1999 Single UK (1983)

Prince’s "1999" backed with "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?", was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK by Warner Bros. Records (catalog number W 1999) on January 7, 1983.

The release entered the UK Singles Chart on January 22, spending 8 weeks on the chart peaking at number 25.

Rolling Stone placed "1999" at number 339 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Following Prince's death, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 41 and later climbed to number 27. This marked the fourth distinct occasion the song appeared on the Hot 100 and the third different decade it re-charted (after its two entries in the 1980s, it reappeared on January 16, 1999, at number 40). As of April 30, 2016, it had sold 727,363 copies in the United States.

The song was inspired by a TV documentary about Nostradamus that Prince watched. In the film, it was predicted that a terror would strike the world in 1999. During rehearsals the following day, Prince talked about the documentary with his bandmates, envisioning a massive party in anticipation of the impending terror. As Lisa Coleman recounted, Prince arrived at the studio the next day with the song's lyrics, having already completed the song.

UK: W 9896

BE: 92.9896-7

DE: 92.9896-7

JP: P-1723