Controversy (song) explained

Controversy
Cover:	Prince ControversySingle.jpg
Caption:	1981 UK 7-inch single
Type:	single
Artist:	Prince
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)
Producer:	Prince
Prev Title:	Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
Prev Year:	1981
Next Title:	Let's Work
Next Year:	1981

"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)	15
US Billboard Hot 100^[8]	70
US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)^[9]	3
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[10]	1

1993 weekly chart performance for "Controversy"!Chart (1993)!Peak
position

UK Airplay (Music Week)^[11]	9

2016 weekly chart performance for "Controversy"!Chart (2016)!Peak
position

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Controversy"!Chart (1982)!Position

Australia (Kent Music Report)^[12]	73

Notes and References

1. Web site: controversy | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company . Officialcharts.com . October 17, 2016.
2. Book: Kent, David . . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book . St Ives, NSW . 1993 . 0-646-11917-6.
3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 471.
4. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 357.
5. Book: Clerc, Benoît . October 2022 . Prince: All the Songs . Octopus . 9781784728816.
6. Web site: Controversy. 2023-04-30. guitarcloud.org.
7. Book: Day . Morris . Ritz . David . Morris Day . David Ritz . 2019 . On Time: A Princely Life in Funk . Hachette Books . 9780306922206.
8. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 677.
9. Prince Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Billboard. August 4, 2023.
10. Prince Chart History: Dance Club Songs. Billboard. August 4, 2023.
11. The Airplay Chart. Music Week. December 25, 1993. 28. May 4, 2024.
12. Web site: National Top 100 Singles for 1982 . . . 445 . January 3, 1983 . January 22, 2023 .