1999 (Prince song)

"1999"
US 7" single (1982)
Single by Prince
from the album 1999
B-side"How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"
ReleasedSeptember 28, 1982
RecordedJuly 1982
StudioKiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, Minnesota
Genre
Length3:36 (single version)
6:18 (album version)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Prince
Producer(s)Prince
Prince singles chronology
"Do Me, Baby"
(1982)
"1999"
(1982)
"Little Red Corvette"
(1983)
Prince (1999) singles chronology
"The Truth"
(1997)
"1999"
(1998)
"Extraordinary"
(1999)

"1999" is a song by American musician Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. Originally peaking at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, a mid-1983 re-release later reached number 12 in the US, while a January 1985 rerelease, a double A-side with "Little Red Corvette", later peaked at number 2 in the UK.

Rolling Stone ranked "1999" number 339 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Following Prince's death, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 41, later moving up to number 27, making it the fourth separate time the song had entered the Hot 100 and the third different decade in which the song re-charted (as after its two 1980s entries, it made the chart again on January 16, 1999 at number 40). As of April 30, 2016, it has sold 727,363 copies in the United States.

Recording

The album version of the song starts with a slowed-down voice stating "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I only want you to have some fun." Prince shares lead vocals on the track with members of his band the Revolution, namely Dez Dickerson, Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones. Originally conceived to be a three-part harmony, it was later decided to separate out the voices that started each verse. Distinct scratching and explosion noises heard in the track were to cover mistakes during recording of a good take.

Reception

Billboard said that "the Apocalypse never sounded this danceable before."

Some music critics have suggested Phil Collins' 1985 song "Sussudio" sounds very similar to "1999". Collins confirmed this claim, and remembers listening to "1999" frequently while he was on tour with Genesis.

Re-release

In January 1985, "1999" was released as a 12" single in the US with "Little Red Corvette" as the B-side, and "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"/"D.M.S.R." in the UK. The single peaked at number 2 in its second week of release.

The song was re-recorded at the end of 1998 and was released the following year as 1999: The New Master.

"1999" was re-released in the UK and the US in late 1998 to accompany the song's namesake year. It was released on 12" vinyl with the same track listing as the original 12" single: the album version, along with "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" and "D.M.S.R." A CD single was also issued with the same track listing, except the edit of "1999" was substituted for the album version. It was also re-released again towards the end of its namesake year. The original version re-charted within the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1998, becoming Prince's last top 40 hit before his death in 2016.

Music video

The video, directed by Bruce Gowers, was shot during the last week of rehearsals for the 1999 Tour. It depicts Prince and his band during a live performance. Just in time to take his part after Lisa Coleman, Jill Jones and Dez Dickerson, Prince appears on the stage from above, gliding down on a fireman's pole, wearing a glittery purple long coat.

Something went wrong with shooting Dez's lead vocal line and the footage was actually re-shot by a local camera crew the afternoon prior to the first show of the 1999 Tour in Chattanooga on November 11, 1982.[citation needed]

VH1 notably played this video continuously from midnight Eastern Time on December 31, 1998 to the next midnight on January 1, 1999.

Track listing

  • 7"
  1. "1999"
  2. "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"
  • 12" UK
  1. "1999"
  2. "D.M.S.R."
  • 12" West Germany
  1. "1999"
  2. "Let's Pretend We're Married"
  • CD - 1998 re-release
  1. "1999"
  2. "Uptown"
  3. "Controversy"
  4. "Dirty Mind"
  5. "Sexuality"
  • 12" - 1985 re-release
  1. "1999"
  2. "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"
  3. "D.M.S.R."

Personnel

Credits from Guitarcloud and Benoît Clerc

Charts

Year-end charts

1983 year-end chart performance for "1999"
Chart (1983) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 16
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 71
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 37
US Billboard Hot 100 41
1985 year-end chart performance for "1999"
Chart (1985) Position
UK Singles (OCC) 30
1999 year-end chart performance for "1999"
Chart (1999) Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 166

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for "1999"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) Gold 400,000
United States 727,363

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-12-09 13:22 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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