50 Prince Songs You Better Have…Or Else
“Do Me, Baby”
(1982)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Controversy
The glorious slow jam of Prince’s Controversy, “Do Me, Baby” is one of those quasi-raunchy nighttime ballads that oozes high-energy romance and earcandy erotica. It’s heavily infused with Prince orgasms, the male equivalence of Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby.” Me’lissa Morgan would scale the song back by enforcing the then-popular Hush production sound and a more radio-friendly performance, minus Prince’s wails. But it is those wails, particularly on the song’s bridge, where the song culls out a mountaintop experience.
“Lady Cab Driver”
(1982)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album 1999
When asked by Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush on what was his most favorite Prince song of all time, former The Time alum Jimmy Jam responded, “Lady Cab Driver.” It’s a tune that remained in the throes of album tracks, never seeing the light of day in terms of Prince’s album singles, although in the UK it was used as the B-side for “Little Red Corvette.” It sports a girl having an orgasm halfway through the duration, all while Prince is tossing change at her while shouting out raw political and sociopolitical statements. But there’s no real surprise as to why Jimmy Jam loved the track so much. It plays like an amalgam of Ready for the World’s “Oh, Shelia” and The Time’s “Get It Up.” It’s the stuff that Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis used to synergize their own catalog.
“Call My Name”
(2004, #75 pop)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Musicology
It was never released as a single officially, but black radio picked up on it and played it anyway. Steeped in the universe of Aretha Franklin ‘70’s balladic soul, “Call My Name” found its place at home on urban adult contemporary and was teased as a modern-day Quiet Storm offering. With D’Angelo’s “Untitled” still etched in our minds from four years’ prior, Prince comes out with the “Do Me, Baby” for the millennial generation.
“The Song of the Heart”
(2006)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Happy Feet
On the soundtrack to the animated film Happy Feet, Prince contributed the bubbly “The Song of the Heart,” a cool trip blending colorful jazz with Paisley Park funk. The song came about after the film’s creators approached him about the opportunity of having his music featured in the film through the use of children-friendly covers. After being so impressed by the content of the film, Prince contributed this. It took home a Golden Globe award for Best Original Song.
“U Got the Look”
(1987, #2 pop)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Sign O’ The Times
Sheena Easton, still hyped from the success of the Prince-produced “Sugar Walls,” joins Prince on this complex rock-funk hybrid. At the core stands heavy LinnDrum punctuations alongside Shelia E’s combustible percussion. But it’s the energy of the two together that fits the description of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell inside a galaxy of P-funk. The sophisticated ending featuring bizarre guitar lines and otherworldly chord sequences seemed like an odd way to end the song, but Prince never feared the bizarre. And he got away with it here. The song flew to number two on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1987, with Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s hypnotic hip-hop jam “Lost in Emotion” controlling the top spot.
“Thieves in the Temple”
(1990, #6 pop)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Graffiti Bridge
Once again resurrecting Prince’s new thought spirituality, “Thieves in the Temple” plays with the concept of Jesus’s rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 21:13 (“My temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves”). He takes the familiar Bible verse and runs it through a bad-ass funk-pop jam tailored made with booming percussion and barbershop quartet-spiced harmonies. It was the last song cut for the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack. Thank goodness it did; the song hit the Top Ten, went gold and, except for Tevin Campbell’s Top 20 hit “Round and Round,” became the only radio smash by Prince from the album.
“A Love Bizarre”
(1985, #11 pop)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Romance 1600
A year after the success of “The Glamorous Life” wore off, Prince contributed yet another jewel in Shelia E’s crown. “A Love Bizarre,” a jazzy funk-chiseled song used in the hip-hop cult classic Krush Groove, proved to be a magnet on various radio formats (No. 11 pop, No. 2 R&B, No. 1 dance), proven singlehandedly the stronghold Prince had on mainstream and pop music at the time. Also, Prince’s backing vocals are so close up on Shelia E. that most critics considered it an equal duet.
“Nasty Girl”
(1982; #101 pop)
Writer: Prince (Vanity)
Producer: Prince (Jamie Starr)
from the album Good Road to Follow
During Prince’s most creative period, when much of his content was being heavily circulated to other hot names, Vanity – a sexually-compulsive, lingerie-wearing female trio led by the sexy dame Denise Katrina Matthews – was born. “Nasty Girl,” Vanity 6’s lone pop hit, came out of the creation. Rather than putting his name on the dancey synth-funk jam, he gave credit of the songwriting to Vanity. Because of his risqué lyrics, pop radio tried to distance itself from the track. “I need seven inches or more. Get it up! I can’t wait anymore,” lead singer Vanity says before the album version’s party-like vamp. It still managed to show up on a few charts, including the Bubbling Under Hot 100 (No. 1), dance (No. 1), R&B (No. 7) and even overseas in the Netherlands (No. 7) and in Belgium (No. 11).
“Sign o’ the Times”
(1987, #3 pop)
Producer: Prince
Writer: Prince
from the album Sign ‘o the Times
Socio-political warnings ranging from AIDS to the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster to the urban plight of gang violence, all beating at the drum of apocalyptic news headlines, show up inside one of Prince’s most forward pieces of commentary. Providing its rhythmic pulse is a sleek funk soaked in minimalist funk and a BB King-like bluesy guitar, all played by Prince himself. Chaka Khan, no stranger to covering a Prince tune, rehashed the song on her Grammy-winning Funk This Album.
“Head”
(1980)
Writer: Prince
Producer: Prince
from the album Dirty Mind
A naughty five-minute jam spiked with a punchy synth line credited to Dr. Fink, “Head” is unapologetic in building up its worship of fellatio and giving credence to infidelity. A story about a horny bride getting hijacked by Prince’s sex appeal (“But you’re such a hunk, so full of spunk/I’ll give you head ‘til you’re burning up”). But the bad-ass jamming from Prince and his Pre-Revolution renegade, spiked by a one-minute prelude and Lisa Coleman’s coyish duet, plays like an extended “Sexy Dancer” reprise.
