The Eternal Debate
For a long time people have asked a question and today my friends, after the bitter wars and hard fought battles, I have come to answer that question. MJ vs. Prince….Who wins?
My friends I have come to tell you…Prince is the winner.
I’m not even getting into who may or may not have touched little boys. Considering I am a fan of both that discussion kills a part of my childhood as well.
If it pleases the court I will now present conclusive evidence that the winner of the eternal debate, who is better Prince or MJ, is Prince.
Total Albums: Prince 22 (2 live), MJ 9.5 (HIStory is half a greatest hits and half new and since I didn’t include Princes Hits albums I can’t give MJ a whole 10) Winner: Prince
Number of Good Albums: (Universally accepted)Prince -6 , MJ -4 (Total Possible) Prince 9 - MJ - 5
MJ’s first two are mostly cover songs. I’m not sure how many of us can say they own any Prince albums after The Gold Experience (though Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic has good remakes - still remakes.) Winner: Prince
Number of Movies: Prince 5, MJ 5 - Tie
Number of Movies anyone wants to see: Prince 1, MJ 1 (I mean Captain EO? Thriller - it was dope but that’s not really a movie. I think we’ve all seen Moonwalker…but c’mon. I know some folks who like a Prince movie other than Purple Rain…but that’s the “accepted film.)
Since Purple Rain was actually his movie and MJ was just in The Wiz…. Winner: Prince
Songs written for other people: I couldn’t find any for MJ…I’m including 10 of Princes because a few of these I didn’t know about - Prince has written and produced hits for: MC Hammer [(Pray) included because of heavy sample of When Doves Cry], The Bangles(Manic Monday), Sinead O’Connor(Nothing Compares 2 U), Stevie Nicks (Stand Back), Sheila E. (Love Bizarre - which is great to dance to), Patti LaBelle (Yo Mister), The Time (Jungle Love), Chaka Khan (I Feel for You), Sheena Easton (Sugar Walls), Martika (Love…Thy Will Be Done -
probably the worst performing of all these it did reach #5 in the UK). In the case of Nothing Compares 2 U he not only wrote a hit but he came back and performed it waaaaaay better. Winner: Prince
People/Groups made Famous by the artist: Prince: 4.5 (They may have known O’Connor in the UK, but his song introduced us to her thus the .5), MJ: 0 (Unless you count Bubbles)
Business wise: Winner is Prince…he still has his money.
Prince knows his strengths. Prince is a strength. HITS FOR HIMSELF AND OTHERS. MJ has hits…but he has written and produced how many on his own? Prince is the sole source of his hits. Hell…the first band he was with had good songs and Prince refuses to even acknowledge them. Let’s take it a step further, Prince has lied and given credit to other people for writing things so he could have other creative outlets ( The Time,The Family). The importance of this is that you have to look to the Quincy years for MJ for the biggest hits and most solid albums with Prince every time you get: “Produced, Arranged, Composed and Performed by Prince.”
Did I mention this stat: Oscars: Prince 1, MJ 0
Prince was also inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame the first year he was eligible…3 years before the Jackson 5 and 7 before MJ as a solo artist.
Everyone who’s been around as long as those two have dated sounded songs. The difference is between the
two of them Prince still has more of an established sound than MJ. The question of influence is quite serious. Elvis is influential, the Beatles are influential, Jimi Hendrix is influential (more than MJ, Prince and most examples we could name)….but in the question of MJ vs. Prince only one of them has introduced other people. As a matter of fact MJ had to get collaborators for his last album (Eve anyone?) to help bring him back to the fore…and I haven’t even seen a copy of it in the possesion of anyone I know. Both of them had problems with their label…Prince gained popularity from his…MJ basically just lost money (Which is why the last album didn’t do as well as it could have).
The Rolling Stone list of Immortal Rock Legends puts Prince at 28 and MJ at 35. Also, Prince will whop your ass on the basketball court (in heels!) and then make you pancakes!!!! I don’t think MJ can even shoot a ball.
This is like comparing apples and oranges. I agree with everything except the “established sound” — you’re looking in the wrong place. Prince ranks up there with Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, he’s incredibly prolific as a writer and a great performer. MJ, on the other hand is like the female Mariah — the voice is his money. So many R&B cats try to copy him it’s sick — but he needs producers (Q. Jones, R. Kelly, Darkchild). Prince does it all himself.
So it’s like this: MJ could outsing and outdance Prince (even to Prince’s own material) any day of the week. But Prince is like a one-man show — he can do everything himself, he just needs a band for live performances. He could take any MJ song and do very sick things with it musically, given the opportunity.
Comment by kofi — April 2, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
Hey…MJ can too shoot a basketball; haven’t you ever seen the Jam video with the other MJ? LOL! I love both artists’ music, but had also come to the conclusion that Prince had won years ago, based on many of the same reasons. You have deftly provided a numerical object for my arguments. Thanks.
Comment by Mark Dub — April 2, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
You’re my mu’fucka for this. *daps*
Comment by NinaMM — April 6, 2009 @ 10:38 pm
I didnt have time to read this entire post, but I whole-heartedly agree! PRINCE ROCKS!
L
Comment by lola gets — April 9, 2009 @ 3:01 am
Amadeo you be soundin like you be a shighmughvuuga. I be talkin bough Shigh-muh -vugga, Mah, Shigh !!!
Comment by John Townsend — April 10, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
There is NOTHING here that I can disagree with. NOTHING. You don’t even have to get into the personal stuff to determine the winner.
“Prince still has his money.”
Kinda of seals it right there.
Comment by Beauty Jackson — April 13, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
as one who took the MJ side wholeheartedly in this argument for oh i dont know the last two fricking decades maybe how dare you rain on my parade with your facts and logic.
doggone it! couldnt you have just let me live in my imaginary world where i could still argue that MJ was better.
Comment by jdid — April 14, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
Been a long time since I spent an afternoon here at Amadeo Sogni’s place. You never fell off homey. Shit is still the officail fanboy nerd philosophy joint.
This was a great drop. Who would have thought these guys would turn out so effin’ crazy.
FYI: Stevie Wonder >>> MJ + Prince
Comment by DP — May 19, 2009 @ 9:53 pm