1999 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Prince and the Revolution | ||||
Released | October 27, 1982 | |||
Recorded | January–August 1982 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 70:29 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | Prince | |||
Prince chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from 1999 | ||||
|
1999 is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and musician Prince, released on October 27, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. It became his first album to be recorded with his band the Revolution. 1999's critical and commercial success propelled Prince to a place in the public psyche and marked the beginning of two years of heightened fame via his following releases. [9]
1999 was Prince's first top 10 album on the Billboard 200, charting at number nine upon release, and was fifth in the Billboard Year-End Albums of 1983. "1999", a protest against nuclear proliferation, was a Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit, peaking at number 12. It has since become one of Prince's most recognizable compositions. "Delirious" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Little Red Corvette" peaked at number six, becoming Prince's highest charting US single at the time. "International Lover" was also nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 26th Grammy Awards, which was Prince's first Grammy Award nomination.
1999 received widespread acclaim from critics, and was seen as Prince's breakthrough album. On March 24, 1999, 1999 was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Following Prince's death in 2016, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 and peaked at number seven, besting its original performance on the chart thirty-three years earlier. A re-release and remaster of the album, including 35 previously unreleased recordings, was released in November 2019. [10]
1999 has been ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time by several publications and organizations. [11] The music videos for both "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" received heavy rotation on MTV, making Prince one of the first black artists to be prominently featured on the television channel. [12] According to the Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), "1999 may be Prince's most influential album: Its synth-and-drum machine-heavy arrangements codified the Minneapolis sound that loomed over mid-'80s R&B and pop, not to mention the next two decades' worth of electro, house, and techno." [9] It is also included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2008, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [13]
The album's opening title track, "1999", was also its first single and initially peaked at No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [14] [15] It was subsequently re-released following the huge success of its follow-up single and 1999's second track, "Little Red Corvette", which peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (like other Prince songs, it again charted after his death, reaching No. 3). [16] Lisa Coleman - who sang on the album - recalled how Prince came up with "Little Red Corvette" after sleeping in her pink Mercury Montclair Maurauder. [17] Shortly after being reissued, "1999" hit No. 12, and subsequently became one of Prince's most recognizable compositions. [18] Its composition, and inclusion in the album, may have been originally prompted by a suggestion from the record company. [19]
The music videos for both "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" were significant as two of the first videos by a black artist to receive heavy rotation on the newly launched music video channel, MTV, after heated controversy over its failure to promote black performers. [20] [21] [22] The two tracks were later combined as a double A-side single in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 2. A subsequent single from the album and its third chronological track, the rockabilly-influenced "Delirious", still managed top ten status in the United States at No. 8, but a fourth, the double-sided single "Let's Pretend We're Married"/"Irresistible Bitch", got no further than No. 52. [23]
While "Little Red Corvette" helped Prince cross over to the wider rock audience, [24] the rest of 1999 retains the funk elements featured in previous albums and is dominated by the use of synthesizers and drum machines. The album is, however, notable within Prince's catalogue for its wide variety of themes in addition to the sexual imagery which had already become something of a trademark on his previous work. [25] "Automatic", extending to almost ten minutes, starts side three of the album with a prominent synthesizer melody and bondage-inspired lyrical imagery which, transplanted to the music video for the track (with a scene that depicted Prince being tied up and whipped by band-members Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones), had been deemed too sexual for MTV in 1983. [26]
"Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)", an ode to a harsh lover, is the centerpiece of a preoccupation with Computer Age themes that would continue into future albums. [27] [28] This is also reflected in various aspects of the album's instrumentation, with Prince fully embracing the gadgetry and sounds of emergent electro-funk and 1980s sequencing technology on tracks like "Let's Pretend We're Married" and "All the Critics Love U in New York", songs that widen his use of synthesizers and prominently feature the use of a Linn LM-1 drum machine. [29] 1999 also contains two ballads in "Free", a piano piece encouraging people to count their blessings and be thankful for what they have, and "International Lover", a slow-paced love song for which Prince received his first Grammy Award nomination in 1984 under the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. [30]
The album's cover features elements from the front cover of Prince's previous album, Controversy ; namely the eyes and the "Rude Boy" pin in the "1999", the jacket studs in the "R" and the smile in the "P". The "I" in "Prince" contains the words "and the Revolution" written backwards (as "dna eht noituloveR"), both acknowledging his backing band and foreshadowing the next four years of his career.
