1999

Nous y voilà, encore une fois on remet le couvert avec Sa Majesté Pourpre, le Kid de Minneapolis, le génie incontesté, l’homme qui savait jouer de vingt-sept instruments avant même d'avoir appris à lacer ses chaussures à talons. On avait déjà eu cette discussion, il n’y a pas si longtemps, quand je me suis tapé "Sign O' The Times". J'avais d'ailleurs fini par lâcher un 3/5 poli, un peu comme on laisse un pourboire dans un resto étoilé où la bouffe était techniquement parfaite mais où le serveur nous avait regardé de haut toute la soirée. Et aujourd'hui, le hasard du tirage (ou le sadisme de cette liste des 1001 albums) nous ramène à Prince, mais quelques années en arrière, en 1982 avec l’album "1999". C'est étrange, le rapport qu'on peut entretenir avec Prince quand on a été biberonné au post-punk, à la cold-wave et à l'indus. Sur le papier, on devrait détester... c'est flashy, c'est sexuel de manière ostentatoire, c'est virtuose jusqu'à l'écœurement. Et pourtant, impossible de nier qu'il se passe quelque chose sur ce disque, même si ça me laisse souvent aussi froid qu'un radiateur en panne au mois de novembre. Donc en 1982, pendant que Robert Smith hurlait son désespoir existentiel sur "Pornography" (un chef-d'œuvre, un vrai, celui-là), Prince, lui, décidait que si la fin du monde était proche, autant la passer en string léopard à se frotter contre des enceintes. C'est une approche du nihilisme comme une autre, je suppose. L'hédonisme désespéré face à la menace nucléaire de la Guerre Froide. "Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb?". C'est une bonne question, Roger, mais est-ce une raison pour nous infliger des synthés aussi clinquants ? Ce qui frappe d'entrée avec "1999", c'est la machine. C'est l'album qui consacre la domination de la Linn LM-1, cette boîte à rythmes qui claque sec. Pour un amateur de rythmiques martiales façon Godflesh ou de la précision chirurgicale de New Order, il y a là un terrain d'entente possible. Prince n'utilise pas la machine pour imiter un batteur humain, il l'utilise pour ce qu'elle est : un robot. C'est froid, c'est mécanique, c'est répétitif, c'est le fameux "Minneapolis Sound" : des nappes de synthés Oberheim bien grasses et cette rythmique qui tape dur. Le morceau titre, "1999", est une machine de guerre et il faut vraiment être de mauvaise foi pour ne pas hocher la tête. C'est l'hymne ultime de la fête de fin du monde et il y a une efficacité redoutable dans cette manière de transformer l'angoisse atomique en invitation à la débauche. "War is all around us, my mind says prepare to fight / So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen to my body tonight". Ok, Roger, là je te suis, c'est mieux que les paroles cryptiques ou mystiques qu'il nous servira plus tard. Là, c'est direct... On va crever, alors autant baiser, c'est simple et efficace. Puis arrive "Little Red Corvette", c'est la perfection pop, c’est lisse comme une carrosserie neuve. C’est une métaphore sexuelle automobile tellement éculée qu'elle en deviendrait presque touchante si elle n'était pas chantée par un type qui se prend autant au sérieux. Mais musicalement, c'est imparable, ça glisse tout seul. C'est le genre de titre qu'on tolérait à la radio parce que la mélodie est accrocheuse, même si on ne l'aurait jamais acheté en vinyle de peur de se faire excommunier par ses potes gothiques. Mais le problème de cet album, c'est la longueur. Putain, que c'est long. C'est un double album à l'origine et comme souvent avec les doubles albums, il y a du gras, il y a du remplissage. Prince a ce défaut majeur de ne pas savoir s'arrêter, il jamme, il s'écoute jammer, il kiffe ses propres grooves. "D.M.S.R." dure plus de huit minutes. "Automatic" dure plus de neuf minutes. Neuf minutes !!! Bon ok c'est vrai, pour un fan de Godspeed You! Black Emperor (que je suis), neuf minutes c'est l'intro. Mais chez GYBE, il y a une montée en puissance, une atmosphère, une apocalypse sonore. Chez Prince, c'est souvent le même plan funk qui tourne en boucle avec lui qui pousse des petits cris et gémit des trucs cochons au micro. C'est techniquement bluffant, certes. Le mec joue de tout, produit tout, arrange tout, c'est un control freak absolu mais au bout de quatre minutes l'ennui s'installe. Et c'est là toute la barrière infranchissable avec son œuvre. Je reconnais le génie, je reconnais l'influence colossale. Sans ce disque, pas de pop des années 80 telle qu'on la connaît, pas de Janet Jackson, pas de Phil Collins période "Sussudio". Il a ouvert la voie à une fusion des genres (rock, funk, new wave) qui a permis de briser les barrières raciales sur MTV. Historiquement, c'est un monument. Mais émotionnellement ? Ça passe à côté, ça vole à dix mille pieds au-dessus de ma tête. En réécoutant l'album pour cette chronique, j'ai tout de même trouvé l'ensemble plus cohérent que "Sign O' The Times". Il y a une unité de son, une direction claire : faire danser les robots. Des titres comme "Let’s Pretend We’re Married" ont ce côté provocateur un peu facile ("I sincerely want to fuck the taste out of your mouth", quelle élégance...) qui a dû choquer l'Amérique puritaine de l'époque, mais qui aujourd'hui sonne presque comme une blague de collégien. Alors voilà 3/5 parce que je ne peut pas mettre moins, ce serait de la mauvaise foi. Et surtout il faudrait être un vrai con pour ne pas reconnaître que l'influence de cet album est colossale. Cependant, je ne peut pas mettre plus non plus, pas moi, pas avec mon ADN musical. "1999" est un grand album de fête, un grand album de funk, un monument des années 80. Mieux construit que "Sign O' The Times", plus direct, plus "dans ta face". Mais une fois que la fête est finie, que les confettis sont retombés et que la Linn LM-1 a fini de claquer, qu'est-ce qu'il nous reste ? Pas grand-chose...

This album is way too long. Almost every song is nearly ten minutes when they could all benefit from being four. So many of the songs were just moans and synth lines over a repetitive groove. I did like the funky grooves, but again, they just went on and on. My favorite songs were short and had great standout vocal performances, Standout Tracks: Little Red Corvette, Free

So good!

Boring, sounds old. Doesn't really have the same pizazz it did back in the 90s.

I get it, I’m supposed to like prince.

Scratches so many of musical itches, particularly Lady Cab Driver and Let’s Pretend We’re Married. Funk, Dance, Guitar-heavy, brilliant.

The overtly sexual nature of every song was pretty funny. The general sound of every song did start to get repetitive.

This started strong but quickly started to make me feel very uncomfortable. I appreciate Prince's sound and the fun songs but not enough to listen again.

Another classic

What I love about Prince is the way he fuses R&B and funk with that 80s sound. This album has a couple of huge hits and some good grooves. I was quite surprised by how long the songs are, the average track is around 5–6 minutes, and some even hit 8–9 minutes, which can feel a bit too long and repetitive at times. The opening 3 songs are amazingm 1999, Little Red Corvette, and Delirious. This is the moment where Prince fully pushed his funk and disco into the digitised, computer age sound. I really appreciate the blend of synth-heavy, robotic electronics with his soul, funk, and pop, almost like Kraftwerk + early hip-hop + Funkadelic + catchy pop all fused together. People always say he’s the King of 80s Pop Rock and Synth-Funk, the King of the 80s in general especially when competing with MJ during the Purple Rain era. This album is completely different from Purple Rain, which I personally prefer, but I still admire what he did here. Lyrically and thematically this album is a bit too erotic for my taste, but I can still appreciate how bold, innovative, and influential it is. Standout tracks: 1999, Little Red Corvette, Delirious, D.M.S.R., Something in the Water (Does Not Compute), Lady Cab Driver, International Lover.

The most I’ve ever liked Prince (who I’ve always found a bit hit and miss) A super sexy fun record

1999 is pretty good but should be shorter to pack more of a punch. Little Red Corvette is SO good. Delirious and Let's Pretend We're Married are fun, as is Automatic. DISTURBING end to D.M.S.R. and did not like the crying at 7:30 in Automatic either. International Lover is sweet but the Toad scream at 2.45 was funny. Great sound overall.

Really like the first 3 songs of this album. Prince is majestic ✨️

Prince Tax

I love Prince. I admit though, that I'm a fan of his later (90's era) stuff maybe more than this. Interesting to compare to Planet Rock, which was my album yesterday. Very funky, very synth heavy, a lot of long jams, but 1999 is so much more interesting to listen to.

I like Prince, but the crying and moaning women irritated me :(

Üllatas täitsa

A bit on the longer side but with really good material.

