Solo Artist

Prince

Active1978-2016
DiedApril 21, 2016
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota
Albums33
Tracks396

Most frequent collaborator: Lisa Coleman  ·  22 tracks

FunkR&BPopRockSoulNew WavePsychedelic Pop
96%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 381 of 396 tracks

Did Prince write his own songs?

Yes, almost all of them, and usually alone. Prince wrote around 96% of his catalogue, most of it entirely by himself, and he also produced, arranged, and played nearly every instrument. Songs like 'When Doves Cry,' 'Kiss,' and 'Little Red Corvette' are all his. He occasionally shared credits with his bands, the Revolution and the New Power Generation, and with his father, John L. Nelson.

By the Numbers

33
Studio Albums
396
Tracks Credited
96%
Self-Written
100M+
Records Sold
38
Years Active
69
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 381 / 396 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 396 tracks: how many Prince wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Prince has a writing credit96%
85%
11%
4%
Sole author338tracks85%
Co-written43tracks11%
Outside writers15tracks4%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Prince's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 396 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)96%
Composer (music)95%
Producer100%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Prince's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 96%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
89%
100%
45%
94%
100%
90%
100%
100%
100%
92%
100%
100%
83%
100%
100%
100%
1978For You
1979Prince
1980Dirty Mind
1981Controversy
19821999
1984Purple Rain
1985Around the World in a Day
1986Parade
1987Sign "☮" the Times
1988Lovesexy
1989Batman
1991Diamonds and Pearls
1992Love Symbol Album
1994Come
1994The Black Album
1995The Gold Experience
1996Chaos and Disorder
1996Emancipation
1998Crystal Ball
1998New Power Soul
1999Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
2001The Rainbow Children
2002One Nite Alone...
2004Musicology
20063121
2007Planet Earth
2009Lotusflow3r
2009MPLSoUND
201020Ten
2014Plectrumelectrum
2014Art Official Age
2015HitnRun Phase One
2015HitnRun Phase Two
Early · 100% written
Mid · 93% written
Late · 97% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1970s
For You, Prince
100%
1980s
Dirty Mind, Controversy +7 more
93%
1990s
Diamonds and Pearls, Love Symbol Album +8 more
97%
2000s
The Rainbow Children, One Nite Alone... +5 more
97%
2010s
20Ten, Plectrumelectrum +3 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Prince sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Prince
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
The Jacksons24%
Eric Clapton40%
Michael Jackson51%
Stevie Wonder64%
Christina Aguilera74%
Mariah Carey87%
96%Prince
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Soft and Wet
For You
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Chris Moon
Co-wrote
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Little Red Corvette
1999
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Delirious
1999
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
1999
1999
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Let's Pretend We're Married
1999
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
When Doves Cry
Purple Rain
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Let's Go Crazy
Purple Rain
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Purple Rain
Purple Rain
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
I Would Die 4 U
Purple Rain
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Take Me with U
Purple Rain
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Raspberry Beret
Around the World in a Day
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Pop Life
Around the World in a Day
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
America
Around the World in a Day
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Kiss
Parade
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Mountains
Parade
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin
Co-wrote
Anotherloverholenyohead
Parade
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
U Got the Look
Sign "☮" the Times
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Sign "☮" the Times
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Sign "☮" the Times
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Alphabet St.
Lovesexy
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Batdance
Batman
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Partyman
Batman
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
The Arms of Orion
Batman
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Sheena Easton
Co-wrote
Gett Off
Diamonds and Pearls
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Eric Leeds
Co-wrote
Cream
Diamonds and Pearls
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Diamonds and Pearls
Diamonds and Pearls
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Money Don't Matter 2 Night
Diamonds and Pearls
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Rosie Gaines
Co-wrote
My Name Is Prince
Love Symbol Album
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Tony Mosley
Co-wrote
7
Love Symbol Album
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin
Co-wrote
The Morning Papers
Love Symbol Album
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Letitgo
Come
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
The Gold Experience
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
I Hate U
The Gold Experience
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Gold
The Gold Experience
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Black Sweat
3121
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Breakfast Can Wait
Art Official Age
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it
Fallinlove2nite
HitnRun Phase One
Written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Wrote it

Discography 33 albums

This page covers 33 of Prince's 39 studio albums, spanning 1978-2015. Full catalog data is planned.

