1999

Prinssiä jälleen. Musiikillisesti kait tässä ei ole mitään vikaa. Mutta jokin siinä vaan ärsyttää.

Olipa pitkä levy. Tuntu että olin jääny johonkin limboon (saatoin ollaki, tuntu että biisit soi useempaan kertaan ja levy kesti ikuisuuden). Prince kuulostaa aina vaan Princeltä, paikoitellen viihdyttävää, paikoitellen häröä, 100% sekavaa. Kertaalleen kuunteli, mutta ei musta Prince-fania tän perusteella vielä tuu. Todella kova artisti, taitava muusikko ja puski musiikkia uusiin paikkoihin, ei iske itselle täysiä.

I listened to it, and, all of Prince albums sound the same to me.

What can I say, it’s prince. Party like it’s 1999 in your red corvette.

Just too much synth pop and too long 3/5

Groovy 🪩 I was a bit worried about some of these 9 minute tracks - I didn’t need to be. So so much fun with this one. The solo at the end of Lady Cab Driver 😱😱😱

Girls, I just can't get behind Prince. I think this is the third album I've had to listen to and it does *nothing* for me. How can this be? I wish I knew. I'm sorry and I wish I was better.

started strong then some tracks went on a bit

5/10

A lot of the same beat throughout. Let's Pretend We're Married stood out. 2.5/5

I've never been a huge fan of Prince. But even given that, I wasn't expecting to give this album less than a 3 (Which is what I gave Purple Rain). But my God does this guy not know how to restrain himself. And it's not a situation where there's too much going on in the sense of throwing everything at the wall like prog albums do (Because at least that can be entertaining). It's that this guy is just feeling himself way too much and can't let himself cut these songs down to a reasonable length or a length that justifies the amount of ideas that the songs have. Every song on this thing is 5-7 minutes of the same drum beat and main riff, just with him doing little different flourishes and random riffs over them through the whole song. Not a single one of these songs can justify their length. 1999 and Little Red Corvette are probably the best on the album, and even those songs could use 2-3 minutes chopped off them. I'd argue most of these songs barely justify two minutes, let alone some that are hitting 8 mins. So yeah, as good as the musicianship is, this album is just a shitton of filler in the form of songs going on for way, way too long. Chop this album down to like 30-40 minutes, and maybe it'd be a 4. As it stands, I can't give it anything higher than a 2.

Shockingly a solid listen from start to finish. I guess the shocking part is it still feels relevant in 2026.

1999- night club vibes, very dancable, very 80s, mommmmy Little Red Corvette- yearning? nice beat, extremely 80s, cute guitar, repetitive, 3:30 gem! Delirious- Played almost all instruments himself?? goofy but catchy beat, dancable, 3:30 once again great instruments, random baby sounds (not passing) Let's pretend we're married- DJ please I want to marry the beat! Funny lyrics, ooh-we-sha-sha-coo-coo-yeah D.M.S.R- elite eletronics, too repetitive for me ( not passing) way too disco, too long, dance music sex romance- honestly yeah, scared for the somebody help me though ( not passing) Automatic- Relatable king, sooo repetitive and long. what's up with the creepy crying (not passing) Something in the water ( Does not compute)- I feel like a binary code, I don't like the way this song is rolling, Prince you don't have to scream you know, this feels like a dream I can't wake up from. ( not passing) Free- We're are you going, OMG theatre vibes?? PLEASEEE! yessss! I feel glad that I'm free thank you Prince for this beautiful piece, immediate passing! lowkey giving church vibes a little bit ngl, 4:15 and beyong, absolute magic. beautiful! Lady Cab Driver- I see we are found of clapping, oooh nice, not the biggest fan of the moaning, genius instruments in the end make up for that, nice passing All the Critics love U in New York- psychodelic vibes once again, great vibes honestly, wow let's not kill jazz prince, not sure i'm a fan of whatever is happening here, repetition once again, nah ( not passing) International Lover-Oh damn, sorry Prince I wasn't familiar with your game, shiiiii, fine i won't mind u screaming on this one. great analogies! ( passing!) OVERALL: I added 6 songs from here to my playlist FAVORITES: Let's pretend we're married and Free

Very 80s and a wildy good album, decent listen but don't know why the album is so long. Would have been better compressed down imo

Well made, not my thing

This album is really really fun to listen to. I don't generally like 80's music, my 1 star list is littered with it, but Prince's energy and genius is undeniable to me. I really don't listen to enough Prince, it makes you feel good. Best album of 1982? I want to do 5 starts for this because it's so sexy and cool, I'm struggling with the length though. I feel like there is a 5 star album here and then there is a 3 star album added to it. I suppose that restraint was not one of Prince's strengths as an artist or human(was he though???). The pure 80's-ness of it gets to be too much at times too. Even on songs that I like (e.g. Delirious) there are little synthy bits that age it. "Little Red Corvette" and "Free" are perfect songs. "Lady Cab Driver" is silly and entirely too long. Overall excellent, 4 stars and definitely an album to listen to before you die... You know what, screw it, 5 starts, it's Prince! I relistened to "Free" and he got me. There may be a few skips on here, but I want this on my list to remind me to throw it on again.

Maybe a hot take but far from my favourite Prince, it’s VERY 80’s, which isnt usually a bad thing, but i wasnt feeling it that much this time, especially for 70 minutes. Idk i’d probably bump it up to a 4 on a friday night after a few pints. Standouts are Little Red Corvette, DMSR and International Lover.

#251/1001 🇺🇸🟪 Not familiar with this album except the singles. The next 2 followed are his best records in my opinion. There are some longer in length tracks here which tread a fine line between being experimental and egotistical. Best tracks: Little Red Corvette, Free, Delerious, 1999.

prince is a horny little weirdo but his music slaps

didnt know prince albums could come in mid

I love the incredible amount of creativity and musicianship seen here. The synths and drum machines would have been a new sound for the time, so I appreciate that element as well. Prince shows flashes of where he's headed-- the top! I'm only docking one point because of the erotic stuff, but again, I understand that's Prince's nature.

Je sens que je vais être très minoritaire là-dessus, parce que Prince est un artiste très populaire, mais je dois bien avouer que j'ai pas compris. J'ai trouvé aucun intérêt à cet album alors que tout le monde a l'air de le trouver génial. Les rythmes étaient pas franchement recherchés, les mélodies simples ultra-répétitives dans des titres qui tirent en longueur à l'infini et... c'est tout ce que j'ai entendu. Voilà, j'ai rien à dire de plus. Peut-être que certains trouveront ça blasphématoire, mais sérieusement, il m'est souvent arrivé en écoutant cette liste de revoir mon jugement sur un album que je trouvait au départ nul, mais là, rien de ce que je peut lire à ce sujet ne me fait voir l'album sous un nouveau jour. J'ai vu quelques descriptions par des critiques, j'ai l'impression qu'ils parlent d'un album totalement différent. En fait, je me demande même un peu si je suis pas simplement tombé sur un album remix foireux, tellement tout me semble hors sol. Et en plus, ça dire 70 minutes. 70 minutes, c'est long pour un album et quand on s'ennuie, ça passe leeeeentement ! Alors autant dire que l'expérience était très déplaisante. Je pense que beaucoup adorent cet album, mais moi je vivais très bien sans. Apparemment, il est très influent donc je suppose que son inclusion dans la liste est parfaitement cohérente ? Mais moi, il me passe largement au-dessus de la tête.

5 stars for 1999 alone. i’m ngl, always tough when your fav song comes first on an album, so this slogged in the middle for me

wow banger

잘 모르겠음

This would be a 5/5 but a few of the songs are a little weaker, and too long. Otherwise, classic stuff here

1999 is definitely one of my favorite Prince albums! I love the Synthesizer in pretty much all of the songs! It's amazing how one man mainly plays all of these instruments! Little Red Corvette is definitely among his greatest songs! Truly astounding!

Much more funk/pop than I was expecting from a Prince album, but makes sense considering it was made in the early albums. Definitely some good tracks but not super imaginative and would’ve liked to hear more guitar. If I wanted to listen to 8 minute long songs I’d just queue up free bird 10 times in a row

Horny as hell, but I guess it is the end of the world. It’s impossible to listen to this and not have a good time

Der er et hit, og så er der resten.