Most people don't know this but Prince is one of the reasons that we have the Explicit Lyrics label on records. We will cover that when we get to Purple Rain. For me, Prince ranks up there as one of the greatest musicians and this album is one of his greatest. I remember going out and buying Dimond and Pearls when I was just 11. Riding my bike to buy it and for some reason my parent thought that prince was OK for an 11 year old to listen to. It does not matter really this is a banger start to finish and get's all the stars.

Very funky and I like funk. I thought it would be a good idea to break out the headphones for this and I did. Missed most of the lyrics, tbh, but enjoyed the experience of it.

Another Prince album I just can’t appreciate as I think I should.

Prince was ready to party 17 years early

I've never listened to Prince on purpose before, and I actually thought I would enjoy this because I like the dance style music of this era. But this album was pretty boring.

Maybe wasn’t the best time for me to try and jump back into listening to the albums again.

Never understood the appeal of prince and still don’t.

eu aqui na expectativa por esse desde que eu ouvi o "sign o' the times" e parece que bati de frente para um muro... que álbum chato, repetitivo e meio mal remixado. gostei não

Great album that with the first four tracks being probably the best opening to any Prince album.

So gooooood

Low-key bops but I don't think I'll be searching it out again. Maybe background bops

3.0/10 Surprised by this one... the songs were way too long!

Love Prince! This dragged on a bit as an album (so many 7-9 minute tracks), though it has some amazing songs.

So so so close to giving this a 5. I love to dance, I love prince, some songs were soooooo dated which makes it hard to go higher than 4

I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. There were some songs that I loved (Little Red Corvette, Free, International Lover), but too many of the others just felt weird or out there.

As a huge Prince fan, I do love this album - you can hear the seeds of the sound he perfected on Purple Rain (trying to pin a genre on Prince is a bit reductive, but electrofunkpop?), but it's not quite the overall masterpiece that I think the latter is. Two all-timers right out of the gates, and then it loses a bit of steam before picking up in the latter half. DMSR is awesome with the party call-and-response vibes, and the groove on Lady Cab Driver is impeccable. Some great solos but not quite as much shredding as you might want. Overall great, 4.5 if it were an option.

Not my favorite era of his music.

Really good, first full listen through of a Prince album and it worked well as a cohesive album. The GOAT

Fav songs: dmsr, all the critics love U in ny, international lover

Very 80's as is the sound that prince brought

Prince is an iconic artist. The big tracks on this album are catchy (1999 and Little Red Corvette). The rest is just OK. I already had a sense that Prince had somewhat scandalous/sexy lyrics, but listening to this album through made me realize this even more (some groans would definitely be not safe for work if played out loud).

This might actually be a high 4, since there are some missteps, but this and Purple Rain clearly mark the intersection of Prince's unique talents and pop accessibilty, so I'm rounding up.

Insane. Besides the hits, the deeper cuts are solid - and hint at future brilliance from Prince ('Automatic' sounds very much like a precursor to 'Erotic City' and not in a bad way.) Perfect blend of funk & soul + syth-y dance that really only Prince could do so effortlessly. Just genius.

I’ve had a week of a few 5 star albums and here’s another. I was not at all into R&B or even pop music back in 1982, but this album was impossible to ignore. The hits were amazing, but all the rest was too. And no need for dance remixes as these were party length songs already. There is not a bad song on this record. Just bangers. And I started expanding my music listening thanks to albums like this.

Not much to say here. I did, at one time, party like it was 1999. Because it was.

Some songs were great! But for some reason I couldn’t make it through, it was just a bit dull. Maybe my mood.

Prince is an artist I somehow always overlooked, especially given his stature in the music industry. Listening to this album tells me why- he simply, to me, isn't very good. I can respect his artistry but I found this album boring and overlong- so 80s it makes Cabbage Patch Kids puke up Troll dolls onto Ronald Reagan. Best song: ¨1999¨

Starts well with the two singles that continue to get airtime as they are great funky tunes. Thereafter I lose interest fairly rapidly - 80's funk not my bag especially slap bass and the quality of the tunes gets weaker as album progresses.

Two bangers and a lot of filler.

love it

call me crazy but i can’t get behind prince. except for his appearance on new girl

I didn’t get Prince for a long time but I get the hype now. Super groovy album. It took me many many years to realize this was no released in 1999. 4.5

All the hits. Some songs sound a little dated but still a classic. Little Red Corvette is my favorite Prince song

Guess I’m outing myself, but Prince just doesn’t do it for me. This album started strong, but just went on for too long.

Good but he also has better but still good though

Prince can really write/record/perform a bop!!!!! Opening with such a hit really sets the tone of the album - some songs def went on too long - not my favorite prince album at all but doesn’t mean it’s not danceable! He really kinda defies genres too for me - I like the album artwork too

Classic album, I remember listening to the first three tracks of the radio!

always a blast, always a trip

Prince is at it again

80’s type pop Some catchy stuff Lil funky

So did people like just party nonstop in 1999 or was Prince a liar?

This is a weird one for sure. Prince seem like one of those artists who is absolutely brilliant, yeah at the same time cover versions of his songs hit better than his. This album simply starts and quickly descends into sex maniac territory with songs that could easily be two thirds the length of what they are. The synths, the funk, the craftsmanship and charm all raise this up beyond the 1 or 2 it could have been.

Exceptional. It’s Prince.

There's something very dated about it, and some songs I find annoying, but also I still hear r&b artits doing this sound! When it works it really works! I heard this one before, I love little red corvet, dmsr and lady cab driver 3 1/2 at least

Fantastic album

Solid 4.48 Stars

later

Similar background beat made a lot of the songs sound the same but it was a fun album. Didn’t finish - missed the last 2 songs.

Some really cool songs. Blows my mind that a few are 8 mins long of the same thing over and over again. And over.

It felt like 70 minutes of Prince was a bit much but I did like the album

Hard not to like this one. Some 80s sexy cheese in the lyrics but the arrangements and production are so on point. Less focused on singles than I expected, very jammy especially in the back half

Great album! Starts bopping, slows down. Some great pop on here. Pretty horny dude, this Prince.

Almost the archetypal Prince album, in my mind, at least: a couple of classic singles, some filthy sex, and a bunch of filler so catchy that most other performers would kill to have half of Prince's ability.

(Image showing five purple heart emojis.)

Enkelte låter blir litt kjedelige og mangler dynamikk. Er heller ikke så glad i lydbildet. Oppleves som lite luft og «grumsete»

it was good

Such a horny little man. So over sexualised that it is unreal! The first half of the album is absolutely brilliant, last third is mehh, it became a bit too much like I was spectating a Prince gangbang. I still think it's probably a 5 star album mind!

Never really understood the Prince mania, nope that hasn't changed, I mean it's okay for what it is ⭐⭐⭐

The first two tracks are brilliant, but the rest are just ok 3/5

Whilst I’m willing to accept the proclamations of people better qualified than I, that Prince is an excellent musician, I’m afraid that his type of music does not resonate with me at all. Very, very occasionally, I do hear a superb guitar solos which makes me take notice. I’m thinking here of Purple Rain. But on this album there is no such guitar work so I found it hard to like anything. 1/5 7/11/25

first prince album to be honest never really felt the need and again not really sure of this one. seems to like to repeat a small riff and make a song from it

felt like a video game, kinda fun but probably not going to listen to very often.

Fun and some dark moody funk on here. Also incredible that this was his fifth album in five years.

I loved this album. I’ve never been a Prince fan, until now I guess. The title track of this record is fantastic and a great opener. “Little Red Corvette” is a fantastic pop tune and “Delirious” is pop perfection. I did find “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” to be overly long and kind of boring though. “D.M.S.R.” Has a catchy ass chorus and I loved it. “Automatic” is also far too long and annoying. “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)” was ok. But “Free” was a very good ballad, and “Lady Cab Driver” was fun. “The Critics All Love U In New York” is also good. And the close “International Lover” is excellent. A very good R&B/Pop record from the early 80s, excellent record

Prince, NOT over rated!!

I was pretty excited to listen to another Prince album on this generator after how good Purple Rain was. This album is certainly more risqué and hypersexual than that album, which is both to its benefit and its detriment. It did, at times, become a borderline uncomfortable listen. However, I think that's part of the beauty of this album. It's dark, it's sexual, it's political, it's exciting, and it is fabulous. I didn't really get the enjoyment that I got from Purple Rain, largely due to some personal discomfort with the moaning noises (which is just a personal thing), but I still thought that it was amazing. Very deserving of a spot on this generator.

this is so 80s it is scary! I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I honestly thought 1999 came out much later (after a quick google I discovered that he did redo it, in 1999). The album starts with the 2 biggest hits on the album, but then it delves into cheesy 80s synths littered with sexual innuendo and a few hints of Prince's guitar prowess. I mean.... come on..."Dance, Music, Sex. Romance...everybody clap your hands now" sweet jesus. Yes, its Funky, but still cheesy. Free and Lady Cab driver were ok. It ends well with International Lover .Yeah there is a bit of funk, but for the most part its monotonous. 3.5 stars

A strange album for me. Some well known great songs, some lesser known bangers too. But then some duds in there. It’s still Prince though…..

