Controversy Songs Ranked
Controversy is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Prince, released on October 14, 1981 by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Prince, written (with the exception of one track) by him, and he also performed most of the instruments on its recording. The controversy reached number three on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was voted the eighth-best album of the year in the 1981 Pazz & Jop, an annual critics poll run by The Village Voice. Controversy opens with the title track, which raises questions that were being asked about Prince at the time, including his race and sexuality. The song “flirts with blasphemy” by including a chant of The Lord’s Prayer. “Do Me, Baby” is an “extended bump-n-grind” ballad with explicitly sexual lyrics, and “Ronnie, Talk to Russia” is a politically charged plea to President Ronald Reagan. “Private Joy” is a bouncy bubblegum pop-funk tune, “showing off Prince’s lighter side”, followed by “Annie Christian”, which lists historical events such as the murder of African-American children in Atlanta and the death of John Lennon. The album’s final song, “Jack U Off”, is a synthesized rockabilly-style track. Here are all of Controversy’s songs ranked.
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8. Jack U Off
“Another tongue-in-cheek sex funk workout. To me, the greatest moment on the album is the ending of this song. Prince closes the Controversy album amazingly by exploding it into your ears with an ecstatic falsetto bonanza from heaven, backed up by an orgasm of synth, drums and electric guitar.”
7. Annie Christian
“A strong opponent to Ronnie, Talk to Russia for the title of the strangest track. It’s seems to be one of Prince’s most politically charged songs, commenting on the killing of John Lennon, the Reagan assassination attempt and ABSCAM, the anti-corruption operation. Prince is rhythmically speaking the lyrics, which are puzzling and slightly aggressive. The song’s main components are a muffled drum machine beat and a freewheeling electric guitar. Its unpolished and experimental nature is symptomatic for Prince on this album, and it continued on the next album.”
See more: Prince Albums Ranked
6. Let’s Work
“Hands down one of my favorite dance tracks. This one can make the most groggy dance floor come to life. The funk bass is amazing, capering on top a tight and sweaty drum beat. The album should come with a towel included, coz I’m in bad need of a shower.”
5. Do Me Baby
“Penned by associate and childhood friend, André Cymone, a surprising fact considering its “Princeness”. Do Me, Baby is a classic Prince sex ballad, drawing the blueprint for countless of successors. The instrumentation is casual, but seducing. Especially the piano is particularly memorable. Do Me, Baby is perhaps the most infamous example of a sexplicit Prince song, in which his royal badness takes the microphone to bed, and makes love inside the listener’s ears. It’s as disturbing as it is amazing. An obvious predecessor to International Lover on the next album.”
4. Ronnie Talk to Russia
“The weirdest Prince songs so far. Prince pleads Reagan to stay in contact with the Soviet Union, to prevent a nuclear weapon apocalypse. This anti-cold war protest song is enveloped in hyperactive synth-punk production, with guitar noise and a drum machine going crazy. It’s super messy, but there is a raw quality to it.”
3. Sexuality
“That intro! “Aaaooaah!!!” After listening to a lot of Prince through the years, one forgets how crazy he sounds. In Sexuality he lets himself loose completely. The song is in my opinion one of his best vocal performances, showcasing an interesting versatility. The production is typically unique and stylish in the early 80’s Prince way. This is raw and funky stuff, and a nearly forgotten treat.”
2. Private Joy
“After the string of classic cuts, Private Joy is a small step down. The quality isn’t that lowered though. The vocal arrangements are wonderful, and the synth work is good as always in this funk’n’roll number. “I strangled Valentino/Been mine ever since/If anybody asks U/U belong to Prince!”
1. Controversy
“The title song is certainly the most remembered from this LP, which is squeezed in between the style-transforming Dirty Mind and the career-turning 1999. Opening the ball with the stab of a flashy synth, Prince comments on critics, rumors and fame in this funky gem. Like many other Prince songs, it showcases a kind of hippie mentality: “People call me rude/I wish we all were nude/I wish there black and no white/I wish there were no rules”.