Prince: 39 albums, one symbol and a Minneapolis sound all his own

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis in 1958 to a jazz singer and a pianist and songwriter. At eighteen he signed a record deal with Warner Bros., and two years later he released his first album, For You. He pioneered the Minneapolis sound, and early albums such as Dirty Mind, Controversy and 1999 won him critical success.

In 1984 he became the first singer to have a number-one film, album and single in the United States at the same time, with Purple Rain, its soundtrack and “When Doves Cry”. Recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, the album spent 24 consecutive weeks at number one and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. “Kiss” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and songs like “Raspberry Beret” belong to the same run. After disbanding the Revolution he released his first solo double LP, Sign o' the Times, in 1987, widely considered his greatest work.

In 1993, amid a contract dispute with Warner Bros., he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol, known to fans as the Love Symbol, and was often called the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. He signed with Arista in 1999 and went back to his original name in 2000. He released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material still remaining, among them “Diamonds and Pearls”, “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “If I Was Your Girlfriend” on his list of notable songs.

Estimated sales exceed 100 million records. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. The numbers are enormous, but what lingers is the independence: a man who played the instruments, led the band and fought for the right to name himself.