163) 1999

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"I didn't want to do a double album, Prince said, "but I just kept on writing. Of course, I'm not one for editing." The second half of 1999 is just exceptional sex-obsessed dance music; the first half is the best fusion of rock and funk achieved to that date, and it lays out the blueprint for Prince's next decade. Except for a few background hand claps and vocals, Prince plays most every instrument himself and creates a relentless, irresistible musical sequence of apocalypse ("1999") and the raunchy sex that he proposes as the only possible response -- "Little Red Corvette," "Let's Pretend We're Married," "Delirious" and, well, just about every other song on the album.

Total album sales: 4.2 million

Peak chart position: 9

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