1999 was released on October 27, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. It was the fifth album released by Prince. 1999 was Prince's first top ten album on the Billboard 200, peaking at number nine. It was fifth in the Billboard Year-End Albums of 1983. Following Prince's death in 2016, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 and peaked at number seven, besting its original performance on the chart thirty-three years earlier. It also peaked in the top 10 in New Zealand, reaching number six on the New Zealand Albums Chart in 1982.
The album was released as a Remastered, Deluxe and Super Deluxe edition on November 29, 2019. The most elaborate re-issue contains five CDs featuring previously unreleased tracks, and a live DVD, with a total running time of 5 hours & 53 minutes. [31] It reached the top 20 of the charts in Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 100/100 (2019 edition) [32] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Blender | [33] |
Chicago Sun-Times | [34] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [35] |
The Guardian | [36] |
Pitchfork | 10/10 [37] |
Rolling Stone | [4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [38] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [39] |
The Village Voice | A− [3] |
1999 was well received by contemporary critics. Reviewing for Rolling Stone in December 1982, Michael Hill praised Prince for "working like a colorblind technician who's studied both Devo and Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, keeping the [1999's] songs constantly kinetic with an inventive series of shocks and surprises." [40] The Village Voice reviewer Robert Christgau was more reserved in his praise. While conceding that, "like every black pop auteur, Prince commands his own personal groove ... stretching his flat funk forcebeat onto two discs worth of deeply useful dance tracks", he also believed that the musician's only reliable subject remains race, leaving the critic with doubts about the messages behind the sex and apocalyptic songs. [3]
Retrospective appraisals have been even more favorable. According to The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), "1999 may be Prince's most influential album: Its synth-and-drum machine-heavy arrangements codified the Minneapolis sound that loomed over mid-'80s R&B and pop, not to mention the next two decades' worth of electro, house, and techno." [9] Paul A. Thompson of Pitchfork noted the way Prince "marshal[led] the Reagan years and the LM-1 for his own purposes" has rarely been replicated and called 1999 a "rare record that has come to define its era while also existing outside of it, a masterpiece that immediately precedes the albums Prince fashioned, conspicuously, as masterpieces." Thompson also described the album as a "computer breathing." [41] Also writing for Pitchfork, Maura Johnston wrote in 2016 that through the "balancing synth-funk explorations...taut pop construction, genre-bending, and the proto-nuclear fallout of lust, 1999 still sounds like a landmark release in 2016". Johnston further praised Prince's "singular vision and willingness to indulge his curiosities" for creating an "apocalypse-anticipating album that, perhaps paradoxically, was built to last for decades and even centuries to come." [42] Writing for PopMatters , Eric Henderson called 1999 a "massive, sexy, rump-shaking, and sometimes even disturbing masterpiece" and stated that even though it may not be better than Dirty Mind , Purple Rain , and Sign o' the Times , the album represented a "quantum leap in sophistication and scope." Henderson also claimed that 1999 raised the bar for '80s funk. [43]
1999 has appeared on professional listings of the greatest albums. In 1989, Rolling Stone ranked 1999 16th on its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s. [11] In 2003, VH1 placed 1999 number 48 in its list of the 100 Greatest Albums. [44] The album was also part of Slant Magazine 's list The 50 Most Essential Pop Albums [45] and the magazine listed the album at number 8 on its list of Best Albums of the 1980s. [46] In 2003, the album was ranked number 163 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It maintained the rating in a 2012 revised list, [47] and was re-ranked number 130 in 2020. [48] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [49] The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. [13]
All tracks are written by Prince
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "1999" | 6:15 |
2. | "Little Red Corvette" | 5:03 |
3. | "Delirious" | 4:00 |
Total length: | 15:18 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
4. | "Let's Pretend We're Married" | 7:21 |
5. | "D.M.S.R." | 8:17 |
Total length: | 15:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "Automatic" | 9:28 |
7. | "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" | 4:02 |