Enjoyed

Prince has been part of my musical DNA for most of my life. In fact, “Little Red Corvette” was the very first music video I ever saw on MTV. Years later, when I launched my first podcast, Return to the ’80s, our second episode was supposed to cover Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Prince died the week we were recording, so we changed plans and dedicated the episode to him instead. I never owned 1999, although I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to the entire album before. The opening stretch was extremely familiar. “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” and “Delirious” are part of my DNA, and I already knew “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” too. “D.M.S.R.” is a great funky track. Despite its length, it never bothered me because the groove needs room to breathe. “Automatic,” on the other hand, felt longer than it needed to be. The middle of the album didn’t knock my socks off, but it picked back up toward the end. “Free” was really good, and “Lady Cab Driver” reminded me of the funkier sound of Prince’s earlier albums. The remaining tracks were good, but nothing that pushed the album into another gear for me. There’s a lot to like here, and the highs are extremely high. But as a complete album, I don’t love it nearly as much as the Prince album that followed it, Purple Rain. That one is an easy five stars for me, and I already own it on vinyl. Favorite Familiar: Little Red Corvette Favorite Discovery: Free Vinyl Verdict: NO BUY

Está bien. Él es completísimo y es fino, tiene elegancia, suena impresionante, todo. Pero no me llega. No sé si será el estilo, o lo perfecto que está todo, pero no me llega. 6/10

1hr and 10 minutes of horny posting but it's pretty good

7/10

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999... The opening song gives Ghostbusters theme song. That movie came out in 1984, so it's not too far a stretch that it was inspired by this song. Throughout the album there's a constant synth-y upbeat groove feeling that feels a little futuristic. Given what I know about Prince the guitar parts seem a bit subdued. Nothing too virtuosic; instead it focuses a lot on his vocals. His voice is really good for these kind of lyrics--sells the whole passionate, lustful vibe. On that note, the lyrics are pretty damn sensual. That is a gross understatement tbh. I'm not sure I would want to listen to this in public (I say, listening to this while grading problem sets). Highkey lady cab driver makes me uncomfortable--there's just a little too much of a rape connotation for me to listen through. International lover is awesome, though. Like genuinely hilarious and features Prince's range super well. I am uncertain if I would listen through the whole album again, so two stars

I have a distinct memory of hearing "1999" (the song) on the radio when I was an uncultured kid and thinking it was horrible. Not sure what I was on, because it's pretty groovy like most of this album. The "Little Red Corvette" hook is insanely catchy, but I didn't particularly enjoy listening to the rest of the songs--would prefer not to listen to that much moaning while doing my work and such. And nothing in this comes close to beating "Purple Rain" for me.

Let no one say Prince can’t find a way to fill out a double album with smut and synths, as an absolute showcase of pop mastery. Basically every track could fill a party and the after too, and there’s rarely a one that makes you consciously go “wait how long is this?” as a song or album. The only shame with it, and it’s as much a ding by Prince’s own hefty back-catalogue being so popular as anything else, is that it feels like it doesn’t have that rich a variety of songs. It’s missing some of the deep ballads or the rock that I, as someone existing in a post-Prince-breakthrough world, know he can do and that I was hoping for as a pace break amongst the bouncing horny synth funk.

SEXXY FUNNKY MMMMHM!

this album tapped into that feeling you get when you turn the bidet on a little too hard and it hits just the right spot that makes you think maybe you'll be okay being single long-term

Really fun and happy

What is it with so many Prince albums. I surely don't like them, but this has been the best so far, 3rd and hopefully the last. Stand out track: Free (it was actually OK). Solid 2 to 2.5 from me.

The hits are a hit for a reason, but theres 1 or 2 other sprinkles of awesome in here for sure.

Prince remain a funksexgodgenius, although I might lack his stamina, because at some point I can't continue to get down a song continuing to repeat "Dance. Sex. Music. Party." or whatever.

Everyone knows the big hits, which are unassailable. The second tier tunes are also fantastic--DMSR, Lady Cab Driver, Automatic.

That was a crazy ride, I love the first couple of popular tracks for sure but it went really sideways from there.

Well, there is only Prince, isn't there? It was interesting to really listen to the songs on this album that I didn't know as well, and I really appreciated them.

I really liked Purple Rain, and there were definitely flashes and glimmers of the same awesome funk-pop-rock fusion on this album, but the length of several of the tracks took me out a bit. If songs like Automatic had been shorter, then I'm there for a 5/5, but as it is, it's a 4.

I like Prince a good deal, but Ive realized that I really only need a greatest hits record from him. This record starts strong, but the middle and end are pretty much filler. I guess Prince diehards could get into it, but I’m pretty underwhelmed by his deep cuts. 7.5/10

Excessively long, and filthy, but clearly the seminal proto-80s album.

This had good sound but very uncomfortable lyrics...

The Matrix & Prince knew that humanity’s peak was 1999 I also just randomly know that the baby cooing sound in Delirious is from the 1960s & is like the Wilhelm scream of baby sounds in songs. Once you notice it, it’s all over the place.

Kind of one note throughout but at least it’s a good note

Prince is music personified - sexy, funky, and flawless.

I had this album in vinyl back in the day. I loved it and still do. Prince is so brilliant.

First couple songs are good, turns into mush after that

“I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turned out I was just really bored.” Wayne’s World (1992)

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? Yes, only the hits Thoughts: This was such a weird album listening experience for me. . . I only knew a few Prince songs, but I like those, so I expected a fun dance album I'd probably end up giving a 4. That was mostly the case up to maybe halfway through "Let's Pretend We're Married" when I realized it was still the same song. I don't dislike long songs in general, but most of the ones here either got boring to me, or honestly just unpleasant to listen to the longer they went on. Somewhere around 6 minutes in to "Automatic" a voice says it's going to torture you now, and that's what it felt like getting through the rest of the song. - I think I would really like this album if every song was a good 3 minutes shorter. As it is I'm just kind of glad to be done with it 😕 Favorite track(s): 1999, Little Red Corvette Least favorite: Most of the others but especially Automatic

Funky but not my groove

I was vibing with the music suddenly mid album prince started whimpering and dirty talking on my ears then I checked if I have any tab still open but I found nothing now I feel a little violated

7/10 Probably my favorite Prince album so far

It overstays it's welcome, but this is coming from someone who thinks Cream is Prince's best song, so...

A prince among men

Is this Prince's best album?

Si no le podría dar 3 estrellas, le daría 2 antes de 4. Para alguien como Princesa este álbum me parece bastante mediocre y no refleja el ingenio del artista. Sabor a poco.

Me di cuenta que no conozco nada de Prince. Me interesa escuchar más, aunque este disco no me gustó taanto. Estaba bien, era música agradable, pero no me llegó a gustar gustar ninguna canción, quizá 1999 o little red corvete.

I like it, but I've never been able to love Prince.

Una vez leí que "Prince es más que Purple Rain" y dije "será verdad pero es el unico disco suyo que he escuchado". Y este es mejor que Purple Rain. Largo pero no pesado. Divertidisimo.

What a classic! When I say I love 80’s music, this is what I mean, not some one hit wonder Brit new wave trash group. The genius of Prince is in full display here, and I always welcome an excuse to listen to his stuff.

Ah the last of the three Prince albums on the list for me. I don't know this one as well so it is always great to have an excuse to listen. Top 80s robo funk. Deserves its spot but - justice for Dirty Mind, Parade and Lovesexy!

nahhh

Too salacious for a man of my sensibilities

Lets Pretend We're Married is very 50s/60s vibes mixed with some screaming. 1999 is super catchy and so is Red Corvette. Delirious is not my favorite. DMSR is super 80s. Classic 80s. I enjoyed Automatic it was very catchy and easy to vibe to up until the end when it sounds like someone is crying in the background. Something in the Water was WEIRD and I didn't like the screeching. Lady Cab Driver is good. Easy listen. Up until a lady sounds like she's getting railed. All the critics love u in New York is a vibe super groovy funky weird International Lover is nice. This song sounds like it was made for Prince vocals for sure. I'm sorry to prince fans for giving it 3 stars this album just isn't my taste but mad respect for his artistry

has nice vibes. very catchy funky tunes that linger in ur mind af combines more lyrical tracks w/ intense guitar wailing. some hits some shit

Bravo Prince, sicuro. Ma non riesco a farmi piacere questo genere che puzza così di anni 80.

To be honest, I found this quite disappointing. I've heard that Prince is considered one of the best guitarists of all time, and yet there was like one guitar part on the entire album that impressed me, and that was on Lady Cab Driver. Other than that, I found the lyrics pretty boring where he's basically just bragging about having sex a lot and vaguely alluding to the world ending at times? And using some okay metaphors? Then, the vocals themselves have some really awful bits where his voice gets very annoying, but there are a few really good bits, but I just found this really overrated. Maybe I'm being a little harsh - it's not terrible, just not that good in any way really, but thankfully it didn't feel as long as it was.

3.8/5

Another too long and overindulgent album by the wee purple pervert. With a good producer to rein him in he could have been great but he didn’t have that so I have to endure 70 minutes of glimpses of good ideas and some really bad ones. He’s often referred to as a genius, I’m not so sure but his massive ego wouldn’t let anyone else have a say and his work suffers for it. Other greater musicians have used producers because they acknowledge that one person can’t do everything well, Prince never did. If he was such a great producer then why are all the bands he produced long forgotten and why have several of his songs been done better by other musicians? I’ve read there are hundreds of hours of unreleased recordings in Paisley Park, but if people have any sense they should stay there, what has been released is already too much. This is really a 2.5/5 album, just about, but I have to give it 1/5 because of all the people giving it a 5 because they think proclaiming everything Prince did was a work of genius is a marker of good taste. I wanted to like this but after the first two tracks it just dragged.

