#128 1999 by Prince

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

128

2011 Album Rank

85

Total Points

544

Year Released

1982

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

9

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

4,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

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1999 Album Details

Released in 1982, 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album that catapulted him from cult favorite to mainstream superstar. Blending funk, rock, R&B, new wave, and synth-pop, the double LP showcased his visionary approach to music and production. With its apocalyptic party anthem title track, 1999 set the tone for an album both celebratory and ominous, touching on themes of love, lust, technology, and existential dread. It was also the first album to prominently feature his band The Revolution, hinting at the collaborative sound that would define his next phase.

Musically, 1999 is a dazzling mix of slinky grooves, falsetto vocals, and cutting-edge synthesizer work. Tracks like "Little Red Corvette" and "Delirious" became major hits, with their blend of eroticism and pop sensibility, while deeper cuts like "Lady Cab Driver" and "D.M.S.R." offered extended jams and socially tinged lyrics. The album's genre-bending style and provocative edge helped redefine what Black pop music could be in the MTV era, and laid the groundwork for Prince's next masterwork, Purple Rain. 1999 remains a landmark in pop history - a bold, funky, and futuristic statement from an artist at the edge of greatness.

Other albums by Prince on the chart: Purple Rain and Sign 'o' the Times

Interesting Facts about 1999

• Released on October 27, 1982, 1999 was Prince's fifth studio album and his first to go multi-platinum.
• It was Prince's first album to include contributions from The Revolution, though they weren't officially credited as a band yet.
• The title track, "1999," was one of the first Black music videos to receive heavy rotation on MTV, breaking racial barriers at the time.
• "Little Red Corvette" became Prince's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 6.
• The album features one of the earliest mainstream uses of the Linn LM-1 drum machine, which became a signature element of Prince's sound.
• Prince played most of the instruments on the album himself, showcasing his multi-instrumental talent.
• 1999 was originally intended to be a single LP, but Prince expanded it to a double album to include more material.
• The song "1999" which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it was originally released in 1982, was rereleased as a single and reached #40 on the Hot 100 chart in January 1999.
• The album's purple, sci-fi-inspired cover art was drawn by Prince himself (with some help), and contains hidden imagery like "God" written in reverse.

1999 Tracklist

1. 1999 - Reached #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
2. Little Red Corvette - Reached #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
3. Delirious - Reached #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
4. Let's Pretend We're Married
5. D.M.S.R.
6. Automatic
7. Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)
8. Free
9. Lady Cab Driver
10. All the Critics Love U in New York
11. International Lover

Little Red Corvette Music Video