It feels like the lead track, 1999, has been played to death so I approached it expecting to be instantly bored. Good though, innit? It's almost impossible to believe it came out in 1982. This song, and the track that follows it, Little Red Corvette, are like pop music masterclasses, and both feel almost timeless. Then came Delirious, which sounds exactly like something that came out in 1982 - that chirpy little synth sound quickly became irritating and I had to skip the track. The rest of the album drifted into similar synth-funk territory that all sounds quite dated now, to me at least. I enjoyed listening to it though. I get the appeal of Prince - he was highly prolific, and seemingly consistently good, as well as being an extraordinary live performer who gave his fans 100%. I've just never really surrendered myself to it all - there are other Prince records I know I like more than this one (Parade springs immediately to mind), but I can see myself returning to this and maybe digging deeper into his back catalogue.

I have never "got" Prince. I have always found him to be overblown and irritating. I couldn't bring myself to listen to the whole album, despite my best efforts with gritted teeth,

I wish I had some sort of custom symbol that defined how I feel about this album

Vanligvis høre æ jo på albuman og tenke enten at det hørtes ut som forventa, fordi æ har hørt enkeltspor og/eller har litt kjennskap til artisten, eller at det hørtes bedre ut enn forventa. Akkurat det her havne dog i motsatt ende. Æ har hørt enkeltspor og trodde æ hadde et visst kjennskap til Prince, men det vise sæ at æ like 1999 i albumformat langt mindre enn æ likte året i sæ sjøl. Det kan hende det hadde truffet bedre en anna gang, men i går va det kræsj.

With this list I'm discovering that I find it hard to enjoy albums that focus on expressing the male singer's sexuality. Some examples I'm thinking of are the Tim Buckley's 'Greetings From L.A.' and "Sing 'O' The Times" by Prince. Don't think it is a bad thing, just something that I cannot connect to, and the same happens with this record. So, if my lack of my ability to resonate with it was already a problem, then it adds the fact that this album is super long. It last 1 hour and 10 minutes, and some songs surpass the 8 minute mark, which made it way harder to enjoy it. Thankfully, Prince's remarkable creativity and expressive performances are some traits that make me appreciate the album. Thus, I don't think it is a bad experience, but certainly not made for me. Maybe if it was shorter, I could enjoy it way more.

Prince is unbelievable

i actively avoid 80's music but hard to deny the talent of prince. Everyone else seems to just be mimicking him.

Turns out that Little Red Corvette didn’t have enough gas to get much past turn two. Coasted to a stop before turn three. Never saw the finish.

Over the years I've tried to like Prince's music, but the adolescent sex obsession always puts me off.

I think I liked this better than Purple Rain. Is that a hot take? The only problem is that the songs are too long, gets a bit boring sometimes.

This was a fun album to listen to. I dig it 5/5

This was crap

Classic Prince. Starts strong and tapers off a bit at the end, but it’s a great poppy/funky album from front to back.

Tar jo aldri slutt. Mye jokking, alle låtene varer for lenge.

Funky

Two Prince albums in as many months have made me realize that he is just not my thing. Respect to him as an artist, though. (If you haven't seen his guitar solo from George Harrison's Hall of Fame induction performance, I definitely recommend you look it up. It's equal parts miraculous and hilarious.) So . . .

Starts off on a heater but loses steam after the first 3 tracks. I’m a bigger fan of two other Prince albums at a minimum.

Has some great songs, but the whole is not nearly as good as Purple Rain. Several tracks (especially Automatic) are way too long, and Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) is outright awful. Drop that and shorten several songs and it might be a 5.

3/5 - I definitely prefer Purple Rain to 1999. The front half of this has the 3 hits, and I love it. I lose the thread in the back half, and the tracks are entirely too aimless and long. I think a 3 feels right, because I have no desire to listen to this front-to-back again.

Alright, so I was maybe dreaming a little when I wrote this, so, like, forgive me if I go astray. 'K? When I talk about double albums there's this line I love to bring up: "if y'don't do it right it can come across like a supreme ego trip." You're tellin' me you had just **too many good ideas** for **one disc**? You had to toss in a second one to hold 'em all? Well, you must be firing on **all cylinders** to justify that decision. And thankfully, I've only rarely come across one that doesn't and falls into the "ego" pit. It might just be a credit to this album's selection of double albums more than anything, but either way. Here's a question, though: can an album come across like an ego trip and **still** come out as a good album? Oh, yeah, absolutely. And '1999' is the proof of that. If '1999' is anything to me, it's Prince walking into the room, telling everybody "Fuck you, I **am** that good at music" and then having sex right on the open floor with the hottest woman in his presence. And damn it, he's right — he **is** just that good. If he was even a hint less he wouldn't have been able to get away with songs like "D.M.S.R." and "Automatic" being as long as they are. This is 11 straight tracks of amazing synth-pop and electronic funk. It's obviously a little primordial to how layered the follow-up would be ('Purple Rain', of course), but let's not act like that fact takes away from any of these songs. Sure, "Let's Pretend We're Married" doesn't have as much going on as a song like "Take Me With U" or, goodness, "Computer Blue" — it's still a captivating, engaging, and overall just plain **fun** listen. I get a kick out of every "ooo-wee-shaa-shaa-koo-koo-yeah." "Fun" — that's probably the best way to describe this album. Well, alongside "horny." But it's like, however long a song is, and there are some **long bois** on this thing, they're never not fun. And that's what carries them through. It's why while I do get the impression that some stuff **maybe** could have been cut, I know I certainly wouldn't do it. Believe me, I get why someone would hate "D.M.S.R." for how long it is despite how repetitive it is. But, like, come on — it's a dance floor sex jam. On those terms, it's amazing! I totally catch myself shuffling my shoulders to it and clapping on the 4. Believe me, any long song that can hold onto my AuDHD attention span is an achievement in and of itself. And it's not like there aren't parts I consider less fun than others, of course; I've never been 100% on "Automatic" . . . but all the same, I really wouldn't wanna lose a moment of it either. Why would I want **less** '1999'? Honestly. And he did all of this by himself! Besides some backing and co-lead vocals, it seems the only instrumentals he didn't play were some cymbals on one track and a guitar solo on "Little Red Corvette". And that's just something to marvel at, isn't it? He's not the only one-man band deal I've come across, but just to consider that he constructed that groove on "D.M.S.R." all by himself (to bring that song up again). No one else played on that! It was just him, and it came out with such an air-tight and rock-solid groove as it did. (And what a groove it is!) I mean, **goodness**, the ride is so smooth — are we sure this album ain't a limousine? Now, for all my praise, I will admit that I do still prefer 'Purple Rain' to this. Besides 'Purple Rain' being a shorter, single disc album, which I naturally tend to gravitate towards . . . well, a fellow group member mentioned that there were parts of this album that sounded like Kraftwerk-style electronic, and . . . I mean, I've liked the Kraftwerk I've heard, don't get me wrong. But I'm into stuff like 'Autobahn', and this album feels way more 'Trans Europa Express'. In other words: I prefer 'Purple Rain''s largeness over '1999''s sparseness. And, yeah, Prince is obviously a talented enough musician to make the sparseness work insanely well . . . but I am what I am, and damn, gimme an album with "Let's Go Crazy", eh? And with **that** said, it's also funny to just think about Prince's history with multi-disc albums. His first couple were the likes of '1999' and 'Sign "O" The TImes', and they came out damn swinging. They have their issues in places, unavoidably, but they wind up some of the strongest and tightest albums in Prince's entire discography — and it's a large body of work! And then you flash forward to something like the triple-disc set 'Emancipation', where it's like, "I get it, you were holding a lot of songs from Warner Bros.." Heck, just in general you gotta compare this era of Prince, when the albums felt more purposefully put together, to what started with 'Emancipation', when his albums start to feel like, "And here's a buncha songs I threw together last week." And they're all good songs, but still, goodness. This is a tangent, though, so let's get back on track. '1999', from what I remember reading, was made with the express intention of showing off. He could play a billion instruments, and he could write a hell of a tune — so fuck you, here's two discs worth of tunes. And it's no wonder this album, along with its singles ("Little Red Corvette" and the title track), ended up being the first spark in his career. His own 'Off The Wall', to compare him to his rival. I mean, I've listened to the stuff Prince put out before this, and while it's all clearly good (particularly 'Dirty Mind'), nothing was quite on the level of this album. And, sure, this is a case where I prefer 'Thriller' to 'Off The Wall', Prince's talent here is undeniable. He only wanted us to have some fun and party like the world was about to end, and by gawd, I and everyone else sure did. '1999' easily earns its spot as one of Prince's best albums — and if this album feels like Prince having sex with you, then it's a shag well worth engaging with.

