Prince Rogers Nelson was one of the most decorated performers in pop history, but his reputation as a performer may have actually undersold what he was. The man wrote constantly, obsessively, and for everyone. His vault at Paisley Park reportedly contained thousands of unreleased songs when he died in 2016, and that doesn’t even account for the hits he quietly handed off to other artists. Some of those songs became career-defining moments for the people who recorded them. The writers’ credits didn’t always get the attention they deserved.
1. “Manic Monday” – The Bangles (1986)
The Bangles were already a solid act when this song arrived, but “Manic Monday” turned them into genuine stars. It hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining pop singles of the decade.
Prince wrote it and originally offered it to Apollonia 6, but it found its real home with the Bangles. He released it under the pseudonym “Christopher,” which was a habit of his when he wanted the song to speak for itself without his name pulling focus.
2. “I Feel for You” – Chaka Khan (1984)
Prince actually recorded his own version of this track first, releasing it on his 1979 self-titled second album. Chaka Khan’s cover came five years later and turned into something else entirely.
Producer Arif Mardin layered in a Stevie Wonder harmonica intro and a Grandmaster Melle Mel rap, which made the finished track feel like a different era speaking through Prince’s original idea. The song won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1985. Prince was 21 when he wrote and recorded it.
3. “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Sinéad O’Connor (1990)
This is probably the most famous song on this list, and still the one people are most surprised to learn has a Prince credit attached. He wrote it in 1984 and recorded a version with his side project The Family, but that recording went largely unnoticed.
O’Connor’s version, with that video and that performance, became one of the best-selling singles of 1990 worldwide. Prince was reportedly not thrilled with her public statements around the time of the song’s release, and the two had a notoriously uncomfortable relationship afterward.
4. “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” – Alicia Keys (2001)
Prince wrote and recorded this as a B-side in 1982, tucked on the flip side of “1999.” Alicia Keys covered it on her debut album “Songs in A Minor” and used it to show off exactly the kind of raw piano-and-voice ability that made her debut such a breakthrough.
It’s a straightforward heartbreak song, but it gave her room to perform, and she took full advantage of it. The original Prince version is worth tracking down for comparison.
5. “Sugar Walls” – Sheena Easton (1984)
Prince wrote this one under the alias “Alexander Nevermind” and handed it to Sheena Easton, who was coming off a run of polished pop hits. The song has a very different energy from most of her catalog.
It reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and landed on Tipper Gore’s infamous Parents Music Resource Center list of songs considered too explicit for general audiences. The PMRC controversy probably helped the song’s visibility more than it hurt it.
6. “Stand Back” – Stevie Nicks (1983)
The origin story here is genuinely unusual. Stevie Nicks was on her honeymoon when she heard “Little Red Corvette” on the car radio and immediately started writing “Stand Back” to the same chord structure. She tracked down Prince’s phone number, told him what she had done, and asked if he was in town.
He came to the studio and played synthesizer on the final recording. He didn’t take a songwriting credit, accepting only a “thanks to” acknowledgment, though Nicks has said she gave him half the royalties. Nicks has spoken openly about wanting to pay tribute to her “Little Red Corvette friend” ever since he died.
7. “Jungle Love” – The Time (1984)
The Time was Morris Day’s group and one of the acts in Prince’s Minneapolis orbit. Prince co-wrote and produced their material alongside Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson, though the credits were complicated and contested for years.
“Jungle Love” appeared on the “Purple Rain” soundtrack and got heavy exposure through the film. Day has spoken openly about the creative dynamics of that period, and the picture he paints is complicated.
8. “Love…Thy Will Be Done” – Martika (1991)
Martika had a major hit with “Toy Soldiers” in 1989 and then struggled to follow it up. Her second album was co-written and produced largely by Prince, and “Love…Thy Will Be Done” was the standout track, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It has a gospel-inflected sincerity that set it apart from anything else on pop radio at the time. Prince seemed genuinely invested in the project rather than just lending his name to it.
The Scale of It
What makes this list interesting is the range. Pop acts, R&B legends, rock icons, new artists looking for a break. Prince wrote for all of them, across different eras and genres, often without putting his own name on the finished product.
The songs hold up because the writing held up, regardless of who was singing. The vault at Paisley Park is still being catalogued years after his death, which means there are almost certainly more surprises waiting.