Prince was massively famous throughout my entire childhood, but I've never really spent much time with his music. The whole funky synth thing sounded old fashioned and silly by the time I got to it. If I had been born 15yrs earlier, and lived through the evolution of sound, and experienced Prince as something new, I'm sure I'd have a much greater appreciation for what he's done here. But I wasn't, and didn't, and don't. Still sounds goofy and cringe to me. Sorry bro.

I've heard about Prince so many times but never got the hype, so I tried listening to his album and it's really so sterile and vapid, both the music and the singing. Long, annoying, monotone, with stupid lyrics. I couldn't finish any of the songs. This is exactly what I mean when I say I don't like pop music. Also, apparently this is considered "sexy"? Hilarious... I guess he does sound like cats in heat, so there's that.

2/5 It was an ok album. I don't know many prince songs but I was surprised that the first 2 songs were by him as they were ones I'd heard before. I liked most of the songs despite my rating, but when a few of them dragged on for 8-9 mins a song it got a bit repetitive .

Great album - full of well known hits and some more off-the-beaten-path cuts, but works well as a full story.

топ

Really good album except lady driver.

Just sex, synth & purple. So much synth. It's funky but it's far too synth-heavy for my liking. Then if the song is good or has a good groove, it just goes on way too long. Every song is about sex. I just don't seem to like Prince. I respect him as a musician because dude can shred but he just rarely connects with me. He seems a bit hammy, too. If you like it, more power to you. 2 Also it makes me mad that we never got to see him as Ruby Rudd in The Fifth Element. This man LOVES purple!

Not a big Prince guy

Crap

Meh

After more than eight minutes of "D.M.S.R." there is a clip of a woman just pleading to be released from the song: "Help me, someone, please help me." Speaking for all of us. I can agree that there are good pop bones underlying this album but it's ruined for me because there are so many songs that just go on, and on, and on, unjustifiably.

There is so great stuff on this as prince hits top gear. The album has a complete party vibe about it however like most parties it finally runs out of steam as the last 3 tracks are far patchier than anything that has come before. Would have made a great single album.

I really liked the songs I knew already but otherwise found this a little repetitive.

Damn this album is sexy. Prince was and is in a world of his own. Such electric fire, sexual tenacity and confidence. The music is smooth and engaging and Prince's vocals lend to it only what he can. Such a fantastic record.

It was alright. Cool funky rhythm. Sensual lyrics and bold message. I was shook. 7/10

I would rate this album an 8 out of 10. My favorite track would be the last one, it feels very magical. This is my first Prince Album, so I came in with high expectations, it did not disappoint. I had a good time.

Iconic songs "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" kick off this synth-pop musical orgy. Funky bass lines and lyrics with dark, sexual subtext fill out this album with the rare gem "Free" snuggled up under the satin sheets. An excellent listen from start to finish.

It's 3.5

I’d rank this in Prince’s top three, along with Purple Rain and Sign o’the Times (in no particular order). All must-owns. You get yer catchy pop-rock hits, yer jammy jams, yer dance club numbers, and yer Hendrix guitar freak outs in equal measure throughout the double LP. Maybe a bit too self indulgent in spots, but hey, that’s Prince!

It's 2026. I am listening to an album called 1999 released in 1982. Is this the future? Anyway, this sure is an 80's pop album. The title track is a good one. Not an album I would willingly listen to, but it's definitely good music.

Amé lo bailable del disco... si tengo que buscarle algo malo, serían los primeros 2/3 temas. De ahí en adelante el disco es perfecto... lo describiría como muy nocturno y "de ciudad" las luces de un edificio en la noche vistas desde un auto en movimiento o caminando son el momento perfecto para acompañar el disco, siempre bailando, obviamente

Cool but not for me

Meandering self-indulgent (coke fuelled?) wank.

After a strong start, this album was not Prince's best work. He's a five star artist and the production sound is consistently good. But the actual tracks were mostly average in their composition.

The second Prince album I’ve had on this list, the first being Sign ‘O’ The Times. I thought this was slightly weaker by comparison. My two main issues were the cheesy synth sounds, which often sounded as if they had come from a preset on a Casio keyboard, and the track lengths. The tracks just didn’t have enough going on to sustain lengths of up to nine minutes. Enjoyable enough, but certainly not as spectacular as Prince has been made out to be by others.

This album sounds so 1980s that while I hate this sound it has become likeable. But yeah a lot of songs were way way too long. Finaly I slept on the last 3 (4?) songs, way too long indeed. Favorite songs: 1999

Prince is a genius.

Prince revving up. Not quite the level of realization of the next couple of albums, but bursting with energy, funk, and mischief.

The first 3 songs I bookmarked right away

oh my godddd 🤤

While it isn’t Prince’s best, it’s a damn fine collection of tunes for anyone to get on the dance floor.

Not a prince fan apparently

The first album that I have on vinyl! Not my favorite Prince album, but I must stan the purple one 💜

Fuck yeah funky 80s pop. Only Prince, one of a kind.

Well yeah

Party like it's 1999!

(5/7) groovin', songs are really long

Fuckin shit I listened to this for the first time earlier this month. My favorite thing about Prince is how he uses the same cheesy ass 80's drums to do EVERYTHING!!! He finds so many ways to freak them on these 80's albums and I'm impressed every time. This album has my favorite Prince song, Automatic. Fuck that song is good. 1999 is a classic, hits so well. Little Red Corvette is so dramatic and dripping in 80's... it kind of fucking rules. Sometimes it sounds like I'm playing a bitcrushed ass 90's PC game (track 3 drums). Not a fan of the bleeps and bloops on this one, but the drum programming is great. I don't like all of the melodies.. but they are all so well done I gotta hand it to him (Let's Get Married). Look man I'm a man with a proclivity towards women myself... this fucker was HORNY. Like... catastrophically. DMSR has such a good intro. This dude must have been vanquishing the dance floor. Oh man when the bass and synth come in... god damn Prince. This shit is funky. Oh this is a song about dancing.. yeah I could tell.

Incredible side A, horrible side B

Quite chunky in places and contains some his biggest hits. Not really a fan but it was listenable

this album has "weird" songs but yk what?? I love them. The vibe is amazing and also the lyrics are interesting. I will be giving this album an oportunitie to be in my gym playlist cause it makes me feel with energy.

Once again, I do not understand the love for Prince. To me it has a cheesy 80's sound of the worst variety, with trite lyrical content. Maybe Purple Rain will finally help me understand, but so far 1999 and Sign O The Times just haven't changed my opinion of Prince. Giving this one a 2 instead of the 1 I gave Sign O The Times because 1999 is a classic pop song, Everything after that on this far too long album was of no interest to me.

The album bangs, but its definitely overlong 3.5/5

Animação

Some phenomenal 80's funk/new wave from one of the all time greats. This might be a slightly redundant entry in this book as this album is pretty much Purple Rain except not *quite* as good, then again not quite as good as one of the best pop albums ever certainly isn't anything to scoff at. I will say though, at least on Tidal, the fact that only two tracks have an explicit tag is hilarious.

I didn’t get really into it

What was with the crying in "Automatic"? The songs were way too long and also a lot of the segments in the music were repetitive...ugh! The screaming and vocables in "Something In The Water" were just awful! More screaming in "Free". I've never been a fan of Prince and after listening to this album, I'm still not a fan. Best song for me was "1999" and I liked "Little Red Corvette" but the rest of the album was one I won't need to listen to again.

This is another record that I'm very familiar with and have owned for years. It's also really the shift from Prince being a transgressive up coming artist to a massive hit making artist. The singles on this record are really fantastic, particularly 1999 and Little Red Corvette. The pacing on the record is a bit odd, though. Basically, the album places all the singles on the first two sides of the album. The only track that isn't a single, DMSR, probably could have been a fifth single. After that, the album gets a bit abstract. The material is interesting, but its less interested in the kind immediacy on the first half of the album. It's definitely shaped by trends in electronic music at the time, and not in a way that is particularly interested in popularizing that music. I like the tracks, but its an odd tonal shift. After some shuffling, Free shifts into a more familiar ballad format, but not one that I'm especially interested in. From there, Lady Cab Driver moves away from that to bring in another pretty catchy track. It's a good track, although a little thinner than some of the other material and it meanders a bit at the end. All The Critics Love You in NY (a title that feels like it should be a LCD Soundsystem song) goes back to the quirky experimenting seen on the first two tracks of the third side of the album. It's fun. It ends on another okayish slower track that drags a bit. Overall, this is a very good album and the best moments are really fantastic, but not quite as good as the album to come, Purple Rain. One last note, I do kind of enjoy that Prince basically put what would be the 12" version of the songs onto the album itself. I generally like the longer length of the songs.