What else is there to say about this album? Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. Probably higher, though not quite a 10. To answer that top comment, yes, you did, & I think I also just had sex with Prince. Well, I asked for a fun pop album at the end of that last review & I got a damn good one. I thought Prince was already horny as a motherfucker on Sign O’ The Times, but… no, this is the album where he just lusts for sex the whole time. He gets it a lot too! “Little Red Corvette” is that, “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” is that, “Automatic” is that (the whispered panning is weirdly intimate), “Lady Cab Driver” is that, and… yeah. I mean, that is what “International Lover” is, right? I don’t even think I need to describe the details on that; he let it all hang out there. God, no wonder there was such an obvious contrast back then between him and Michael. I know, I know, someday we’ll get Thriller, but once again, “The Lady in My Life” as a comparative closing track feels wild. OK, OK, it’s also unfair to characterize this as nothing but “the horny album” – that would take away from the production work here, which is sort of a prototype for what would eventually emerge & grow into a behemoth by Purple Rain, but… man, this is a masterclass in funky synthwork. I can’t really even describe it; it’s not as layered as Purple Rain, but the general groove / rhythm of this thing feels like a natural bridge between the Earth, Wind & Fire R&B style of the late 70s & the new wave synthpop of the 1980s, blended with a healthy mix of Kraftwerk-esque electronica & Journey / Boston-esque soft rock. There isn’t full blown heavy metal ala “Let’s Go Crazy” or anything, but there are certainly moments that feel like foreshadowing of the bigger things that would come in just 2 years. I don’t think I can really write a paragraph on every track here (lord only knows everyone else has), but I do want to quickly point at two tracks; “D.M.S.R.” feels far ahead of pace for 1982, and honestly, it feels like a prototype French house track, ala Justice or Daft Punk. It doesn’t really have all the same elements to it, but the repetition & rhythmic buildup are there, as is the obvious hook of “dance, music, sex, romance”, which I’m sure has been sampled at some point. “Lady Cab Driver”, much in the same vein, reminds me of “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” by Modjo, to the point where I’m convinced they just sort of took it and never really mentioned this track’s influence. He says “lady” in basically the same way! I know the latter uses a different sample for its base, but the overall energy / rhythm / layering is all there. They’re two of my favorite cuts on the album; the whole thing is a delight to listen to, even if I only knew the first two tracks coming into it (which, to be fair, were huge singles). If I have any complaints holding me back from a 10, it’s simply the length of this thing; there are definitely parts where tracks could’ve been trimmed around the edges to make it feel more concise & just a little tighter, but regardless, it’s an easy, easy 5, and certainly higher. This is the last Prince album we’ll get on the list, but I definitely need to hunt down more of them. As I’ve said in the past, I’ve been an MJ guy & not a Prince guy (reverence to Prince’s singles as opposed to the albums), but I’ll be damned if getting arguably his 3 best albums hasn’t made me appreciate him far, far more. He’s an icon, truly, and finally listening to these feels long overdue. A perfect 15/15 for Prince (or, in another sense, a 20+/15), and that just feels right. Hell of a run.

a true gem

Not my favorite

Never a fan of Prince when I was young but have come to appreciate him as an excellent songwriter, virtuosic guitarist and general musical maverick. Let's be honest, at 70 mins, this is a bit long. I'm not sure I need to hear 7, 8 or 9 minute Prince songs but here we are. That said, it's decent, I certainly don't mind it, but I'm not sure I'd purposefully revisit. For me he;s best when he leans into the funk which is does heavily in my fave track: D.S.M.R.

Perfect

I regret the narrow musical focus of my youth. I really should have listened to Prince albums like 1999 instead of just watching his videos on MTV. I blame my mother.

У МЕНЯ СЛЕТЕЛИ ВСЕ МОИ МЫСЛИ. Попытаюсь вспомнить 1999 — пятый студийный альбом Принса. Заглавный трек, «1999», является протестом против распространения ядерного оружия и стал первым хитом Принса, попавшим в первую десятку хит-парадов стран за пределами США. Согласно Rolling Stone Album Guide, «1999 может быть самым влиятельным альбомом Принса». В 2003 году телесеть VH1 разместила альбом под #49 в списке величайших альбомов всех времён. Также 1999 попал в список, составленный журналом Slant Magazine «50 самых значимых поп-альбомов», и разместился под #8 в списке, составленном этим же журналом «Лучшие альбомы 1980-х годов». В 2003 году журнал Rolling Stone поместил альбом на 163-ю позицию в списке «500 величайших альбомов всех времён». В 2008 году альбом был включён в Зал славы премии «Грэмми». 1. 1999 - криповое начало и какая же фанковая мелодия! замечательный посыл. Но не вижу смысл так растягивать песню на 6 минут. про некоторые другие песни в альбоме тоже могу так сказать. Длинные песни это хорошо, но я не вижу в этом смысла, если в песне нет развития. 2. Little Red Corvette - заедающая. 3. Delirious - небольшая смена настроения! Мелодия как будто из игры на рпг мейкере. Звучит слегка глуповато в хорошем смысле, особенно учитывая текст. а ещё лол этот сэмпл с детским смехом в конце, я его много где слышала, у Алии в "Are You That Somebody" в частности. 4. Let's Pretend We're Married - не помню, что про неё говорила... Кажется, мне показалось, что она тоже звучит как из какой-то ретро-видеоигры. Последние два куплета, ей богу, какой же он хорни. 5. D.M.S.R. - мне нравится хиппи настроение у его текстов, но что за прикол у исполнителей тогда девушек в песнях шлюхами называть и сексуализировать... Но тут я понимаю посыл. Песня из этих пяти мне больше всех понравилась, даже не заметила, что она такая длинная. 6. Automatic - песни на почти 10 минут нынче звучит как что-то дикое. 7. Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) - у Принса интересные мелодии. Здесь это звучит как что-то инопланетное. 8. Free - красивый текст! Под эту песню как будто должны выходить танцевать медляк на какой-нибудь свадьбе. Мелодия в конце очень красивая, почему-то очень ностальгирующая. 9. Lady Cab Driver - интересная лирика. Но боже, что же он творит с концовками песен... Продолжай 10. All the Critics Love U in New York - какой же плавный переход от предыдущей песни, очень satisfying. Интересно, почему он так часто упоминает пурпурный в своих текстах...? 11. International Lover - забавная метафора. Что я могу сказать... В целом, альбом меня не впечатлил, но его будет приятно поставить на фон. Здесь есть интересные мелодии и мне нравится, как Принс играется со своим голосом. Но внезапные стоны посреди его песен... Ей богу, it did something to me. Почитав отзывы, поняла, что многие думают так же. Звенящая пошлость! Фанки, но некоторые песни длинные без надобности.

I mean of course this is a hell yeah. I can’t believe I’m just now experiencing the power and diversity of genius of Prince

Kind of a weird album, mixed genres and all over the place. For some reason I can’t stop thinking about Kong about the movie Revenge of the Nerds II - the concert scene…IYKYK. Some songs are pure 80’s synth pop, most are funk based, a couple have that 80’s nostalgia for the 50’s. Lyrically pretty trite for the most part. I’d never listened to a Prince album before and this doesn’t excite me for the inevitable next one on this list. Also, a lot of the songs overstay their welcome - of the were 4 minutes instead of 8 I might be ok. Notable tracks include Little Red Corvette, Let’s Pretend We’re Married.

Basically what people try to copy when they make synthwave, but I got a little tired of all the beeps and boops at the end of it.

Great songs here, Prince still tends to be a bit of a mixed bag for me personally, but can’t deny it’s quality and the great songs hit.

First three songs are pretty good. The first half of the album is much much better than the second half.

I’ll start by saying that this album is really very good. However, aside from the two most popular singles nothing else really stood out to me. It’s really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I’m just not getting greatness from the rest of this album. Maybe it is really great and my expectations were just too high?

3/5 stars (5.5/10) Favourite song: 1999 Least favourite: Automatic

Definitely not his best. Just an ok album...

4 out of 5. Starts strong and stays good throughout.

