Prince: A talent among the pantheon of music greats

When a superstar artiste dies, tributes flow incessantly. When the brakes are slammed suddenly on a life that has still some way to go, the eulogies without fail are always steeped with emotion. On cue, superlatives like the greatest, a legend and visionary slip into vocabularies.

And so it was after Prince Rogers Nelson, better known as just Prince, died at his Minnesota home on Thursday. From Elton John in London to Madonna and President Barrack Obama in the United States, they remember Prince as the unrivalled performer par excellence.

Dead at 57, the Minneapolis native ticked all the right boxes. His songs addressed socio-political issues, racial discrimination, religion and relationships that sometimes veered into the sexual. Packed with music destined to hit the top of the charts, Prince’s songs struck a chord with music fans across all genres.

That air of mystic about him added to the superstar’s appeal. His music career began in 1976 after a demo recording he produced attracted interest from several major labels. He eventually signed with Warner Brothers that produced a string of Billboard hits.

He stamped his mark as a genius with the 1984 album Purple Rain. It sold more than 13 million copies in the US, spent 24 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and won two Grammy awards. He starred in the film of the same name, and the title track won an Academy Award.

Prince's star and stock rose phenomenally after Purple Rain with several number one albums and tracks. But was Prince the royalty many of his peers make him out to be?

What about Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Buddy Holly, Muddy Waters, Nat King Cole and even Frank Sinatra?

Prince’s songs easily resonate with music connoisseurs, who are listening to them for the first time. Purple Rain did more than that. It latched on to skin and never seem like it was ever going to go away.

But taken as a whole, it is quite a stretch to say Prince surpassed Jackson, his contemporary with whom some are tempted to compare. When Jackson died in 2009, the tributes did not seem unworthy. His greatness was undoubted.

There is no denying Prince was a genius who will long be remembered for his talent and prowess as an artiste. He is among the musical greats for sure. But the jury is out there if he is the greatest because every talent is different and every genius needs to be appreciated on its own and not at the expense of another.

Rest in peace, Prince.