PRINCE
1978 — 1994 · WARNER BROS. RECORDS
15 new studio albums released as "Prince" on Warner Bros. Come (1994) was the last new one before the public split. That same year he began signing everything as the Love Symbol & wrote SLAVE on his cheek whenever the label fight moved in front of a camera.
For You
Warner Bros.
Debut. Every instrument, every note. 19 years old & already more talented than anyone in the room.
Prince
Warner Bros.
I Wanna Be Ur Lover. The world starts paying attention 2 him.
Dirty Mind
Warner Bros.
Stripped down, raw, dangerous. Nobody sounded like this. Nobody.
Controversy
Warner Bros.
Am Eye black or white? Am Eye straight or gay? He was asking in 1981.
1999
Warner Bros.
Double album. Pop. Funk. The vault opens 4 the 1st time.
Purple Rain
Warner Bros.
Soundtrack. Worldwide phenomenon. U already know it. Move on.
Around the World in a Day
Warner Bros.
Paisley psychedelia. Nobody expected it after Purple Rain. That was the point.
Parade
Warner Bros.
Under the Cherry Moon OST. Kiss. Mountains. Maybe his most underrated record.
Sign o' the Times
Warner Bros.
Double album. Widely regarded as the peak. They're right & if U haven't heard it start here.
Lovesexy
Warner Bros.
One continuous track on CD. Can't skip. Spiritual & strange & he meant every word.
Batman
Warner Bros.
Soundtrack. Batdance. Partyman. Electric Chair. Way more fun than it had any right 2 b.
Graffiti Bridge
Warner Bros.
Soundtrack. Thieves in the Temple alone makes it worth ur time.
Diamonds and Pearls
Warner Bros.
NPG debut. Cream. Willing & Able. The last time WB & him were pulling in the same direction.
Love Symbol Album
Warner Bros.
Named with the unpronounceable symbol. The battle with WB starts here in earnest.
Come
Warner Bros.
Final album released as "Prince." Letitgo. Space. His goodbye 2 the name — & he knew it.
June 7, 1993 — The Name Changes
what follows is released under the symbol, not "Prince"
THE SYMBOL
1994 — 2001 · NPG RECORDS
Released during the Love Symbol years: some still owed to Warner, some finally on NPG Records, all shaped by the fight over ownership, speed, and control. He sold music thru phone lines & websites before the industry understood why that mattered.
The Black Album
Warner Bros.
Recorded in 1987. Pulled at the last second — he said God told him 2 stop it. Bootlegged 4 years. Finally released.
The Gold Experience
Warner Bros.
SLAVE written on his cheek every time he performed. P Control. Gold. Endorphinmachine. One of his best & WB sat on it 4 a year out of spite.
Chaos and Disorder
Warner Bros.
His contractual obligation goodbye 2 WB, recorded in 2 weeks. A middle finger pressed onto wax. Mean & underrated & he didn't care if U liked it.
Emancipation
NPG Records / EMI
Triple album. 3 hours. Free from Warner. He announced Crystal Ball in the liner notes b4 he'd even finished recording it.
Crystal Ball
NPG Records
Vault outtakes spanning 1983-1995. The direct-order edition came through 1-800-NEW-FUNK or love4oneanother.com — no middleman. 5 discs with The Truth & Kamasutra; the later retail version was shorter.
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
Arista Records
One-off Arista deal 4 distribution. Hot Wit U. The Strange But True. Remixed & improved version came 2 years later 4 NPGMC subscribers.
Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic
NPG Records (NPGMC)
The version he actually wanted U 2 hear. NPGMC subscriber exclusive. Includes Beautiful Strange — which should've been on the original.
COMPANION & STANDALONE RELEASES
Crystal Ball bonus disc
Kamasutra
1998 · NPG Orchestra
Instrumental. Sax-led by Eric Leeds with Clare Fischer's full orchestra. First issued on cassette, then folded into the 5-disc direct-order Crystal Ball set. Still not on vinyl & that's a crime.
Crystal Ball bonus disc
The Truth
1998
Acoustic. Stripped 2 almost nothing — just him & a guitar mostly. Don't Play Me. The Truth. Somebody's Somebody. One of the most underrated things he ever made & most people have never heard it.
Vault / Warner contract
Old Friends 4 Sale
1999 · Warner Bros.
WB released this without his cooperation using vaulted recordings he never approved. He disowned it publicly. 4 completionists only — but there R songs in here that deserved better than 2 b used like this.
Studio albums and direct companion releases only. For the full NPG Music Club download catalogue, internet-era singles, one-offs and unreleased material — visit The Vault.