Controversy (song)

"Controversy"
"Controversy"
	1981 UK 7-inch single
Single by Prince
from the album Controversy
B-side	1981: "When You Were Mine"; 1993: "The Future"; "Glam Slam"; "D.M.S.R."; "Anotherloverholenyohead"; "Paisley Park"; "New Power Generation (Part II)";
Released	September 2, 1981
Genre	Funk rock; new wave;
Length	7:14 (album version); 3:39 (7-Inch edit); 6:06 (2004 release);
Label	Warner Bros. (original); NPG (2004 release);
Songwriter(s)	Prince
Producer(s)	Prince
Prince singles chronology
Music video
	"Controversy" on YouTube
Prince (1993) singles chronology
Prince (2004) singles chronology

"Controversy" is a song by American musician Prince, the lead single and title track to his 1981 album. The song addresses speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity surrounding him.

Background

The song has two main verses, a few choruses, with the title repeated throughout the track. Towards the middle he recites the Lord's Prayer in full, which fueled the fire for some to say the song was blasphemous. Toward the end is a repeating chant of "People call me rude / I wish we all were nude / I wish there was no black and white / I wish there were no rules." The song features a steady 4/4 drumbeat, synthesized bass, guitar, and keyboards. The song was backed with "When You Were Mine", from his previous album, Dirty Mind.

On November 29, 1993, in support of The Hits/The B-Sides, "Controversy" was once again released in the UK as a single. It reached number five on the UK charts in December 1993.^[1]

"Controversy" is considered Prince's breakthrough hit in Australia, where it peaked at number 15.^[2] In the US, "Controversy" peaked at number three on the Soul Singles chart^[3] and number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, along with the track, "Let's Work", "Controversy" was the first of seven number ones on the dance chart for Prince.^[4]

Live in Hawaii

"Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" is a digital single made available for sale on Prince's website on March 29, 2004. The single consists of a live performance of the song: "Controversy", recorded on tour in Hawaii in 2003. The track also saw a limited release as a CD single, only available as part of a Prince in Hawaii Gift Box, available from Prince's retail outlet.

Personnel

Sourced from Benoît Clerc, Guitarcloud, Morris Day and David Ritz.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Prince – lead and backing vocals, Oberheim OB-X, Oberheim OB-SX, electric guitars, bass guitar, Pearl SY-1 Syncussion, handclaps; possible drums
Lisa Coleman – backing vocals
Morris Day – possible drums

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Controversy"
Chart (1981–1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[8]^[2]	15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[9]	28
US Billboard Hot 100^[10]	70
US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)^[11]	3
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[12]	1

1993 weekly chart performance for "Controversy"
Chart (1993)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)^[13]	5
UK Airplay (Music Week)^[14]	9

2016 weekly chart performance for "Controversy"
Chart (2016)	Peak position
France (SNEP)^[15]	52

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Controversy"
Chart (1982)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[8]	73

References

^ "controversy | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 471.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 357.
^ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
^ "Controversy". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
^ Day, Morris; Ritz, David (2019). On Time: A Princely Life in Funk. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306922206.
^ ^a ^b "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. January 3, 1983. Retrieved January 22, 2023 – via Imgur.
^ "Prince – Controversy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 677.
^ "Prince Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
^ "Prince Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
^ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
^ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. December 25, 1993. p. 28. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
^ "Prince – Controversy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 4, 2023.

[1] "controversy | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved October 17, 2016.

[auchart-2] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[3] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 471.

[4] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 357.

[5] Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.

[6] "Controversy". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved April 30, 2023.

[7] Day, Morris; Ritz, David (2019). On Time: A Princely Life in Funk. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780306922206.

[aus82-8] "National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report. January 3, 1983. Retrieved January 22, 2023 – via Imgur.

[sc_Dutch100_Prince-9] "Prince – Controversy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 4, 2023.

[10] Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 677.

[11] "Prince Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2023.

[12] "Prince Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2023.

[sc_UKsinglesbyname_Prince-13] "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2017.

[14] "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. December 25, 1993. p. 28. Retrieved May 4, 2024.

[sc_France_Prince-15] "Prince – Controversy" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved August 4, 2023.

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v t e Prince singles
1970s	"Soft and Wet" "Just as Long as We're Together" "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
1980s	"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" "Still Waiting" "Sexy Dancer" "Uptown" "Dirty Mind" "Do It All Night" "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" "Controversy" "Let's Work" "Do Me, Baby" "1999" "Little Red Corvette" "Delirious" "Let's Pretend We're Married" "When Doves Cry" "Let's Go Crazy" "Purple Rain" "I Would Die 4 U" "Take Me with U" "Paisley Park" "Raspberry Beret" "Pop Life" "America" "Kiss" "Mountains" "Anotherloverholenyohead" "Girls & Boys" "Sign "O" the Times" "If I Was Your Girlfriend" "U Got the Look" "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" "Alphabet St." "Glam Slam" "I Wish U Heaven" "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!"
1990s	"The Future" "Thieves in the Temple" "New Power Generation" "Gett Off" "Cream" "Diamonds and Pearls" "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" "Insatiable" "Thunder" "Sexy MF" "My Name Is Prince" "7" "Damn U" "The Morning Papers" "Pink Cashmere" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Peach" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "Letitgo" "Space" "Purple Medley" "I Hate U" "Gold" "Dinner with Delores" "Betcha by Golly Wow!" "The Holy River" "The Truth" "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold"
2000s	"U Make My Sun Shine" (with Angie Stone) "When Will We B Paid?" (with Audio Stepchild) "Supercute" "The Work, pt. 1" "Days of Wild" "Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" "Musicology" "Cinnamon Girl" "S.S.T." "Te Amo Corazón" "Black Sweat" "Fury" "Guitar" "F.U.N.K." "Dance 4 Me"
2010s	"Rocknroll Loveaffair" "Breakfast Can Wait" "Fallinlove2nite" "Breakdown" "This Could B Us" "Free Urself"
Promotional singles	"When You Were Mine" "Erotic City" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Love Sign" (with Nona Gaye) "Somebody's Somebody" "It's About That Walk" "Call My Name" "The Song of the Heart"
Internet downloads	"Guitar (original "demo" version)"
New Power Generation	"Get Wild" "The War" "Come On"
EPs	The Beautiful Experience NYC 1999: The New Master
Other songs	"I Feel for You" "Partyup" "Private Joy" "International Lover" "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue" "Darling Nikki" "Baby I'm a Star" "17 Days" "Around the World in a Day" "Sometimes It Snows in April" "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" "Starfish and Coffee" "Adore" "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" "I Can't Make U Love Me" "La, La, La Means I Love U" "One of Us" "Everyday Is a Winding Road" "A Case of U" "Crimson and Clover" "Moonbeam Levels"