Prince Rogers Nelson was one of the most critically and commercially successful solo musicians of the 20th Century, thanks to his impressive technical proficiency and a spell of outrageous creativity in the 1980s. In a career spanning almost 30 years, he has released almost 30 studio or soundtrack albums, all of which were entirely written, arranged, performed and produced by Prince himself. His back catalogue of singles is similarly impressive - with 19 Top 10 hits in the US (including five No.1s), and 17 in the UK, his work has achieved massive commercial success while still being revered by music critics. Commonly known just by his first name, Prince also attracted notoriety in 1993 for changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol as a result of a dispute with his label.

Born in 1958 in Minneapolis, Prince developed a passion for funk and rock pioneers such as Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix, and learned to play over 20 different instruments. His first records, For You in 1978 and Prince the following year, were only minor successes, but 1980's Dirty Mind was a gold-seller and is regarded as his first great album - its synth-led funk and risqué themes breaking established boundaries. Controversy was a sequel with a classic title track, and 1999 possessed yet another memorable title track and an expansion of Prince's sound palette as he mastered yet more instruments. Having sold nearly 14 million units over five albums, his next full-length more than doubled that on its own - his masterpiece, 1984's Purple Rain. The soundtrack to a film starring Prince, it is routinely stated to be one of the greatest albums of the 1980s, while the film is largely forgotten. The soundtrack won three Grammys and an Oscar and spawned two No.1s - "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" (the epic title track peaked at No.2). He followed this up with Around the World in a Day, before two more real classics - Parade (featuring "Kiss") and the eclectic double-album Sign "O" the Times. 1988's Lovesexy was the last of Prince's remarkable 80s run - eight successive albums of endless creativity fusing funk, pop and rock.

Subsequent albums were of varying quality. Come, which followed his dispute with Warner Bros., and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic were particular disappointments, though the album known as Love Symbol was much better. A less prominent public profile followed but Prince's influence is still prevalent today - from OutKast and Missy Elliot to Justin Timberlake and Beck. He also continues to perform live, record new music and rebel against the music industry which he says is enslaving; in 2007 he released his new album, Planet Earth, for free in the British Daily Mail newspaper, much to the anger of record distributors and retailers.