Hit songs you didn't know were written by Prince
- Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to celebrate the wonder that is Prince. He was the epitome of pop culture royalty, the pioneer of new music, a prolific singer and songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a record producer, an actor, and more. He was, as LA Times writers put it, “our first post-everything pop star,” a figure who transcended categories of genre, race, gender, and commercial appeal. He wrote his first song when he was seven, and went platinum when he was just 18, racking up too many accolades to count throughout his life and selling over 100 million records worldwide. After releasing 39 studio albums, you'd think his career would be put to rest, but his life was taken too soon, and no one was ready. The impact Prince has had on culture is obvious in his championing of androgynous (and extravagant) fashion, his prolific discography, and his eclectic work, but nothing proves just how embedded he is in our love of music as the songs he gave away. Prince is unlike most royalty in that he loved to share his wealth (apparently it wasn't enough to have inspired several generations and diversified the musical landscape). He also wrote numerous songs for his fellow artists and allowed his music to be covered by other performers as well—songs that climbed the charts, some for which he even used a pen name. Check out the gallery to see the surprising hit songs you likely had no idea were written by Prince.
Prince's career, spanning four decades, overflowed with iconic outfits, copious amounts of charm, unmissable stage presence, and bottomless talent. Guitar, drums, bass, keyboard—you name it, he played it. Add to that an impossibly wide vocal range reaching up to falsetto and down to baritone, and music was truly his plaything, which is perhaps how he so comfortably morphed, advanced, and pioneered genres, including the famous Minneapolis sound which mixes funk, rock, synth-pop, and new wave.
© Getty Images
0 / 37 Fotos
'How Come You Don't Call Me,' Alicia Keys - Prince originally released his version of this song, called 'How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?', as a B-side to his 1982 hit single '1999.'
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1 / 37 Fotos
'How Come You Don't Call Me,' Alicia Keys - Alicia Keys covered the track on her 2001 debut album 'Songs in A Minor.'
© Getty Images
2 / 37 Fotos
'Manic Monday,' The Bangles
- Prince had actually written this song for a girl group he put together, Apollonia 6, but decided to hold on to it for a while longer.
© Reuters
3 / 37 Fotos
'Manic Monday,' The Bangles
- It later became a huge hit for The Bangles in 1986, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, with his credit under the pen name "Christopher."
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'Sugar Walls,' Sheena Easton - Who else but Prince could have written, "Come spend the night inside my sugar walls"?
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'Sugar Walls,' Sheena Easton - Prince wrote the song for Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton under the pen name "Alexander Nevermind." The track hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
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'I Feel For You,' Chaka Khan - This smooth track first appeared on Prince's self-titled 1979 album.
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'I Feel For You,' Chaka Khan - It was given new life five years later by Chaka Khan, whose version won a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1985.
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'Nothing Compares 2 U,' Sinead O'Connor - Prince wrote the original version of this heart-wrenching song for the eponymous 1985 album by The Family, a band signed to his Paisley Park Records label.
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'Nothing Compares 2 U,' Sinead O'Connor - It really became a hit, however, when Sinead O'Connor covered it five years later, going platinum and topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
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'Jungle Love,' Morris Day and the Time - Co-written by Prince, Morris Day, and Jesse Johnson (guitarist in the Time), this unmistakably '80s funk track became a huge hit.
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'Jungle Love,' Morris Day and the Time - The Time also appeared in the classic Prince movie 'Purple Rain' the same year the track became a hit (1984).
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'When You Were Mine,' Cyndi Lauper - This sad but raunchy song originally appeared on Prince's 1980 album 'Dirty Mind.'
© Reuters
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'When You Were Mine,' Cyndi Lauper - It really blew up when Cyndi Lauper covered it on her 1983 album 'She's So Unusual.'
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14 / 37 Fotos
'Stand Back,' Stevie Nicks
- The Fleetwood Mac singer reportedly co-wrote the song with Prince, and she reportedly credited his hit song 'Little Red Corvette' as the inspiration for it.
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'Stand Back,' Stevie Nicks - The song hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.
