Prince: His Top 100 Songs

Prince Image from noise11.com

Prince was a self-taught musician – a singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer born Prince Roger Nelson on 6/7/1958 in Minneapolis, MN. He was named for the Prince Roger Trio, led by his father. On 6/7/1993, he changed his name to the unpronouncable symbol that was the title of his Androgyny album. He formed his own group, Grand Central, while in high school and self-produced his first album in 1978. He achieved superstardom with his soundtrack to Purple Rain, a semi-autobiographical movie. He also starred in Under the Cherry Moon, Sign ‘O’ the Times, and Graffiti Bridge. He married Mayte on 2/14/1996. They divorced in June 2000. Prince died on 4/21/2016 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, an opioid used as a pain medication. This list was originally presented on the DMDB Facebook page on January 1, 2013, as a top 25 list and later expanded to a top 50 list for the blog. It has now been expanded to a top 100 list including songs both written and performed by Prince. Spotify Podcast: Check out Dave’s Music Database podcast: The Best of Prince, 1996-2016 based on this list. It debuts August 10, 2021 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.) Songs are written/co-written and performed by Prince unless noted otherwise. DMDB Top 1%: 1. “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Sinéad O’Connor, 1990, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 MR, 1 UK, 1 UK, 1 CN, 1 AU) 2. “When Doves Cry” (1984, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 RB, 1 CN, 1 AU) 3. “Purple Rain” (1984, 2 US, 1 CB, 1 RR) 4. “Kiss” (1986, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 RB) 5. “1999” (1982) DMDB Top 2%: 6. “Little Red Corvette” (1982) 7. “Let’s Go Crazy” (1984, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 RB) 8. “Sign ‘O’ the Times” (1987, 1 RB) DMDB Top 5%: 9. “I Feel for You” (Chaka Khan, 1984, 1 CB, 1 RB, 1 UK) 10. “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” (1994, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 UK, 1 AU) 11. “Manic Monday” (Bangles, 1986) 12. “Batdance” (1989, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 RB, 1 CN) 13. “Raspberry Beret” (1985, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 RB) 14. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (1979, 1 RB) DMDB Top 10%: 15. “U Got the Look” (Prince with Sheena Easton, 1987) 16. “Cream” (1991, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 RR) 17. “Diamonds and Pearls” (1991, 1 CB, 1 RR, 1 RB) 18. “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” (1987) 19. “I Would Die 4 U” (1984) 20. “Thieves in the Temple” (1990, 1 CB, 1 RB) 21. “Stand Back” (Stevie Nicks, 1983) 22. “Alphabet Street” (1988) 23. “Pop Life” (1985) 24. “7” (1992) 25. “Pray” (MC Hammer, 1990; samples “When Doves Cry”) 26. “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde” (Jay-Z with Beyoncé, 2002; samples “If I Was Your Girlfriend”) 27. “Gett Off” (1991) 28. “Delirious” (1982) DMDB Top 20%: 29. “I Hate U” (1995) 30. “The Glamorous Life” (Sheila E, 1984) 31. “Sugar Walls” (Sheena Easton, 1984) 32. “Betcha by Golly Wow!” (1996) 33. “If I Was Your Girlfriend” (1987) 34. “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1993) 35. “Take Me with U” (Prince with Appolonia, 1985) 36. “Mountains” (1986) 37. “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” (1991) 38. “Gold” (1995) 39. “Love…Thy Will Be Done” (Martika, 1991) 40. “Kiss” (Art of Noise with Tom Jones, 1988) 41. “Controversy” (1981) 42. “Partyman” (1989) 43. “Sexy M.F.” (1992) 44. “My Name Is Prince” (1992) 45. “Letitgo” (1994) 46. “Pink Cashmere” (1993) 47. “The Belle of St. Mark” (Sheila E, 1984) 48. “The Morning Papers” (1992) 49. “When You Were Mine” (1980) 50. “Jungle Love” (The Time, 1984) 51. “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” (1982) 52. “Anotherloverholenyohead” (1986) 53. “Jerk Out” (The Time, 1990) 54. “Round and Round” (Tevin Campbell, 1990) 55. “The Arms of Orion” (Prince with Sheena Easton, 1989) 56. “Soft and Wet” (1978) 57. “New Power Generation” (1990) 58. “Darling Nikki” (Foo Fighters, 2003) 59. “Paisley Park” (1985) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 60. “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Chris Cornell, 2016) 61. “A Love Bizarre” (Sheila E, 1985) 62. “Black Sweat” (2006) 63. “America” (1985) 64. “Darling Nikki” (1984) 65. “Baby I’m a Star” (1984) 66. “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” (Alica Keys, 2002) 67. “Rock and Roll Love Affair” (2012) 68. “Peach” (1993) 69. “The Holy River” (1996) 70. “Hot Thing” (1987) 71. “The Bird (The Time, 1984) 72. “4 the Tears in Your Eyes” (1985) 73. “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold” (1999) 74. “Sign ‘O’ the Times” (Simple Minds, 1989) 75. “Girls and Boys” (1986) 76. “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” (1979) 77. “Purple Medley” (1995) 78. “So What the Fuss” (Stevie Wonder with Prince & En Vogue, 2005) 79. “Te Amo Corazon” (2005) 80. “Raspberry Beret” (Hindu Love Gods, 1990) 81. “Scandalous” (1989) 82. “Musicology” (2004) 83. “Guitar” (2007) 84. “Insatiable” (1991) 85. “The Screams of Passion” (The Family, 1985) 86. “Dinner with Delores” (1996) 87. “Born 2 B.R.E.E.D.” (Monie Love, 1993) 88. “Uptown” (1980) 89. “Martika’s Kitchen” (Martika, 1991) 90. “When Doves Cry” (Patti Smith, 2002) 91. “When You Were Mine” (Cyndi Lauper, 1983) 92. “Sex Shooter” (Apollonia 6, 1984) 93. “Call My Name” (2004) 94. “Let’s Work” (1981) 95. “The Beautiful Ones” (1984) 96. “Another Lonely Christmas” (1984) 97. “When Doves Cry” (Barenaked Ladies, 1991) 98. “The Cross” (1986) 99. “Glam Slam” (1988) 100. “I Feel for You” (1979) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Prince DMDB Profile Page for Prince DMDB Facebook page: The Top 25 Prince Songs (1/1/12) First posted 6/7/2012; last updated 10/19/2021.

Prince released Around the World in a Day

Around the World in a Day Prince & the Revolution

Released: April 22, 1985 Charted: May 11, 1985 Peak: 13 US, 4 RB, 5 UK, 16 CN, 12 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 2.85 US, 0.1 UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK), 7.87 EAS Genre: R&B/funk

Tracks: Click on individual song titles for more details, including songwriters, recording and release dates, chart peaks, versions recorded by other artists, and basic information aobout the song. Around the World in a Day [3:28] Paisley Park [4:42] Condition of the Heart [6:48] Raspberry Beret [3:33] Tamborine [2:47] America [3:42] Pop Life [3:43] The Ladder [5:29] Temptation [8:18] Total Running Time: 42:33 Other Songs from This Era: She’s Always in My Hair Dear Michaelangelo A Love Bizarre (Sheila E. featuring Prince, recorded 1/8/1985 and 1/20/1985, released October 1985, 11 BB, 76 UK) 4 the Tears in Your Eyes Holly Rock Hello Girl

Rating: 3.713 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album “Purple Rain made Prince sound like he could do anything, but it still didn’t prepare even his most fervent fans for the insular psychedelia of Around the World in a Day.” AM Prince “made his interior world sound fascinating and utopian on Purple Rain, but Around the World in a Day is filled with cryptic religious imagery, bizarre mysticism, and confounding metaphors which were drenched in heavily processed guitars, shimmering keyboards, grandiose strings, and layers of vocals.” AM The album drew comparisons to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band because of its sound and album cover. WK “As an album, the record is a bit impenetrable, requiring great demands of the listener, but individual songs do shine through…The problem is, only a handful of the songs have much substance outside of their detailed production and intoxicating performances, and the album has a creepy sense of paranoia that is eventually its undoing.” AM Despite mixed critical reviews, the album followed Purple Rain to the top of the album chart and went double platinum. “Raspberry Beret” and “Pop Life” were top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Around the World in a Day Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince, John L. Nelson, David Coleman Recorded: August 1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse at Eden Prairie, MN Released: Around the World in a Day (1985) About the Song: “The title track is a sunny, kaleidoscopic pastiche of Magical Mystery Tour.” AM

Paisley Park Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: September 1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse at Eden Prairie, MN Released: 5/24/1985 as a single (UK), Around the World in a Day (1985), 4Ever (2016) B-Side: “She’s Always in My Hair” Peak: 18 UK, 38 AU, 10 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1.6 video, 7.61 streaming About the Song: “Paisley Park is heavy and slightly frightening guitar psychedelia.” AM

Condition of the Heart Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: October 9-10, 1984 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: Around the World in a Day (1985) About the Song: “Condition of the Heart is a fine ballad.” AM

Raspberry Beret Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: September 12-13, 1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse at Eden Prairie, MN Released: 5/15/1985 as a single, Around the World in a Day (1985), The Hits 2 (1993), The Very Best of (2001), 12” version: Ultimate (2006), 4Ever (2016) B-Side: “She’s Always in My Hair” (US) / “Hello” (UK) Peak: 2 BB, 1 BA, 1 CB, 1 GR, 1 RR, 3 RB, 40 AR, 25 UK, 8 CN, 13 AU, 2 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.6 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 77.22 video, 271.58 streaming Covered by: Hindu Love Gods (charted 10/27/1990, 23 MR) About the Song: Raspberry Beret is a brilliant piece of neo-psychedelia with an indelible chorus.” AM

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tamborine Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 9/27/1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse at Eden Prairie, MN Released: Around the World in a Day (1985)

America Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 7/23/1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse at Eden Prairie, MN Released: 10/2/1985 as a single, Around the World in a Day (1985) B-Side: “Girl” Peak: 46 BB, 46 CB, 35 RB, 23 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.8 video, 3.86 streaming About the Song: “America is a good funk jam.” AM

Pop Life Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: February 19-20, 1984 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: 7/15/1985 as a single, Around the World in a Day (1985), The Hits 1 (1993), fresh dance mix: Ultimate (2006), 4Ever (2016) B-Side: “Hello” (US) / “Girl” (UK) Peak: 7 BB, 7 CB, 9 GR, 6 RR, 4a RB, 60 UK, 65 CN, 67 AU, 8 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 5.5 video, 19.79 streaming About the Song: “Pop Life is a snide swipe at stardom that emphasizes Prince’s outsider status.” AM

The Ladder Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince, John L. Nelson Recorded: 10/31/1984 at Saint Paul Civic Center (Record Plant Remote, “Black Truck”) in Saint Paul, MN; November 1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, MN; 12/24/1984 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio (Record Plant Remote, “Black Truck”) in Chanhassen, MN Released: Around the World in a Day (1985)

Temptation Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 12/7/1984 at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles; 12/24/1984 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio (Record Plant Remote, “Black Truck”) in Chanhassen, MN Released: Around the World in a Day (1985)

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine BC Benoit Clerc (2022). Prince: All the Songs – The Story Behind Every Track. Octopus Publishing Group Ltd.: Great Britain PV PrinceVault.com WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/23/2008; last updated 7/27/2025.