Prince remains one of the most underrated musicians in history—a surprising statement given his immense fame and catalog of classic albums. The contradiction lies in how people talk about greatness. When the conversation turns to the finest songwriters, guitarists, vocalists, or performers, his name is often absent from the first breath.
The reason may be that Prince defied traditional categories. Where a guitarist like Slash could be measured against Jimmy Page or Jimi Hendrix, or a songwriter compared to Bob Dylan or John Lennon, Prince was not easily placed in a single lane. He was simultaneously a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, bandleader, and visionary. The only fair comparison was to Prince himself.
After his passing in 2016, a video resurfaced of him performing the soaring guitar solo on the all-star cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Millions watched in awe, many realizing for the first time that Prince was not only a star performer but also one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation. The evidence had always been there, in both his live shows and studio recordings, yet audiences rarely singled him out as a guitarist alone. He was too complete an artist to be reduced to a single role.
Focusing on his guitar playing, Prince had a deep love for riffs and solos. He admired the shredding of rock greats like Jimmy Page, while also encouraging his own band members to find their individual voice. Speaking to his guitarist Donna Grantis, he explained:
“Jimmy Page is cool. But he couldn’t keep a sequence without John Bonham behind him. He went from one to four without stopping at two and three. I want her to be her own favorite guitar player. I want everyone at Paisley Park to be their own favorite guitarist, saxophonist, whatever. I don’t want people to play like nobody else.”
Prince’s admiration for Led Zeppelin often made its way into his performances. He frequently covered “Whole Lotta Love,” a psychedelic hard-rock staple, reshaping it with his own fiery guitar style. While the exact number of times he performed it is unknown, fans estimate it was well over 50.
The Zeppelin influence extended beyond his covers. In a 1985 interview, when asked if he minded that critics described some of his music as psychedelic, Prince embraced the label, pointing to Zeppelin as an inspiration.
“I don’t mind that, because that was the only period in recent history that delivered songs and colors,” he said. “Led Zeppelin, for example, would make you feel differently on each song.”
Prince’s relationship with music was too vast for simple labels. Whether as a guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, or showman, he excelled at each role individually. Yet it was the way he blended them together into something singular that made him impossible to judge by ordinary standards. He was not just a musician among many—he was Prince, and that made all the difference.
