Top 30 Songs You Didn't Know Were Written by Prince
#30: “U” (1991)
Paula Abdul
Long before this flirtatious album cut landed on “Spellbound”, its history already stretched back more than a decade. Prince first recorded “You” with the Rebels in 1979. Years later, Paula Abdul released the re-recorded song on her second album. Credited as Paisley Park, he composed, produced, and arranged the track, while V. Jeffrey Smith and Peter Lord handled programming and keyboards. The finished number is a fizzy, teasing funk-pop workout whose coy spoken break, clipped phrasing, and text-message-style spelling make its authorship feel obvious in hindsight. It remains a delightful deep cut—and proof that even an old Prince idea could arrive sounding tailor-made for another pop star.
#29: “Givin Em What They Love” (2013)
Janelle Monáe feat. Prince
A snarling guitar riff and two commanding voices make this collaboration feel less like a guest spot than a shared creative exchange. Released on Janelle Monáe’s 2013 album “The Electric Lady”, Prince contributes co-lead vocals, guitar, bass, and lyrics. Monáe later stressed that she produced him and directed his performance, a delicious reversal of the usual legend-and-protégé dynamic. The arrangement piles hard funk, theatrical strings, horns, and vocal howls into a swaggering showcase that reflects the album’s grand sound. Even on a record crowded with famous guests, this pairing stands out because neither artist shrinks to accommodate the other. Instead, the track plays like a mutual dare.
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#28: “Born 2 B.R.E.E.D.” (1993)
Monie Love
A clipped rap cadence, disco strings, and a ragga-flavored refrain turn a parenting manifesto into a club record. Monie Love co-wrote the 1993 single with Prince and Levi Seacer Jr., while Prince produced it, played nearly every instrument, and handled most of the recording. Their partnership grew from an exchange: she wrote raps for Carmen Electra’s album, and he supplied material for her record. The acronym in the song’s title expands to “Build Relationships where Education and Enlightenment Dominate,” framing lyrics about motherhood, schooling, and parental responsibility. Its serious ideas still moved bodies, reaching number one on Billboard’s US Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart and number seven on its Hot Rap Songs chart. Prince built the engine; Love decisively steered the message.
#27: “If I Love U 2 Nite” (1990)
Mica Paris
A London encounter eventually sent one of British soul’s richest voices to Paisley Park. Mica Paris recalled that Prince spotted her in the crowd during one of his shows, handed her a microphone, and later sent her four songs. One became this slow-burning confession on her 1990 album “Contribution”. Its history reached back to 1979, when he wrote an early version for Gayle Chapman during the Rebels sessions, before re-recording it himself in 1987. With co-producers Andres Levin and Camus Celli, Paris rebuilt the composition as plush contemporary R&B, her stellar vocals balancing desire with caution. The single reached number 43 in Britain.
#26: “The Sex of It” (1990)
Kid Creole & the Coconuts
Slinky horns, rubbery bass, and inimitable swagger make this collaboration sound custom-built for its flamboyant frontman. Prince recorded the basic track at Paisley Park in July 1987. After meeting August Darnell in Europe and promising him a song, he sent over the recording in late 1989. Darnell added the lead, while Prince supplied most of the backing track alongside contributions from Sheila E., Levi Seacer Jr., Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and Dian Sorel. Released in 1990, the single reached number 29 in Britain and number 19 on Billboard’s dance chart. Darnell later said its provocative title drew resistance from radio stations, complicating its mainstream prospects.
#25: “Super Hero” (1993)
Earth, Wind & Fire
Built on a foundation of funk grooves and layered harmonies, this collaboration represents a seamless exchange between generations. Prince recorded the basic track at Paisley Park in September 1992, contributing keyboards, drum programming, background vocals, and the rhythm arrangement. Earth, Wind & Fire then expanded the recording with lead vocals from Maurice White and Philip Bailey, Verdine White’s bass, and Michael Thompson’s guitar. Maurice White produced their version and contributed its horn arrangement alongside Bill Meyers for the band’s 1993 album “Millennium”. The New Power Generation featuring the Steeles re-recorded it for “Blankman”. It appears to be Prince’s only released musical contribution to Earth, Wind & Fire’s catalogue—and a rare meeting between two funk institutions.
#24: “100 MPH” (1986)
Mazarati
An oversized opening flourish gives way to a muscular, fast-moving rhythm that makes this funk workout feel engineered for momentum. Prince tracked the song at his Flying Cloud Drive warehouse in June 1984, before Sir Casey Terry recorded the lead vocal the following April. Prince wrote the song, played every instrument, and sang background vocals, and several Mazarati members added backing vocals. Prince produced the track, while Brown Mark produced the vocal sessions, and the original release credited Brown Mark alone as producer. The song reached number 19 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart and number 12 on the dance chart. Prince’s own vocal version finally received an official release on 2019’s “Originals”.
