The older I get, the more I like Prince. He really is a brilliant songwriter, regardless of how weird he may seem. And seriously, Prince is like the boy next door compared to a freakshow like Michael Jackson .

The Art of Noise feat. Tom Jones “Kiss”
You’ve probably heard this one already but it’s a fantastic song. It also introduced Tom Jones to a whole new generation of urban hipsters and started the second phase of his career.

Hindu Love Gods “Raspberry Beret”
The Hindu Love Gods were REM with Warren Zevon singing instead of Michael Stipe. They turn Prince’s little pop tune into a muscular rock song.

Mitch Ryder “When You Were Mine”
This is probably my favorite Prince song. I just love the line about how you didn’t have the decency to change the sheets. I posted the very excellent version of this song by Tegan and Sara back in April, so here’s Mitch Ryder giving it the Detroit rock treatment.

Damien Rice “When Doves Cry”
When you ponder the idea of a medley of “When Doves Cry” and Led Zeppelin’s “Baby I’m Gonna Leave You” it seems completely absurd. But when you hear it, it works perfectly.

Basix With Sopranos From Herning Boys Choir “Purple Rain”
There’s some incredibly pretty singing on this one.