29th
Prince
“Electric Chair”
Live on SNL, 1989
Prince was romantically obsessed with a woman named Susannah Melvoin for the majority of his peak years as an artist. She was the inspiration for many of his best songs, and, after she finally rejected him once and for all, arguably became the catalyst for many of the decisions that led to his eventual decline. The Batman soundtrack came a little while after the final split, and notably, its best cuts - like the absolutely brilliant “Electric Chair” - find Prince ostensibly singing from the perspective of the Joker. With this context, it’s not too surprising that he would identify so strongly with a charismatic creep who is attempting to seduce the hero’s girlfriend. (Also, Jack Nicholson’s Joker was dressed up in purple, so…)
(Source: youtube.com)
