In Prince‘s short but resonating time on earth, the superstar was fiercely fervent about how and where his music was consumed.
Indeed, beyond his ardent activism for artist independence from the major label machine, he was a weary of the digital revolution and made a point to play that game on his own terms. It’s a decision which, in the wake of his sudden death aged 57, is making the rush for access to his vast catalogue the definition of a treasure hunt.
Still, it hasn’t quelled the mass appetite to re-live the tunes that defined a generation and inspired many more.
A perusal of the iTunes charts illuminates this in earnest.
Full story below…
As at writing, an unprecedented 61 Prince songs have charged into the US tally of the Apple retailer.
View just a cross-section of the takeover…
On the album count, it’s a similar picture. All Prince everywhere…
Given the colossal size of Prince’s catalogue (almost 40 full length albums), it’s warming in the midst of the tragedy to see some of his newer music receiving shine.
The circumstances are irreparably sad, yet there is nothing negative about the masses re-discovering his genius and new generations being introduced to it.
What’s more, in a nod to his legal legacy, it’s phenomenal to see folk actually BUYING music in such numbers. A testament, no doubt, to his resistance of the streaming model which he always maintained doesn’t yet compensate artists properly.
It’s worth noting that the Purple One did partner with Jay-Z’s TIDAL recently, whose primary USP is to pay artists a higher % than rival platforms for digital streams.
For now (and presumably the future), TIDAL is the only place to stream purchasable Prince music online.