It's alright, was surprised how many silly sound effects are in there

Not bad

Would Prince have even been thinking that the title track would be overplayed some 17 years after this was released? Probably not. Prince was busy being Prince. And if you can be Prince and even have Terrible Human Eric Clapton rate you as one of the best? That's worth noting. But 1999 still shines, from the alienesqur statement of coming in peace to the still relevant question: why does everybody have s bomb? The bits you recall from the radio, tho, are also real solid if heard on their own terms. The triumphal synth riff, the female vocals that start each verse. These are little touches that are absolutely grade A. And to follow that with Little Red Corvette, one of the lushest songs exclusively written about having all the sex, is an embarrassment of riches right off the top. But that's the MO of the album. Synth squeals that feel ahead of their time even in the synthetic 80s. Songs that impregnated your mother from 1000 paces. The album drips with both. Often like funky kraftwerk, other times like horny motown, sometimes a little of everything. You're moving your hips to this. It is up to you what sort of hip-moving you choose. The first platter speaks for itself, but it's worth noting that even as memorable as the cavalcade of singles are, it is DMSR that brings the funkiest funk. Appropriate: standing for “Dance/Music/Sex/Romance,” it's sort of a mission statement for the purple one's entire first decade and a half of output. Why wouldn't it groove hard? It's also probably worth mentioning: these are pretty long songs on this album. You don't often get to do long-form pop. It either needs to be succinct to hold attention or it goes on far longer than one can tolerate. These tracks really embrace the reality of funk, though… so long as you can keep the dance going and ad-lib, people will follow you. The second album? Definitely less strong, and the C-Side is definitely flat compared to A&B. Unexpectedly we get back on track with Lady Cab Driver, which i would have been sure would be Pure filler, but the bassline alone makes the D-side start strong. It's arguably the bass side of the album. The highlight of album 2 is International Lover, which is a bit more of a slow jam, but, not to intentionally riff off the air steward bits, does stick the landing. Not Prince's first, this is nevertheless where one can get the feeling that Prince is going to be meaningful. It doesn't take but a couple more years for him to make good on that. The album definitely doesnt keep up the pace, but i think it just scrapes by with a low ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(Strong 9/10) By the end of this album you're having sex with Prince. That's it. That's the review.

I feel like there are lots of popular and/or critically acclaimed artists that I'll never see in the way everyone else does. Mostly Slint. That band is actually terrible. Spiderland is one of the worst albums I've ever heard. I can't wait to write a whole dissertation on why that album sucks when I get it on this list. That being said, I don't feel the same way about Prince. His music is fine. Not earth-shattering or revolutionary in the way that Rolling Stone or Pitchfork would make him sound, but he's fine. There are a few really genius songs on this album, like the title track or Something in the Water, but I can't find much of note other than the drum machine they probably dug out of a trash can. That is the worst-sounding drum machine I've ever heard and I love it.

Very self-indulgent and like any Prince album this has a lot of less-inspired songs alongside the greats, but unlike many of his albums, even the weaker songs in this set are very enjoyable. Favorites include D.M.S.R., Little Red Corvette, Let’s Pretend We’re Married.

Still sounds great. Sort of surprised at what a pure dance album it is.

1. 5 2. 5 3. 4.5 1. 4.5 2. 4 1. 3.5 2. 4 3. 3 1. 4 2. 4.5 3. 3.5

Probably the weakest of the acclaimed albums. has quite a few long meandering songs and just not the bite that many of his other works have

i do not like this very much. at a dance, sure, on record? not for me

Not every song is a winner to me, but still a good time overall. I think the standout for me was All The Critics Love U in New York because of the bass and the constant forward momentum that the whole track embodied.

Not a fan

Esse é o cara q comparam com o Michael Jackson?

such an incredible album. not my favorite by prince but high up there for sure

There’s some bizarre stuff on here. Don’t know if any of the songs over 6.5 mins needed to be that length, but when it’s this funky and fun you can’t really complain. 3.5 but I’ll round up.

There has been some good songs but the songs are too long and overly eccentric for my taste. I can barely handle MJ's eccentricity. But in the end solid album

Love

It was kinda mid nth special had good tracks tho

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I’m not a fan of this album… songs are needlessly long and repetitive. The namesake, title track of the album is fine, but again it is just the same line over and over and over again. Maybe if I lived through its peak during some pivotal point of life I would feel some connection to the songs, but I do not. (11 songs, 70 mins)

So horny. Delightful for all the energy.

Classic but I can only listen to so much of it

meh

I guess I just don’t like Price

ну не складывается у меня с принцем. хотя часто становлюсь зрителем восхищения в его сторону. ну может ещё стерпится, слюбится

This is Prince's dance-your-ass-off record, each song extended to an absurd length, the whole thing riding on grooves. So: are the grooves good? Yes, they are. There's not a single weak track on the record, although Prince can't quite provide enough variety to necessarily justify the album's length. Still, this was a great sign that Prince could vary his style in all sorts of ways without losing what made him Prince. Best track: "Little Red Corvette"

Ingen purple rain Inge bra 2/5

Wasn't a huge fan, I'd heard the single 1999 before but didnt know the name, and other than that, whilst it was interesting music I didnt find it very enjoyable to listen to. Not for me :(

Decent but not my type.

A funky and clever album from a great artist. Begins with some great hits before heading towards long and impressive but slightly less easy to listen to songs. I became less engaged as the album continued.

Amazing Funk Soul Jazz Pop Disco he was great

Never been a huge Prince fan but I always liked this album. The title track makes a strong start as one of my favourites of his and though there aren't as many other heavy hitters on the album it's got so much life to it. As a kid I thought it was new because of the title lol.

I'm as surprised as anyone. I actually liked this. I didn't even mind the needlessly long song run times. It was funky, funny, yet not overblown, and I didn't mind Prince's vocals which usually turn me off.

I honestly find this stuff so boring. The opening song, and one of his biggest hits, seemed to have 3+ minutes of the synth looping, people chanting "party!" and the odd tiny flourish here and there. I didn't feel in the groove. I was bored out of my mind thinking "Are these people really still bouncing up and down yelling 'party' as though they were ecstatic?". It goes nowhere, just the same loop, the same energy, the same, over and over. And this pattern repeated throughout the album. No build and release, just loop, loop, loop. Prince has always been the "really?" guy whenever he is brought up in online music discussions. He was never really that big in Australia - he had a few hits, but never really entered the cultural core. But it seems in other places he was not just a "few hits" guy, he was THE guy, up there with MJ, not just a guitar virtuoso but a music vituoso, perfectionist, Icon, etc. And then I listen to his stuff and I'm BORED. There is no dynamism. The songs start at a certain energy level and they stay there. There's no build up, just a synth looping. I don't get any of the love for it. And I don't feel bad about giving one star.

Horny little thing wasn't he?

All albums by Prince are of a very high standard. Some of them exceed those lofty standards and are all time greats. In my opinion however, this is not one of them. Prince has made some better albums, though many many artists would have given up a lot to make an album like this I believe. 4/5

Pretty cool ngl. normally dont lisnten to price but this was nice : )

It’s Prince.

Fantastic! Incredible! Formidable! Some of the best 80's music you will ever hear! Fun! Funky! Sexy! Forward-thinking! Infectious! Will keep you dancing the whole way through! Endless replay value! Amazing! Phenomenal! Genius! Long live the Purple One! Key tracks: 1999 Little Red Corvette Delirious Let's Pretend We're Married Automatic

Much repetition in the longer songs.

I've come to appreciate Prince as I've aged, even if I dont understand him all that well as a person. He wrote some really cathcy and cool pop music that was just so unique you have to sit there and listen. Unfortunately it can overstay its welcome here and there, lets be real, he was pretty pretentious about his own talent. 1999 is a great song! The rest were good but not great. Side note, Prince was a monster on the guitar and he shreds an amazing solo during a cover of My Guitar Gently Weeps, check it out.

It’s a great album but most of the songs are 1 minute too long. Prince likes to sit in the groove but most of the time he doesn’t do anything interesting with it except repeat what came before in the song. Obviously the title track is a monster and Little Red Corvette is the best song about dog penis’s full stop

Prince has always been regarded as one of the great guitarist of all time, and this is his magnum opus. An all time classic worth every penny, not many can have multiple five star records, but Prince can.

I already had Prince's *Sign o' the Times*—that was actually pretty okay—but this album here wasn't for me.

Inte riktigt min vibe men helt ok

Very strong start.

good but hit or miss.

