Prince was an icon through and through.
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Throughout his career, he set himself apart as a true visionary, a trendsetter, and an artist for a new age that bucked norms and societal standards of masculinity—all while creating some of the most anthemic songs in pop history. He was as eccentric and singular as they come.
From seminal performances to era-defining songs, there were many moments that solidified Prince into the icon he is today. Below, we’re going through just 10, taking a look at the highlights of the singer’s storied career.
1. Prince Paves the Way for the ’80s on Dick Clark
The ’80s were just beginning when Prince took the American Bandstand stage for the first time. Despite being a relative unknown, the singer took command of the conversation between himself and Dick Clark, playing coy and stonewalling the entire time.
He lied to Clark about being 19 when he was in fact 21, before explaining that he turned down a number of major-label record deals because “they wouldn’t let me produce myself.” Then, when asked how many instruments he plays, he gazed down at his shoes for a moment before answering “thousands.”
After the interview, he gave striking performances of “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” in gold lamé pants. It was one of the first looks into the era-dominating artistry Prince would deliver in the coming years.
2. Prince Stands Up To a Hostile Rolling Stones Crowd
Being the opening act for one of the biggest bands in the world always presents a unique challenge but, Prince had a particularly rough go with a horde of disgruntled Rolling Stones fans in October of 1981.
In addition to the Stones, George Thorogood and J. Geils Band also acted as co-headliners for the evening. Prince was not only the least well-known of the group but was also the only Black artist with a high-glam persona to boot. When he appeared on the L.A. Coliseum stage in a trench coat and pair of black bikini briefs, the crowd began hurling homophobic slurs and pelting him with food and bottles— clearly disregarding Mick Jagger’s own androgynous past.
Nevertheless, Prince didn’t let this (or any other) bout of heckling get in the way of his unique vision. As he told the Guardian in 2006, “The only person who knows anything about my music … is me.”
3. Prince Teams Up With Michael Jackson and James Brown
Michael Jackson was Prince’s only true rival in the ’80s and James Brown had publicly chided him for “copying his act.” Despite the drama, the trio formed a jaw-dropping alliance in 1983, when Brown invited both Jackson and Prince onstage at Hollywood’s Beverly Hills Theatre.
“Prince, you gotta do something!” Brown said. Prince, who had garnered his own slice of fame by then, picked up a guitar and wailed along. He then stripped his torso bare and proceeded to outdo James Brown, incorporating some acrobatic footwork and driving up the sex appeal.
4. Prince Inspires PMRC’s Infamous “Filthy 15” List
In the mid-’80s, former second-lady Tipper Gore found her 11-year-old daughter listening to Prince’s racy “Darling Nikki.” Distraught by the vulgar language, Gore went on to co-found the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985, which sought to pressure the record industry to censor itself.
As a barometer for just the type of song parents should watch out for, the PMCR created a “Filthy 15” playlist, which encompassed songs of the era that were sexually explicit, violent, and/or made references to the occult. Not only did Prince’s “Darling Nikki” top the list, another track he penned for Sheena Easton, “Sugar Walls,” took the second slot thanks to its references to female genitalia.
Though the list was supposed to act as a shame tactic, it quickly backfired and became a “15 must-listen-to” list for most teenagers of the era wanting for a bit of rebellion.
5. Prince Releases Purple Rain
I never meant to cause you any sorrow / I never meant to cause you any pain, they are lyrics you can’t help but sing along to when Prince’s “Purple Rain” comes on. The slow-burning, seminal track is one of a kind and deeply entrenched in Prince’s rise to fame.
The film and album of the same name are the ’80s made over and few artists of the era can boast work that has a similar cult following. In addition to the title track, a number of Prince classics can be found on the album, including “When Doves Cry,” “I Would Die 4 You” and “The Beautiful Ones.”
6. Prince Turns His Bedroom Into a Butterfly Sanctuary
As evident by his off-kilter American Bandstand appearance, Prince had been eccentric from the get-go. But those eccentricities only became magnified as his fame and wealth grew.
In a 1985 interview with Rolling Stone, he led a tour through his hometown of Minneapolis, dropping a number of fun facts such as noting he hasn’t cried since he was a teen. The most shocking moment came in the middle of the tour when he revealed he turned one of his guest bedrooms into a butterfly sanctuary.
According to the interview, a yellow lawn gnome sat in the middle of the room, covered in a “swarm of butterflies.” Nonchalantly, the singer shrugged and said “a friend gave that to me, and I put it in the living room. But some people said it scared them, so I took it out and put it in here.”
7. Prince Delivers a Semi-Naked VMA Performance
Shedding some clothing onstage was nothing new to Prince by the time the ’90s came around but he outdid himself at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1991.
After coming out onto the stage in a yellow jumpsuit filled with holes to perform a seven-minute version of his Diamonds and Pearls track “Get Off,” he twirled around to reveal the cutaway in the pants that left very little to the imagination.
8. Prince Changes His Name to Unpronounceable Symbol
Prince’s 1992 Love Symbol Album had a fair share of controversy surrounding it. After numerous fights with his label, he appeared in public with the word “slave” penned on his cheek. “People think I’m a crazy fool for writing ‘slave’ on my face. But if I can’t do what I want to do, what am I?” he said.
After putting out the statement, he went on to declare that the mysterious symbol that had appeared on the cover of Love Symbol Album would in fact become his new name. Both of the gestures were radical demonstrations of emancipation from the corporate ties Prince publicly dismissed. “When you stop a man from dreaming,” he added, “he becomes a slave. That’s where I was. I don’t own Prince’s music. If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you.”
Despite reverting back to Prince in 2000, the controversial name change had long become a pop-culture legend.
9. Prince Makes His Guitar Gently Weep at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
George Harrison and Prince were both inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. However, the producer and director of the ceremony, Joel Gallen, asked Prince if he would consider performing twice that night—once during his own induction and a second time during Harrison’s. It was during the tribute performance of “My Guitar Gently Weeps” that prince delivered an unexpected 3-minute solo that has gone down in Hall of Fame history.
Despite some initial trepidation from Prince and Harrison’s widow Olivia, Prince joined Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Steve Winwood for a truly face-melting rendition of the 1968 track.
10. Prince Makes it Rain at the Super Bowl
The morning of Super Bowl 41 saw a torrential Miami downpour that continued well into the game’s kick-off. For any other artist, the weather would have cast a major shadow, maybe even a cancellation, on the night’s proceedings—but not for Prince.
Very few Super Bowl performances (which usually feature a slew of famous faces to pull off the gravitas) could hold a candle to Prince’s solo headlining performance. The night culminated with a bout of divine intervention as the rain poured down over the artist as he wailed through his 1984 hit “Purple Rain.” The song rose to new anthemic heights as Prince blew every other half-time show out of the water.
Photo: “Purple Rain” Video / YouTube
