The Black Album - Prince (1994)

ideated from: 1994 being the best year in music history

Now, before somebody gets mad at me, I know: this is technically a 1987 album. Prince was the kind of talent that he decided last minute not to release this record, and gave the label an almost entirely different brilliant album that he just had laying about instead. But this finally got a release in 1994, so I’m counting it.

You probably won’t meet a ton of people who say this is their favorite Prince album, but I think it is for me. Tight funk and R&B grooves mixed with a liberal sampling of how great a rock guitarist Prince was when he decided to shred.

Dead On It - even when Prince was just goofing to make fun of rap he didn’t like, he wound up making a pretty great tune.

Bob George - simultaneously silly and frightening. an absolute masterpiece

Superfunkycalifragisexy - a great funk workout.