… took a little while to get into it. (Around the World 3)

61./ The Question of U – Graffiti Bridge haunting, sparse, mysterious number. Squishy synths. Great vocals from Prince though, very prim and proper R&B – Has an aristocratic feel to it. But he rips off some great leads and that big saturated, buzzy tone is amazing. (Graffiti Bridge 5)

60./ In Love – Squirmy disco synths. It’s super wide-eyed and cute. But it’s also expertly arranged and effective in its own one-of-a-kind Prince way. Just some great hooks all over and over swarming and overwhelming you. (For you 3)

59./ Cinnamon Girl – Proving that Prince can still write a killer hook. This track is loaded with them. Wonderfully updates the Prince sound for the 2000s without missing a beat. Probably his best chorus of the 21st century. (Musicology 2)

58./ Slow Love – Smooth old school soul sounding track. Some Smokey, quiet storm. Nice horn section. Unhurried pace. Just lovely little tune. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 5)

57./ Do Yourself a Favor – …Do yourself a favor and listen to Do Yourself a Favor… Originally written by the band 94 East, which was never released, with Prince on Guitar. Jesse Johnson released a version on his album Shockadelica. It’s a super catchy little pleasantry with a bubbly keyboard riff and an extended jam session. Prince’s vocals are so unbelievably good sounding, just singing totally straight, so strong. Why couldn’t he have just released one normal album in the 80s??? Just something pure pop… oh well. Released on 4Ever (the first posthumous release) and also the 1999 expanded edition. (1999 expanded edition 3)

56./ 17 Days – Undulating dance track with an incredibly funky beat and a sparkly synth line as catchy as it is simple. Prince’s B-Sides are better than most artists’ greatest hits and I’m not even even exaggerating. (B-Side 4)

55./ Bambi – A ruinously good hard rock guitar sound. Totally un PC. Lots of cowbell driving the beat. Lyrics about trying to turn a lesbian. That smooth falsetto. It’s one of a kind. (Prince 1)

54./ Condition of the Heart – Prince does a great affected vocal part here alongside the trembling piano and spacey synths. Very much anti-rockstar vibes. Just kind of silly but deadly sincere. (Around the World in a Day 4)

53./ Hot Thing – A bit like a stereotypical 80s dirty pop song. But Prince kind of twists it around his own style and makes it his own with some dissonance and a weird detachment. Got a fierce horn solo in it. Some raspy synths. Really cool tune. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 6)

52./ Alphabet Street – Prince does some great squeals here. With his voice and his guitar. Cat… we need you to rap. And she does and it works because it’s all one big joyous party. Killer slap bass. Absolutely slamming. (Lovesexy 3)

51./ Baby I’m a Star – I guess this is the worst song on Purple Rain? It’s still incredible but without the lead in of I Would Die 4 U, it’s not quite as effective. (Purple Rain 1)

50./ The Cross – Slow burner. Stripped down – seems to hint at the alternative rock scene of the mid 90s with that intro… I’m just saying Lightning Crashes probably owes a debt to this record.. Prince hinting at his future spirituality. Then it busts out into a ripping stomping rocker. Recorded live so there’s some grit to it. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 7)

49./ Thieves in the Temple – A different sound for Prince. Middle Eastern. Prince sounds nervous and scared for once. Not in command. Which is cool. (Graffiti Bridge 6)

48./ Come – 11 minute epic of sleaze. Great underlying riff and the musicians do a ton of building off it with some bright horns and jazzy interludes. He’s got such a unique mindset, a unique way of writing lyrics and composing songs. Nobody writes like he does. (Come 4)

47./ Sister – It’s no more shocking than an episode of Game of Thrones. Musically it’s an incredible almost slap dash piece of songwriting with a ton of that bedroom pop energy in a simplistic package. (Dirty Mind 2)

46./ Adore – Refreshingly old school, throwback type of tune from Prince with his trademark humor and falsetto. He’s not demure. Not. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 8)

