Prince...
 

Is he famous for his music or for his image?

Discuss.

2 co-workers were having this conversation earlier. I'm kind of torn.

What do you think?

MUSIC. There were plenty of performers who came about in the 80's who were all image and they aren't still around, making great music and commanding top ticket prices. Prince is.

I agree, but on the other hand, his image didn't hurt him. I'm wanting to lean more towards MUSIC, but I think IMAGE did have a big part in his success.

can i cheat and say both?

Honestly his image has changed so much and so often WHICH image would someone give credit for his success? His music on the other hand, while it's evolving, HAS always been the bomb and his cds still sell well considering how little radio play he gets now. If you have a chance I'd recommend seeing him on tour. He consistently puts on a very good and funky show.

My name is Prince, and I am funky!

His music is great. He is a musical genius. His image played a role in his fame, but his music is why he endures. :)

He is one of the greatest musical innovators in the last 20 years (Michael Jackson competes). It's never about "image".

-Rudey

Music. Definitely. He's sort of changed his image (or at least his name) yet throughout he's been popular. I caught his appearance on Jay a couple months back. Amazing stuff. He was here a few nights ago but I was too broke to buy tickets. I really regret missing it.

Was his Music.

Then the most famous thing he was responsible for was his stupidity - renaming himself The Artist, then the Artist formerly known as Prince, the word Slave attention-seekingly written on his face, then Symbol ('cept you couldn't say it you had to wave fingers stupidly in the air).

He might be famous for his music again now.


p.s not sure if I got all the renames right but there was definitely some nonsense.

Co-sign! My fave Prince song is "Diamonds and Pearls"

I think that he is musically over rated. I don't see the genius. He always had a great PR machine, and was very image oriented.

Hmmm.. I don't know. I'd say that both his image and his music got him there but that the music alone has kept him there. Look at Madonna- - same thing. She's morphed like crazy over the years, to fit with the changing times, to keep up with music, to make a stand, to do whatever, and she's still around not because of what she looks like or tries to be, but because of her music...

Now there you go...I think the only reason Madonna has remained in the spotlight (such as it is) is because she keeps changing her image and it's "ooh, what will Madonna do next?" I don't think she's had a decent album since the early 90's, but that's my personal opinion. Her whole "techno" thing just makes her seem like she's trying to do whatever is in at the moment. She used to create trends, not follow them. She is only doing it because it's in, it doesn't sound like her heart is in it.

I'm with 33girl on Madonna. Her last decent album was Like a Prayer.


I'm going to go with the music for Prince. I recently bought his Greatest Hits - Vol 1 & 2, and it is some great stuff. It has definitely stood the test of time.

Music (but the image doesn't hurt him)

I love me some Prince - always have, always will. My aunt lived down the street from his "homestead" and right around the corner from Paisley Park for many years. She said everyone in the town loved him and that he was an extrememly positive influence for the children in the area. Once a month or so he would open up Paisley Park to the area high school kids for free concerts of artists he was working with. The only catch - no drinking/smoking/drugs - if they caught you, you were thrown out, if they thought you were already under the influence, you didn't get in. Plus, sometimes he would give the concert himself! And on rare occasions he was spotted at the local Target!

Agree on Madonna not being all that.

Okay, I'm NOT a Madonna fan, really. What I meant was that... I could tell you what some of her more recent songs are right now but I coudln't begin to tell anyone what she looks like these days, who she's been running around with, where she's being going, so on and so forth - - to me, that's image, or parts of it. So that's what I mean by her music keeping her around. I didn't say the music was good music though. :P

Sure! Right! You love Madonna and you know it!!! :p

Seriously, it's funny you should say that, because I'm the exact opposite of you - I couldn't tell you about her music in the last couple years, but I know what she's doing right now, what she's looking like, etc.

But let's not hijack anymore - Prince deserves his own thread!!!! :D :cool:

The Music. wrote some amazing songs. My Fav: Uptown, Little Red Corvette, Let's Go Crazy, Darling Nikki and Sexy M.F.

Music.

However, it has taken me a few decades to really understand some of his lyrics.

I THINK I know what "Purple Rain" is now.

Sensuret sometimes it's better just to not try to think too hard. Cause he explained some stuff over the last few years and I was ALL off tangent. But hey you may be smarter than me :D

Quick poll time, which was Prince's best band:

1) Revolution
2) The New Generation

Hands down, Revolution.

Like the interview I saw a while back where he said the "elevator" was Satan/negativity and "Let's go crazy" was letting God take care of it all! :eek: I knew the guy was spiritual, but I would have NEVER guessed that for those lyrics.

Moe.ron's question - Revolution

What's your thoughts on that?

By the way if you like prince, you have to like Michael. It's just the way it works.

-Rudey

Agreed. Revolution Rules!!!

The Revolution had it's moments but if you haven't seen The New POWER Generation play you are missing something amazing. The Revolution made music most of us grew up on but this band is TIGHT, he can redirect them on a dime, have an impromptu funky jam, and then COME RIGHT back to the first song he had been playing twenty minutes back. Saw this in particular during this current tour with him mixing Question of U in with The One and letting his saxophonist sing snippets of Fallin before coming back to Question of U. LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Rudey, we agree! (on something, anyway) :D ;)

My friend and I used to want to open a dance club and we thought we'd make Thursday nights "Prince & Old School Michael" night. We could have been rich!!!!

Definitely for his music. He's not only a great songwriter but a great guitarist too.

and Kathy - A lot of clubs in the DC area have nights like that (The Cure vs. The Smiths and one I'm excited for...Danzig vs. The Rollins Band...awww yeah). They're a lot of fun!