#23: “The Screams of Passion” (1985)
The Family
Urgent vocals and cinematic strings give this track a dramatic, emotionally charged place within the Minneapolis sound. Prince recorded the basic track at his Flying Cloud Drive warehouse in August 1984, playing every instrument before St. Paul Peterson and Susannah Melvoin overdubbed their vocals. Clare Fischer’s orchestration made it the first released Prince-related recording to feature strings arranged by Fischer. Although the original release credited Peterson and Melvoin as writers, later documentation identifies Prince as the song’s author, while the production credits named David Z. and the Family. The song introduced the project’s blend of sleek funk, theatrical romance, and orchestral sweep. Its scale makes the Family sound fully formed from the opening note.
#22: “The Dance Electric” (1985)
André Cymone
A warning about global collapse became a reunion between two musicians who had grown up together. After leaving Prince’s band and establishing his own solo career, André Cymone reconnected creatively with his old friend for this 1985 single, their only studio collaboration from that chapter of his career. Prince supplied the composition and its relentless instrumental foundation, while Cymone added the commanding lead vocal and shared the production credit. Rather than offering simple escapism, the track drives its club-ready pulse toward an urgent plea for connection before time runs out. Prince’s original recording finally surfaced on “Purple Rain Deluxe” in 2017, but Cymone’s release captures two former musical partners reconnecting for one striking studio collaboration.
#21: “Sex Shooter” (1984)
Apollonia 6
One provocative holdover survived a wholesale reinvention of Prince’s female-trio project. He had already begun a second Vanity 6 album, but after Vanity departed, much of that material was abandoned while Apollonia joined Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie in the renamed group. This song became the rare bridge between those two lineups, appearing on Apollonia 6’s only album and in the film "Purple Rain". Its cool electronic pulse and deliberately exaggerated seduction suit a performance built around image as much as melody, but the real fascination lies in its recycled identity. Prince transformed an earlier Vanity 6 concept into Apollonia 6’s debut single. His own recording was released on "Originals" in 2019.
#20: “Tip O' My Tongue” (1992)
El DeBarge
This artist did not simply inherit a Prince composition; he reshaped it into a recording that belonged unmistakably to his own album. Prince and Kirk Johnson wrote the song, but DeBarge’s musicians rebuilt it completely, leaving no Prince performance on 1992’s “In the Storm”. DeBarge and Maurice White co-produced the album version, turning authorship into a starting point rather than a set of instructions. Prince’s contribution lies in the writing rather than an uncredited performance on the released master. His original recording finally appeared on the 2023 “Diamonds and Pearls” expansion.
#19: “Five Women” (1991)
Joe Cocker
In his too-short 57 years on this earthly plane, the man born Prince Rogers Nelson wrote literally thousands of songs. Many of them were recorded by him first before being passed off to others, and for others, the inverse was true. This is one of the latter cases: Prince’s 1999 album “The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale” was faithful to its name, in the sense that it contained songs that had been written as long as 15 years prior to its release. Some eight years before “The Vault,” iconic British bluesman Joe Cocker recorded a version of its dusky, sultry deep cut “Five Women” for his 1991 album “Night Calls.”
#18: “Jerk Out” (1990)
The Time
Like we mentioned earlier, Prince has an extensive back catalogue that runs real deep. Case in point: “Jerk Out,” which became the Time’s biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100, was originally recorded by Prince himself in 1981. Intended for the Time’s 1982 album “What Time is It?,” the song changed hands several times over the course of the decade before ultimately being reworked and rerecorded by the Time for their 1990 album “Pandemonium.” If you heard this song on the radio, you couldn’t be blamed for thinking that it was by Prince himself, given its irresistible groove, playful rapping, and red-hot guitar theatrics. The Time also turned another Prince co-write, “Jungle Love,” into one of their most swaggering signature hits.
#17: “You’re My Love” (1986)
Kenny Rogers
Written by Prince under the hilarious, inexplicable pseudonym “Joey Coco,” “You’re My Love” demonstrates his musical versatility. A far cry from the electric funk-pop fusion of the Time, this mushy-gushy devotional finds Prince showing off his little-seen sensitive side. Although Prince doesn’t actually play any instruments on the Rogers recording, the song does feature a notable, non-Prince guest appearance. That would be El DeBarge, lead singer of the family outfit DeBarge, who contributes backing vocals. A 2021 interview with DeBarge revealed that Rogers, a self-proclaimed huge Prince fan, had asked him for a song, and was gifted with “You’re My Love” as a result.
