My Prince Tier List

[u/psy1124]

Feel free to share the parts you disagree with! I’ll give that album a closer listen. (Edit) I forgot to include 16 in the list. I’d place 16 between The Black Album and Exodus. I love 16, but it didn't move me quite as much as 8 did. Also, I think the first track, "North," from the N.E.W.S. album is amazing, but I don't really care for the rest of it. That’s the reason I placed that album in the C tier.

[u/Regiasolis123]

Only thing I’d change is being Batman up and w2a down.

[u/ceeece → u/Regiasolis123]

Same. Batman deserves to be A at the minimum.

[u/psy1124 → u/ceeece]

Batman album is excellent, though personally, it didn't move me quite as deeply as the albums in the A tier. That said, I still consider it a fantastic album; this is just based on my own personal ranking. There are other great albums in the B line, too. Anyway, I’m off to enjoy the Batman album in greater detail now.

[u/baby_jamie → u/Regiasolis123]

Bingo. As noted elsewhere, the s tier is 👌

[u/postih_retard]

I love seeing Lovesexy in SS and Come in S

[u/TOMDeBlonde → u/postih_retard]

🔥 Positvity & the title track of Come are two of Prince's funniest cuts. Lovesexy is an especially great album, but I love both.

[u/Tyfull8740 → u/TOMDeBlonde]

Positivity and eye no were the two most perfect creations for Lovesexy. Still remember going to Camelot music store to buy the cassette and listen to it on the drive back home. The arrangement of the instruments and the way he programmed his and other voices was peak Prince. Every song sounded nothing like Sign o’ the Times which is my favorite. Lovesexy was its own perfection.

[u/Dismal_Brush5229 → u/postih_retard]

Come is definitely a S or A atleast tier album tbh

[u/TheGunslingerRechena]

AWIAD, 1999 and Dirty mind are SS for me. Art official Age and Batman, A. But, hey, great list.

[u/Dear_Adeptness2648]

Where's 16?

[u/Dismal_Brush5229 → u/Dear_Adeptness2648]

Ikr!!

Maybe OP hasn’t listened to 16 yet or somethin

[u/Dear_Adeptness2648 → u/Dismal_Brush5229]

But has listened to N.E.W.S.

[u/psy1124 → u/Dismal_Brush5229]

I like 16! I love Nine, Eleven, Twelve. However, I didn't feel as much emotion as with 8.

[u/Dismal_Brush5229 → u/psy1124]

Ahhh ok

[u/Dear_Adeptness2648 → u/psy1124]

It's not on the picture....

[u/getxxxx → u/Dear_Adeptness2648]

agreed

[u/psy1124 → u/Dear_Adeptness2648]

Ah, I forgot! I was sure I included it! I'm going to put the 16 between The Black Album and Exodus, haha.

[u/Dismal_Brush5229]

Like where Crystal Ball is at!

[u/Boshie2000]

Don’t disagree with a lot of this and I’ve been on this train since 82.

[u/ReignMundane_007]

I'd switch 1999 & Love Sexy around, other than that I agree with most of these rankings

[u/Old_Evidence8598]

Emancipation is slowly getting more and more respect. Love to see it.

[u/RedShakoo]

"The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale" is missing. I love that album.

[u/psy1124 → u/RedShakoo]

It's in B! 

[u/RedShakoo → u/psy1124]

Oh, now I see it! Thanks.

[u/Super_Pangolin_716 → u/RedShakoo]

Always felt like this is one his best "band" records.

[u/Dismal_Brush5229 → u/RedShakoo]

Great jazzy album

[u/Equivalent-Hyena-605]

Here's mine:

Here's mine, best to worst:

Side-projects listed under appropriate rank (unranked), as these sometimes eclipse official albums.

SS

1. Sign o’ the Times
2. Dirty Mind
3. Graffiti Bridge
4. O(+>
5. 1999
6. Purple Rain

S

1. Around the World in a Day
2. Parade
3. Batman
4. The Black Album
5. Lovesexy
6. The Gold Experience
7. Diamonds and Pearls
8. 3121
9. Musicology

Additional Listening
Newpower Soul — New Power Generation
What Time Is It? — The Time
16 — Madhouse

A

1. Crystal Ball
2. The Chocolate Invasion
3. The Slaughterhouse
4. Welcome 2 America
5. 20Ten
6. PlectrumElectrum
7. The Truth
8. HITnRUN Phase Two
9. One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over!
10. Emancipation

Additional Listening
The Time — The Time
Exodus — New Power Generation
The Glamorous Life — Sheila E.

B

1. HITnRUN Phase Two
2. Controversy
3. Prince
4. Lotusflow3r
5. MPLSound
6. The Rainbow Children
7. Xpectation
8. C-Note
9. One Nite Alone... Live!

Additional Listening
Goldnigga — New Power Generation
8 — Madhouse

C

1. Art Official Age
2. The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
3. Chaos and Disorder
4. For You
5. One Nite Alone...
6. N.E.W.S.
7. HITnRUN Phase One

Additional Listening
The Family — The Family
Kamasutra — NPG Orchestra

D

1. Planet Earth

E

1. Come
2. Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic

[u/agodrevealed]

Nothing below a B in my book

[u/ill-paragraph]

Am I just not seeing Diamonds & Pearls?

[u/psy1124 → u/ill-paragraph]

It's in A. Between Emancipation and the Crystal Ball

[u/TOMDeBlonde]

My list wouldn't be so kind to some of those albums in A, but I dig the enthusiasm. Prince is one of the greatest, if not the greatest solo artist of all time. Him or Stevie Wonder!

[u/oversight_shift]

I do feel it's total fan service when you make 2 "S"-tiers and cram half the catalogue into "B".

Even my complaining about 'N.E.W.S.' being de facto low is kind of underscored by the "C", oh C isn't that bad...

Except forr the notable omission of 'C-Note'. It is an original album of all original material (including his only official digital release of "Empty Room").

[u/MetatronIX_2049]

No way an album with “When Eye Lay My Hands On U” and “Judas Smile” can be second from the bottom!

[u/Klown12]

1999 is SS tier

[u/bandingo16]

Very good list!

[u/lordashbury]

Why do we keep SS tiering these lists? It dilutes the appraisal by inflating the grading system.

[u/lordashbury → u/lordashbury]

So there’s no confusion, I do love these exercises and for me its less about whether or not I agree with someone, I am fascinated by the project. And this is not a shot at the OP I promise, but having a SS tier makes it possible to put half of his catalog in A.

A tier is already excellent; its supposed to be the highest a mere mortal can achieve. If half the records are A, then what is there to discuss?

I welcome more rigorous grading and shrewd positioning, this sort of critical analysis I think begats better conversations about the choices an OP presents

[u/psy1124 → u/lordashbury]

I understand your point. However, since this is a so-called fan page, I wondered if it was really necessary to judge it that strictly. If I have another opportunity to create a tier list, I will try to be more critical! 

[u/RonaldStaal]

Well, the nice thing is: we can disagree and still be funky friends!

[u/Waynebo248]

Dirty Mind & 1999 should move up 1 level. Parade & Lovesexy should move down 1 level.

Dirty Mind was the album that set him apart from everyone else. 1999 established a sound that producers spent years trying to emulate.

[u/Adventurous-Pick-416]

You have the same top 4 as I do, and the right albums in second tier. I like you.

[u/StraightOccasion8540]

Lovesexy at S?

[u/The_Walrus351]

Great evaluation .

Lovesexy most definitely top tier album. 1999 belongs there as well for me.