Segundo disco dele que ouço, e ainda estou esperando o momento mágico que ele vai clicar pra mim. Onde está o gênio que todos tanto falam sobre? Que tantos teimam em comparar com o Rei Michael? Isso me deixa verdadeiramente encucado. Escrevi bem detalhadamente a respeito de meus sentimentos com Prince na minha review do disco Sign O’ The Times. Aqui, em 1999, não há muita mudança. A introdução deste álbum é tão xula, tão pastelão, tão sessão da tarde. A canção introdutória também exalta o problema da super-extensão das composições deste disco, pois essa faixa poderia ter uns 2 minutos cortados sem perder nada de valor, e digo o mesmo da próxima canção na sequência, Little Red Corvette, uma música bem saborosa mas que também dura mais que deveria. Menos é mais, Prince. Chega a ser impressionante isso. Toda, e eu quero dizer, TODA canção desse álbum poderia ser mais curta. 11 faixas em um disco duplo! Que laboriosa é a escuta desse disco por esse motivo. Todas as faixas te conquistam com algum elemento agradável, seja uma linha de baixo bem gordinha, ou um sintetizador estilizado new-wave viciante e lindinho, mas depois de minutos e minutos com aquilo martelando sua cabeça, ela perde todo o encanto. É muito frustrante ouvir esse álbum porque isso acontece o tempo todo! Prince sabe falar sobre algo além de sexo? Suspeito que não. ”I wanna fuck you so bad…” é uma letra real nesse disco, que não é cantada e sim gemida pelo artista. Álbum monotemático, com canções hiper longas e redundantes… Meu Deus! Esse é o ídolo de tanta gente! Tô fora, não quero andar nesse trem aí não. Esse vai ser o 1.5/5 mais difícil da minha vida. Porque muitas canções aqui possuem aspectos MUITO legais, que se fossem editados e trabalhados cuidadosamente seriam canções clássicas e ótimas, mas que Prince decidiu estender ao ponto de exaustão, e encher de coisas aleatórias desnecessárias e degradantes. Mas no final das contas, eu estou avaliando o álbum, e a experiência de ouvir esse álbum é extremamente insatisfatória, frustrante e exaustiva. Ouça a canção Lady Cab Driver e você vai entender minha frustração: Faixa maravilhosa, baixo delicioso, vocais incríveis, ornamentação de sintetizador bem temperada e gostosa… tudo isso arruinado por uma duração criminosa de OITO minutos. Uma canção que poderia facilmente ser uma das melhores da década de 80 (Se fosse cortada aos 3 minutos, quando os gemidos asquerosos começam), completamente arruinada a troco de um hedonismo nojento, desarticulado e desordenado. Lamentações infinitas. 1.5/5

hell yeah

Wow. I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I did. I enjoyed the pacing a lot and I liked the journey it took me on

IMPORTANZA A LIVELLO SOCIALE OKAY, PRODUZIONE INDIPENDENTE OKAY, NON E' BIANCO OKAY... MA OLTRE I DUE SINGOLI MI E' VENUTO DA DORMIRE. SARO' UN GENZ CHE NON PUO' CAPIRE, RESTA CHE LE MIE DUE STELLE SONO QUASI QUASI GENEROSE. 2/5

Sounded much better with headphones than on stereo. The metallic drums just felt better that way

I don't know what it is with Prince. I understand and respect how talented he is, and I feel like I should really like how he fuses genres together, but for whatever reason I just can't get into his music. I acknowledge it may be personal failing.

Warner Bros. Records 1-23720 (US) vinyl rip: I've heard "Little Red Corvette" for years unintentionally and never knew that's what he was singing. "Delirious" is meant for a stereotypical 80s comedy film. "Let's Pretend We're Married" might as well be by Rick James...or maybe Nine Inch Nails? I think the lyrics were written to be disgusting and shocking to "normal" people, and that's great. All the synth effects make me feel like I'm stuck inside a Sega Genesis.

Una obra maestra futurista del electro-funk y el synth-pop que ha envejecido bien como el cimiento indiscutible del sonido de Minneapolis. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción es una hazaña de precisión sintética: el ensamblaje de la caja de ritmos Linn LM-1, capas de sintetizadores Oberheim y solos de guitarra cortantes configura un entretejido que da claridad a la densidad del baile, permitiendo que la arquitectura rítmica respire con una definición quirúrgica. La entrega de Prince desborda una fuerza y calidez interpretativa que transmiten autenticidad pura, otorgándole una autoridad superior al tomar el control absoluto de cada instrumento y vocalización. Himnos universales como la bailable "1999", la cadencia perfecta de "Little Red Corvette" y la extensiva catarsis de "DMSR" construyen un testimonio conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un sutil llamado a la conciencia sobre la urgencia de celebrar la existencia frente a la incertidumbre del mundo. Un álbum de pulso incansable cuya constante sensación de paz y fluidez rítmica lo vuelve óptimo para múltiples usos dinámicos, siendo un motor extraordinario para acompañar el ejercicio, la conducción o energizar el trabajo creativo.

The LP is so '80s. Not in a bad way, per se, but it is a bit cheesy and I feel like I need some palate cleanser with some Purple Rain (which is ironic because Purple Rain as a whole was released just two years after this LP).

mhmm

As a died in the wool singer-songwriter guy it is a revelation to really listen to albums like these, clearly so influential, and consider the importance and popularity of genres of music that don't use typical verse - chorus - bridge 3 minute structures. Music like this works with grooves, layers, atmosphere, textures and vibes. It's super effective and super fun. I can hear the blurprint for a whole galaxy of dance music here. Good stuff Prince you horny little dynamo.

Tremendous

High highs and low lows - better than sign of the times in my opinion

good album and lots of bangers for sure, but you could really trim 2 minutes off of each song and it would be way cleaner

The 1st 3 tracks are massive pop hits and classic Prince, the rest is eh?

There's a moment in a long run when you disappear, and all that's left is the rhythmic pat of your feet hitting the ground like a heartbeat. It's mesmerizing. It feels as if all your internal systems have synced and are in complete alignment. A metronome.

Another step in the evolution. On this album the electro funk that would serve as the core driver of what made Prince Prince for the remainder of his career came into focus. Guitars would re-enter the building on the next outing but this one lets the machine have the fun. And they are having a blast. The only question - how do you rate the third best Prince album? I can't give this 5 stars because the end of side two loses the thread but the first half is pretty much flawless (DMSR - are you kidding me). And it's really song length - some songs feel like dance remixes that just extend for no real reason. We'll call it 4.5

Some real bangers here, and some just ok tracks. Hard not to like this though.

26/07/2026 Have to say I'm quite disappointed with this album. Very cringey and boring in places. Shame. Spotify listeners: 21.1 million

This is not my favorite Prince album, but start to this album is flawless. I’ll have to come back and review this better than I have time for right now.

Great

That’s quite the start (1999, Little Red Corvette, Delirious!) but the album also ends in a great groove.

Just a tad too horny

This album is a vibe, but it's left me cold for some reason. The tracks are also a bit long and repetitive for me. Rating: 3

Sometimes Prince is a little busy for my ears but the energy and musical talent is undeniable.

The album’s length, occasional self-indulgence, and unevenness keep it just below Prince’s absolute peak. 1999 changed pop music forever. But the truly astonishing thing is that Prince would make even better records afterward.

Somewhere between a 2 and a 3 for me. There’s clearly some really really good little bits, but there just always feels like something is missing or lacking for me. Maybe Prince just isnt my cuppa tea. That’s definitely one thing this list has taught me. He’s often held up with the likes of Bowie, but I think Bowie is on a totally different level

Third prince album we've had and the formula is still going strong. Take a fairly good pop melody that should make a decent 3 minute song and stretch it out for 8 minutes. Make every other song lyrically a bit lechy and unsettling and make the album last an hour minimum. Definitely talented but as with the other albums could really have done with some constructive criticism before release.

Prince does not know when to end a song. Average track length is 6.5 minutes. Loads of fades in, hundreds of bars as warm-up. I ended up really annoyed listening to this - takes a good idea and ruins it. No mega standouts.

Well, this list has taught me that I don't like Prince! This was not as good as purple rain, but better than sign o the times, but I don't really like any of it particularly. 1.5

3.91 out of 5 stars for 1999 is my raw score, but I'm rating this a 5 stars because it's Prince. Prince is undeniably the king of funk pop by 1982. The whole album oozes dance, music, sex and romance. From International Lover to end it, and 1999 to start it, it's a mass Prince lovefest. I'm here for every minute of it. My only gripe is that the runtime on the songs is long and the songs end up meandering at times. I do have the deluxe version which gives me the single edits for most of the tunes, and that is just fine. This is essential listening.

Finally! Something I’ve heard of and is actually good. I was just at Paisley Park, so this is timely. After walking through Prince’s home, he makes more sense to me now. His music isn’t perfect, but he’s one of one.

This is peak-era Prince, which means it's near enough peak just-about-anything. Sensational opening run. Funk jams, synth-pop mega hits, ballads, production experiments; pretty much the full range of the wee man's genius is on display here.

J’avais oublié que Prince était vraiment bon!

One of my favorite memories of the title track is hearing it at a rather deranged Halloween party, probably the year after it came out. It’s amusing to think of how 1999 was The Future when this record came out, while now it seems like the deep dark past when the internet was young and we all lived in caves. Anyway, this is a fun record. I never listen to Prince anymore, and these days I think a whole record of Prince is maybe a little too much Prince, but it was fun to hear today. I had completely forgotten the existence of “All the Critics Love U (In New York),” so that was particularly entertaining.

Muy estilo pop- disco. Me hizo acordar a michael jackson. Siento que es ese estilo pero menos conocido, muy agradable al oído. 7,5/10

Usual funk heavy vibes but also some great electro synth sounds

There are like 3 or 4 great songs here and potentially a thematically satisfying album but there's a lot of what feels on first listen to be random filler or overlong tracks for me to go higher than a 3*

A very fun and massively sexual album from Prince. I think with this album, I finally "get" him! 4.0*

I like the album and can understand its significance, but it’s just ok for me

Absolute music royalty. He manipulates and bends genres to his will. Classic listen.

two stars for the song tears also come on a twenty minute song is way to much

Somehow Prince thrived in this awkward time in music in the 80's where a significant amount of music with synth was just boring, repetitive, and gross. He/the Revolution we're just so good... Or , maybe I was just dreaming when I wrote this........