This isn’t one of his best. It hasn’t aged well sound wise with the drum machine and the dated synth sound. Still, it’s Prince and it’s funky. Not a great deal is memorable though apart from the two biggies. 3.5 rounding up to a 4 because it’s definitely better than a 3

some very strange sounds every now and then on this album

I had a friend in college who was hip to the purple one before I understood how prolific and down right badass he was. We were in Target and Prince had a book out, wherein the cover was him with beautifully coiffed hair, wearing makeup and an open blouse of some sort. My friend holding it in his hands and reviewing the cover said “can you believe people think he’s gay?” 1999 is downright funky. Besides the radio hits we all know, every track is pretty fucking stellar. I found a new favorite while listening to this “lady cab driver”. “All the critics love you in New York” put me in a trance. I loved this. I do believe it’s perfect. RIP you purple majesty.

doof

Fun, funky, and fresh. Favorite songs: 1999, Delirious, and International Lover

An early masterpiece by a great musician. Gone too soon.

this man too horny

Not my thing

God DAMN this is some funky shit. This album contains two of Prince's best songs; though obviously this isn't as good as Purple Rain, it's still a favourite and an extremely fun poppy dance album. My favourite thing about this record is what a goofy dumb mess it is. Delirious is such a stupid ass song but I can't help nodding my head along to it like a fucking idiot. A genuine criticism is that pretty much every song on this thing except for the radio hits go on for fucking ever. Prince really struggled to learn the art of ending a song on this thing. I didn't need to hear a video game synth loop for 3 minutes while he screams about wanting to fuck you so bad. Outside of this thing going for way too long, it's still a great listen and worthy of its praises.

I do not the music of the artist formerly known as Prince will ever gel with me. I don’t know what it is about it but it cannot get my attention, and I do not enjoy it. I won’t deny that it’s competently made, or that the artist is a talented person, but I just don’t get it.

One of the most front-loaded and horny albums I’ve ever listened to. Side A is GREAT genuinely, 1999 and Little Red Corvette are massive hits but unfortunately this side also ends with a song that legitimately sounds like a high production Wesley Willis song. Go and listen to Delirious and then Rock n Roll McDonalds, trust me. I am disappointed in the rest of the album, Sides B and C left me nonplussed outside of how randy this was. Side D was good and makes me wish that the middle part of the album was removed because this would have been a tight album in that case. Even if that happened, the album would still end with Prince stroking his shit on Seduction 747 for the last track. Seriously man, I swear I just listened to a guy bust a nut on record. Highlights: 1999, Little Red Corvette

The *sound* of this record is unlike anything else that came before, with its blend of synthesizers, trebly guitars and Prince's trusty Linn drum machine; the whole thing still sounds as fresh as the day it was released. Song-wise it's a mixed bag, with the cataclysmic title track and the blush-inducing "Let's Pretend We're Married" as the high points. Everything else would serve perfectly fine as party music but doesn't have the same spark as Prince's best work.

Dancey, sexy, and funky for the most part. Found myself dancing around the house but getting distracted. Not good enough to hold my attention, radical for early 80s. Favorite track was DSMR. 6/10.

Prince at some of his most innovative and fun. I really enjoyed how loose he was during this.

That was coo.

My favorite Prince album and it still holds up quite well. Back in the day it was great enough and big enough that I expected the actual end of the millennium party to be much bigger and better and purpler than it actually was. Oh well, gives me a reason to stick around to see if we get it right next time.

Like the other Prince albums in this collection, I've only heard the singles from "1999", and not even the full versions of those tracks it turns out--most of the radio/video versions of his singles are about half the length of the versions on the album. It's a classic Prince album, of course, but I wonder if it might have been even better if the same editorial approach had been taken to all of the tracks? Plus maybe a few more instruments than just drum machine, synth and guitar, or just a bit more variety aside from his electro-funk sound (it felt like the tracks "1999" and "Little red corvette", plus to some degree the ballad "Free", were the only ones that had a different formula than the rest of the album). A good selection for this collection, and impressively more explicit than later albums--I can see why MTV refused to show the video for "Automatic", and I'm not at all sure I understand what all's going on in "Lady cab driver", but it's not a Disney-friendly track. It all makes me wish I was more of a Prince fan.

bought this when it first came out yet today may have been the first time I listened to side 2. Side 1 is bullet-proof dance music; side 2 is the other side!

LP1 is perfect, for sure my favorite Prince album - LP2 is almost as good. I believe Prince when he tells me he wants to fuck me

I'm right in the middle. Good tracks, but prince is having sex instead of ripping a guitar solo; lame 5/10

Okay I get it now.

This was an enjoyable album but I honestly thought I’d like it more given that it’s Prince

ah. well. i came home drunk last night and crashed halfway through side B, so this isn't really that fresh. but. i've listened to this album many times, and i must say that it's really probably the best 80s Prince album. of course, the first side has the big hits, but the real best side is actually side D. Lady Cab Driver is actually awesome, the bit where Prince monologues while having sex with this lady is crazy, and the constant tidal pull of the ambient street noise does so much to bring atmosphere. and the guitar solo? incredible. it transitions so smoothly into All The Critics Love U In New York, which is another banger with some weirdo elements. make sure to listen to that on the 4th of November for max vibes. International Lover is an incredibly smooth closer too. bangers all around, this album deserves to be one of the 1001? yes!

Interestingly enough the collabs here brought the record down a notch. Ofc the title track really slaps, but some of the other songs were so generic and very reliant on the outside musicians that I was a bit underwhelmed and felt like Prince was drowned out here

Great album.

This album was good. Prince in his usual fashion entices the listener with his erotic and indiscriminate nature all throughout the album. The runtime on many of the songs felt too drawn out. This album did not have to be over an 1hr long. Now there weren't any bad songs and the production as usual slapped. I wish the fat on here was trimmed considerably. Still, very good! Top 5: 1999, Little Red Corvette, Delirious, D.M.S.R , and Free no bad songs (maybe Let's Pretend We're Married since it was slightly too vulgar for my taste but calling bad would be dishonest) 3.50/5

Another Prince album. Can't beat this for funky pop perfection. Maybe not suitable for listening to in the car with the kids ..

It's good and very listenable, but ultimately it's another pop album from the 80s.

This is very 80s cheese to me.

Not my jam. It was really weird and almost like softcore porn.

This album is Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic, and Devo chewed up and spat out through a computer. Some kind of funky nuclear fallout orgy. It really blindsided me, the unapologetic processed drum loops and artificial synth contrasted against the hot funk and animalistic sexual tension. Technology vs. human nature, destruction vs. love. The whole album is danceable, not really a dull track. I don't really know Prince outside his big hits, so it's reassuring to see he is just as talented in his big hits as smaller tracks. "Little Red Corvette" is certainly the massive track here, but the album's sound is better reflected in hits "1999" or "Delirious". Less famous tracks that stood out to me are "Lady Cab Driver" (sick bass and great guitar in the breakdown), "Automatic" (though it could be trimmed), "Let's Pretend We're Married" (with the lyrics "I sincerely wanna fuck the taste out of your mouth" then confessing his love of God a minute later). Where this album suffers is its length. The middle of the album is "Let's Pretend We're Married" (>7 mins), then "DMSR" (>8 mins), and "Automatic" (>9 mins). I'm not saying every track should be 3-minute-radio-friendly pop song, but the album really starts to drag on with these drawn out tracks. "Let's Pretend" is great as an extended track, but I don't know if the other two need to be so long. "Free" has a good message and is well-executed, but its composition is a bit cheesy and doesn't fit well among the drum machine laden tracks. This is all to say, there are a few places where this album could use trimming, maybe bring it to under 50 mins or at most an hour.

I enjoyed this, but the sex related content was definitely a little too much at times.

My favorite Prince song is Little Red Corvette. It always has been and always will be. I also like 1999. Other than that, I didn’t know any other songs on this album. It was a little long. None of the songs stood out to me, but it was much better than a lot of stuff I’ve had to listen to.

Day 55 Prince is obviously a musical genius but as much as I enjoyed a lot of the songs on this album I would have preferred them with a few minutes taken off. 7/10 Highlights 1999 Little Red Corvette DMSR

Pop excellence. Prince forever.

• 3/5 • After the first few singles, it gets pretty repetitive (with the exception of Lady Can Driver)

One of his best albums

3.5

Classic 80’s legendary sound

Prince is a musical genius; there is no disputing that. But he also comes across as an absolute tool. Another pretentious narcissist that people fall over themselves to wank on about. That's right, I'm looking at you Morrissey). Awesome music technically.

Prince bangs on about sex and sexiness - it makes him sound like a virgin overcompensating. I couldn't be drier. A very unsexy 2 stars from me.

chill party vibes. prince is the washing machine, and we're the laundry. feels like every other track we're going from pop to rock, funk, new-wave, or whatever else. with that being said... bro dropped like 3 hits at the start and then made like 8 9 minute long tracks about having sex or smth?? solid 3

great artist, great music

Party's over. Oops, out of time

Deeply weird, but in like, kind of a good way

Thoughts before listening: One of Prince's most loved albums with an absolute classic title track. Should be some good poppy 80s funk rock. Review: Yep....this is definitely Prince. Lots of fun songs on this one, especially with the hits on the front end. I like that even on albums like this where Prince is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, he's still experimenting with odd sounds and long jammy tracks. There are some cringey overly sexual lyrics on here, but maybe thats just because I'm old. I now listen to records from the standpoint of "can I play this for my daughter" and the answer here is only a couple songs. Lots of fun funky songs here, a number of which are going on the playlist. I can handle the lyrics on my playlist, just not when playing a record through the whole house. 4-stars

The good stuff is still good and the deeper album cuts are still fun after all this time.

