On April 21st, the world was shocked when it was forced to say a sad and far too early farewell to Prince, one of the most prolific, enigmatic, and influential artists of our time.

A master songwriter, musician and visionary, he pushed the boundaries of music, fashion and popular culture. His style was a synthesis of others that came before him – Little Richard, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix – but he never outright emulated them. Instead, he took these influences, put his own unique stamp on them, and created something entirely new, which can only be described as Prince.

He sold over 100 million records in his lifetime and Rolling Stone ranked him as the 27th greatest artist ever. However, what people may not know is that he was also a master craftsman for other artists, penning hits such as Manic Monday (The Bangles), Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinead O’Connor), and Stand Back (Stevie Nicks), to name a few of many.

Prince goes down as one of the most talented artists of our time. In his honor, this Penn’s Picks Playlist showcases some Prince-penned songs that were huge hits for other artists.