Sign O The Times.????

[bubinga5]

Musically I mean... I remember when this first came out in 87.... It was played on Radio 1 and various other stations endlessly.. I just cant imagine, even how epic this record is it would be played on mainstream radio stations today. Aids, Heroin, Crack, etc etc.. I just haven't heard a record this profound played on a mainstream music station in a long long time.... Sign O The Times.?  Or maybe main stream music isn't as good as this anymore.  

 

Edited April 18, 2024 by bubinga5

[Doctor J]

It's a shame there is a glut of lyrically banal and empty gibberish in most mainstream music. I was getting into Metal and hardcore punk at that point in the 80's and, having been exposed to the wealth of socially conscious material there, perhaps the impact of Prince's song was a little lost on me. Looking back at what else was in the charts at the time, though, yeah I can see how it would make a profound impression in that musical landscape.

[uk_lefty]

7 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

I just cant imagine, even how epic this record is it would be played on mainstream radio stations today

Agreed. When I need to use my wife's car I suffer Radio 1, I am forty so it's not aimed at me but the sheer vacuousness of the presenting, the music, and even how they have to explain the news... It's quite sad really. One Sunday morning they were playing Wet Leg and then a song came on, some singer songwriter type thing where this lad sings about breaking up with a girl he met in church and how that made him question his faith and it really hit me. Not because of the message itself but because it was on Radio 1 at hangover time and I thought it was incredibly profound for that station at that time of day.

[Gwilym]

8 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

Or maybe main stream music isn't as good as this anymore.  

 

Prince was never as good after this either, sadly.

[LeftyJ]

1 hour ago, uk_lefty said:

and then a song came on, some singer songwriter type thing where this lad sings about breaking up with a girl he met in church and how that made him question his faith 

LOL, I wonder if you could mean "In the stars" by Benson Boone. That one is actually about the passing of his grandma. It's been played on national radio here in the Netherlands a LOT and I can't stand it.

[Linus27]

An absolutely fantastic track. I'm not really a Prince fan but I love this track (Simple Minds also do an awesome cover) as well as the Purple Rain album, Girls and Boys, If I was Your Girlfriend and Sexy MF, all brilliant tracks.

 

 

[TimR]

84 onwards was a pretty harrowing time. Reflected in a lot of songs of the time. 

 

I don't remember anything like the violence of the miner strikes or Brixon and Toxteth riots. I don't know what was going on in the states as we didn't have 24/7 International news back then. But certainly AIDS was a serious concern for everyone and not really something that at the time was considered 'profound' to be talking or singing about. 

[uk_lefty]

1 hour ago, LeftyJ said:

LOL, I wonder if you could mean "In the stars" by Benson Boone. That one is actually about the passing of his grandma. It's been played on national radio here in the Netherlands a LOT and I can't stand it.

That's it!!!!  It was a few months ago and I never had chance to look it up. Just listening to it right now. Guess I wasn't concentrating enough to understand the message but listening now... Yeah, I misread that one! 

[bubinga5]

13 hours ago, Gwilym said:

Prince was never as good after this either, sadly.

You cant be serious. Love Sexy,, Diamonds and Pearls, The Gold Experience were great albums. and his live music was just....  He can be hit and miss but so are our ears as listeners.   The guy didnt have to have chart toppers to be probably the best musician of all time. Putting lyrics like "We can stroll the mezzanine, buy some dirty magazines" then talk about eating ice cream. I just think thats so clever. A guy that played 27 instruments should have every musician in the worlds respect.  Im never usually a fanboy of anyone but when it comes to Prince. Well its Prince. 

 

[bubinga5]

There are just sooooooooooooooo many gems. 

 

[bubinga5]

The Greatest Prince album ive ever listened to was a double album.Its The Hits B sides, amazing a record or all of the records on it were B sides. 

 

[Barking Spiders]

Sign of the Times is that rare thing, a double album that works and isn't just 3 or 4 good songs and a load of padding out. It was the peak of his recording output methinks.

[tubbybloke68]

Love him or hate him, the bloke was a musical genius in my book.from songwriting to arranging to an amazing  entertainer. A little strange prehaps, but when you live your entire life in the public gaze i think anyone of us might be. An immense talent, sadly no more 🫤x 

[LukeFRC]

On 19/04/2024 at 00:39, bubinga5 said:

I just haven't heard a record this profound played on a mainstream music station in a long long time

It’s a few years old now but it def got mainstream music play - If by profound you mean social commentary it’s got a bit of that