8. | "Free" | 5:08 |
Total length: | 18:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
9. | "Lady Cab Driver" | 8:19 |
10. | "All the Critics Love U in New York" | 5:59 |
11. | "International Lover" | 6:37 |
Total length: | 20:55 |
Alternate formats
All tracks are written by Prince
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "1999" | 6:15 |
2. | "Little Red Corvette" | 5:03 |
3. | "Delirious" | 4:00 |
4. | "Free" | 5:08 |
Total length: | 20:26 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
5. | "Let's Pretend We're Married" | 7:21 |
6. | "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" | 4:02 |
7. | "Lady Cab Driver" | 8:19 |
Total length: | 19:42 |
Some countries in 1983, such as Brazil and Kenya, opted to issue the release as two separate vinyl albums, 1999 I and 1999 II. [52]
The Remastered edition contains a remaster of the original album. The Deluxe edition contains the remaster and a bonus disc with all the single, maxi-single and promo mixes as well as the B-sides. The Super Deluxe edition contains four more discs: Two of them contain 24 previously unissued studio tracks, the third contains a complete live audio performance of the 1999 Tour recorded at the late show (the second of two that day) in Detroit, Michigan, on November 30, 1982, and a DVD with another complete, previously unreleased concert from the 1999 Tour, recorded in multi-cam live at the Houston Summit on December 29, 1982. [53] The albums were also issued on vinyl in a 2 LP, 4 LP and 10 LP + DVD set. [54] The Super Deluxe edition and the Deluxe edition are both completely out of print physically.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "1999" | 6:14 |
2. | "Little Red Corvette" | 5:04 |
3. | "Delirious" | 4:00 |
4. | "Let's Pretend We're Married" | 7:20 |
5. | "D.M.S.R." | 8:18 |
6. | "Automatic" | 9:26 |
7. | "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" | 4:02 |
8. | "Free" | 5:07 |
9. | "Lady Cab Driver" | 8:17 |
10. | "All the Critics Love U in New York" | 5:58 |
11. | "International Lover" | 6:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "1999" (7" Stereo Edit) | 3:37 |
2. | "1999" (7" Mono Promo-Only Edit) | 3:35 |
3. | "Free" (Promo-Only Edit) | 4:36 |
4. | "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" ("1999" B-Side) | 3:55 |
5. | "Little Red Corvette" (7" Edit) | 3:08 |
6. | "All The Critics Love U In New York" (7" Edit) | 3:16 |
7. | "Lady Cab Driver" (7" Edit) | 5:06 |
8. | "Little Red Corvette" (Dance Remix Promo-Only Edit) | 4:34 |
9. | "Little Red Corvette" (Special Dance Mix) | 8:31 |
10. | "Delirious" (7" Edit) | 2:39 |
11. | "Horny Toad" ("Delirious" B-Side) | 2:13 |
12. | "Automatic" (7" Edit) | 3:40 |
13. | "Automatic" (Video Version) | 8:21 |
14. | "Let's Pretend We're Married" (7" Edit) | 3:45 |
15. | "Let's Pretend We're Married" (7" Mono Promo-Only Edit) | 3:44 |
16. | "Irresistible Bitch" ("Let's Pretend We're Married" B-Side) | 4:14 |
17. | "Let's Pretend We're Married" (Video Version) | 4:03 |
18. | "D.M.S.R." (Edit) | 5:06 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Feel U Up" | 6:42 |
2. | "Irresistible Bitch" | 4:39 |
3. | "Money Don't Grow on Trees" | 4:19 |
4. | "Vagina" | 3:28 |
5. | "Rearrange" | 6:11 |
6. | "Bold Generation" | 5:54 |
7. | "Colleen" | 5:30 |
8. | "International Lover" (Take 1, Live in Studio) | 7:20 |
9. | "Turn It Up" | 5:23 |
10. | "You're All I Want" | 3:00 |
11. | "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" (Original Version) | 4:00 |
12. | "If It'll Make U Happy" | 4:12 |
13. | "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" (Take 2, Live in Studio) | 6:11 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Possessed" (1982 version) | 8:47 |
2. | "Delirious" (Full-Length) | 6:00 |
3. | "Purple Music" | 10:58 |
4. | "Yah, You Know" | 3:11 |
5. | "Moonbeam Levels" (previously released on the 2016 compilation 4Ever ) | 4:23 |
6. | "No Call U" | 4:30 |
7. | "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" | 2:40 |
8. | "Do Yourself a Favor" (written by Pepé Willie and Jesse Johnson) | 9:01 |
9. | "Don't Let Him Fool Ya" | 4:35 |
10. | "Teacher, Teacher" | 3:37 |
11. | "Lady Cab Driver / I Wanna Be Your Lover / Head / Little Red Corvette" (Tour Demo) | 7:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Controversy" | 5:41 |
2. | "Let's Work" | 5:27 |
3. | "Little Red Corvette" | 4:18 |
4. | "Do Me, Baby" | 7:18 |
5. | "Head" | 4:13 |
6. | "Uptown" | 2:55 |
7. | "Interlude" | 2:15 |
8. | "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" | 7:03 |
9. | "Automatic" | 7:02 |
10. | "International Lover" | 8:41 |
11. | "1999" | 10:25 |
12. | "D.M.S.R." | 8:03 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Controversy" | 5:01 |
2. | "Let's Work" | 5:24 |
3. | "Do Me, Baby" | 6:21 |
4. | "D.M.S.R." | 4:28 |
5. | "Interlude" | 3:35 |
