
When it came to "living off the wall" and making "doves cry" all through the night, Michael Jackson and Prince were in a league of their own during the late 1970s and early '80s.
The careers of the two music icons mirrored each other, from their timeless chart-topping classics to their individual artistry.In our latest round of Tale of the Tape, we stack up the "King of Pop" and "The Purple One" to see whether they had more in common than just their cultural influence.
(M) Full Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
(P) Full Name: Prince Rogers Nelson
(M) Alias: "King of Pop"
(P) Alias: "The Purple One," "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince"
(M) Also Referred to As: "Wacko Jacko"

(P) Also Referred to As: "The Kid"
(M) Date of Birth: Aug. 29, 1958
(P) Date of Birth: June 7, 1958
(M) Birthplace: Gary, Ind.
(P) Birthplace: Minneapolis
(M) Grammy Awards: 13
(P) Grammy Awards: 7
(M) Worldwide Record Sales: Over 750 million
(P) Worldwide Record Sales: Over 80 million
(M) Notable Relationships: Lisa Marie Presley, Debbie Rowe, Brooke Shields, Stephanie Mills
(P) Notable Relationships: Kim Basinger, Apollonia Kotero, Sheena Easton, Vanity, Carmen Electra, Mayte Garcia

(M) Notable Chant: "EEEE HEEE!"
(P) Notable Chant: "OWWWWW!"
(M) Feature Film Appearances: 'The Wiz,' 'Moonwalker'
(P) Feature Film Appearances: 'Graffiti Bridge,' 'Under the Cherry Moon,' 'Purple Rain'
(M) Alleged Stolen Traits: Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar revealed on TV One's 'UnSung' that he originated the backslide, which later became known to the world as the moonwalk.
(P) Alleged Stolen Traits: Rick James alleged that Prince stole his style and stage persona early in his career.
(M) Famous Rivalries: Prince, Paul McCartney
(P) Famous Rivalries: Michael Jackson, Rick James

(M) Record Label Riffs: Following the lackluster sales of his 2001 opus 'Invincible,' Jackson blamed his record label, Sony Music Entertainment, and industry executives, including producer Tommy Mottola, whom he called a racist and likened to Satan.
(P) Record Label Riffs: Beginning in 1993, Prince used a symbol in place of his name because he considered his longtime record contract with Warner Bros. Records to be oppressive. He ended his recording strike in 1999.
(M) Notable Quotes: "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."
(P) Notable Quotes: "Cool means being able to hang with yourself. All you have to ask yourself is, 'Is there anybody I'm afraid of?' 'Is there anybody who if I walked into a room and saw, I'd get nervous?' If not, then you're cool."
(M) Seminal Album: 'Thriller' (1982)
(P) Seminal Album: 'Purple Rain' (1984)

(M) Notable Collaborations: Quincy Jones produced 'Off the Wall,' 'Thriller' and 'Bad' even though -- according to Berry Gordy -- the record label didn't want him to work on the project because he was "too jazzy." Jackson also co-produced and sang on Diana Ross' hit single 'Muscles' and Rockwell's singular hit 'Somebody's Watching Me.'
(P) Notable Collaborations: Prince crafted hits for Vanity 6, Sheena Easton and Sheila E in the 1980s. In 1986, he produced songs on Patti LaBelle's critically acclaimed albums 'Burnin' and 'Be Yourself' (even singing with her on 'Yo, Mister'). In 1998, he executive produced Chaka Khan's 'Come 2 My House,' which was released on his NPG record label.
(M) Vocal Discoveries: Brownstone
(P) Vocal Discoveries: Rosie Gaines
(M) Songs Covered By Others, Maybe Better: 'Never Can Say Goodbye' by Isaac Hayes, 'Got to Be There' by Chaka Khan
(P) Songs Covered By Others, Maybe Better: 'Do Me Baby' by Me'Lisa Morgan, 'I Feel for You' by Chaka Khan
(M) Other Standout Covers: 'She's Out of My Life' by Shirley Bassey
(P) Other Standout Covers: 'Purple Rain' by Randy Crawford, Fantasia; 'How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore' by Stephanie Mills, Alicia Keys
(M) Modern-Day Samples: 'Please Don't Stop the Music' by Rihanna ('Wanna Be Starting Something'), 'Right Here' by SWV ('Human Nature')
(P) Modern-Day Samples: 'To Live & Die in L.A.' by 2Pac ('Do Me Baby')

