My Prerogative - Reception

Reception

Barry Michael Cooper of Spin said "My Prerogative" "sounds like gin-drenched, Roaring Twenties swing". Arion Berger of Rolling Stone called it "a grumpy and undeniably adult dance hit". "My Prerogative" was nominated for at the 30th Grammy Awards in the category of Best R&B Urban Contemporary Single by a Male, but lost to Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". The following year, Spin listed the song at number seventy-two on the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" list. It ranked at number ninety-eight on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". The track is often referred to as Brown's signature song.

"My Prerogative" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the week of October 29, 1988 at number sixty-one. The following week, it climbed sixteen positions to number forty-five. On January 14, 1989, it peaked at the top position of the chart. The song also peaked at number one in Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and at number seven in Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales over 500,000 copies. In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at position ninety-eight, on the issue dated December 23, 1989. In the United Kingdom, "My Prerogative" debuted at number eighty-seven on December 10, 1989. On February 18, 1989, the song peaked at number six and stayed in the position for two weeks. Following the release of the remixes single on October 14, 1995, "My Prerogative" re-entered the UK charts at number seventeen, and stayed on the chart for two weeks. Across Europe, the song reached the top ten in Ireland and the Netherlands, and the top twenty in Germany and Sweden. In Australia and New Zealand, the track peaked at number forty and number three, respectively.