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'With This Tear,' Céline Dion - Prince wrote this 1992 song as a gift to the talented songstress.
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'With This Tear,' Céline Dion - Dion put the gift, accompanied by her stunning voice, on display in her self-titled album.
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'Love Song,' Madonna - Prince and her Madgesty teamed up for this regal slow jam, recorded at the Minnesota Paisley Park Studio, for her 1989 album 'Like a Prayer.'
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19 / 37 Fotos
'Love Song,' Madonna - They had to write it long distance, however, as Madonna later explained, "I had to be in L.A. and he couldn't leave Minneapolis, and quite frankly I couldn't stand Minneapolis.”
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'Sex Shooter,' Apollonia 6 - Prince formed this girl group consisting of singers Patricia Kotero, Brenda Bennett, and Susan Moonsie. They released a self-titled album, and this track was released as a single.
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'Yo Mister,' Patti LaBelle - Prince wrote and produced this song for the legendary Patti LaBelle's 1989 album 'Be Yourself.'
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'Yo Mister,' Patti LaBelle - The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard R&B chart.
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'Get It Up,' TLC - This song was originally produced, arranged, and composed by Prince for Morris Day and the Time, appearing on their 1981 debut album.
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'Get It Up,' TLC - It was later covered by girl group TLC for the 'Poetic Justice' soundtrack, and quickly became a major hit for the group, even included in their subsequent greatest hits album.
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25 / 37 Fotos
'Love... Thy Will Be Done,' Martika
- Prince and Martika co-wrote this song, which reportedly started out as a hymn that the 'Toy Soldiers' singer had written in a notebook.
© Reuters
26 / 37 Fotos
'Love... Thy Will Be Done,' Martika - Prince's strong songwriting and production helped turn it into a top 10 single off her 1991 album 'Martika's Kitchen.'
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'The Glamorous Life,' Sheila E. - Originally intended to be recorded by his girl group Apollonia 6, this song ended up being the title track and closing song on his good friend Sheila E.'s debut solo album.
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28 / 37 Fotos
'The Glamorous Life,' Sheila E. - The two have a long history of working well together, and the track hit No. 7 on the US pop charts, as well as No. 1 on the US dance charts, and it earned two Grammy Award nominations.
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29 / 37 Fotos
'You're My Love,' Kenny Rogers - Prince wrote this ballad under the alias "Joey Coco."
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30 / 37 Fotos
'You're My Love,' Kenny Rogers - He wrote it specifically for country singer Kenny Rogers, and it appeared on his 1986 album 'They Don't Make Them Like They Used To.'
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'Round and Round,' Tevin Campbell - Released in 1990, this Prince-penned and -produced R&B song is an ode to making something of yourself in the big city.
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'Round and Round,' Tevin Campbell - It's the first single from R&B singer Tevin Campbell's debut album 'T.E.V.I.N.' which was also his first solo single. Not bad for a beginner!
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'Why Should I Love You?', Kate Bush - As the story goes, Bush asked Prince to contribute background vocals to 'Why Should I Love You?' in 1991. She reportedly sent him the track, then Prince added vocals and...
© Getty Images
34 / 37 Fotos
'Why Should I Love You?', Kate Bush - He also added many instrumental parts that redirected the song. The track appears on Bush's 1993 LP, 'The Red Shoes.'
© Getty Images
35 / 37 Fotos
His secret?
- He's famously quoted explaining: "The key to longevity is to learn every aspect of music that you can." But alas, life is just a party, and parties weren't meant to last.
© Getty Images
36 / 37 Fotos
Hit songs you didn't know were written by Prince
- Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to celebrate the wonder that is Prince. He was the epitome of pop culture royalty, the pioneer of new music, a prolific singer and songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a record producer, an actor, and more. He was, as LA Times writers put it, “our first post-everything pop star,” a figure who transcended categories of genre, race, gender, and commercial appeal. He wrote his first song when he was seven, and went platinum when he was just 18, racking up too many accolades to count throughout his life and selling over 100 million records worldwide. After releasing 39 studio albums, you'd think his career would be put to rest, but his life was taken too soon, and no one was ready. The impact Prince has had on culture is obvious in his championing of androgynous (and extravagant) fashion, his prolific discography, and his eclectic work, but nothing proves just how embedded he is in our love of music as the songs he gave away. Prince is unlike most royalty in that he loved to share his wealth (apparently it wasn't enough to have inspired several generations and diversified the musical landscape). He also wrote numerous songs for his fellow artists and allowed his music to be covered by other performers as well—songs that climbed the charts, some for which he even used a pen name. Check out the gallery to see the surprising hit songs you likely had no idea were written by Prince.
