Prince, 1999 | Throwback Vibez

In the 1^st edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “1999” by the late, great musical icon, Prince. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 1^st edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “1999” performed by Prince.

“‘Cause they say / 2000, zero-zero, party over, oops, out of time / So tonight, I’m gonna party like it’s 1999.” Ooh-wee! The late, great Prince delivered one of his best, most infectious records with “1999”. Notably, “1999” long preceded the year 1999.  So did the prediction about 1999 (more on that later). It commenced The Purple One’s 1982 multiplatinum album, 1999.  “1999” was composed and produced by Prince.  A big hit on the pop charts, this six-minute-plus juggernaut peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.

“1999” begins with distinct, low pitch-shifted vocals: “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you / I only want you to have fun.” Word. PAR-TAY! The sound is quintessential 1980s and quintessential Prince. It features boxy, rhythmic drums, bright synths, and funky guitar riffs.  Prince isn’t the only vocalist who appears in the track.  He gets assists from Lisa Coleman and Dez Dickerson.  Coleman and Dickerson are the first voices heard in the first two verses. Prince enters the mix in the first verse, fittingly asserting, “The sky was all purple / There were people runnin’ everywhere.” Uh-oh! In the third verse, he asserts, “I got a lion in my pocket / And, baby, he’s ready to roar.” Oh, snap ! As always, Prince’s pipes are distinct and nuanced.  His performance is colorful and filled with personality, particularly the lion lyric! The chorus, the centerpiece, is infectious, enjoying a good time before the purported doom! The doom came from a documentary The Purple One had watched about French astrologer Nostradamus (1503 – 1566), who incorrectly predicted that a great king of terror would descend on the world in the seventh month of 1999.  Given the impending doom, Prince and company are “gonna party like it’s 1999.”  “1999” is one helluva party – one we’ll never forget!

Prince // 1999 // NPG Records Inc. / Legacy // 1982

Prince, 1999: Throwback Vibez No. 1 (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; NPG Records Inc. / Legacy; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]