#35 Sign 'o' the Times by Prince
The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time
- 2025 Album Rank
- 35
- 2011 Album Rank
- 40
- Total Points
- 1559
- Year Released
- 1987
- Billboard 200 Chart Peak
- 6
- Weeks at #1
- N/A
- RIAA Sales Certification
- 1,000,000 (Platinum)
- Buy Album
- Apple Music Amazon
Sign 'o' the Times Album Details
Released in March 1987, Sign 'o' the Times is Prince's sprawling, genre-defying double album masterpiece. Following the dissolution of his band The Revolution and the abandonment of the unreleased Crystal Ball and Dream Factory projects, Prince reimagined the best of that material into a cohesive statement of artistic freedom, political commentary, and romantic introspection. The result is a kaleidoscope of funk, soul, rock, pop, psychedelia, and gospel, showcasing Prince at his most eclectic and visionary.
From the stark social realism of the title track to the euphoric joy of I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and the sensual pulse of Adore, Sign 'o' the Times balances personal vulnerability with spiritual yearning and cultural critique. Critically acclaimed and widely considered one of his finest works, the album distills Prince's prodigious talent into a singular expression of complexity, freedom, and brilliance.
Other albums by Prince on the chart: Purple Rain
Interesting Facts About Sign 'o' the Times
- The title track, Sign 'o' the Times, was recorded entirely by Prince on the Fairlight CMI, an early digital sampling synthesizer. Its minimal production was a stark contrast to the dense sound of his earlier work.
- Much of the material originated from abandoned albums. Dream Factory was a planned collaboration with The Revolution, while Crystal Ball was a solo triple-LP that Warner Bros. refused to release in its original form.
- Housequake was a playful, James Brown inspired funk workout with Prince using sped-up vocals, a technique he attributed to his alter ego Camille. Several tracks on the album use the Camille vocal effect.
- The Ballad of Dorothy Parker was recorded during a studio malfunction that left Prince with no high-end frequencies. He liked the lo-fi result so much that he kept the original take.
- U Got the Look is a duet with Sheena Easton. It was initially intended for the Camille project, and its inclusion added a dose of pop immediacy to the album.
- Though the album was a solo effort, Prince played nearly every instrument on most tracks, using drum machines, synths, and guitar overdubs to construct each song layer by layer.
- Prince filmed a concert film, Sign '☮' the Times, to promote the album. Though it included footage from European tour dates, many scenes were reshot at his Paisley Park soundstage due to lighting issues.
- Adore, the final track, became a sleeper classic despite not being released as a single. It's often cited by fans and critics as one of Prince's greatest vocal performances.
- In 2020, a deluxe edition of Sign 'o' the Times was released, featuring 63 previously unreleased tracks from Prince's vault, shedding new light on one of his most fertile creative periods.
- The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017 for its cultural and historical significance.
Sign 'o' the Times Track List
- Sign 'o' the Times - Reached #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
- Play in the Sunshine
- Housequake
- The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
- It
- Starfish and Coffee
- Slow Love
- Hot Thing
- Forever in My Life
- U Got the Look - Reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
- If I Was Your Girlfriend
- Strange Relationship
- I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man - Reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
- The Cross
- It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night
- Adore
