10 Greatest Love Songs In Rock
9. I Would Die 4 U - Prince
When talking about any type of music, you have to pretty much put Prince in every single category. Throughout his run in the '80s alone, the Purple One managed to capture every single type of popular music out there, from the sounds of old school rock and roll to funk to soul. Even when delivering just a regular ballad, you knew that it wasn't going to be just your typical rock and roll song.
Arriving towards the end of Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U is a much more radio-friendly look for Prince, bringing in the (at the time) new synthesizer sounds to offset his more squealing vocal delivery. Despite having the same sexual urgency that permeates most of his catalog, Prince really restrains himself for this tune, as he declares his undying devotion to his lover.
For as much as it may have hit hard with audiences, this ballad also never stops feeling like a party from start to finish. Though you can tell that this is a much more downtempo song for Prince, you can really feel that added sense of urgency, as if the weight of the entire world is dependent on this relationship. I mean, if you're willing to lay your life down for someone like this, you might as well sound convicted, right?