- 01Purple RainPrinceI’m thinking back to the two albums that followed Purple Rain , Around the World in a Day (see 1985 ) and Parade .from the chapter
- 02Around the World in a DayPrince and the RevolutionI’m thinking back to the two albums that followed Purple Rain , Around the World in a Day (see 1985 ) and Parade .from the chapter
- 03ParadePrince and the RevolutionI’m thinking back to the two albums that followed Purple Rain , Around the World in a Day (see 1985 ) and Parade .from the chapter
- 04ControlJanet JacksonJanet, Michael’s youngest sister, released her third solo album, Control , a few months before she turned twenty (almost exactly the same age Prince had been when he had released his first record, For You , back in 1978).from the chapter
- 05For YouPrinceJanet, Michael’s youngest sister, released her third solo album, Control , a few months before she turned twenty (almost exactly the same age Prince had been when he had released his first record, For You , back in 1978).from the chapter
- 06“Control”Janet JacksonThe record had eight bona fide classics, at least, and a shockingly strong opening stretch (“Control,” “Nasty,” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately”) that ensured it will never fade as an all-time stone classic.from the chapter
- 07“Nasty”Janet JacksonThe record had eight bona fide classics, at least, and a shockingly strong opening stretch (“Control,” “Nasty,” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately”) that ensured it will never fade as an all-time stone classic.from the chapter
- 08“What Have You Done for Me Lately?”Janet JacksonThe record had eight bona fide classics, at least, and a shockingly strong opening stretch (“Control,” “Nasty,” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately”) that ensured it will never fade as an all-time stone classic.from the chapter
- 09“He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive”Janet JacksonMany people would say that the weakest vocal performance on that record is “He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive.” But recently—and partly because I have struck up a phone friendship with Janet a little bit—I have started to reassess.from the chapter
- 10“Diamonds”Herb AlpertIf it was removed from the album and another undeniable hit was put in its place—like Herb Alpert’s “Diamonds,” which she sang on the following year—the album would be too dense with hits.from the chapter
- 11Rhythm Nation 1814Janet JacksonHer next album, Rhythm Nation 1814 , is like that.from the chapter
- 12Crystal BallPrinceHe expanded it to a triple album called Crystal Ball , along the way deciding to get rid of input from his band—not only from the Dream Factory tracks, but in general.from the chapter
- 13Dream Factory/Crystal BallPrinceOn March 30, 1987, Prince finally released the album that had emerged from the swirl of Dream Factory/Crystal Ball .from the chapter
- 14Sign o’ the TimesPrinceIt was called Sign o’ the Times .from the chapter
- 15LovesexyPrinceI kept that theory in my pocket until Prince released his next album, Lovesexy , in 1988.from the chapter
- 16“Glam Slam”PrinceI had never had a let-me-skip-that-song moment before with Prince—“Mountains,” from Parade , was close, but then he did a trick at the end, code-switched into horn funk.from the chapter
- 17“Mountains”Prince and the RevolutionI had never had a let-me-skip-that-song moment before with Prince—“Mountains,” from Parade , was close, but then he did a trick at the end, code-switched into horn funk.from the chapter
- 18“Sisters are Doin’ It for Themselves”Eurythmics with Aretha FranklinThe year before Wendy and Lisa’s debut, the year before Sign o’ the Times , Eurythmics was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves,” a collaboration with Aretha Franklin.from the chapter