Prince was a revolution, a cultural phenomenon unmatched in contemporary times. He’s comparable to the great classical composers: a prolific prodigy like Mozart, an emotional powerhouse like Beethoven, a spiritual searcher for grandeur like Mahler, and, like Wagner, creator of a Gesamtkunstwerk fusing sound, fashion, movement, and mythology into a whole. He played over 20 instruments fluently. He wrote over 1,000 songs across genres. And he was a theatrical, seductive performer, culminating in the storm-drenched magic of “Purple Rain” at the 2007 Super Bowl. As Questlove put it, “Prince was not ahead of his time. He was outside of time.”

"Purple Rain," written and performed by Prince, 1984.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to early June, 2025.

To receive a weekly summary rather than a daily email, please subscribe on my Substack blog The Impatient Reader. Instructions here.