“1999” is the 1999 song by Prince that became especially associated with New Year’s Eve because of its title and lyrics.
Prince released “1999” in 1982 as the title track of his fifth studio album. The song combines funk, rock, synthesizers, and layered vocals, while its lyrics imagine a party during an uncertain future. The repeated reference to celebrating like it is 1999 gave the song a powerful connection to the approach of the calendar year 2000.
Its New Year significance intensified during the late 1990s, when radio stations and parties used it as a soundtrack for the millennium transition. The song is sometimes described as a millennium anthem, although 1999 itself was the final year of the twentieth century rather than the first year of the third millennium. Prince later revisited the song in live performances, reinforcing its status as a durable celebration track.