In a year that has already featured more than its share of celebrity deaths, that of Prince on Thursday at the age of 57 was particularly shocking.
In part it was the sudden manner in which it happened but it was also a reflection of the fact that, more so than many other artists, his music provided a soundtrack to the lives of people who grew up in the 1980s and 90s.
From diehard fans to more casual listeners, the world has been remembering him over the weekend in the most appropriate manner – by listening to a parade of songs blaring out from homes, cars and clubs.
As Prince withheld his music from YouTube and streaming services, fans rushed to buy digital versions of his records – at one point, he occupied the top eight spots in the iTunes singles chart and had seven of the 10 top-selling albums.
While Prince was a prolific hitmaker, more passionate fans will point to the many fine album tracks that remain largely undiscovered by the wider audience.
His back catalogue is a much richer and deeper proposition than casual listeners might realise, and the greatest-hits compilations offer just one aspect of the great man’s work.
Prince was a passionate believer in the album concept, even introducing a clever bit of technology on early CD editions of his 1988 Lovesexy album that prevented purchasers listening to it out of sequence.
He did not do “filler” tracks, as the diverse array of artists who have covered his lesser-known songs would attest. His patronage, sometimes unwittingly, helped to build and revitalise numerous careers.
There were undeniable dips in quality during his three-decade recording career as well – but Prince had enjoyed something of a creative and critical renaissance in recent years, which makes his death particularly upsetting for the faithful. For now, rather than mourn for future work that has been lost, let us celebrate the wealth of material he leaves us with.
artslife@thenational.ae
