Editing Prince (musician) (section)

=== 1987–1991: ''Sign o' the Times'', ''Lovesexy'', ''Batman'' and ''Graffiti Bridge'' ===
Before disbanding the Revolution, Prince was working on two separate projects, the Revolution album ''[[Dream Factory (album)|Dream Factory]]'' and a solo effort, ''[[Camille (unreleased Prince album)|Camille]]''.{{sfn|Draper|2008|pp=76–78}} Unlike the three previous band albums, ''Dream Factory'' included input from the band members and featured songs with lead vocals by Wendy & Lisa.{{sfn|Draper|2008|pp=76–78}} The ''Camille'' project saw Prince create a new [[androgynous]] persona primarily singing in a sped-up, female-sounding voice. With the dismissal of the Revolution, Prince consolidated material from both shelved albums, along with some new songs, into a three-LP album to be titled ''[[Crystal Ball (unreleased album)|Crystal Ball]]''.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=80}} Warner Bros. forced Prince to trim the triple album to a double album, and ''[[Sign o' the Times]]'' was released on March 31, 1987.<ref name="Billboard Sign o the times">{{cite magazine|first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=prince|chart=all}} |title=Sign 'O' the Times |magazine=Billboard |access-date=March 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509100710/http://www.billboard.com/artist/351039/prince/chart |archive-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref>

The album peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart.<ref name="Billboard Sign o the times" /> The first single, "[[Sign o' the Times (song)|Sign o' the Times]]", charted at No. 3 on the Hot 100.<ref name="Prince chart history billboard">{{cite magazine|url= {{BillboardURLbyName|artist=prince|chart=all}}|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080610060841/{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=prince|chart=all}}|archive-date= June 10, 2008|title=Artist Chart History&nbsp;– Prince|magazine=Billboard|access-date=January 13, 2009}}</ref> The follow-up single, "[[If I Was Your Girlfriend]]", charted at No. 67 on the Hot 100 but went to No. 12 on R&B chart.<ref name="Prince chart history billboard" /> The third single, a duet with [[Sheena Easton]], "[[U Got the Look]]", charted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and No. 11 on the R&B chart,<ref name="Prince chart history billboard" /> and the final single, "[[I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man]]", finished at No. 10 on Hot 100 and No. 14 on the R&B chart.<ref name="Prince chart history billboard" />

It was named the top album of the year by the [[Pazz & Jop]] critics' poll and sold 3.2&nbsp;million copies.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=81}} In Europe, it performed well, and Prince promoted the album overseas with a lengthy tour. Putting together a new backing band from the remnants of the Revolution, Prince added bassist [[Levi Seacer Jr.]], keyboardist Boni Boyer, and dancer/choreographer [[Cat Glover]]{{sfn|Gregory|1995|p=246}} to go with new drummer [[Sheila E]]{{sfn|Matos|2004|p=57}} and holdovers Miko Weaver, Doctor Fink, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and the Bodyguards (Jerome, Wally Safford, and Greg Brooks) for the [[Sign o' the Times Tour]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The Sign o' the Times tour was a success overseas, with Warner Bros. and Prince's managers wanting to bring it to the US to promote sales of the album.{{sfn|Draper|2008|pp=86–87}}{{sfn|Hahn|2004|p = 118}} Prince balked at a full US tour, as he was ready to produce a new album.{{sfn|Draper|2008|pp=86–87}} As a compromise, the last two nights of the tour were filmed for release in movie theaters. The film quality was deemed subpar, and reshoots were performed at Prince's [[Paisley Park]] studios.{{sfn|Draper|2008|pp=86–87}} The film ''[[Sign o' the Times (film)|Sign o' the Times]]'' was released on November 20, 1987. The film got better reviews than ''Under the Cherry Moon'', but its box-office receipts were minimal, and it quickly left theaters.{{sfn|Hahn|2004|p = 118}}

The next album intended for release was ''[[The Black Album (Prince album)|The Black Album]]''.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=90}} More instrumental and funk- and R&B-themed than recent releases,{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=92}} ''The Black Album'' also saw Prince experiment with [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] on the songs "Bob George" and "Dead on It". Prince was set to release the album with a monochromatic black cover with only the catalog number printed, but after 500,000 copies had been pressed,{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=91}} Prince had a spiritual epiphany that the album was evil and had it recalled.{{sfn|Hahn|2004|pp = 121–122}} It was later released by Warner Bros. as a limited edition album in 1994.