Some interesting pop but there is no reason for every song to be 7-8 minutes long.

"1999" and "Little Red Corvette" are among the greatest songs of all time, and "Delirious" is fun, but this album steadily, precipitously drops from there. It drags, but at least it's never boring. It also has enough WTF elements (the sexy moaning in "Lady Cab Driver," the weird police-radio talk of masturbation in "All the Critics Love U in New York") to keep you guessing.

Wow I did not know this album was so weird and long once you get past the singles. Little Red Corvette is one of the tightest songs ever so I was not prepared for one 9-minute song after another devoid of a lot of hooks. But still entertaining and fascinating. I can't believe a label let Prince put those last three songs on there (International Lover is something else) but clearly Prince knew what he was doing.

5/5. I already know this is a classic but it was nice to hear again. Just a masterpiece in dance pop with R&B roots. The dark tone of the album with sexual tension throughout mixes the parts of the brain of extreme fear and love, creating a wild ride of emotions throughout. You want to dance, cry, make love, etc. all at the same time. It's also an important step in the electronic-rock scene that ages very well due to the high quality production. Best Song: 1999, D.M.S.R., Let's Pretend We're Married, Little Red Corvette

An absolute masterpiece. I could listen to this album for days.

1999 is a bop, the rest is OK. Lady Cab Driver can eff right off.

Today I learned what the Minneapolis sound is. It's hard for me to really enjoy this combination of a very organic bass coupled with machine crisp percussion. It's the sound that comes to mind when I think of the '80s, I've never loved it, and I'm learning that I've never given Prince a thorough listen because that sums the better part of his catalog. I now know what to expect. There's some Kanye level ego here. Hypersexual, dramatic, intense, and very catchy. It's easy to dance to, even if it's not my thing. I actually enjoy the lengthened tracks with the use of the Revolution, I just wish the composition featured alternate instruments. It works real well conceptually from start to finish, cheesy as it may feel. 2.9/5

Some groovy bits but then it lost my attention in the moaning sections.

1999. Prince. Iconic. Rare is this. Some artists for whatever reason just emerge as a cut above and Prince is one of them. This is not my favorite album by Prince and that is why I will (give away) my four star rating now. Nevertheless it is a MASSIVE iconic, completely unique and takes up space in music culture history. I often speak about those at the head table, but this is always coupled with masters of the genre, those that define them. Prince made his own genre and defined it himself. Pepsi challenge: who comes next? Who is "like" Prince, especially in a historical context? This album defined a chapter in music and it is still as important as it ever was.

The greatest party album of all time is, perhaps, a little too long. A double LP is just not necessary for this one, and there’s too many songs that are overly long for the record itself. That said - what a fucking moment. Prince captured all the amazing energy of a 60s house band while infusing all the energy of Funkadelic, along with a heavy dose of dirty, freaky sex. It’s a classic album, but maybe it could’ve been just a single album.

Kinda boring I'm so sorry I find Prince's music just really boring outside of the big hits

Prima, maar ook niks aparts

It was ok

I think this is my favorite Prince album so far. It really didn't feel like it was over an hour to me

This guy horny as hell! Bops tho

Great artistry, but I’m not a fan of this sound.

Some great tracks on here, but some drag a bit on the second half. Solid 4/5.

Prince was a musical genius, and he was one of the kings of music in the 80s, where he did some of his best work. 1999 was his big breakthrough and it's easy to see why. The first three songs are 1999, Little Red Corvette and Delirious. Those three are easily in my top 10 Prince songs, if not top five. 1999 was also an influential album as it brought the Minneapolis sound to the masses. The sound that mixed dance, electronic music, funk and R&B. I love Prince, but one of my main issues with a lot of his music is that a lot of it doesn’t age well. For instance, when you hear a Prince song, you know what decade it's from. A lot of his songs have weird synths or that lame kind of bass pop or primitive electric drum sound that gives the decade away. You won’t hear too many Prince songs in which you can legit say, “I have no idea what decade that song was made in.” It’s not necessarily Prince’s fault. He had a style, hell, he invented a style. It just so happens the Minneapolis style didn’t age well after about 1995. However, I was surprised to find several songs from 1999 that did sound like they could have been made in any decade. The song Free is a beautiful song that isn’t as buried in the Minneapolis sound as to sound dated. I have no idea why it wasn’t one of the five singles off the album because it’s a very beautiful song. It later became a beloved album track. 1The music on 1999 was so undeniable that MTV started playing Prince’s music videos and MTV wasn’t exactly black-artist friendly at the time. It took artists like Prince and Michael Jackson to help MTV realize their music wasn’t just for black folks, it was for everybody. I’m listening to D.M.S.R. right now, and it’s just a straight-up brick of funk. I’m going to stop writing now and finish this song. Listen to 1999, it’ll give you a good dose of nostalgia and introduce you to some great songs you haven’t heard before.

Prince is one of many childhood artists of mine but I think it's the only one that I can't make myself to love in 100%. This album is really really good, but it's... Not perfect. It has its flaws. For example for some reason a lot of the tracks are on different volumes and have different mixing (???). Still, the incredible funky bass and keys shine on this record.

Svo leiðinlegt, nennti ekki að klára

Ok, good but long.

Sexy, funky, fun. Game, blouses

This shit rocks. It’s so funky. At times it really sounded like an SNES soundtrack with the heavy use of synths and other electronic paraphernalia. I know I have it backwards, though; Prince certainly influenced my beloved Earthbound soundtrack. I did not know that, “We’re gonna party like it’s 1999,” was a Prince line from 1982. How ignorant. I liked the three biggies, especially Delirious, and Lady Cab Driver the best. Felt a little uncomfortable listening to Prince have sex maybe 3 times, but the groove persisted. I also didn’t get why every song was 10 minutes, but if I was dancing at a club in 1982 when he told all the white people to clap their hands on the four, I think I would’ve gotten it.

Great album, but purple rain is better imo. Second half of this album is better than the first.

Best goed. Iets te lang wel. 3.5/5

Prince produced his own albums. He shouldn’t have been allowed to, cos he’s rubbish at it. Cover art looks like it was drawn by a zany primary school teacher’s year 6 class. I don’t like the music either

В першій половині альбому 80ті на стеройдах: фанк з купою різних сінтів, драммашиною, клепами. Мені цей альбом завждо цікаво слухати, проте не можу сказати, що все на 100% попадає в мене. Довгі пісні з хуками, що повторюються безліч разів. Не завжди мій грув. Як вокаліст Prince яскравий, є дуже різні виконання на альбомі. Тексти заряджені на сексуальній тематиці, що звичайно може мати місце і насправді досить пасує цій музиці. Але якщо була б версія Lady Cab Driver без секс-сцени, то я був би не проти. Бас на альбомі просто люксовий

Не складається в мене зі студійками прінса загалом, але його живі виступи я дуже люблю. На 1999 ще й багато пісень безбожно та невиправдано затягнуті.

What a treat- you gotta love it! Seriously. You HAVE to

I didn't know the last 4 or 5 songs. Killer opening with the first 3. 4.5 stars, do I round up or down 🤔

This album is a kaleidoscope of so many different genres! Prince performs these songs like a cat in heat but I’m not mad about it. Some of the tracks were too long in my opinion. Still one of Prince’s best! I can’t believe he never collaborated with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. Love the 80s futurism.

Not fire at all

Really didn't find anything to like about this album. Dross.

Childhood album. Need to reposted

Prince was an incredible talent. I really like his funkier stuff and there's plenty of that here. Drags a bit in the second half but overall a fun listen. Not one of my favorite albums of all time or anything, but very good!

There never was anyone like Prince.

I've heard the hits off this album many times. This was my first time listening to the whole thing. My first impression, of course, is that it's great. A classic for sure. My second thought is that just about every song is far too long. I'm not usually one to complain that songs are longer than the radio-friendly 3 minutes, but its just true that the riff that's being played at minute 7 is the same as minute 2 and therefore is not necessary.

8/10 Favorites: 1999 Little Red Corvette

Another classic from Prince!

The title track used to really annoy me, but that was because I only listened to the chorus. Hard to hate a song that tells you “I was dreaming when I wrote this.”

This did not age very well. The long instrumental parts, songs are very long, sound boring nowadays. Fav: Little red corvette

I feel this album is a bit pretentious, it’s way longer than it needs to be, the songs finish and then seem to fade out for 4 minutes, musically it’s great it’s prince what do you expect, but I feel like he tried to hard with this album

Much of this album feels like it was made in the future. The groove is aggressively precise on almost every track without feeling sterile. Many albums from this era haven't aged well conically, what with the synth sounds available at the time, but I only count a couple places where they verge on stale. Prince's guitar playing is like an alien who learned by listening only to Jimmy Nolen on James Brown records. There are so many little things sprinkled throughout each track that the whole album merits endless re-listening.

