Looking back on his transition to MTV, however, things were definitely a little rocky. His embrace of synths on Long after dark it didn’t exactly endear him to his rock audience, and even when he ventured into the world of music videos, he wasn’t nearly as flashy as someone like Michael Jackson from around the same time.

That’s because the new generation hasn’t figured it out yet, and the biggest names in the world haven’t been crowned yet. Since no one knew what he should be working with, Prince found a way forward by playing every genre under the sun and doing it ten times better than anyone else.

Going through his discography, fans get a helping of everything from funk to jazz to rock to R&B, sometimes on a single album. While anything with those qualifications should feel disjointed as hell, Prince made it all work whenever he took the stage, all while delivering the kind of show that was far wilder than anyone ever imagined like presley

There was no way Petty would wear that kind of sequined jacket or suddenly dip his toes into funk, but he knew Prince would be a name worth keeping, saying“He’s fantastic and it’s so essential because he’s not afraid to do anything, which we’ve needed for a long time. I’ve always felt that the guys who really sell the records and have the influence tend to be a little bit careful.”

Although Petty found himself falling into that camp of “careful” players, some of his later material was about pushing the boundaries somewhat, whether that meant working on epic ballads on Wild flowers or diving back into the blues on one of his last albums, Mojo.

Then again, it was always more than just music with Prince. He was the complete package from the moment he stepped onto the stage and if anyone ever tried to follow him, they were bound to be left in the dust.

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