For You cover
1978100%

For You

Warner Bros. Records

9 tracks
 Prince cover
1979100%

Prince

Warner Bros. Records

9 tracks
 Dirty Mind cover
1980100%

Dirty Mind

Warner Bros. Records

8 tracks
 Controversy cover
1981100%

Controversy

Warner Bros. Records

8 tracks
 1999 cover
1982100%

1999

Warner Bros. Records

11 tracks
 Purple Rain cover
1984100%

Purple Rain

Warner Bros. Records

9 tracks
 Around the World in a Day cover
1985100%

Around the World in a Day

Warner Bros. Records

9 tracks
 Parade cover
1986100%

Parade

Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records

12 tracks
 Sign "☮" the Times cover
1987100%

Sign "☮" the Times

Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records

16 tracks
 Lovesexy cover
1988100%

Lovesexy

Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records

9 tracks
 Batman cover
1989100%

Batman

Warner Bros. Records

9 tracks
 Diamonds and Pearls cover
1991100%

Diamonds and Pearls

Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records

13 tracks
 Love Symbol Album cover
1992100%

Love Symbol Album

Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records

18 tracks
 Come cover
1994100%

Come

Warner Bros. Records

10 tracks
 The Black Album cover
1994100%

The Black Album

Warner Bros. Records

8 tracks
 The Gold Experience cover
1995100%

The Gold Experience

Warner Bros. Records / NPG Records

13 tracks
 Chaos and Disorder cover
1996100%

Chaos and Disorder

Warner Bros. Records

11 tracks
 Emancipation cover
199689%

Emancipation

NPG Records / EMI Records

36 tracks
 Crystal Ball cover
1998100%

Crystal Ball

NPG Records

12 tracks
 New Power Soul cover
199845%

New Power Soul

NPG Records

11 tracks
 Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic cover
199994%

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

NPG Records / Arista Records

18 tracks
 The Rainbow Children cover
2001100%

The Rainbow Children

NPG Records / Redline Entertainment

14 tracks
 One Nite Alone... cover
200290%

One Nite Alone...

NPG Records

10 tracks
 Musicology cover
2004100%

Musicology

NPG Records / Columbia Records

12 tracks
 3121 cover
2006100%

3121

NPG Records / Universal Music

12 tracks
 Planet Earth cover
2007100%

Planet Earth

NPG Records / Columbia Records

10 tracks
 Lotusflow3r cover
200992%

Lotusflow3r

NPG Records

12 tracks
2009100%

MPLSoUND

NPG Records

9 tracks
 20Ten cover
2010100%

20Ten

NPG Records

10 tracks
 Plectrumelectrum cover
201483%

Plectrumelectrum

NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records

12 tracks
 Art Official Age cover
2014100%

Art Official Age

NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records

13 tracks
 HitnRun Phase One cover
2015100%

HitnRun Phase One

NPG Records / Universal Records

11 tracks
 HitnRun Phase Two cover
2015100%

HitnRun Phase Two

NPG Records / Universal Music Group

12 tracks

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Prince396 tracks
LC22 WM15 RG10 NP9 JW8 BZ7

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. LC Lisa Coleman · WM Wendy Melvoin · RG Rosie Gaines · NP New Power Generation · JW Joshua Welton · BZ Bobby Z

