A quantum leap from Controversy (1981)—full of new wave funk (“Automatic”), naughtiness (“Let’s Pretend We’re Married”) and countercultural celebration (“DMSR”)—1999 blasted Prince into the pop stratosphere once and for all. MTV heavily embraced “Little Red Corvette” and turned “1999” into an anthem 17 years before its time. One album away from the biggest-selling record of his career, Prince let it be known that his inexhaustible talent and his superstar ambition ran neck and neck.