6. | "Piano Improvisation" (Contains Elements of "With You") | 1:38 |
7. | "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" | 8:18 |
8. | "Lady Cab Driver" | 3:30 |
9. | "Automatic" | 5:47 |
10. | "International Lover" | 9:52 |
11. | "1999" | 8:09 |
12. | "Head" (Contains Elements of "Sexuality") | 5:54 |
Musicians
Production
While not performance credited for the studio recordings, band members Doctor Fink (keyboards), Bobby Z. (drums) and Brown Mark (bass) do appear in the music videos.
Weekly chartsOriginal version
2019 reissue
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [79] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [80] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [81] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [82] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Led Zeppelin II is the second album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969. The album's production was credited to the band's lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page, and it was also Led Zeppelin's first album on which Eddie Kramer served as engineer.
Houses of the Holy is the fifth album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 28 March 1973 in the United States and on 30 March 1973 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. The album benefited from two band members installing studios at home, which allowed them to develop more sophisticated songs and arrangements and expand their musical style. Several songs subsequently became fixtures in the group's live set, including "The Song Remains the Same", "The Rain Song" and "No Quarter". Other material recorded at the sessions, including the title track, was shelved and released on the later albums Physical Graffiti (1975) and Coda (1982). All instruments and vocals were provided by the band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones, and John Bonham (drums). The album was produced by Page and mixed by Eddie Kramer. The cover was the first for the band to be designed by Hipgnosis and was based on a photograph taken at Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is regarded as one of history's greatest musicians. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound.
My Generation is the debut studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 December 1965 by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom, and Festival Records in Australia. In the United States, it was released on 25 April 1966 by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing. Besides the members of the Who, being Roger Daltrey (vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar), John Entwistle (bass) and Keith Moon (drums), the album features contributions by session musician Nicky Hopkins (piano).
Beauty and the Beat is the debut album from California new wave band the Go-Go's. Released July 14, 1981 on the I.R.S. Records label, the album reached number one on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart in March 1982, bolstered by its two big Hot 100 hit singles: "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat", released in 1980, but in a different version. After a long and steady climb, Beauty and the Beat reached number one in the album chart dated March 6, 1982, the week before "We Got the Beat" entered the Top Ten of the Hot 100. The album stayed at the top for six consecutive weeks, and ranked second in Billboard's year-end Top 100 of 1982. The album sold in excess of two million copies, and was RIAA-certified double platinum, qualifying it as one of the most successful debut albums of all time. Critically acclaimed, it has been described as one of the "cornerstone albums of American new wave".
Odelay is the fifth studio album by American musician Beck, released on June 18, 1996, by DGC Records. The album featured several successful singles, including "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", and "The New Pollution", and peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard 200. As of July 2008, the album had sold 2.3 million copies in the United States, making Odelay Beck's most successful album to date. Since its release, the album has appeared in numerous publications' lists of the greatest of the 1990s and of all time.
Exodus is the ninth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, first released in June 1977 through Island Records, following Rastaman Vibration (1976). The album's production has been characterized as laid-back with pulsating bass beats and an emphasis on piano, trumpet and guitar. Unlike previous albums from the band, Exodus thematically moves away from cryptic story-telling; instead it revolves around themes of change, religious politics, and sexuality. The album is split into two halves: the first half revolves around religious politics, while the second half is focused on themes of making love and keeping faith.