45./ Darling Nikki – Raw and sleazy hard rock from Purple Rain. Explicit enough that it got him in trouble with Tipper Gore. It’s existence is partially responsible for the Parental Advisory sticker on albums. It’s probably not in his top 10 filthy songs. Much rawer than the rest of the album. Prince’s shrieks are legendary. (Purple Rain 2)

44./ Shhh – Scintillating sex jam. It’s so over the top. The female backing vocals are spot on. The call and response. The ridiculous lyrics. The drums man. Good lord. Prince must have finally let Michael Bland off the leash. “Sex is not all that I think About. It’s just all I think about you…” is maybe the best line in the history of music. (Gold Experience 6)

43./ I Wanna Be Your Lover – Would be higher without the extended outro. But the fay voiced Prince, all falsetto has a particularly unassuming directness and raunch… I wanna be the only one you come for. I wanna be your lover, your mother and your sister too. He’s definitely pushing the envelope for 1979, but it’s such an unassuming package. (Prince 2)

42./ Gotta Broken Heart Again – Lovely bedroom pop from Prince. Very simple and that’s okay. (Dirty Mind 3)

41./ Controversy – 3 minutes too long. But it’s so good. That squelchy synth. The quick jumps into the refrain… super catchy. Great Nile Rogersy funk guitar parts. It’s got such a great groove throughout. Mechanical it’s so precise. (Controversy 5)

40./ Erotic City – Erotic is right. First off, despite Sheila E (who made her debut here with Prince)’s protestation, there’s no funkin’ way they say funk in this song. There’s no N. It’s clearly F-U-C-K. And there’s a lot of it. It’s the B side to Let’s Go Crazy. There’s something to be said for Prince’s directness and Sheila E’s delightful naughty backing vocals. (B-Side 5)

39./ The Ladder – Not many musicians can pull off the extended talky bits. But Prince can. Prince can do anything. Wendy and Lisa’s trailing backing vocals are crucial in filling out the tune. The wailing saxophone. The steady beat. The inspirational lyrics. (Around the World 5)

38./ She’s Always in My Hair – Raspberry Beret B-Side with just a little more force and funk to it. Prince vocals a little gruffer, very macho strong R&B-style with excellent control. Hooky as hell. (B-Side 6)

37./ Glam Slam – Really kind of a goofy song. But I love that super saturated guitar sound. Some great leads in there between the dancey pop music and the orchestral like synths. (Lovesexy 4)

36./ Gold – He tries to one up his own closing masterpiece with another color. Purple is still gold. But gold definitely takes silver in this race. Monster arena pop, like Purple Rain was. Just adorned in the finest trappings. (Gold Experience 7)

35./ Electric Chair – Man, I really slept on Batman soundtrack. Electric Chair has a big thick synth / guitar combo. Love the heavy metal tone of the guitar. It’s danceable but also dark and foreboding. It’s also got a great set of lyrics…I saw your friend first / That’s who I danced with / All the time I was watchin’ you . Prince isn’t just phoning this in. Oh, if a man is considered guilty / For what goes on in his mind / Then give me the electric chair / For all my future crimes, oh. (Batman 3)

34./ The Morning Papers – Wonderfully powerful Prince vocal part. Like the way the guitar and bass is synced, makes it really big sounding. Lots of great leads on the track as well. The big standout on (Love Symbol). It went to No. 44 on the Billboards, which proves that people still had some sense back then since it basically blows away most everything else on the charts in 1993. (Love Symbol 2)

33./ Kiss – Unbelievably iconic. Unbelievably unique. Act your age, not your shoe size is just an adorable put down. (Parade 3)

32./ 1999 – Iconic. Tonight We’re Gonna party like it’s 1999. Party with a message, because it’s about the dangers of nuclear proliferation. I’m probably more tired of this song than any other Prince one. But you can’t deny its greatness. (1999 5)

31./ It – I think about it all the time. Prince really straining himself on the vocals to the point of hoarseness. It’s rough and pleading and amazing. The stock sounds of the synth are so at odds with the crashing drum machines. The Prince choir at the end is awesome. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 9)

30./ Do It All Night – Bubbly little bedroom pop number with a marvelous slap bass line that does a lot of great work to ground the starry synths and Prince’s stratospheric falsetto. (Dirty Mind 4)

29./ Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? – The pre-chorus where Prince really starts ramping up the heartbreak and the synths start percolating… just an ear worm of the highest degree. Hooks on hooks on hooks. (Prince 3)

28./ Take Me With U – Love the ferocity of the drums in the intro coming out of Let’s Go Crazy… then it melts into a lovely duet between Prince and Apollonia. It’s cute. It’s charming and not a hint of smarm or naughtiness. (Purple Rain 3)

27./ Let’s Pretend We’re Married – Raunchy as hell synth pop number with a great driving beat and a sexually charged atmosphere that’s a little dark and unsettling at times in its directness. Obsessed with the part where he says “c’mon Baby let’s ball … but after the pronounces the B it synthesizes into a plummeting synth line and the all comes out on the back end.  (1999 6)

26./ Saviour – Ultra smooth slow jam from Emancipation. One of his very best from the 90s. The falsetto is luscious, the horns are perky, some nice organ (or synth organ) in there as well. The full throated gospel chorus is wonderful. Cool double tracked guitar solo – sounds like Queen. The key change after the solo, Prince’s vocals are insane… the beat drops out and you get that amazing gospel chorus back in. It’s an absolutely perfect song. (Emancipation 7)

25./ Strange Relationship – R&B Stomper with the Camille voice. Perky and angry at the same time… much like the high and low vocals intertwined throughout. It’s much weirder and more progressive than it seems.(Sign ‘o’ the Times 10)

24./ Uptown – Squiggly synths, funky groove, hard rock hints of guitar in the margins. It’s a dance song with a message but it’s incessantly catchy. Great choruses. Great bridges and one-off sections that really add intrigue to the music. (Dirty Mind 5)

23./ Another Lonely Christmas – Combined with the A side – I Would Die 4 U, it makes up the strongest single in Prince’s discography. Great nostalgic storytelling by Prince and a super memorable melody. He only played it live once. (B-Side 7)

22./ U Got the Look – Another song that kind of seems like it belongs in the 1980s, but has so much more going on for it. It disguises it in a sparse pop duet with Sheena Easton but It’s much weirder and more subversive than anything else going. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 11)

21./ It’s Gonna Be Lonely – Big epic closer to his self titled album. Love Prince’s falsetto work a lot here. His control… the way he can go from soft and romantic to pleading and explosive is exquisite. (Prince 4)

20./ Crucial – Hidden on disc 2 of Crystal Ball is this absolute spot-on Motown-aping gem. Prince doing a naughty take on Smokey’s falsetto. Got some great sitar. Funk brothers style bass playing. More people need to hear about this song. Written during one of his most fertile  periods, the year of 1986. It supposedly was replaced on Sign ‘o’ the Times by Adore. And Adore is a great song. But it’s not as good as this. The version on the eight disc Sign ‘o’ The Times deluxe edition is slightly different than the Crystal Ball version. (Crystal Ball 4)

19./ Diamonds and Pearls – Went all the way to No. 2 on the charts. – Is there a better chorus in his entire discography? Yeah, there are a few since he was one of the greatest pop writers in history… but this is a great one. You really figure that out once you get to the outro and it finally repeats the chorus — TWO diamonds and pearls in a row and you get that rise in the vocals and then it goes out on the chorus… I mean c’mon… it’s just like can you have too much of the chorus of Diamonds and Pearls? The answer is a definitive no. (Diamonds and Pearls 5)

18./ The Beautiful Ones – Starts off lowkey with the balletic synths. It’s a trap. Because by the end it has morphed into perhaps Prince’s greatest vocal performance ever. The agony, the ecstasy as he pleads for her paramour to make her choice…So what’s it going to be baby? Do you want him, or do you want me? Electrifying, mind-blowing. The way he keeps building the tension and power with his vocals and the electric guitar — I WANT YOU. I WANT YOU. (Purple Rain 4)