#16: “Love... Thy Will Be Done” (1991)
Martika
Yet another Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 victory for Prince, this 1991 yearning soft-rock ballad finds him shifting into an atypically subdued gear. “Love… Thy Will Be Done” is further proof that Prince could straddle disparate genres with relative ease. One of four songs that Prince wrote and produced for the “Martika’s Kitchen” album, his contributions led to Martika significantly switching up her sound. “Love… Thy Will Be Done” is a soul-baring, slow-burning crescendo with gospel influences that shows off Prince’s gift for open-hearted expressions of love and affection. This was worlds away from his raunchier, more popular solo work. Didn’t we say he could do it all?
#15: “Nasty Girl” (1982)
Vanity 6
Short-lived girl group Vanity 6 first came into existence as part of a Prince experiment that resembled the formation of the Time. Comprising Canadian model/actress Denise “Vanity” Matthews, Brenda Bennett, and Susan Moonsie, Vanity 6 fulfilled the musician’s vision of creating a hypersexualized band of women who sang about topics familiar to Prince fans, but from a female perspective. Maybe Prince, who plays every instrument on the song, should’ve been careful as to what he wished for: although “Nasty Girl” has developed a cult following over the years, it was initially shunned by American radio stations for its lyrics that, well… let’s say didn’t leave much to the imagination.
#14: “Love Song” (1989)
Madonna
Wait, what?! Two of the biggest hitmakers of ‘80s pop music collaborated for a duet and somehow we’re not always talking about this?! A deep cut off of Madonna’s hugely influential, critically acclaimed 1989 “Like a Prayer” album, “Love Song” predictably subverts its seemingly simplistic title. Madonna openly declares that “Love Song” is anything but that, a plea to a wishy-washy lover to either commit or let her go. The track came about after Prince and Madonna met at the 1985 American Music Awards, and came up with several concepts for songs that were abandoned and never materialized. Eventually, “Love Song” was formulated by the two superstars over the phone and through tapes sent across the U.S.
#13: “Waiting Room” (2001)
No Doubt
Now perhaps best-known for being Gwen Stefani’s vehicle to solo fame, it should be noted that No Doubt had an enviable selection of ‘90s hits. Having typically been grounded in reggae, ska, and dancehall sounds for their first four albums, 2001’s “Rock Steady” found the band engaging with a wide range of new collaborators. These included the Neptunes (AKA Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), the Cars’ Ric Ocasek, and of course, Prince. Originally written for the band’s previous album, 2000’s “Return of Saturn,” “Waiting Room” combines the two acts’ sensibilities in a satisfying, highly danceable fashion.
#12: “Stand Back” (1983)
Stevie Nicks
This pulsing, prototypically ‘80s electropop jam doesn’t officially bear the mark of the Purple One. A Top 5 hit for Nicks on the Billboard Hot 100, the 1983 song finds its roots in Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.” Nicks, listening to the song in her car, was inspired by its synth-rich sound, and decided to call Prince to let him know of her source of inspiration. Maybe he was touched, maybe he was just feeling creative, but either way, Prince ended up “[programming] it for them and pretty much [playing] most of the song there in about twenty or thirty minutes.” Now that’s what we call creative generosity.
#11: “Round and Round” (1990)
Tevin Campbell
Released in 1990, R&B teen idol Tevin Campbell was just 13 years old at the time of this song’s release in September. Recorded the previous December, Prince wrote and produced this funky bop, which alludes to the “new jack swing” sound that was just about to take over the airwaves. “Round and Round” implores listeners to not let their dreams be dreams, making its case over a busy, bouncy instrumental. Prince himself can be heard doing the song’s backing vocals, which kind of leads you to wonder… how much farther could Campbell hope to go if, on his debut single, he’s already collaborated with one of the best to ever do it?
#10: “When You Were Mine” (1983)
Cyndi Lauper
Written and recorded by Prince for his 1980 release Dirty Mind, this love song takes on an entirely new meaning when sung by a woman. So leave it to Cyndi Lauper to cover “When You Were Mine” for her provocative 1983 debut, keeping the original set of lyrics and placing the song between two of her more popular hits. It’s a unique type of love triangle ballad, especially for the pop culture landscape of the early '80s, and the song ultimately became Cyndi Lauper’s seventh and final single off “She's So Unusual”.
