When Prince was released Musicology in 2004, it was hailed as a comeback — and greeted with some sighs of relief. The Purple One's previous albums were either very conceptual (Children of the rainbow2001) or non-commercial (NEWS and Xpectationboth 2003s, were all-instrumental) to most listeners, so when he delivered a party album of vintage funk, critics and fans alike were excited to press play.
The album earned him two Grammys and a No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 – his first album to reach that peak since 1991. Diamonds and Pearls. Even better, the Musicology Live 2004ever tour that followed found the icon delivering big, hit-filled sets with a laid-back warmth you didn't always get from Prince on stage. (The album was also sold as part of every ticket for the tour, with the cost of the LP included in the ticket price.)
For the album's 20th anniversary, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in association with Sony Music Entertainment, are releasing the rare B-side “United States of Division” to streaming platforms for the first time. Previously available as an mp3 download to members of Prince's NPG Music Club, “United States of Division” is a six-minute soul-funk jam that tackles the war in Iraq, America's declining global reputation and internal social divisions.
Musical, Musicology was warmly received – and in retrospect, it's one of Prince's best latter-day albums, with the title track and the hilarious “Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance” standing out. But its launch strategy had industry folks a bit confused.
“Instead Musicologyprince should have gone back to his catalog and named his new album Dispute. This stirs once again as he dispenses Musicology free for fans at his shows,” said the May 8, 2004 issue Advertising sign. “Nielsen SoundScan counts these copies as sales. Of its 191,000 copies Musicology Nielsen SoundScan tracked for the week ending April 18, 12,600 — 6% — counted from his April 21 concert in Columbia, SC.”
Despite some questioning the effectiveness or fairness of the strategy, it proved influential – dozens of acts would follow suit in the years to come until Advertising sign stopped counting album sales that were part of ticket packages in 2020.