I dont like Prince, I know I suck. Im ust not cool enough ig. That cover sucks 👍 As with every other prince album Ive listened to, its kinda fun and their is some good songs but its not my style. And this album is long man. Holy shit their are some crazy thunderstorm outside right now. Even Zeus hates my music taste ,damn.

As a kid, I always thought of Prince as a Michael Jackson spinoff. With the wisdom of age comes the realization that he was a gifted artist in a very unique way. And I honestly enjoy his music more than Jackson’s. Just not quite enough to round up from a 3.5*.

The first three tracks were great, but the rest seem to be second rate (for Prince), meant to shock - which it really doesn’t do today.

This album rules. Prince is a musical treasure, a sensual explorer - musically sonically and otherwise. 💜

Chunky jams but about a third of this isn’t that great.

love it

Amazing, another no skip Prince album for me

It's not me, I don't typically listen to groovy music about party and sex, especially with these long durations. And the beats all sounds same? Idk I personally don't get Prince other than Purple Rain.

The hits are spectacular, but there's several that just drag on. Almost every song is 1-2 minutes too long.

Some decent songs but I think Prince is one of those things you either love or fairly indifferent to 3.5*

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Though, the hooting and hollering at times was a bit much for me.

3.4 2x i just cant find the love that so many people have for this album but i did enjoy it

I enjoy Prince in small doses; at some point the synth and sex has me rolling my eyes and looking for something else to listen to. This album is decent and Prince is certainly talented, but it did not change my general opinion on his music. Best tracks are 1999, Little Red Corvette, and Free (which was a discovery for me, so that's nice).

so fun

I graduated high school in 1985, hot on the heels of the behemoth that was Purple Rain. My classmates HAD to have a Prince song as our Graduating Song, and in their infinite (ahem) wisdom chose Free from this album. I think this is the first time I've heard it in 40 years. But the album is still a banger.

It was okay. 2.5/5

The album starts with it's two big hits, and then the third was a lesser one. I listened on headphones and noticed a lot of the production craftsmanship. Clearly talented, Prince blends many musical elements, styles, and approaches, with an emphasis on the gospel/soul/R&B of American black music traditions. The album is also a product of the emerging technology of the day - sequencing, drum machines, sampling, advances in musical synthesis. It's a prime example of the marrying of the tools of the digital age with long-established musical lanes. In these ways, the album strikes me as noteworthy. That said, it's not my cup of tea. It's deeply dance pop. While that makes it accessible and catchy, and is not an indictment on its own, I just get bored with repetition, especially across an entire album. Songs that set a drum machine and go get old quick to me. For that reason, I can't give the album five stars, even though I imagine many would. By the end of this album, I was feeling like I don't need to listen to another Prince song for, I don't know, maybe the rest of my life. The lyrics, when they were trying to make sense at all, seemed perverse. I can't give something four stars that produces that reaction, even if I know others would strongly disagree.

Excellent. Enjoyed. Love Prince.

Albolute Great

Standouts 1999 Little Red Corvette D.M.S.R.

vou ser crucificada se eu disser que não sou a maior fã do prince? pelo menos não nesse álbum....

I can just imagine the excitement of listening to this in 1999

Upbeat long 2

Fantastic album. All time hits with some really interesting songs mixed in. Personally love longer songs as they let the artist really express themselves (which i think is Prince just fucking non-stop. Dude is really horny). Loved this album, never bored.

No Purple Rain, but a great album.

i hate 80s music sounds. but Prince is Prince. Truly a work of genius how i can dislike aspects of his work, but there's always something i love in his albums, and all of his songs are competent, fun and engaging. i never find myself thinking that something he did was bad or meh. always good

First 3 songs were elite

The intro to this album says it all HAVE SOME FUN. Kind of funny how the first song highlighted the idea that everyone thought year 2000 was the end or whatever. So many bangers on this album. I feel like the synch and sound effects in this album is so impressive for its time. Loved this album. I almost want to put 3 stars bc the bangers were all in the beginning so it feels like the album died out but dang the music/singing is incredible in the other songs too and i cant discredit that just because I am not familiar with the songs.

So good so sexy I want to listen to all his albums now. Just insanely influential specifically this album. Music would not be what it is today without this man

WOOO! Just know when Prince said all the white people clap your hands, I was clapping. All the songs are very layered. David said this last week, but it’s nice to be able to pick out each instrument one by one. Long songs, sometimes too long unfortunately. The highs on this album were some of my favorite songs ever, but the lows took over a large proportion of the run time. Oh and very provocative language 🧐

Other than the guitar, this album could’ve been made with a redstone circuit

Absolutely horrible. 9 minute long synth loops with prince whispering about sex and grunting the whole time. I thought he was supposed to be some sort of legend?

Not that good

I unfortunately still can’t appreciate Prince’s sound in music so I didn’t like this album. I’m stoked the album was released on my birthday though that’s pretty neat

Lekker up tempo beatje Veel seksualizing (geluiden) Veel alien like sound effects, nieuw/experimenteel Vond 1999, t leukste nummer

Det var ändå nice vibes, men kanske inte något jag skulle sätta på och lyssna på själv. Dock kul att höra Prince, har inte lyssnat så mycket på honom. Som sagt kanske inte riktigt något jag skulle sätta på själv. Låtar jag sparade som favoriter: 1999, Little Red Corvette, D.M.S.R, Free.

Liked better than the other Prince album :)

It took me a while to fully appreciate Prince, and 80s pop in general. This has grown on me substantially and Purple Rain is an undeniable classic. 4.5/5.

The hits are there. Prince is not someone I go out of my way to listen to.

Prince is a musical genius.

5.5/10

Pre Listen: Prince! Here's an artist I've been meaning to listen to more, and haven't gotten around to. I don't typically listen to the genres of music he's known for, but I'm open to it. Higher expectations than usual going in. Notable Tracks: 1999 - He's saying he won't hurt me, but I think he might. Groovy sound, classic song right here. I didn't know this was Prince. Little Red Corvette - I know this one too, and again, I had no idea this was Prince lol. Another classic. Automatic - Least favorite song in the album. I'd really like it if Prince stopped talking nasty to me in my ear, amongst other oddities and weird shit in this one. Post Listen: I did not expect to enjoy that album nearly as much as I did, especially with the raised expectations. It was so groovy and funky, Prince lived up to their title....at least on the A side. The B side absolutely bombed for me. Price kept whispering in my ear, left me feeling icked out. Too many odd choices on the B side, from the women crying in one song, to the consistent nasty talk. I skipped through a good portion of each song on the B side as a result. I'm left very conflicted on how to rate this. The A side was a 5 for me, then the B side was a 1. It can't be a 3-star album, as it definetely wasn't just mid/boring nonsense. For now I'll give it a 4/5, but that may change.

We cannot replace him. We cannot.

This is already a bit more enjoyable; I'm familiar with his work and I like it—it's a masterpiece for its time.

Pretty damn good 80s album!! Automatic is my favourite

Buenos temas, algunos largos al pedo

for the right person, I am sure this is great. I am not that person, I don't like this album

Jamais écouté avant. Sentiment contrasté après ma première écoute d'un album de Prince dans son intégralité. D'un côté, l'aura du bonhomme, son charisme comme chanteur et son génie derrière à peu près chaque instrument sont patents tout au long de 1999. De l'autre, le tout est noyé dans un bain de synthés et de boîtes à rythme qui, pour être probablement futuriste en 1983, n'en sonne pas moins horriblement daté aujourd'hui. Et en même temps, qui d'autre que lui pourrait rendre aussi sexy (jusqu'à l'excès, il n'a pas volé sa réputation d'obsédé) et funky les sonorités froides et artificielles qui encombreront toutes les années 1980 ? Je ne suis pas complètement convaincu, donc (et frustré de l'avoir si peu entendu à la guitare...), et j'espère être plus séduit par ses autres albums présents dans la liste. À suivre. Top : Little Red Corvette Flop : Lady Cab Driver

Album 246. 1999 (https://open.spotify.com/album/3U1ht9EdWEI9nMvaqdQI67?si=NO7EctVwQniL-YzfJoJX_A) — Prince (1982) It's good, Prince is Prince, but why is it so long... 3/5 Liked: — 1999 — Little Red Corvette — Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)

Hate Prince

This isn’t my favorite Prince album, but I still think Prince always deserves a top rating!

Not overly exciting today. Not a bad album, just more generic 80s Prince fluff. Wouldn't be bothered to listen again, but wouldn't complain either.

