Around The World In A Day (40th Anniversary)

Released on April 22, 1985, Around The World In A Day landed just 15 days after the curtain fell on Prince's era-defining Purple Rain Tour. Today, surprise album drops are routine. Back then, it was unthinkable. Only Prince could - and did - pull it off.

Purple Rain had torn up the rulebook of pop stardom. Warner Bros. wanted to cash in, with a European leg of the tour already booked and millions guaranteed. Prince walked away. Instead, he handed in Around The World In A Day: a psychedelic, inward-facing detour that blindsided the label. His demand? It was to be experienced as one uninterrupted story. No lead single. No staged rollout. No hype machine.

The record ultimately yielded four commercial singles: "Raspberry Beret" with its spectacular kaleidoscopic video featuring Prince in a suit inspired by the clouds and sky on the sleeve, "Paisley Park" (released only overseas), "Pop Life", and "America".