Prince went back in the studio for eight weeks and recorded ''[[Lovesexy]]''. Released on May 10, 1988, ''Lovesexy'' serves as a spiritual opposite to the dark ''The Black Album''.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=93}} Every song is a solo effort by Prince, except "Eye No", which was recorded with his backing band at the time. ''Lovesexy'' reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 5 on the R&B albums chart.<ref name="Lovesexy billboard">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=prince|chart=all}} |title=Lovesexy |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509100710/http://www.billboard.com/artist/351039/prince/chart |archive-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> The lead single, "[[Alphabet St.]]", peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B chart;<ref name="Billboard Sign o the times" /> it sold 750,000 copies.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=94}}

Prince again took his post-Revolution backing band (minus the Bodyguards) on a three-leg, 84-show Lovesexy World Tour; although the shows were well-received by huge crowds, they failed to make a net profit due to the expensive sets and props.{{sfn|Hahn|2004|pp = 152–153}}{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=95}}

[[File:Prince by jimieye.jpg|thumb|Prince performing during the Nude Tour in [[Tokyo|Tokyo, Japan]], in 1990|alt=|238x238px]]

In 1989, Prince appeared on [[Madonna]]'s studio album ''[[Like a Prayer (album)|Like a Prayer]]'', co-writing and singing the duet "Love Song" and playing electric guitar (uncredited) on the songs "[[Like a Prayer (song)|Like a Prayer]]", "[[Keep It Together (song)|Keep It Together]]", and "Act of Contrition". He also began work on several musical projects, including ''[[Unreleased Prince projects|Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic]]'' and early drafts of his ''Graffiti Bridge'' film,{{sfn|Hahn|2004|pp = 155–156}}{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=96}} but both were put on hold when he was asked by ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' (1989) director [[Tim Burton]] to record several songs for the upcoming live-action adaptation. Prince went into the studio and produced an entire nine-track album that Warner Bros. released on June 20, 1989. ''[[Batman (album)|Batman]]'' peaked at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200,<ref name="batman billboard">{{cite magazine|first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=prince|chart=all}} |title=Batman |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509100710/http://www.billboard.com/artist/351039/prince/chart |archive-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> selling 4.3&nbsp;million copies.{{sfn|Hahn|2004|p = 157}} The single "[[Batdance]]" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B charts.<ref name="Billboard Sign o the times" />

The single "[[The Arms of Orion]]", with Sheena Easton, charted at No. 36, and "[[Partyman]]" (also featuring the vocals of Prince's then-girlfriend, nicknamed [[Anna Fantastic]]) charted at No. 18 on the Hot 100 and at No. 5 on the R&B chart, while the love ballad "[[Scandalous!]]" went to No. 5 on the R&B chart.<ref name="Billboard Sign o the times" /> Prince had to sign away all publishing rights to the songs on the album to Warner Bros. as part of the deal to do the soundtrack.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In 1990, Prince went back on tour with a revamped band for his back-to-basics Nude Tour. With the departures of Boni Boyer, Sheila E., the Horns, and Cat, Prince brought in keyboardist [[Rosie Gaines]], drummer [[Michael Bland]], and dancing trio the Game Boyz ([[Tony M.]], Kirky J., and Damon Dickson). The European and Japanese tour was a financial success with a short, greatest hits setlist.{{sfn|Hahn|2004|p = 166}} As the year progressed, Prince finished production on his fourth film, ''[[Graffiti Bridge (film)|Graffiti Bridge]]'' (1990), and the 1990 album [[Graffiti Bridge (album)|''Graffiti Bridge'']]. Initially, Warner Bros. was reluctant to fund the film, but with Prince's assurances it would be a sequel to ''Purple Rain'' as well as the involvement of the original members of the Time, the studio greenlit the project.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=104}} Released on August 20, 1990, the album reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and R&B albums chart.<ref name="Graffiti Bridge billboard">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=prince|chart=all}} |title=Graffiti Bridge |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509100710/http://www.billboard.com/artist/351039/prince/chart |archive-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> The single "[[Thieves in the Temple]]" reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart;<ref name="Billboard Sign o the times" /> "[[Round and Round (Tevin Campbell song)|Round and Round]]" placed at No. 12 on the US charts and No. 2 on the R&B charts. The song featured the teenage [[Tevin Campbell]] (who also had a role in the film) on lead vocals. The film, released on November 20, 1990, was a box-office flop, grossing $4.2&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Draper|2008|p=105}} After the release of the film and album, the last remaining members of the Revolution, Miko Weaver, and Doctor Fink, left Prince's band.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}