Sexy fr

Synthy and quiet sexual...some v long songs. 1999 and little red courvette are big hits

Very close to giving this my first perfect score but it sags around the middle. But geniuses are allowed to be self indulgent as their figuring out their genius.

not the best prince album imo. i feel like the songs are soooo long and not that many bangers

I’ve never been much of a Prince fan, and this album didn’t change that for me. 2/5.

too tired to say anything else but every song on here is too long

Long songs but its awesome af. The 1 in 1999 is a weiner also

so i think i have been waiting to 'get' prince but here's what I didn't understand. He's just good and that's the only thing to get. so now I get it...

brilliant first couple open tracks, also love those really poppy synths throughout, they're so 80s and it's great

Fully great album with some of his best material and a real step forward after Dirty Mind (which I honestly slightly prefer but the ambition and scope is way up here). 'Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)' gets this Prince album's award for "craziest song."

5/10 - It's alright but can get grating with the same sound

I just can't seem to get into Prince. This isn't the first time I listen to him, but each time I'm somewhat bored and disengaged.

Charlie Murphy may have been reviewing this album when he said "Prince was the only guy who could show up at your party, in frills, and steal your girlfriend. Then steal her clothes, then steal someone else's girl in your girlfriends clothes."

Is this peak Prince? I will probably get some differing opinions on this, but in my mind it's a tie between "1999" and "Purple Rain" as the quintessential Prince album.. "Purple Rain" probably still edges this one out, but only barely. Just raw, funky, and intensely horny music. It's like the man just walked around with a perpetual boner. This one does hold a special place in my mind. I'm old enough that when the track "1999" resurfaced for the millennium, I proposed to my wife at the stroke of midnight, 1/1/2000, at a big New Years party in a buddy's garage, and the proposal was quickly followed up by that song. It's still a good memory. (5/5) Not as **sexed up** as this album is, but a special moment nonetheless.

Wow, is this one front loaded! I listened to the original double album release, with the first three tracks that make up Side 1 no nonsense bangers that most of us have heard dozens, if not hundreds, of times and most likely didn't pay enough attention to the lyrics for many of them. Let's Pretend We're Married is enough to give Darling Nikki a run for its money in the "what did he just say" department, DSMR is good but overstays its welcome, and Lady Cab Driver should have led to a lawsuit against Ready for the World for their single "Oh, Sheila," which was a direct ripoff that led them to a #1 single. The single album would no doubt rate higher, as it cuts out the fat of the album, but it's the fat on the double album that keeps it from 5 star status IMO. As such, it rounds up to a 4/5 that I'm willing to skip a couple songs to get to the good stuff on.

127. 1999 - Prince (1982) 6.29.26 Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 4 = 4.4 rounded down to a 4 "Don't cry unless you're happy, don't smile unless you're blue/ Never let that lonely monster take control of you" I love me some Prince but he's maybe the biggest act of his stature I can think of that I still consider to mainly be a compilation guy to me. The reasoning is two fold - he only has one truly all-time perfect record ( Purple Rain) and despite having a shitload of classic songs ( rivalling the Beatles in sheer quantity) it's largely a numbers game. Yes, most of that came out of the first half of his career, but something like around 40 ( I think) released studio albums, and half-baker's dozen of classics he wrote that were made famous by others gives him a distinct advantage in the numbers game. This is an album I've listened to many times of the years, but I know going in that it is so front-loaded and boated that while I'll still enjoy it, it's hot a ceiling with me. A high ceiling to be sure though. Let's all don our headphones and prepare for final boarding on the Seduction 747. THE TRACKS Side one "1999" - I am never not thrown off by the demon voice intro here as I've probably heard this WAY more times on the radio and in the music video. But It's a very momentary confusion, as we get right into that reckless end of the world who cares vibe and get the party started. The electro-funk groove on this is an all-timer in spite of the run time slowing things down just a tad. We got handclaps, backing vocals issuing demands to get out and get down, an almost live in the studio feel to the production ( it most certainly was not) and Prince's blistering delivery which all adds up to maybe the best virtual party you've ever briefly dipped into. ( possibly rivalled only by "Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Kool?). This is a song that will forever remain a mainstay of any New Year's party playlist worthy of the name, and it'll always be a 5-star song for me. I will continue to favor the radio edit though. "Little Red Corvette" - Another one that I prefer the 7" radio edit to but which shall forever and always be a stone cold classic. This and the radio edit have a strange production effect that makes it sound a bit distorted, or almost like it is meant to sound like it's being played off of a beat up radio. Have always assumed this was a production choice given Prince's complete control he had over every aspect. This same effect, though not as "hot" in the vocals, permeates "When Doves Cry", and gives it a kind of once-removed, mysterious kind of feel. ( I checked and yes, Prince apparently purposely recorded the vocals in the "red" for effect, hence the slight hiss). We get our first foray into the ins and outs ( wink wink) of relationships with a almost, but not quite humorous tae of a one night stand with a woman who knows her stuff. Our narrator seems possibly a little freaked out ( surely not Prince!) but then has the bright idea that he might be able to tame this free spirit. "Delirious" - I love that sort of hollow, empty sound space on a lot of the Prince stuff from this era. None of the warmth is lost, but it's sparse and makes it feel almost like you are listening to a band perform in a cavernous, empty warehouse. This could be a side effect of multitracked recording with Prince himself playing all these elements himself ( and even providing his own backing vocals?). It's so distinctive and cool, and I'm not sure anyone else was able to replicate it at the time, so much so that it feels like he's trademarked it. As much as I don't really mind the song lengths, I think this is the big hit of the three that suffers the most from the extra length. The song in ingle format feels much more propulsive and manic, which I much prefer. That manic feel saturates the lyrics as well with the focus on infatuation and the dizzy, bewildered feeling of lust at first site given full form here. Awesome. On a side note, the sampled baby cooing at the end here which was used to great effect on Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?” is the subject of a fascinating bit of musical archeology that is worth checking out here: https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/07/who-was-the-baby-on-aaliyah-s-are-you-that-somebody Side two "Let's Pretend We're Married" - And now we've wondered from the familiar beach and are knee deep in the bracing waters of the lesser known tracks. I think was still released as a single? It must have been as there's a music video, in which Prince and his band ( who all look like they are cosplaying as the man himself) perform in a fog and spotlight factory. As I'm way less familiar with the single version of this one ( not sure I gave ever once heard this on the radio), the stuffed length does not bother me as much. The synth drives us along the winding path towards another one night stand, this tie with our narrator as the instigator. This guy's a little but more scatter brained and impulsive maybe than the subject of "Little Red Corvette" and more than a little unconcerned about coming across as an asshole. He's certainly interested, but you get the feeling he'll move right on down to the next lady at the bar if his schtick fails here. It's a numbers game for this guy I'm thinking. We also get maybe the most notorious of lyrics here. Even for Prince they are pretty spicy. Either way, this is a ton of fun and full of hooks. It's not anywhere close to being the sort of filler one might expect from the lesser material. Prince has a high hit rate with having quality deep cuts, and while this isn't quite that - it's close enough. "D.M.S.R." - Prince's P-Funk influences are in full effect here as we get some MASSIVE fat bass lines over a jaunty guitar, and some good old fashioned dance instructions. Truth in advertising as we get as good a soundtrack as any for some dancing, sexing, and romancing. This is prime roller skate jam material. And yes, I felt compelled to clap on the four as I was asked. We opened with a call top party, and we end with maybe the same party that's been going on this whole time while were away. A wonderful close to side two. Side three "Automatic" - Another tale of romance, this time with a heavy dose of obsession, with our narrator seeming to lack any sort of free will. How much of bad thing this is I guess depends on your point of view. He seems to be having a good time. There's more than a bit of S&M feel here though as we're also given some hints this might not be a two-way street. Instrumentally we get a some funk mixed in with the robotic presentation and chorus that feels a bit colder than everything else on here as well. It's still a damn fine listen though. There's some guitar noodling just before the end that mimics and mixes in with the cries of pleasure ( pain?) that adds a nice effect. Possibly the kinkiest track on an album that already seems unconcerned with how shocking it can get. This one that I also prefer the 7" edit to, even if it loses a lot of the dark, weird atmosphere. "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" - Holy cow. We're right in it with some almost industrial dance beats, and some maybe too on the nose computer noises. Almost makes me wonder if NIN or anyone similar has tried covering this. This time around our guy just can't quite figure out why he's being rejected and treated so badly. And if those yelps are any indication, Princes DOES NOT understand why anyone would turn away his charms. And how can you blame him. This tracks is drowning in self doubt and a nervous energy that does not suit him very well, and hurts the effectiveness. It doesn't help that this has much more of a gussied up demo track feel than anything else on here. The first miss for me, but not a complete failure by any means. I'm not offended or turned off so much as amused at the slight misstep. "Free" - Opening with a building, pulsing heartbeat and what sounds like someone running through crunching snow ( even though meant to be marching given the lyrics), we go right into a piano and bass drum ballad of the lift your chin up sort, where Prince gets to show off his falsetto. The chorus on this is very uplifting in tone despite the bittersweet lyrics that seem to want to lift you up out of whatever funk or darkness you may gave descended into and lets you know there are good times up ahead through those clouds even if you can't quite see them yet. This is some great shit, and further proof of how great this guy's B-material is. Again though I much prefer the promo edit that loses the sound effects. This one's my dark horse pick for greatest non-hit on the album, and I would compare it favorably to some of the best optimistic anthems like "Lean On Me", "I'll Take You There", "Stand By Me", and "Bridge Over Troubled waters". There's also a very lovely version from 2008 with Prince accompanying himself on acoustic guitar that is well worth your time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgFQO8HZtQE). Side four "Lady Cab Driver" - This one's a more or less straight forward ( at least instrumentally so) jazz-funk number that sails along in a mid-tempo groove that seems a little more subdued than anything else. We get a long shotgun spread diatribe at a lot of random targets over top of some hilarious moaning that brings a what previously felt like a paranoid escape song into a possible bedroom jam? Maybe that cab pulled over into a secluded spot for just long enough to get freaky? The guitar and synth freakout at 5:35 lends itself to this interpretation as maybe things are too crazy for even Prince's lyrics to contain them. This one , more than any other on the album I think benefits most form the shorter run time of the 7" edit. "All the Critics Love U in New York" - We get what seems to be a takedown track focused on superficial and critics who seem to be chasing whatever's hip. The pretty basic funky track is dripping with disdain, but not willing to sacrifice any forward momentum. Instrumentally, the core of this almost plays out like some lost James Brown track sped up to double time and played with a muted bass. Not my favorite but impossible to completely dismiss. "International Lover" - Slow, sultry built for a the kind of slow dance that does not allow room for the Holy Ghost. It has that end of concert, encore number vibe that suits its placement here incredibly well. Can't you picture the arena lit up with swaying cell phones? More great stuff, and with his sense of humor on full display as well. There's a more serious, improv heavy, and intimate piano only version ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6SAhGuDh_0) of this that's also worth checking out, and which oozes a lot more sexuality than the album cut, and which is also a lot shorter, and makes me want to see if I can cobble together a bunch of similar material for an imaginary Prince nightclub album. HIGHLIGHTS - "1999" - "Little Red Corvette" - "Delirious" - "Let's Pretend We're Married" - "D.M.S.R." - "Automatic" - "Free" MIDLIGHTS - "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" - "Lady Cab Driver" - "All the Critics Love U in New York" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS My biggest criticism of this album is how much fat there is. Even down to the best stuff like "1999" his Purpleness seems to have been taken over my his wildest self indulgent tendencies and blown almost everything up here to the point of popping. That's not to say it's not enjoyable fat though. Even the too-long by almost half title track is a hell of a lot of fun. Even a genius need an editor though. Supposedly this hypergraphic mania is well represented in the vast number of unreleased ( possibly over 100!) completed albums, partial albums, songs ( possibly nearing 8,000!), b-sides, re-mixes, forgotten singles, and song gragments and ideas he left behind for his notoriously litigious and stingy executors. 1999 I think is the first, early appearing symptom of whatever drove him to generate so much, and as such it doesn't look that crazy by comparison to what would come later. Everything on here is of such a high standard of quality, I find it almost impossible to take digs at compositionally or instrumentally. There is plenty of variety, it's all pretty danged listenable ( if too long in spots), and no one sounded like Prince. Even the people who bordered sounding like him only did so because he likely produced, wrote, or even ghost-performed on their albums and songs. A few have tried to ape his essence with moderate success ( Terrence Trent D'Arby, Lenny Kravitz) but they either end up running into a creative wall, or survive by adapting ( ripping off Hendrix instead, let's say). Despite my admittedly nitpicky issues with the song lengths, I think overall this completely deserves inclusion in the list for, if not just that amazing first side then the comprehensive vision and execution of a pretty ballsy undertaking. Who else was releasing double albums of rock tinged electro-funk, and setting MTV on fire with the kind of unassailable sexiness at the time? Madonna maybe was his only competition in the latter I guess. This is not his best album ( Purple Rain) or his tightest ( Dirty Mind) but it ranks up there in his top 5 for sure. Glad I got to get in another full listen, but looking forward to the main event when it pops up. It'll be his last entry, and I think we will have listened to them in ascending order of greatness. As good as it is, there are the bones of an even better album buried in the shallow grave one plot over. So close to the surface that you could almost brush away the dirt with your hand. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Let's put together an all radio/ single edit version of this and see how it compares. This one tops out at 43:17 (43:01 with the Spotify available tracks) compared to the original's 70.29: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2o2zrsmoewqs9duRi0Ucxw?si=1c728ccd4cf14847 1. 1999 (7" Edit) 3:36 2. Little Red Corvette (7" Edit) 3:08 3. Delirious (7" Edit) 2:38 4. Let's Pretend We're Married (Video Edit) 4:18 5. D.M.S.R. ( Risky Business soundtrack edit) 5:05 6. Automatic (7" Edit) 3:40 6. Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) ( album version) 4:02 6. Free (Promo-Only Edit) 4:35 7. Lady Cab Driver (7" Edit) 5:05 8. All the Critics Love U in New York (7" Edit) 3:15 9. International Lover ( radio and microphone edit) 3:48 FURTHER LISTENING - Dirty Mind by Prince - Controversy by Prince - Purple Rain by Prince - What Time Is It? by The Time - Gap Band IV by the Gap Band - Street Songs by Rick James - Control by Janet Jackson