Pretty dope listen. Fun, a bit sketchy, but overall just enjoyable!

Ton of hits on this album. Could listen to Prince jam all the time.

Ive never listened to a prince album in its entirety. This one was really good. It’s dated by the early 80’s pop music style but a good album nonetheless

More of a lo-fi sound then I had expected

This is a classic for a reason. Simply, it's a good album.

Duh

1999 is the sound of Prince stepping fully into his prime, blending funk, pop, rock, and electronic grooves into something that felt futuristic then and still feels fresh now. The title track is instantly iconic, a party anthem with an edge of paranoia beneath the celebration, while “Little Red Corvette” mixes sleek synths with one of his most memorable hooks. Throughout the record, Prince pushes boundaries, letting the grooves run long and layering sounds in ways that make the songs feel alive and unpredictable. What makes the album so engaging is how much personality it has. Prince is playful, sensual, and commanding all at once, shifting between tight, danceable beats and more expansive, experimental tracks without losing focus. It is a long record, and some of the jams stretch out more than they need to, but that sprawling quality is also part of its charm. 1999 is not just a collection of songs, it is a statement of creative freedom, setting the stage for the even bigger breakthroughs Prince would deliver later.

In 1982, my musical world was dominated by rock, heavy metal, hist still keeping an interest in punk and new wave. Then Prince's "1999" dropped. As my first Prince album, it was an electrifying introduction to the music of Prince. This double album is a masterclass in genre-bending, flawlessly blending funk, rock, synth pop, new wave, and straight up pop. Every track showcases Prince's virtuosic skills, from his masterful instrumentation to his impeccable self-production, which still sounds incredible today. "1999" isn't an album that tries to please everyone; its themes of hedonism and its long, progressive song structures are unapologetically unique. But that's exactly why it works. I loved it on first listen back in '82 and I still love it today. A timeless classic, five stars. Side one 1- "1999" (5/5) 2- "Little Red Corvette" (5/5) 3- "Delirious" (5/5) Side two 4- "Let's Pretend We're Married" (5/5) 5- "D.M.S.R." (5/5) Side three 6- "Automatic" (5/5) 7- "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" (4/5) 8- "Free" (4/5) Side four 9- "Lady Cab Driver" (5/5) 10- "All the Critics Love U in New York" (5/5) 11- "International Lover" (3/5) Total - 51 Average - 4.64 99/1001

Some fun and very funky tunes in the first half. Too bad the 2nd half is mostly some random jamming and rambling without too much direction. Some songs like Free are even a bit bland. Also what's up with the moaning background vocals on Lady Cab Driver?

Pinja tanssii paljon!! Hyvä biisi svengaa kuin hirvi. I did not pay a lot of attention to it but I started moving involuntary to it so its a good sign!

Only knew "Party like it's 1999" before this which is great. But again I feel this is one of those albums where the title song is doing all the heavy lifting. Rest is forgettable on review.

A scandalous album, it's clear Prince was at peak horndog mode at this point in time. Crazy that the year 1999 probably felt so far into the future when this was written. "Little Red Corvette" is probably my favorite on this album, but it's a fun listen all the way through in it's entirety.

Moro moro :D Olipahan albumi täynnä omaperäistä menoa. Tiettyyn mielentilaan ku pääsin nii upposi ihan hyvin. Hauska kuunneltava.

Ei oo kyllä prince kolahtanut hirveästi ikinä muutamaa biisiä ja live esiintymistä lukuunottamatta. Omaan korvaan tosi tasapaksua soitantaa

No ei kovin hyvä levy. Kasarimusa kyllä yleensä maistuu, mutta tämä oli jotenkin heikohko suoritus Princeltä. Muutama ihan hyvä biisi levyltä löytyy, mutta nekin oli pilattu liian pitkällä kestolla. Levy on muutenkin aivan järkyttävän pitkä verrattuna siihen, että kokonaisuuteen kuuluu "vain" 11 kappaletta. Olikohan tämä itselleni nyt sitten se "liian taiteellinen" levy.

Tylsä ja kasari ei yleensä kuulu samaan lauseeseen, mut tää levy teki poikkeuden. Todella tylsää Prinssiä. Biisit oli jotenkin todella ahdistavan sekavia ja jokasen kohdalla teki mieli heittää kuulokkeet takkaan. Onneksi ei ole takkaa ja pääsee etenemään seuraavaan albumiin. Tähän en palaa.

Prinssin tuotanto on aika tuntematonta itselle ehkä aivan hittibiisejä lukuun ottamatta. Tämä oli vähintäänkin erikoinen setti. Välillä oikein funkahtavia siivuja, välillä tylsää junnausta ja sinne tänne ripoteltu hyvinkin erikoisia musiikillisia valintoja (tämä on posi). Ei tainnut prinssi pelkän kaurapuuron voimin tätä albumia vääntää! Piristävä yllätys, ei kuitenkaan päätynyt soittolistalle.

Tää oli yllättävän kova, erittäin hyvää kasarimeininkiä!

Luulin, et mulla olis laaja musamaku. Mut ei tää toiminut minulle oikein ollenkaan. Tietyllä tavalla ymmärsin musiikillista kauneutta, mut ei ollut mun juttuni.

Tää levy tuntus olevan yhtä pitkää esileikkiä koko matkalta paria poikkeusta lukuunottamatta kun lipsahdetaan penetraation puolelle. Eli ainakin likaisuusaspekti on 1000%. Musiikillisesti sellaista rinssiä, että ei itselle oikein lähde. Sinänsä varmasti mullistavaa tavaraa ja oivallisia ratkaisuja. Sovitukset ja saundimaailma ei vain jotenkin iske. Voi olla, että tarkoituksella levylle haettu EROOTTINEN lataus on saanut aikaan sen, että kaikki on liian pehmoista. Biisit ovat liian junnaavia ja todennäköisesti vaatisivat oikeanlaisen mielentilan, jotta pääsisi levyn hakemaan sexizoneen. Levyllä olevat ikivihreätkään eivät ole koskaan iskeneet, joten sekään ei riitä lisäämään pisteitä. Tykkään kyllä yleisesti monestakin monarkin tekeleestä ja voi hyvin olla, että ne saisivat suopeamman vastaanoton. Jännityksellä jäämme seuraamaan onko listalla levyistä jotka kaikkien pitäisi kuulla ennen veivin heittoa lisää kruunupäätä tarjolla.

Prinssin tuotanto ei legendastatuksesta huolimatta ollut ennalta tuttua, joten mielenkiinnolla täytti tämänkin aukon sivistyksessä. Ei tämän kuuntelu aktiivisesti sattunut, mutta omaan musiikkihermoon ei iskenyt, ja useampikin biisi olisi hyvin voinut olla 2-3 minuuttia lyhyempiä menettämättä mitään

Prince jättää kyllä nyt aika kylmäksi. Ehkä liian 80-lukua omaan makuuni. Mikään kappale ei oikein jäänyt erityisesti mieleen.

Eeee helvetti! En kyl tajuu mitä ihmiset täs näkee. Yrittäny useamman kertaa kuunnella, mut aina se vaan kuulostaa roskalta. Mistään ei saa koppia ja mikään ei kuulosta miltään.

Very nice vibes, yes

Princeä on tullut jonkin verran kyllä kuunneltua, mutta ei kyllä tätä levyä (poislukien Little Red Corvette). Lieköhän ollut Prinssillä vielä tuo levyn nimiraita mielessä, kun on Manic Mondayta alkanut kirjoittamaan muutama vuosi sen jälkeen. Tässä on vähän sama homma kun Princellä muutenkin urallaan. Hemmetin hyviä biisejä, mutta seassa myös ihan täyttä kikkelijatsia ja jopa vähän sietämättömiä biisejä. Let's pretend we're married sekä Free tulevat kyllä omille soittolistoille tältä levyltä. En muuta tämän albumin perusteella mielipidettäni Princestä: hemmetin kova Greatest Hits -artisti, mutta levyjä ei kyllä jaksa kuunnella.

Zuviel Pop, zu wenig Gitarren.

This was very disco. I guess I don't really like it. To be fair me listening with headphones on the balcony might not be the intended experience.

Clear 5

quality

Strong start with some bangers (1999, little red corvette) - some funky stuff in there but I can see why radio edits exist - lots of ad libbing over a looped riff. Strong sexual themes throughout (it is prince after all) with some interesting sound effects to boot. Perhaps not as strong as other prince albums (purple rain) but solid overall.

Weird grooves.

