1999

Prince's fifth album, '1999', codified the influential Minneapolis sound through its pioneering use of the Linn LM-1 drum machine and layered synthesizers, creating a dense fusion of funk, synth-pop, and new wave. The double album's songwriting broadened Prince's thematic palette from signature carnal explorations to address apocalyptic anxiety and the dawn of the computer age. As his first top-ten album and first credited work with The Revolution, its immense commercial success and iconic music videos, which broke racial barriers on MTV, launched Prince into global superstardom.