the list of 9 for november 25, 2005:
NINE HIT SONGS ACTUALLY WRITTEN BY PRINCE AND BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
I'm always fascinated to learn that a notable song performed by one popular musician was actuallywritten by another. This is especially true for two artists who have already become living legends- Prince and Bruce Springsteen. Here's a list of their various songs made famous by other people.(Note: Current thinking goes against the rumors that Prince also wrote the "Uh-Huh" jingle forPepsi and the "Always Coca-Cola" jingle for Coke.)
- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U. Easily the most well-known ofPrince's songs covered by someone else, this was Sinead O'Connor's only true hit.
- BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. A young Springsteen couldn't get hisown career off the ground with this song, but it did wonders for the otherwise obscure ManfredMann - their version is still played on "classic rock" radio stations all over the world.
- MANIC MONDAY. Prince wrote this especially for theBangles, and although back in the 80's it was well known who the songwriter was, thisfact may have become forgotten by many during the subsequent two decades.
- I FEEL FOR YOU. This 1979 Prince tune was given new lifeby his friend Chaka Khan in 1984, which was altogether Prince's year (thanks to the Purple Rainphenomenon). Strangely, it was not common knowledge that this song was his too. Maybe it would have been easier to guess if the title were "I Feel 4 U."
- BECAUSE THE NIGHT. Springsteen wrote this with hisfriend Patti Smith, for whom it was a big success. Years later, Ten Thousand Maniacs covered itduring their MTV Unplugged appearance, and it once more got endless radio play.
- GLAMOROUS LIFE. Prince protege Sheila E. rose to the topof the charts with this song that he wrote for her. Another lesser Sheila E. hit, "Love Bizarre,"was also penned by his royal highness.
- FIRE. Hard to imagine Bruce Springsteen writing anythingfor the Pointer Sisters, but their version of his smoldering pop song was a big winner in 1978.
- SUGAR WALLS. No surprise here: the Purple One was behindthis dirty ditty, which his occasional collaborator Sheena Easton turned into a popular 80's danceclub hit.
- HUNGRY HEART. If writing for the Pointer Sisters seems oddfor Springsteen, this was even odder - he wrote "Hungry Heart" specifically for The Ramones!Unfortunately they never got to record it, as The Boss decided to keep it for himself and itbecame his first song to make it into Top 10. So it doesn't really count, as far as this list isconcerned. Still, it's a neat story for those who haven't heard it.
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