Prince's career, spanning four decades, overflowed with iconic outfits, copious amounts of charm, unmissable stage presence, and bottomless talent. Guitar, drums, bass, keyboard—you name it, he played it. Add to that an impossibly wide vocal range reaching up to falsetto and down to baritone, and music was truly his plaything, which is perhaps how he so comfortably morphed, advanced, and pioneered genres, including the famous Minneapolis sound which mixes funk, rock, synth-pop, and new wave.
© Getty Images
0 / 37 Fotos
'How Come You Don't Call Me,' Alicia Keys - Prince originally released his version of this song, called 'How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?', as a B-side to his 1982 hit single '1999.'
© Getty Images
1 / 37 Fotos
'How Come You Don't Call Me,' Alicia Keys - Alicia Keys covered the track on her 2001 debut album 'Songs in A Minor.'
© Getty Images
2 / 37 Fotos
'Manic Monday,' The Bangles
- Prince had actually written this song for a girl group he put together, Apollonia 6, but decided to hold on to it for a while longer.
© Reuters
3 / 37 Fotos
'Manic Monday,' The Bangles
- It later became a huge hit for The Bangles in 1986, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, with his credit under the pen name "Christopher."
© Getty Images
4 / 37 Fotos
'Sugar Walls,' Sheena Easton - Who else but Prince could have written, "Come spend the night inside my sugar walls"?
© Getty Images
5 / 37 Fotos
'Sugar Walls,' Sheena Easton - Prince wrote the song for Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton under the pen name "Alexander Nevermind." The track hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
© Getty Images
6 / 37 Fotos
'I Feel For You,' Chaka Khan - This smooth track first appeared on Prince's self-titled 1979 album.
© Getty Images
7 / 37 Fotos
'I Feel For You,' Chaka Khan - It was given new life five years later by Chaka Khan, whose version won a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1985.
© Getty Images
8 / 37 Fotos
'Nothing Compares 2 U,' Sinead O'Connor - Prince wrote the original version of this heart-wrenching song for the eponymous 1985 album by The Family, a band signed to his Paisley Park Records label.
© Getty Images
9 / 37 Fotos
'Nothing Compares 2 U,' Sinead O'Connor - It really became a hit, however, when Sinead O'Connor covered it five years later, going platinum and topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
© Getty Images
10 / 37 Fotos
'Jungle Love,' Morris Day and the Time - Co-written by Prince, Morris Day, and Jesse Johnson (guitarist in the Time), this unmistakably '80s funk track became a huge hit.
© Getty Images
11 / 37 Fotos
'Jungle Love,' Morris Day and the Time - The Time also appeared in the classic Prince movie 'Purple Rain' the same year the track became a hit (1984).
© Getty Images
12 / 37 Fotos
'When You Were Mine,' Cyndi Lauper - This sad but raunchy song originally appeared on Prince's 1980 album 'Dirty Mind.'
© Reuters
13 / 37 Fotos
'When You Were Mine,' Cyndi Lauper - It really blew up when Cyndi Lauper covered it on her 1983 album 'She's So Unusual.'
© Getty Images
14 / 37 Fotos
'Stand Back,' Stevie Nicks
- The Fleetwood Mac singer reportedly co-wrote the song with Prince, and she reportedly credited his hit song 'Little Red Corvette' as the inspiration for it.
© Getty Images
15 / 37 Fotos
'Stand Back,' Stevie Nicks - The song hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.
© Getty Images
16 / 37 Fotos
'With This Tear,' Céline Dion - Prince wrote this 1992 song as a gift to the talented songstress.