Songs in the Key of Life is the eighteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder. A double album, it was released on September 28, 1976, by Tamla Records, a division of Motown. It was recorded primarily at Crystal Sound studio in Hollywood, with some sessions recorded at the Record Plant in Hollywood, the Record Plant in Sausalito, and The Hit Factory in New York City; final mixing was conducted at Crystal Sound. The album has been regarded by music journalists as the culmination of Wonder's "classic period" of recording.
Lady Soul is the twelfth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in early 1968 by Atlantic Records. The album stayed at #1 for sixteen weeks on Billboard's R&B album chart, and it hit number 2 on the pop album chart during a year-long run.
Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by the American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was released on June 25, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records as the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name. Purple Rain was musically denser than Prince's previous albums, emphasizing full band performances, and multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments.
Tapestry is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Carole King. Produced by Lou Adler, it was released on February 10, 1971, by Ode Records. The album's lead singles, "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move", spent five weeks at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts.
Meet the Beatles! is a studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released as their second album in the United States. It was the group's first American album to be issued by Capitol Records, on 20 January 1964 in both mono and stereo formats. It topped the popular album chart on 15 February 1964 and remained at number one for eleven weeks before being replaced by The Beatles' Second Album. The cover featured Robert Freeman's iconic portrait of the Beatles used in the United Kingdom for With the Beatles, with a blue tint added to the original stark black-and-white photograph.
Lullabies to Paralyze is the fourth studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on March 22, 2005. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, and sold 97,000 copies in America during its first week of release, eventually topping over 342,000 copies as of March, 2007 according to Nielsen Soundscan. The album has been certified gold in the UK, where it has sold over 100,000 units. It is also the band's first album to be released after bassist Nick Oliveri was fired from the band. Singer/guitarist Josh Homme and singer Mark Lanegan are the only members from the previous album, Songs for the Deaf, to play on this album and it is the first album to feature drummer Joey Castillo and guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen.
The Stooges is the debut studio album by American rock band the Stooges, released on August 5, 1969 by Elektra Records. Considered a landmark proto-punk release, the album peaked at number 106 on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. The tracks "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "1969" were released as singles; "1969" was featured on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs" at number 35. In 2020, it was ranked number 488 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
"1999" is a song by American musician Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. Originally peaking at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, a mid-1983 re-release later reached number 12 in the US, while a January 1985 rerelease, a double A-side with "Little Red Corvette", later peaked at number 2 in the UK.
Pacific Ocean Blue is the only studio album by American musician Dennis Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys. When released in August 1977, it was warmly received critically, and noted for outselling the Beach Boys' contemporary efforts. Two singles were issued from the album, "River Song" and "You and I", which did not chart.
"Little Red Corvette" is a song by American recording artist Prince. The song combines a Linn LM-1 beat and slow synth buildup with a rock chorus, over which Prince, using several automobile metaphors, recalls a one-night stand with a beautiful promiscuous woman. Backing vocals were performed by Lisa Coleman and Dez Dickerson; Dickerson also performs a guitar solo on the song.
Scarecrow is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Cougar Mellencamp. Released on July 31, 1985, it peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200. The album contained three top-ten hits: "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.", which peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100; "Lonely Ol' Night", which peaked at number six; and "Small Town", which also peaked at number six. "Lonely Ol' Night" also peaked at number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, his second chart-topping single on this chart.
Sign o' the Times is the ninth studio album by the American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was first released on March 30, 1987, as a double album by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album is the follow-up to Parade and is Prince's first solo album following his disbanding of the Revolution. The album's songs were largely recorded during 1986 to 1987 in sessions for releases Prince ultimately aborted: Dream Factory, the pseudonymous Camille, and finally the triple album Crystal Ball. Prince eventually compromised with label executives and shortened the length of the release to a double album.
4Ever, also known as Prince 4Ever, is a greatest hits album by American recording artist Prince, released on November 22, 2016, by NPG Records and Warner Bros. Records. It is the first Prince release following the musician's death on April 21, 2016.
...1999 remains a high-water mark of nuclear new wave madness...
Sources: