From 'For You' to 'HITNRUN phase two': Where to access Prince's released music
June 03, 2016
When I first learned that Prince passed away, the only thing I wanted to do was listen to his music. The only obstacle: I had four hours left of a moderately busy serving shift. I had most of his oeuvre on my iPod--after all, the first round of songs I ever imported to iTunes came straight from my mom's CD collection--but the restaurant's sound system wouldn't cooperate with that. My co-worker and I started a Pandora station, but no Prince tracks showed up in the sequence (which should've come as no surprise). Eventually, I found three-quarters of "Purple Rain" on YouTube, and everyone in the restaurant took a moment to grieve.
Soon afterward, The Current started its wall-to-wall Prince marathon. I headed to the all-night dance party at First Avenue. Both the state and the world produced loads of love, music, and mutual support. But now that life is almost back to normal, many people are wondering: where can they find the Purple One's music?
As many know, Prince had stringent opinions about music rights and artistic control. He changed his name to the male/female "love symbol" after disputes with his label, Warner Bros., in the '90s. He also kept a tight grip on his recordings, jealously guarded his image, and sued online pirates. During the last couple of years, he championed Jay Z's streaming service, Tidal, pulling his music from Spotify and other streaming peers.
Much of the available music can be found on iTunes and Amazon, but Tidal is still the most complete way to hear Prince's work online. While Apple Music offers HITNRUN phase two and miscellaneous tribute/movie soundtrack songs, and "Stare" remains on Spotify after being premiered via that service, nothing compares to the music on Jay Z's $9.99/$19.99-per-month service.
That said: YouTube presents Tidal a challenge. Since Prince's death, videos have sprung up online like weeds -- a wealth of songs, music videos, and even concert footage is now available on YouTube, and it's relatively easy to sort through and watch. Here's the problem, though: Prince almost certainly would not have wanted his music to be available on YouTube. The Stranger's Annie Zaleski examines the "Ethical Conundrum of Watching Prince Clips Online" here.
Of Prince's life's work, Tidal streams 32 albums, 15 singles/EPs, and 11 miscellaneous, Prince-featuring projects (the Happy Feet soundtrack, a Joni Mitchell tribute, etc.). Update 6/7: Today, Prince's birthday, Tidal added several more albums to its Prince catalog. The chart below has been updated to reflect the additions.
There are also a handful of albums under the artist listings "Prince & The Revolution" and "Prince & The New Power Generation." However, several albums from the early '90s and the turn of the millennium are left off entirely; the early omissions, at least, can be attributed to decaying relations between Prince and Warner Bros. during the time the albums were released.
Those with certain library cards may have access to Tidal through Hoopla Digital, an online "borrowing"/streaming service. Hennepin County and Ramsey County patrons are not included, but library diehards around outstate Minnesota (and the rest of the country) should try their luck at the link above.
For anyone who doesn't have a Tidal subscription, and for those seeking the several albums absent from Tidal, physical discs and/or vinyl may be the best way to turn. Prince advocated for local record store the Electric Fetus on many occasions, and he even purchased six albums there the weekend before he died. His music started flying off the shelves immediately after his death, but the Fetus has kept up with demand. As one of Prince's last tweets reads, "SUPPORT UR LOCAL RECORD STORE."
 | For You Release Date: 4/7/78 Warner Bros. Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Prince Release Date: 10/19/79 Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Dirty Mind Release Date: 10/8/80 Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Controversy Release Date: 10/14/81 Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | 1999 Release Date: 10/27/82 Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: 4x Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Purple Rain Release Date: 6/25/84 Warner Bros. Notes: Movie soundtrack album RIAA Certification: 13x Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Around The World In A Day Release Date: 4/22/85 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Parade Release Date: 3/31/86 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. Notes: Movie soundtrack album RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Sign 'O' the Times Release Date: 3/30/87 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Lovesexy Release Date: 5/10/88 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Batman Release Date: 6/20/89 Warner Bros. Notes: Movie soundtrack album RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Graffiti Bridge Release Date: 8/20/90 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. Notes: Movie soundtrack album RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Diamonds and Pearls Release Date: 10/1/91 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Love Symbol Album Release Date: 10/13/92 Paisley Park, Warner Bros. Notes: Listed as "Prince & The New Power Generation" on Tidal RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | The Hits/The B-Sides Release Date: 9/14/93 Warner Bros. Notes: Two-disc greatest hits album RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Come Release Date: 8/16/94 Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | The Black Album Release Date: 11/22/94 Warner Bros. Availability: CD Tidal |
 | The Gold Experience Release Date: 9/26/95 NPG, Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Girl 6 Release Date: 3/19/96 Warner Bros. Notes: Movie soundtrack album Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Chaos and Disorder Release Date: 7/9/96 Warner Bros. Notes: Not promoted by Prince; released solely for contract fulfillment Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Emancipation Release Date: 11/19/96 NPG, EMI RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Crystal Ball Release Date: 3/3/98 NPG Notes: Two-disc box set including acoustic album "The Truth" Availability: CD Tidal |
 | The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale Release Date: 8/24/99 Warner Bros. Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic Release Date: 11/9/99 NPG, Arista RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic Release Date: 5/29/01 NPG Notes: Remix album Availability: CD Tidal |
 | The Very Best of Prince Release Date: 7/31/01 Warner Bros. Notes: Greatest hits album RIAA Certification: Platinum Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | The Rainbow Children Release Date: 11/20/01 NPG, Redline Entertainment Availability: CD Tidal |
 | One Nite Alone... Release Date: 5/14/02 NPG Notes: Released through the NPG Music Club Availability: CD Tidal |
 | One Nite Alone... Live! Release Date: 12/17/02 NPG, MP Media Notes: Live album; three discs Availability: CD Tidal |
 | XPECTATION Release Date: 1/1/03 NPG Notes: Released online through the NPG Music Club Availability: |
 | N.E.W.S Release Date: 7/29/03 NPG, MP Media Notes: Initially released through the NPG Music Club Availability: CD Tidal |
 | C-NOTE Release Date: 3/29/04 NPG Notes: Live album; released online through the NPG Music Club Availability: |
 | Musicology Release Date: 3/29/04 NPG, Columbia RIAA Certification: 2x Platinum Availability: CD Tidal |
 | The Chocolate Invasion Release Date: 3/29/04 NPG Notes: Released online through the NPG Music Club Availability: |
 | The Slaughterhouse Release Date: 3/29/04 NPG Notes: Released online through the NPG Music Club Availability: |
 | 3121 Release Date: 3/21/06 NPG, Universal RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Ultimate Release Date: 8/22/06 Warner Bros. Notes: Greatest hits album Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | Planet Earth Release Date: 7/24/07 NPG, Columbia Availability: CD Tidal |
 | Indigo Nights Release Date: 9/30/08 NPG Notes: Live album; available only with 21 Nights book Availability: CD Tidal |
 | LOtUSFLOW3R Release Date: 3/29/09 NPG Notes: three-disc box set containing LOtUSFLOW3R RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: CD Tidal |
 | 20Ten Release Date: 7/10/10 NPG Notes: Released as a CD covermount with several European newspapers Availability: CD Tidal |
 | ART OFFICIAL AGE Release Date: 9/30/14 NPG, Warner Bros. RIAA Certification: 2x Diamond Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | PLECTRUMELECTRUM Release Date: 9/30/14 NPG, Warner Bros. Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | HITNRUN phase one Release Date: 9/7/15 NPG RIAA Certification: Gold Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |
 | HITNRUN phase two Release Date: 12/11/15 NPG Availability: iTunes CD Tidal |