#9: “Sugar Walls” (1984)
Sheena Easton
This time around Prince opted to use a pen name, adopting the moniker “Alexander Nevermind” for this top 10 hit by Sheena Easton. As you might’ve guessed given the author, the walls don’t represent those of a traditional home, but rather something more personal. And when Sheena Easton notes that “blood races to your private spots” and offers an invitation within the titular walls, well, the message becomes that much clearer. The song becomes even more interesting when you imagine Prince with a pen in hand, perhaps anticipating a more PC world but unwilling to tame down his lyrical content.
#8: “How Come You Don't Call Me” (2001)
Alicia Keys
Originally released as a b-side on Prince's 1999 single, this song was picked up by future superstar Alicia Keys for her acclaimed debut album, Songs in A Minor. Serving as the third single, “How Come You Don’t Call Me” conveyed more of a retro feel for Alicia Keys, fitting as the original came out when she was less than a year old. With a rich set of lyrics communicating feelings of isolation and confusion, the musical aesthetic has both a playful and bluesy tone, making the song ideal for live shows.
#7: “Yo Mister”
Patti LaBelle
Today, a song with a title like this might not exactly work for an R&B artist well into their 40s, and that’s what makes this collaboration so unique. With a raw message for unassuming fathers, “Yo Mister” chronicles the plight of young Cara, as Patti Labelle so forcefully brings Prince’s words to life. It’s not your typical R&B song of the time, but even so, it still managed to do some damage on the charts. The street-smart lyrics are hard to ignore, especially when paired with the vocals of Patti Labelle.
#6: “With This Tear”
Celine Dion
By writing “With This Tear” specifically for Celine Dion, Prince demonstrated not only his
lyrical proficiency but his ability to match his content with the right artist. It’s a gentle, romantic production, and through the formal set of lyrics and accessible structure, “With This Tear” evolved into a classic musical document of lost love, made even better through the intonations of young Celine. From conceptualization to final product, Prince and Ms. Dion nailed it.
#5: “The Glamorous Life”
Sheila E.
Years after first meeting Prince at a concert, Sheila E. provided backup vocals for his 1984 album “Purple Rain”. Soon after, her debut album was in production, and “THE artist” penned the ideal pop song to close out the record. With “The Glamorous Life”, Prince utilized a formulaic narrative of material excess, yet he added just the right amount of timely descriptions for Sheila E. to build upon. As a result, Prince and his protégé formed a close bond as the song paved the way for Grammy nominations and another successful collab with 1985’s “A Love Bizarre”.
#4: “I Feel for You”
Chaka Khan
All right, so one may not equate Prince with late '70s disco, but he did, in fact, release a disco-like song on his 1979 sophomore album. Incidentally, R&B songstress Chaka Khan released an updated version five years later, complete with an opening verse by hip-hop icon Melle Mel. Lyrically, “I Feel for You” is relatively simple, but when combined with the superstar charisma of a Prince or Chaka Khan, it takes on a more powerful effect. The purple one even took home a Grammy for Best R&B Song, proving that music is sometimes about the overall experience rather than a transcendent set of lyrics.
#3: “Donald Trump (Black Version)”
The Time
Written by Prince for The Time's unreleased Corporate World album and ultimately released on their 1990 effort Pandemonium, “Donald Trump (Black Version)” helped explore the idea of an Afro-American retelling of Wall Street. Oozing with all the sexuality you'd expect from Prince such as on tracks like “Jerk Out”, the song also touches on notions of wealth and power and is far more soft-core Cinemax sensual than anything involving Donald Trump should be. It's hard to imagine how the Donald felt about this R&B shout out, but either way his reaction was bound to be YUGE.
#2: “Manic Monday”
The Bangles
In what has to be one of the most bizarre scenarios of mid-80s pop culture, this track was originally composed for “Purple Rain” stars Apollonia 6, but it just wasn’t meant to be. A fan of their first album, Prince instead offered the song to the Bangles which may or may not have been an attempt to woo the band's guitarist Susanna Hoffs. With writing attributed to Christopher, Prince's character from “Under the Cherry Moon”, the song provided to be a massive top 10 hit for the band in ten countries, and was only prevented from hitting #1 by Prince himself who was topping the Hot 100 with “Kiss”.
#1: “Nothing Compares 2 U”
Sinead O’Connor
Though the two artists in question didn’t meet until after this song’s release and reportedly didn’t get along too well when they did, that doesn’t minimize the potency of this 1990 cover. Originally recorded by the Prince-formed band The Family, it was picked up by Sinead O’Connor for her sophomore release. While many even today may not have known who the song's author was, the abbreviated title, which Prince was known for, should have tipped listeners off. Kicking off the '90s, this Prince composition has become one of the most easily identifiable and emotional songs ever recorded.
Which Prince-penned hit surprised you most, and which one deserves more love? Let us know in the comments!