I don't think there's much I can add to the discourse about Prince and his musical legacy that hasn't already been said by much better writers and experts. I learned that 1999 was his first album with The Revolution and it shows sonically. There is something more filling about this album with this collaboration of artists. 1999 to Little Red Corvette to Delirious is a fantastic 1-2-3 punch to kick off the album. With each track, the album gets hornier and hornier, but that's kind of the charm of Prince. A raw sexual energy unashamed to express it. No poetic metaphors needed. Dude wants to fuck and he wants everyone to know. You can hear the early influences for dance and techno music in bits and pieces of this album. The stuff being ton with synths and drum machines throughout is innovative for the time and the foundation for the future of pop and EDM. 4.5 stars

It’s Prince but also, it’s Prince

4.5. A little filler toward the end but solid classics on here.

groovy catchy and envigorating.

This album was really good, I only knew the intro song and then had a great experience hearing the others for the first time.

Maravilloso

1982

Funky. Fun. Dancy. Sexy. Not really my thing, but good stuff nonetheless.

Prince was one horny mf

Prince's first masterpiece. Greatly expanded the length of his previous LP's and included the hit 1999!! Most of the songs are only good when listening to the whole album as a whole. Quite an inspirational album for the 80s and a preview for what was to come. I enjoyed it even if it can be difficult to listen to the first time.

This wasn't what I expected at all, but it was fantastic! The songs were interesting, varied, and engaging. A very good listen. DMSR, Automatic, and All the Critics Love U in New York were my personal favourites. This is an album of incredibly long songs which don't feel long. Excellent. 4/5 stars.

Just a complete masterclass in writing, performance, and production. Every song is completely packed with fun and catchy grooves, all being done with some of the smoothest sounding instruments ever recorded. But there are still so many moments on this album where Prince isn't afraid to show off his more experimental side, but managing to do so in a way that still remains super accessible and all slots perfectly into the project as a whole.

Some catchy melodies and beats here, but my god, the songs go on too long. Shave three or four minutes off some of the songs and it would be far more tolerable. It’s almost like a Prince parody album. The title track is one of the worst songs on the album; overplayed. If you ask AI to create a bland, overly pretentious, self indulgent Prince song, it would create something like “Lady Cab Driver”. That’s over 8 minutes long! I didn’t hate it, in fact, at times I enjoyed it, but it’s too much. After “Dirty Mind” and “Controversy”, this is a disappointment. It’s nowhere near as bad as the awful “Purple Rain”, so it gets 3/5

All time classic

soulful. classy. out there. music. prince.

Some of the tracks outstay their welcome, but the hits are undeniable

Prince man. He sounds so corny. I don't like this. But then all the sudden "Something In The Water" and "Lady Cab Driver" come on and I kinda like it? And then "All the Critics Love U in New York" low key blew my mind?

People love Prince. I’m not as enamoured. The two hits to start the album are good, and then it gets less interesting. There are more moments than just that, but there is too much information for me to absorb in one sitting.

Nobody was more tuned into the frequency of Fuck Music than Prince. Incredible stuff, though maybe some bars repeat on and on a little long.

Thought it would be better

The classic Prince songs were great. The more unknown ones were not great at all. Going with 2.5. Sorry Prince fans.

God damn Prince was a horny motherfucker! Couple of good jams that everyone knows. The rest was meandering synth pop.

One of the first cassette tapes I owned. The first three songs are iconic. The rest of the album doesn’t really hold up well with the passage of time. When I first saw this was going to be the album for today, I initially thought well this will be a 5 star album, but as the songs progressed the rating kept dropping. The first three songs ensure a 3 star but I could be talked into 2.5 stars.

I think I just prefer singles Prince!

A lot of boring filler with two hits

Funky and catchy. Incredible vocals as expected. Little Red Corvette was still my favourite track by far.

some nice sounds, some with weird sounds

It's dated. It's overly long. The songs are ridiculous. It's Prince.

Was ok, not the best, not the worst, listened to it at least. Some songs were enjoyable. 7/10. Won't return.

Good artist, good guitarist, good music. Died way to young.

Yeah, it’s dated. But it’s also fun, fearless, and full of attitude. Not every track hits, and some could’ve used a trim, but 1999 is still a blast to revisit—especially if you’re in the mood to dance!!

Time has not been kind to this album. The hits are still the hits, but the rest of the album felt quite pedestrian.

Neither Kiss, Purple Rain, Sinéad O'Connor's cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" nor his solo on that "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" performance have ever given me any desire to really find out whatever else this Prince guy was up to. Almost as if I have always suspected I would find: this turgid nonsense here. Pornsounds. I'm probably (hopefully!?) missing an aspect or two about what this album meant and was in 1982 - only thing that prevents a heartfelt 1 -, but to my today's ears and mind, this, along with its brand of horrid 80s synth funk is pure cringe.

Pretty solid album ngl and I'm not even that big into prince. Lots of bangers.

I enjoyed this album it was a fun listen and I think I'll go back and listen again soon

It's just standard rock/pop, I don't understand the whole Prince cult of personality.

This is my 4th album im listening to. I really enjoy this one prince was way ahead of his time and he deserevrs all his fame. The rhythm is completely out of this worst and it manages to encapsulate everything i know about music. I feel like im just saying buzz words but i cant think of anything else on this album it just is revoluntary. The only thing holding it back for me is the descrepancy on the songs, this is the first album i've acutally been moving to the beat so far but some of the songs are so out of place i feel that i lose steam when listening to it. 91/100

This is an extremely unusual album, both in terms of its cover and its content!

Through the first third I was like, it's not totally for me, but I get why people like this and I'm bobbing my head, but it sure just kept going.

I don't think anyone can say Prince wasn't talented. Dude was a powerhouse, and also had the best Super Bowl half-time show. It's still an impressive album from 1982 - but aside from the bigger hits (1999, Little Red Corvette) it shows that in spite of his technical prowess, it's still banking on his eccentricities over the power of the music.

Prince's seemingly endless appetites - for genre, for rhythm, for new sounds, for, uh, other stuff - make the most sense when you realize that the real target of his pursuit is Stevie Wonder's transcendent mid-Seventies run. He's swinging for *Songs in the Key of Life* (but hornier) every time out. But of course, he's not Wonder (who is?) - he's himself. And so what comes out instead is longer beat-driven instrumental workouts that reflect his disco roots ("Automatic") and eclectic pop confections that represent the closest he comes to Wonder ("1999," "Little Red Corvette," "Free"). And he's at his best when blends both ("Lady Cab Driver"). But fundamentally, Prince's gift and curse is that he can't imagine anything more transcendent than sex ("International Lover"). I mean, can you *imagine* him trying to write "Isn't She Lovely"?

Feel like I just got fucked by Prince. Album was good though, very good songs like 1999 and Little Red Corvette. I would have given it 5 stars, but was not a huge fan of Prince moaning in my ear.

Like the solos at the end of Lady Cab Driver but other than that, not feeling the party maaaaannnn.

First two songs are classics, those I knew. Rest of the album was new to me but enjoyed the vibes throughout. Lyrics got a little weird/crazy at times but that's Prince and the music always kept me into it. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan after listening but I didn't find myself wanting to skip anything.

Although I can understand why this album is culturally significant, it’s not really for me. I did enjoy a few songs greatly, but the misses were too far from my personal taste for me to rate this any higher.

ups and downs but with so few long songs it could be a very good album to enter the world of Prince

Highlight Song/s: Little Red Corvette My first Prince album. The Minneapolis Sound is definitely quite peculiar sounding. One big thing I don't like about this album is that everything about it is overly long; the song length, the album length and the same synth going over and over again. Making the long album even more tedious than a 70 minute album would normally be. I truly do hope the other albums aren't as egregious. Especially "Sign 'O' The Times." And did they REALLY have to put a woman moaning in "Lady Cab Driver?" It comes off incredibly trashy. Basically I'm nitpicking every little bit and piece, because just I didn't enjoy it. It isn't bad, but it ain't for me.

point7.

This album definitely has a solid dance beat! I could get down to this on a dance floor. DMSR is especially funky. As much of a vibe and mood this album is, I don’t know if it really fits me (despite me being born in 1999) because it’s too much sex and partying for my personal vibe.

Cool! Dance-y and Groove-y.

Un buen álbum, bastante sonido ochentero. Me gusta todos los detalles que mete en la producción, de los sonidos hasta el como hace los grooves con su forma de combinar la instrumentación. Mis favoritas: Free, Something In The Water y International Lover

Un crack

of course it's good but it just doesn't really hold up against purple rain or sign o the times so it's hard for me to accept that it deserves a spot on the list when so many deserving albums have been excluded

У меня набухло всё, что могло набухнуть. Даже кошка протащилась так, словно щас март, а она не стерилизованная.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good album, I'm just a bigger fan of Dirty Mind and Purple Rain. If the rest of the album was as good as 1999, Little Red Corvette and International Lover, it would stand alongside those 2 for me. 4 Stars.

Prometía tanto que lo había dejado para escucharlo después para darle el tiempo que se merecía, pero al escucharlo se desinfló, y con los gemidos en Lady Cab Driver (creo) ya se convirtió en un... meh?