Today marks the 40th anniversary of Prince’s fifth studio album, 1999. The album was the first to be recorded with his band the Revolution. 1999’s critical and commercial success propelled Prince into mainstream fame and marked his ascension to becoming a musical icon. The popularity of the music videos for both “1999” and “Little Red Corvette” made Prince one of the first black artists to be in heavy rotation on MTV. Overall, the record earned numerous accolades following its 1982 release, including a number nine spot on the Billboard 200, three hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Following Prince's death in 2016, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 and peaked at number seven, besting its original performance on the chart. For more about The Story of 1999, check out this four-part audio documentary series brought to you by The Current in collaboration with the Prince Estate, Paisley Park, and Warner Records.

1999 was released as a Remastered, Deluxe and Super Deluxe edition in 2019. The elaborate re-issue contains five CDs featuring previously unreleased tracks. Today, we’ll be digging into the re-issue and uncovering some deliciously deep tracks and bonus material. For today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what gems from Prince’s album 1999 do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

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Songs Played:
Prince – International Lover (Take 1, Live in Studio)
Prince – All The Critics Love U In New York
Prince – Little Red Corvette (Live In Detroit 11/30/82)
Prince – Let’s Pretend We’re Married
Prince – 1999
Prince – Feel U Up