Top 10 Prince Songs

This disco-pop jam was Prince's breakout record off his self-titled sophomore album. 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' was released as a single on Aug. 24, 1979, and it eventually rose to the top of the R&B charts in America. The young artist still had a few more years until he would fill the shoes of the don we all know him to be, but looking back, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' still stands out as an essential Prince song.

Prince loved singing about fast and free times and this record is the epitome of the constant theme present in his music. Released on Feb. 9, 1983, 'Little Red Corvette' was his biggest single at the time when it reached No. 6 on the Hot 100. Prince was much closer to obtaining the mass appeal he eventually reached the following year.

Prince's music always had some underlying messages. Some believed 'I Would Die 4 U' was simply about a man confessing unconditional love. Others believed it had religious connotations, as he mentions being " your messiah" in the song. Whatever the meaning, the uptempo record is still no doubt timeless. The track from the 'Purple Rain' album was released on Nov. 28, 1984 and reached no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This slowed-down ballad was a love letter in every sense. Many singers have that ode to women that's clearly inspired by someone in their lives, and for Prince, that was well-expressed on 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.' Some speculate that the song was inspired by his soon-to-be fiancee Mayte Garcia. There's no question the record was oozing with love bugs. It eventually reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

'Diamonds and Pearls' weighed out the true price of love. Prince and his phenomenal duet with New Power Generation member Rosie Gaines was all about that moment of finding the real thing. The diamonds and pearls also symbolized the value of what is being given when you're deep into love. The upbeat rock ballad was the title track of his 13th album by the same name. The song was also successful on the radio becoming a No. 1 R&B single and also No. 3 on the Hot 100 charts.

The title track from Prince's sixth studio album, 'Purple Rain,' was a massive hit. It eventually hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. On the song, Prince combines his many musical influences from rock to pop to gospel. The record has continued to be a staple at his concerts throughout the years. 'Purple Rain' is the album that is the critically acclaimed soundtrack to Prince's film of the same title.

'Let's Go Crazy' was another one of Prince's pivotal records from the 'Purple Rain' era. It was his second No. 1 single and served as the opening track on the album and in the film. In the song's intro, Prince is delivering a eulogy to "life" with a dramatic organ playing in the background and welcoming all the listeners to the carefree after-world in his music. It's not long before he switches the sound up to a much more uptempo jam session.

As an artist, Prince always wanted control over his music and what he put out for his fans but that didn't always go well with his record label. Warner Brothers was originally against releasing 'Kiss' as a single, but Prince proved their doubts wrong when it shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making it his third No. 1 single. The song was released on Feb. 5, 1986, off his 'Parade' LP with his band the Revolution.

This song is near the top of this list mainly because of its cultural impact. Anybody remember Y2K? Prince's story-line in '1999' and the apocalyptic theme basically came to life right before the turn of the new millennium. When folks weren't panicking, it was cool to have a theme song to party to for New Year's Eve celebrations that year. The single was released on Sept. 24, 1982, and once again resurfaced to popularity in 1998.

‘When Doves Cry’ set off the ‘Purple Rain’ era. Released on May 16, 1984, it was the lead single from the album and featured in the film as well. The track became his first big international success, reaching the top 20 in more than 10 countries. It was his first No. 1 hit in the U.S., and stayed there for five weeks. The song's addictive keyboards lead the track about relationship ups and downs. Even though the context of the record is actually sad, it's easy to forget as you're rocking along to the addictive sound of Prince.