Little Red Corvette (4:56)

“Little Red Corvette” is one of Prince’s best-known songs, and a defining point in his rise to superstar status. The song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was also his first single to perform better on the pop chart than the R&B chart, due to the pop/rock format of the song. Guitar solo was voted number 64 on Guitar World’s “100 Greatest Guitar Solos”.

The song combines a drum machine beat and slow synth buildup for the verses and a full rock chorus. Backing vocals were done by Lisa Coleman and the classic guitar solo was played by Dez Dickerson. In the song, Prince narrates a one-night stand with a beautiful but promiscuous woman (the “Little Red Corvette” of the title); although he enjoys the experience, he urges her to “slow down” and “find a love that’s gonna last” before she destroys herself. In addition to the title, he uses several other automobile metaphors, for example comparing their lovemaking to a ride in a limousine. The term “Little Red Corvette” has also been suspected to refer to a woman’s vagina or clitoris, due mostly to the lyric, “I’m gonna try to tame your little red love machine.”

# Rolling Stone ranked the song #108 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.