The Writers & Producers Behind Prince 6 key collaborators

LC
Lisa Coleman
Performer
1999 / Purple Rain / Around the World in a Day / Parade22 tracks
WM
Wendy Melvoin
Performer
Purple Rain / Around the World in a Day / Parade15 tracks
RG
Rosie Gaines
Performer
Diamonds and Pearls10 tracks
NP
New Power Generation
Songwriter
New Power Soul9 tracks
JW
Joshua Welton
Songwriter
HitnRun Phase One8 tracks
BZ
Bobby Z
Performer
Purple Rain / Around the World in a Day7 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Prince is the control group for full creative ownership, the benchmark against which every other artist in this dataset should be measured. He wrote virtually every lyric, composed virtually every melody and arrangement, produced almost his entire catalog, and famously played all instruments himself on his first five solo albums. His authorship score approaches 99-100% across all three credit categories simultaneously: lyricist, composer, and producer, a combination almost no other major pop artist can claim. Where most successful artists achieve ownership in one axis (a rapper who writes all his own rhymes, or a producer-songwriter who writes for others), Prince owned all three axes, all the time, at the highest commercial and artistic level.

Quick Facts

  • One-man bandWrote, produced, arranged, and played all 27 instruments on his 1978 debut album
  • Rock HallInducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004
  • OscarWon an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain
  • Name changeChanged his name to an unpronounceable 'Love Symbol' in the 1990s
  • OutputReleased 33 studio albums and left a vast vault of unreleased music

Creative Fingerprint

The ultimate one-man auteur: Prince wrote, produced, and played nearly everything himself across 33 albums, credited alone on the vast majority of his songs, from 'When Doves Cry' to 'Kiss.'

The Story

Prince Rogers Nelson was a singular musical genius who defined an era of pop, funk, and R&B with an unprecedented combination of virtuosity, sensuality, and artistic control. He wrote, produced, and performed virtually every element of his recordings, routinely playing dozens of instruments on a single album and refusing to cede creative authority to anyone. Across a career spanning nearly four decades, he released an astonishing catalog of material, much of it still locked in his famed Vault, and influenced generations of artists who followed.

Awards & Recognition

Sold more than 100 million records worldwide, one of the best-selling music artists of all time
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility
Won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain (1984)
Wrote, produced, arranged, and played all 27 instruments on his debut album
Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most inventive musicians of all time

Frequently Asked Questions Prince

Did Prince write his own songs?
Yes, almost all of them, and usually alone. Prince wrote around 96% of his catalogue, most of it entirely by himself, and he also produced, arranged, and played nearly every instrument. Songs like 'When Doves Cry,' 'Kiss,' and 'Little Red Corvette' are all his. He occasionally shared credits with his bands, the Revolution and the New Power Generation, and with his father, John L. Nelson.
Did Prince play all the instruments?
Often, yes. On his 1978 debut he wrote, produced, arranged, and played all 27 instruments himself. Throughout his career he was famous for recording much of his music alone, playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums.
Who wrote 'When Doves Cry'?
'When Doves Cry' (1984) was written, produced, and performed entirely by Prince for the Purple Rain album and film. Famously, the track has no bass line, an unusual choice he made himself.
Who wrote 'Purple Rain'?
'Purple Rain' (1984) is credited to Prince. It is the title song of his most famous album and film, and one of the defining rock ballads of the 1980s.
Who was in Prince's band?
His best-known backing bands were the Revolution, on Purple Rain and the mid-1980s albums, and the New Power Generation from the early 1990s on. Members like Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman occasionally share writing credits.
How many albums did Prince release?
This catalogue covers 33 of his studio albums, from For You (1978) to the HitnRun records of 2015. He was famously prolific and left a large vault of unreleased material.
How many records did Prince sell?
More than 100 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
When did Prince die?
Prince died on April 21, 2016, at his Paisley Park home in Minnesota, at the age of 57, from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Why did Prince change his name to a symbol?
In 1993, during a dispute with his record label, Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable 'Love Symbol' and was often called 'the Artist Formerly Known as Prince.' He returned to using Prince in 2000.
What genre is Prince?
He fused funk, R&B, rock, pop, soul, and new wave into a sound of his own, often called the Minneapolis sound. His versatility across genres is a core part of his legacy.

Sources

Wikipedia: Prince (musician) Wikipedia: Prince discography Rolling Stone, Prince Artist Profile