(M) Suggestive Song About Women: 'Dirty Diana'
(P) Suggestive Song About Women: 'Darling Nikki'
(M) Random Factoid: Was reported to perform a duet with Prince on his album 'Bad' but could not decide on the words to the project's title track.
(P) Random Factoid: During his high school days, he was reportedly in a band called Champagne with his cousin Morris Day and friend Andre Cymone.
(M) Super Bowl Appearances: Super Bowl XXVII
(P) Super Bowl Appearances: Super Bowl XLI
(M) Hair Over the Years: Afro, Jheri curl, long and straight
(P) Hair Over the Years: Afro, Jheri curl, dry curl, long and straight, feathered cut
(M) Connection to Madonna: Made headlines with her after stepping out on the town.
(P) Connection to Madonna: Record companies shared the same parent company, Warner Bros.
(M) Trademark: White sequined glove
(P) Trademark: Purple attire

(M) Connection to Janet Jackson: She's Michael's youngest sibling.
(P) Connection to Janet Jackson: Prince helped launch The Time, which featured Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who later went on to produce Janet's breakthrough album 'Control.' The duo later crafted the megasuccessful follow-ups 'Rhythm Nation' and 'Janet.'
(M) Connection to Spike Lee: The filmmaker directed the music video for Michael Jackson's controversial song 'They Don't Care About Us.'
(P) Connection to Spike Lee: The soundtrack for the filmmaker's 1996 movie 'Girl 6' featured all songs by Prince, who also produced the project.
(M) Solo Albums Released: 11
(P) Solo Albums Released: 30
(M) Most Memorable TV Appearances: 'Motown 25,' 'Oprah Winfrey Prime-time Live Interview'

(P) Most Memorable TV Appearances: Appearing on stage alongside Michael Jackson and James Brown during a 1983 concert.
(M) Known Ailments: Vitiligo
(P) Known Ailments: Epilepsy (as a child)
(M) Major Industry Introductions: Gladys Knight helped get the Jackson 5 an audition at Motown; Diana Ross presented their debut album.
(P) Major Industry Introductions: Prince was the opening act on tours for Rick James (1980) and the Rolling Stones (1981).
(M) Religion: Jehovah's Witness
(P) Religion: Jehovah's Witness

(M) Short Films (Milestone Music Videos): 'Thriller'
(P) Short Films (Milestone Music Videos): 'Sexy MF'
(M) Trends: Red leather jackets, slick pop-locking dance moves, sequined gloves
(P) Trends: Big hair, lace, eye patches
(M) Musical Influences: Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, James Brown
(P) Musical Influences: Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Sly & the Family Stone
(M) Famous Satire: Weird Al Yankovich ('Eat It')
(P) Famous Satire: 'The Prince Show' on 'Saturday Night Live,' 'Chappelle's Show'
Take a in depth look at Michael Jackson and Prince's illustrious career.
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Comments: (51)
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By: FRANK HODGES on 8/28/2009 2:56AM
MJ was a man.
P is a male.
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By: No Question on 8/30/2009 6:17PM
This is easy -- Michael Jackson is the BEST. His generosity to charities around the world tops it all!
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By: ang on 8/28/2009 6:06AM
They are both great talented artist or were both great. Michael could sing dance and make you feel good listening to his music. Prince can play every instrument write from gospel to erotica and make you feel good listening to his music. I just thank God that they shared their talents with us.
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By: GSA on 8/29/2009 10:06AM
It's hard to compare because both were geniuses in their own right. I think MJ was the better entertainer and Prince is the better musician and lyricist. I would give Prince the slight nod because I'm a huge fan of slow jams, and NO ONE can put out a better slow jam than Prince! Remember "Do Me Baby", "Scandalous", "When 2 R In Luv", "Call My Name", "If I was Your Girlfriend", I can go on and on!
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By: James on 8/28/2009 7:34AM
You really reached for those comparisons. The major thing that separated them was their differing attitudes towards their fans. Michael was extremely fan friendly while Prince had a tendency to snub his fans once his concert was over of course.
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By: Loridans1 on 8/28/2009 8:29AM
This is really stupid. MJ was just some pedophile who sold a lot of "records". Prince is a genius, and it does not matter how many records he sells.
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By: Selena on 8/28/2009 4:29PM
If you don't have proof that he's a pedophile, you really need to stop printing it. That's what they call libel! I get so sick of you haters posting to these blogs. If you really think he was so bad, why do you read them? Why do you comment if you have nothing nice to say.
As far as this comparison goes, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Two TOTALLY different performers with two totally different styles. I think Michael had way more fans than The Purple One.
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By: Shoes on 9/04/2009 8:17AM
Wow . . . and what's in your closet? Nothing? Then your name should be changed from Loridans to Jesus the Christ.
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By: cookie on 8/29/2009 12:56AM
And what are you,stupid
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By: abundidi on 8/28/2009 11:01AM
The main similarity was that they were born the same year. Michael was a better dancer. No one plays instruments like Prince. I saw a concert where he played everything from Duke Ellington to Stevie!
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