Prince and the Minneapolis Scene: 1987

Billboard magazine cover and one page April 25, 1987 Prince's owned copy

Spotlight on the Twin Cities: When Minneapolis Became America’s New Musical Wonderland

In the mid‑1980s, something extraordinary was happening in Minneapolis–St. Paul. What had long been considered a quiet Midwestern region suddenly erupted into one of the most influential music hubs in the United States. The Billboard feature you see here — boldly titled “America’s Newest Musical Wonderland” — captures that moment of ignition, when the Twin Cities weren’t just producing hits; they were reshaping the sound of American pop, R&B, funk, and rock.

This wasn’t a scene built on hype. It was built on craft, community, and a fiercely independent creative spirit.

Prince: The Catalyst and the Conduit

At the centre of this musical supernova was Prince — not just as a chart‑topping artist, but as a gravitational force. His success didn’t simply elevate his own career; it pulled an entire city upward with him. The article frames him as the spark that lit the fuse, the artist whose vision and work ethic created a blueprint others could follow.

Prince didn’t just make hits.

He made infrastructure — studios, bands, protégés, and a sonic identity that became known worldwide as the Minneapolis Sound.

The Producers Who Rewrote the Rulebook

The feature highlights a remarkable statistic: in a single month, three Black singles produced in Minneapolis broke into the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. That wasn’t a fluke. It was the result of a production culture that valued innovation over imitation.

Enter Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis — alumni of The Time, protégés of Prince, and soon to become two of the most important producers in pop history. Their presence in the spread signals the moment they stepped out from behind the curtain and into the mainstream spotlight. Their work would soon dominate the charts, shaping the careers of Janet Jackson, Human League, and countless others.

A City of Scenes, Not Just Stars

What makes this page so compelling is the breadth of artists it showcases:

Morris Day, the charismatic frontman of The Time

Jesse Johnson, the guitar‑slinging architect of Minneapolis funk

The Jets, bringing polished pop to the masses

Hüsker Dü, proving the Twin Cities weren’t just about funk — they were a punk powerhouse too

This wasn’t a monoculture. It was a creative ecosystem, where R&B, funk, rock, pop, and punk thrived side by side.

Why Minneapolis?

The article hints at a deeper truth: Minneapolis succeeded because it wasn’t trying to be Los Angeles or New York. It had:

- affordable studio spaces

- a tight‑knit community

- a willingness to experiment

- musicians who played together, learned together, and pushed each other

It was a city where boundaries blurred — between genres, between races, between mainstream and underground.

A Moment That Became a Movement

Looking back, this Billboard feature reads like a snapshot taken just as the wave crested. Prince was already a superstar, but the full impact of the Minneapolis Sound was still unfolding. Jam & Lewis were only beginning their ascent. The Time, The Jets, and Hüsker Dü were all on the brink of national recognition.

The Twin Cities weren’t just producing hits.

They were producing culture.

And this page captures the moment the rest of America finally noticed.

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