© Getty Images
17 / 37 Fotos
'With This Tear,' Céline Dion - Dion put the gift, accompanied by her stunning voice, on display in her self-titled album.
© Getty Images
18 / 37 Fotos
'Love Song,' Madonna - Prince and her Madgesty teamed up for this regal slow jam, recorded at the Minnesota Paisley Park Studio, for her 1989 album 'Like a Prayer.'
© Getty Images
19 / 37 Fotos
'Love Song,' Madonna - They had to write it long distance, however, as Madonna later explained, "I had to be in L.A. and he couldn't leave Minneapolis, and quite frankly I couldn't stand Minneapolis.”
© Getty Images
20 / 37 Fotos
'Sex Shooter,' Apollonia 6 - Prince formed this girl group consisting of singers Patricia Kotero, Brenda Bennett, and Susan Moonsie. They released a self-titled album, and this track was released as a single.
© Getty Images
21 / 37 Fotos
'Yo Mister,' Patti LaBelle - Prince wrote and produced this song for the legendary Patti LaBelle's 1989 album 'Be Yourself.'
© Getty Images
22 / 37 Fotos
'Yo Mister,' Patti LaBelle - The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard R&B chart.
© Getty Images
23 / 37 Fotos
'Get It Up,' TLC - This song was originally produced, arranged, and composed by Prince for Morris Day and the Time, appearing on their 1981 debut album.
© Getty Images
24 / 37 Fotos
'Get It Up,' TLC - It was later covered by girl group TLC for the 'Poetic Justice' soundtrack, and quickly became a major hit for the group, even included in their subsequent greatest hits album.
© Getty Images
25 / 37 Fotos
'Love... Thy Will Be Done,' Martika
- Prince and Martika co-wrote this song, which reportedly started out as a hymn that the 'Toy Soldiers' singer had written in a notebook.
© Reuters
26 / 37 Fotos
'Love... Thy Will Be Done,' Martika - Prince's strong songwriting and production helped turn it into a top 10 single off her 1991 album 'Martika's Kitchen.'
© Getty Images
27 / 37 Fotos
'The Glamorous Life,' Sheila E. - Originally intended to be recorded by his girl group Apollonia 6, this song ended up being the title track and closing song on his good friend Sheila E.'s debut solo album.
© Getty Images
28 / 37 Fotos
'The Glamorous Life,' Sheila E. - The two have a long history of working well together, and the track hit No. 7 on the US pop charts, as well as No. 1 on the US dance charts, and it earned two Grammy Award nominations.
© Getty Images
29 / 37 Fotos
'You're My Love,' Kenny Rogers - Prince wrote this ballad under the alias "Joey Coco."
© Getty Images
30 / 37 Fotos
'You're My Love,' Kenny Rogers - He wrote it specifically for country singer Kenny Rogers, and it appeared on his 1986 album 'They Don't Make Them Like They Used To.'
© Getty Images
31 / 37 Fotos
'Round and Round,' Tevin Campbell - Released in 1990, this Prince-penned and -produced R&B song is an ode to making something of yourself in the big city.
© Getty Images
32 / 37 Fotos
'Round and Round,' Tevin Campbell - It's the first single from R&B singer Tevin Campbell's debut album 'T.E.V.I.N.' which was also his first solo single. Not bad for a beginner!
© Getty Images
33 / 37 Fotos
'Why Should I Love You?', Kate Bush - As the story goes, Bush asked Prince to contribute background vocals to 'Why Should I Love You?' in 1991. She reportedly sent him the track, then Prince added vocals and...
© Getty Images
34 / 37 Fotos
'Why Should I Love You?', Kate Bush - He also added many instrumental parts that redirected the song. The track appears on Bush's 1993 LP, 'The Red Shoes.'
© Getty Images
35 / 37 Fotos
His secret?
- He's famously quoted explaining: "The key to longevity is to learn every aspect of music that you can." But alas, life is just a party, and parties weren't meant to last.
© Getty Images
36 / 37 Fotos
Hit songs you didn't know were written by Prince
© Getty Images
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