Prince Rogers Nelson, the singular force known as Prince, fused funk, rock, pop, and R&B into the electrifying Minneapolis sound, pioneering a boundary-shattering style that defined 1980s music. A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, he crafted taut, dancefloor-propelled gems like Dirty Mind and Sign o' the Times, blending raw sexuality, spiritual yearning, and genre-defying innovation on LinnDrum beats and razor-sharp guitar. Shaped by peers like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, he collaborated with bandmates in The Revolution and The New Power Generation, alongside Morris Day and Sheila E., channeling inner tensions into glistening song machines. His restless genius—sighing falsettos, syncopated grooves, and psychedelic narratives—made albums like Purple Rain cultural touchstones, influencing later acts from Miguel to DāM-FunK while remaining defiantly uncategorizable. Even in later works like Piano & a Microphone 1983, Prince's vault revealed a soul forever reconciling earthly ecstasy with higher planes.