#org:prince

[iconic-albums-tournament]

SEMIFINALS: Purple Rain vs. Thriller

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982) Genre: Pop, post-disco, rock, funk Singles: The Girl Is Mine, Billie Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startin' Something, Human Nature, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), Thriller Grammys: Eleven nominations, Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical), Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best R&B Vocal Performance (Male), Best Rock Vocal Performance (Male), Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male), Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year RIAA Certification: 3x Diamond (34x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 12

The best selling album in history (selling a remarkable 70 million copies worldwide), Thriller's towering reputation precedes it. Michael Jackson's vision for an album where every song was a hit didn't just break records for success in the pop industry: it also smashed through the barriers meant to keep Black entertainers from stardom, and revolutionized the way that the music video was treated as both an art form and a promotional tool. Even today, Thriller's sound is instantly recognizable and remains just as cool and fun as it was when it made its debut in 1982.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Which album is more iconic?

Purple Rain

Thriller

Voting ended onSep 25, 2025

[iconic-albums-tournament]

QUARTERFINALS: What's Going On vs. Purple Rain

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971) Genre: Soul, R&B Singles: What's Going On, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler), Save the Children Grammys: One nomination RIAA Certification: Gold Rolling Stone Rank: 1

Created after a tumultuous period in his life and a complete image change from the sharp and clean-shaven portrait of his earlier albums, Marvin Gaye's eleventh studio album was spurred by Four Tops member Renaldo Benson, who wrote the title track in response to police brutality and offered it to Gaye. What's Going On is a concept album and song cycle from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran who returns home to see injustice, suffering, and all manner of societal ills; also credited with bringing to light environmental issues before discussion of such was mainstream, the album is nigh-universally considered one of the greatest of all time, enjoying the top spot on many such lists.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Which album is more iconic?

What's Going On

Purple Rain

Voting ended onSep 12, 2025

[iconic-albums-tournament]

ROUND 5: Songs of the Humpback Whale vs. Purple Rain

Roger Payne - Songs of the Humpback Whale (1970) Genre: Environmental, whale song Singles: N/A Grammys: N/A RIAA Certification: N/A Rolling Stone Rank: N/A

Inspired by the traumatic experience of witnessing a desecrated whale corpse, bio-acoustician Roger Payne would spend the next several years investigating whalesong with his wife, eventually collating selected examples into an album. Payne's research was the first to discover that all male whales in a given ocean sing the same song, that songs changed from year to year, and that the songs contained rhyme analogues that indicated the possible use of mnemonic devices. Songs of the Humpback Whale had tremendous impact on public awareness of the intelligence of whales, leading to the "Save the Whales" movement and, eventually, the UN's 1972 moratorium on commercial whaling.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Which album is more iconic?

Songs of the Humpback Whale

Purple Rain

Voting ended onAug 30, 2025

[iconic-albums-tournament]

ROUND 1: Purple Rain vs. Montero

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Lil Nas X - Montero (2021) Genre: Pop rap Singles: Montero (Call Me by Your Name), Sun Goes Down, Industry Baby, Thats What I Want, Lost in the Citadel Grammys: Five nominations (including SOTY, ROTY, AOTY) RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Rolling Stone Rank: N/A

Hotly anticipated after the breakout success of "Old Town Road," Lil Nas X's acclaimed debut album broke with the country fusion of his famous single to enter a fully pop sound. A work which is personal, dreamy, yearning, and loudly and unapologetically queer, Montero's success took Lil Nas X straight to the Grammy Awards with a host of nominations and reaffirmed that he was far more than a one-hit wonder.

Which album is more iconic?

Purple Rain

Montero

Voting ended onJul 10, 2025

[iconic-albums-tournament]

ROUND 2: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road vs. Purple Rain

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) Genre: Pop rock, glam rock Singles: Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind Grammys: One nomination RIAA Certification: 8x Platinum Rolling Stone Rank: 112

Considered to be his career-defining album, Elton John's seventh is his best-selling and best-reviewed. A 17-track double album bonanza, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is an album preoccupied with the past, whether that be for the pubs of writer Bernie Taupin's youth on "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" or Marilyn Monroe on the original version of the titanically popular "Candle in the Wind." The album art itself has taken on icon status too, with John's ruby red platforms and general Oz imagery serving as a subtle nod to him being a "friend of Dorothy" years before he publicly came out.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Which album is more iconic?

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Purple Rain

Voting ended onJul 22, 2025

[iconic-albums-tournament]

ROUND 4: Purple Rain vs. Lemonade

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Beyoncé - Lemonade (2016) Genre: Pop, hip-hop, R&B Singles: Formation, Sorry, Hold Up, Freedom, All Night Grammys: Nine nominations (including SOTY, ROTY, and AOTY), Best Music Video, Best Urban Contemporary Album RIAA Certification: 4x Platinum Rolling Stone Rank: 32

Accompanied by an acclaimed hour-long film, Beyoncé's sixth album has many credits to its name: it's considered to have revived the album for pop in the streaming era, it popularized the album movie, it set a precedent for genre transcendence, it opened up doors for Black reclamation of genres that they had been pushed out of like country and rock. A concept album that explores Beyoncé's emotional journey as she deals with her husband Jay-Z's infidelity while exploring her identity as a Black woman, Lemonade is universally considered one of, if not the best album of the 2010s and the 21st century as a whole.

Which album is more iconic?

Purple Rain

Lemonade

Voting ended onAug 19, 2025

[iconic-albums-tournament]

ROUND 3: Purple Rain vs. Discovery

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984) Genre: Pop, rock, R&B, psychedelia Singles: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Take Me with U Grammys: Five nominations (including AOTY), Best Album Of Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special, Best Rhythm & Blues Song, Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal RIAA Certification: Diamond (13x Platinum) Rolling Stone Rank: 8

Prince's acclaimed sixth studio album would serve as the musical accompaniment to the film of the same name; although the film would find moderate popularity, the soundtrack would reach success of nigh-cosmic proportions. One of the defining albums of the 80s, Purple Rain is musically dense, layering synthesizers and other effects on top of live band performances to make a grand pop spectacle polished to a sheen. Purple Rain is one of the best-selling albums of all time, enjoys high ratings on "best of all time" lists, and is incontestably Prince's most recognizable work; memorably, it also was a major contributor to the inception of Tipper Gore's now-ubiquitous parental warning labels.

*This album is preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Daft Punk - Discovery (2001) Genre: French house, disco, nu-disco Singles: One More Time; Aerodynamic; Digital Love; Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger; Face to Face; Something About Us Grammys: Two nominations RIAA Certification: Gold Rolling Stone Rank: 236

Daft Punk's sophomore album stands tall as one of the most recognizable electronic albums in the history of the genre. Marking a move towards a more disco influenced sound, Discovery was also the first album released after the duo adopted their now-famous robotic personas. In addition to its musical legacy (the production on the album would go on to influence pop production for decades to come), Discovery was also the musical foundation for the animated science fiction film Insterstella 5555.

Which album is more iconic?

Purple Rain

Discovery

Voting ended onAug 6, 2025