20 Defining ‘Minneapolis Sound’ Jams That Weren’t by Prince
He dominated the ’80s and ’90s as pop’s greatest influencer.
Prince Rogers Nelson left us way too early nearly 17 months ago, but his vast body of work and the Minneapolis sound he inspired plays on. An unmistakable blend of dance, music, sex, romance, the sound of Minneapolis, Prince’s hometown, was to the ’80s what the sound of Detroit (Motown) was to the ’60s and what the sound of Philadelphia (Philly soul) was to the ’70s.
If it weren’t for Prince, St. Paul’s twin city probably still would be best known as the Minnesota setting of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In addition to all the ’80s and ’90s pop standards credited to Prince, Prince and the Revolution, Prince and the New Power Generation, “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince,” and the unpronounceable “Love Symbol,” His Purple Highness wrote, produced, and/or helped shape singles and album tracks by a number of established acts, including Celine Dion, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush, Madonna, Mavis Staples, No Doubt, Patti LaBelle, Sheena Easton, Sinéad O’Connor, Stevie Nicks, and TLC.
In 1981, he put together the group The Time, which enjoyed hits concurrently with Prince and his ’80s band The Revolution. The Time eventually would spin-off several hitmakers: Morris Day, Jesse Johnson, and, most…
