Prince (& The Revolution) - Parade 1986

 

Parade is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the third and final album where the Revolution is billed. It also was the soundtrack album to the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon, directed by and starring Prince. It was released on March 31, 1986 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records.

Parade eschews the guitar and rock elements of Prince's 1984 album Purple Rain in favor of the psychedelic pop style he explored on Around the World in a Day (1985), austerely produced funk, and soundtrack compositions.^[2] After the critical disappointment of his 1985 album Around the World in a Day, Parade was released to acclaim from music critics. "Kiss" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Parade was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in June 1986.

Parade was named one of the best albums of 1986 by The Village Voice and NME magazine, who named it their Album of the Year. 

 Parade was the follow-up to Around the World in a Day and the soundtrack to Prince's second film. The album sees Prince further diversifying musically, adding orchestrations to his music. Prince also displayed a new image with Parade: his trademark ruffled shirts, wild curly hair, and purple outfits, which defined his look from 1981's Controversy to 1985's Around the World in a Day, were replaced by slicked-back hair and dress suits. The first single, "Kiss", was a number-one hit, and the album as a whole was well received in the United States. Europe further embraced the album, and for the first time in Prince's career European album sales eclipsed those in the United States. While Parade was the last official release with the Revolution, a follow-up called Dream Factory was recorded. Its release was canceled when Prince disbanded the group.