Musicology cover art

  Studio Album · No. 23

Musicology Songwriting Credits by Prince

2004 NPG Records / Columbia Records 12 tracks 47 min

Produced by Prince  ·  Engineered by L. Stu Young, Christopher Crerar

NPG Records / Columbia Records FunkPsychedelic PopR&B
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Prince carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
12 trackswritten by Prince 0 tracksoutside writers
Prince's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
1
Lyricists
1
Producers
2 million
US Copies Sold
2004
Released

Awards & Recognition 2

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (2005)
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (2005)
Data Insight

Prince wrote and produced Musicology himself as a deliberate return to live-band funk and classic R&B after the experimental concept records that preceded it. The title track is a self-referential celebration of musicianship and the soul traditions Prince drew from. The album was tied to his 2004 Musicology Live tour, where copies were bundled with concert tickets, a tactic so effective that Billboard later revised how it counted such sales. Distributed through Columbia, it became his biggest commercial success in years and won him two Grammy Awards in 2005.

Released April 19-20, 2004, Musicology marked Prince's twenty-eighth studio album and his first major-label release in five years, representing his most prominent commercial return since the late 1990s. Prince served as sole producer and wrote all tracks, with sessions conducted at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario, his first recording outside Minneapolis in years, and Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, spanning from February 1999 through early 2004. Musically the album emphasizes R&B with funk and psychedelic pop elements, and Prince positioned it as a deliberate 'musical education' for listeners, an artistic statement intended to reconnect audiences with classic Black music traditions. Critical reception was broadly favorable with a Metacritic score of 72/100, and major outlets including Rolling Stone, Mojo, and Q each awarded four stars, though Pitchfork rated it only 5.8/10. Commercially it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and topped charts in multiple countries, reaching double-platinum status in the US by January 2005, driven in part by a groundbreaking ticket-bundling strategy that included CDs with concert admission.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 2 contributors

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1989 100%
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1994 100%
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1995 100%
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1996 100%
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1996 89%
Emancipation
NPG Records / EMI Records
36 tracksProd. Prince
1998 100%
Crystal Ball
NPG Records
12 tracks
1998 45%
New Power Soul
NPG Records
11 tracksProd. Prince
1999 94%
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
NPG Records / Arista Records
18 tracksProd. Prince
2001 100%
The Rainbow Children
NPG Records / Redline Entertainment
14 tracksProd. Prince
2002 90%
One Nite Alone...
NPG Records
10 tracksProd. Prince
2006 100%
3121
NPG Records / Universal Music
12 tracksProd. Prince
2007 100%
Planet Earth
NPG Records / Columbia Records
10 tracksProd. Prince
2009 92%
Lotusflow3r
NPG Records
12 tracksProd. Prince
2009 100%
MPLSoUND
NPG Records
9 tracksProd. Prince
2010 100%
20Ten
NPG Records
10 tracksProd. Prince
2014 83%
Plectrumelectrum
NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records
12 tracksProd. Prince
2014 100%
Art Official Age
NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records
13 tracksProd. Prince
2015 100%
HitnRun Phase One
NPG Records / Universal Records
11 tracksProd. Prince
2015 100%
HitnRun Phase Two
NPG Records / Universal Music Group
12 tracksProd. Prince

Frequently Asked Questions Musicology

What Grammy Awards did Prince win for Musicology?
Prince won two Grammys at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005 connected to Musicology. He took Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the title track 'Musicology' and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for 'Call My Name.'
How did Musicology become so commercially successful?
The album was bundled with tickets to Prince's 2004 Musicology Live tour, so each ticket buyer received a copy. The strategy boosted sales so sharply that Billboard revised its methodology for counting albums sold alongside concert tickets.
What is the song 'Musicology' about?
'Musicology' is a self-referential funk track in which Prince celebrates musicianship and the soul and R&B traditions he came from. It serves as a statement of purpose for the album's return to live funk.
When was Musicology released and on what label?
Prince released Musicology on April 19, 2004, through his own NPG Records with distribution by Columbia Records.
Did Prince write the songs on Musicology?
Prince wrote and produced the album himself, continuing his long practice of self-authorship. The record was conceived as his own return to live-band funk and R&B.
How did Musicology perform on the charts and what certifications did it earn?
The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA, representing about two million units in the US.

Sources