17./ Shockadelica – He stole the name of the song from the Time’s guitar player Jesse Johnson who named his album this – Prince released the single before the album so it made it seem like Johnson stole it, which is one of the meanest things he did. It’s a great Camille song. Sparse funky and pointed with some razor edged guitar work. B-side to “If I was Your Girlfriend”. The way he says SHOCKADELICA in that guttural voice is so weird and awesome. (B-Side 8)

16./ Sign ‘o’ The Times – Some of Prince’s most powerfully direct lyrics as he takes a break from sex to tackle cultural and social issues. It’s sparse funk and the better for it. Please pay extra attention to the intricate jazzy guitar work in the pre-chorus, chorus parts. It’s so understated, but so brilliant. (Sign ‘o’ the Times 12)

15./ Anotherloverholenyohead – Winding guitar intro. Funktastic slap bass. Venomous lyrics. Probably his most under-appreciated single. Not what people were looking for after Kiss I suppose. (Parade 4)

14./ Private Joy – This song is kind of my private joy… since I’ve never heard anyone else talk about how good it is. Love the booming drum sounds. Prince’s choppy new wave delivery. Magnificent synth hook on the chorus. (Controversy 6)

13./ When You Were Mine – Prince ascends to a higher level by inventing bedroom pop and writing a subversive, gender bending, heart-rending anthem. Produced, written and played solely by Prince. (Dirty Mind 6)

12./ Computer Blue (Long Version is preferred) – Really interesting more experimental, electronic tune. Love the guitar playing. Love the synths and the way it falls into that groove after the first couple of minutes. Wendy? / Yes, Lisa? / Is the water warm enough? / Yes, Lisa / Shall we begin? / Yes, Lisa – It’s even better when it’s the Hallway speech version: 12:18 long, broken up into suites. It’s like a damn prog song. (Purple Rain 5)

11./ Pop Life – Swirling treatise on America and popularity and music. Great slap bass line. Great vocals between Prince and Wendy and Lisa. (Around the World in a Day 6)

10./ Eye Hate U – My highest new discovery. I can’t believe how good this song is. Prince does an unbelievable job of building the drama and intensity between the courtroom imposition and the music… it’s quite the experience. When Prince is cross examining the defendant and drops the “I’m going to cover your ass with this sheet…” lines. But it’s more than that. The organ rules. The guitar is massive. Monster bass. Great pleading vocals from Prince. It’s a killer mix of old school and modern R&B influences. Then there’s the volcanic eruption of guitar at the end – You can feel the venom dripping off the strings… it’s one of his all-time angriest and best solos.  Prince’s last top 20 hit in the US – went all the way to number 12 on the Billboard charts. Carmen Electra said it was about her. (Gold Experience 8)

9./ Raspberry Beret – One of the most perfect pop songs ever written. The strings are radiant. Prince and the Revolution (Wendy, Lisa and Susannah) singing is so strong, but casually cool. The part in the barn is such a great detour one of my all-time favorite bridges. (Around the World in a Day 7)

8./ Mountains – One of those effortlessly catchy songs that Prince was so good at, that was also completely unique. There’s not a single single in the 80s that sounded anything like this. Love Prince’s shift between falsetto and lower register and that beat is so infectious. Just the right amount of horn flourishes. (Parade)

7./ Dirty Mind – Such a great take on disco mixed with all of Prince’s influences and idiosyncrasies – but it’s so minimalist, it’s almost a demo. Or the creation of bedroom pop. I absolutely adore how the music ramps up into the bridge and Prince ratchets up the intensity and you think he’s going just lose his mind. Didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but it was a No. 5 on the Dance charts. (Dirty Mind 7)