During the year 1999, as I was in college, I must've heard the track "1999" about a thousand times. It was played constantly. Any of you that also lived through the end of the millennium can confirm, right? Its fun, end of the world hedonism. The rest of the album lacks such revelry for the listener. OR at least this listener. I'm sure the performer was having a great time. I’m sure other listeners did too. Good for them. Listening to this album was not as pleasant as the context would suggest. After the hit title track it descends into bumping and grinding background music. Prince is throwing a party at the end of time, come in, find a dance partner, and then get nasty. That is the feeling of the whole album, in summary. Prince continues to be an artist where the hits are great listening, but the rest is absolute indulgent in Prince’s libido. Quite often that does not work for me. 3/5 because “1999” is still an all-timer.

Sounds like the 80s sounded like before Purple Rain.

já conhecia óbvio… berço de tanto talento e sucessos

Man, this was so good. The sexual energy, the guitars - DAT BASS. And of course, his amazing lyrics and vocals. Super good listen.

Despite it all, I've never been much of a Prince fan. Sacrilegious perhaps, but I think we all get a couple 'big artists' that we're allowed some ambivalence on. He's practically a de-facto face on the Mount Rushmore of pop icons of the late 20th century and I've never really quite grokked with it. The best parts of this album are, surprisingly, the same parts that have aged the worst. 'Delirious', a track so synth-soaked in that brightly-commercial 80s way, is so wonderfully retro-twee now. The album feels like an attempt at a sound for the optimistic future that never materialized. Like that funky little sound on 'D.M.S.R' is fun and playful and kinda dorky in a charming way. Conversely, at its worst it's so sexually self-indulgent. There's that moaning, sweaty theme throughout that just ends up feeling and sounding masturbatory. Feels like Prince is doing this whole Steely Dan thing, but with more discomforting lyrical sleaze and less of that flowergram romance. What the fuck is going on in 'Lady Cab Driver', for example? An otherwise catchy 80s beat falls to the awkward vinyl posturing of some insecure masculine posturing. Fav tracks: Delirious, D.M.S.R.

One of Prince’s many great albums. Ground breaking sounds and rhythm programming.

Meh

Prince does his thangg. Fun 80s pop album and has my fav song on this album hehe.

#986. Despite that fact that Prince took himself extremely seriously, his music is best enjoyed if you do not take it seriously at all. 3/5: goofy

Meget længere og mere jammy end jeg forventede. Lille 4

Har ikke hørt den her før, var overrasket over at det var et dobbelt-album! Virkelig fed, sexet, jammy

The recording of this is pretty shit. Not sure if I had a bad version, but there was lots of clipping. Music is nice and funky - super horny.

Great album. On par with Purple Rain or maybe even better.

5 stars. How can you give this anything else.

This is a good album and was groundbreaking at the time, but not all of the songs aged well. Pitchfork: 10 (Reviewed in 2016 - unfair to rate this AFTER you know Prince is a superstar) Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #130 Best Songs 1999 Little Red Corvette Delirious

Bless Prince's dedication to the synth. While a talented man, the synth nuttiness here is what really sets him apart. Without it, he'd just be a horny multi-instrumentalist. Instead, we get some very forward looking tunes with sounds that were either absorbed so completely that they seem like they were always there, so horrible they disappear, or so malign that they live on as villain themes in '80s cartoons. But enough about that: like just about everything Prince puts together, this is too long, both in song and album length. Tough to listen to in one sitting unless you're stuck in the car, and it does go a little downhill after the first two tracks. But of course, it's a lot of fun, very horny (did I mention that yet?) and is packed with interesting if not always welcome sounds. Prince seems to find a hook and then extend it way past its use-by date, with mixed success. I think Purple Rain is a MUCH better package, but that doesn't mean I hate this.

Not really my style and i think its the first prince album that i have listened. So far its good but not too remarkable