6./ Purple Rain –  It’s a tour de force in singing, guitar playing, building of anticipation. Lots of lore around this one. If you don’t know, it was going to be a country song, Stevie Nicks was going to be involved. She couldn’t do it so they jammed on it and Wendy started playing the opening chords clean… and that’s all it took. The version on Purple Rain was recorded live with overdubs and such. – Prince thought it sounded too much like Faithfully by Journey, so he called up Jonathan Cain and asked if he thought so… but Cain was cool with it. Prince and the Revolution wring every iota of emotion out of this one. It might only be the 4th or 5th best song on Purple Rain, but it’s still probably one of the 100 best songs ever. It went to No. 2 and it kept out of the top spot by freaking Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. (Purple Rain 6)

5./ I Could Never Take the Place Of Your Man – The bubbliest, most guitar focused pop song that was on Sign of the Times. Originally written and recorded in 1979 but then reworked for Sign. Which makes sense considering how it sounds compared to much of the album. Has a longer drawn out jam session as the coda. But love the way the poppy riff comes creeping back in at the end for a reprise. The ahhh-ahhh-ahhh backing vocals. The hand claps. Just brilliant stuff. —- It’s like he was listening to Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ and thought… you know there’s a better way to do the whole extended jam session thing. The way the hook starts creeping back in at the end is great and then fully comes back in a final chorus, that’s how you end a song. (Sign ‘o’ The Times 12)

4./ When Doves Cry – The greatest bass-less track in pop music history. Prince was mixing the song. He thought the bass was getting in the way of the music, so instead of turning it down in the mix, he just deleted it right off the track. Lyrically, it’s one of his best. Strangely erotic with some great imagery “Animals strike curious poses, they feel the heat, the heat between me and you”. It also could be the best song on Purple Rain. It’s certainly the most revolutionary. (Purple Rain 7

3./ Let’s Go Crazy – DEARLY BELOVED. We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. Electric word, life. It means forever. And that’s a Mighty Long Time… You know the lyrics. Has there ever been a better opener? Has talk singing ever worked out so well? It works because Prince sells it so well. The song rocks. Prince goes guitar hero with an electrifying tone atop a killer groove. Magnificent vocal performance. Magnificent guitar solo. It showed that Prince could really do any type of music. Probably the best song on Purple Rain. (Purple Rain 8)

2./ I Would Die 4 U – The fourth single from Purple Rain. It was ANOTHER top 10 hit — up to No. 8. Prince crams so much into under three minutes. There’s something so potent about this song. Prince’s vocals are incredible, the use of falsetto next to the tonsil scraping cries. It’s unfathomably romantic. The drums are magnificent. The backing vocals are magnificent. But the key is that stuttering, ceaseless synth part. It gives the song such an urgency. It’s all so robotic, it’s mechanical, but Prince is so human. It’s the perfect juxtaposition. Almost definitely the best song on Purple Rain. (Purple Rain 9)

1./ Little Red Corvette – The song that “broke” Prince into the mainstream. His first top 10 hit – No. 6 to be exact. The most erotically charged, perfectly written, best sung pop song ever. The way it unfolds slowly throughout the verses with that positively languid synth line, drums that sound like distant thunder… then explodes into the choruses – and what a chorus it is with the pleading backing vocals from Dez Dickerson alongside the sweet female vocals of Lisa Coleman, perfectly placed guitar flourish…. It’s such a ride. Dez Dickerson’s guitar integrated perfectly with a wonderfully melodic solo… then. You have the greatest bridge in the history of music… girl you got an ass like i’ve never seen. And the ride, (instrumental break) is so smooth, you must be a limousine. – And prince sells it without a hint or irony. It all sounds so important, so personally affecting. It all adds up to a pop song without equals in the history of human civilization. It’s the best song of the 1980s. (1999 7)

If you were looking for Housequake, America, Automatic, Gett Off, Partyman or the aforementioned 7 and Batdance. They didn’t make the list. They all have great videos though, which you should watch. For what it’s worth they’d all be on my 151-200 list of favorite Prince songs.