"Little Red Corvette" is a song by American recording artist Prince. The song combines a Linn drum beat and slow synth buildup with a rock chorus, over which Prince, using several automobile metaphors, recalls a one-night stand with a beautiful but promiscuous woman. Backing vocals were performed by Lisa Coleman and Dez Dickerson, who also performs a guitar solo, the only instrumentation on 1999 not provided by Prince himself.
Released in 1983 as the second single from 1999, the song was at that point Prince's highest charting and his first to reach the top 10 in the U.S., peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also his first single to perform better on the pop chart than the R&B chart. Later, it was rereleased as a double A-side with "1999", peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart in January 1985. Following Prince's death in April 2016, "Little Red Corvette" re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 29, rising to number 20 the following week. It has sold 1.08 million digital copies in the United States.
The initial US single was backed with album track "All the Critics Love U in New York", while UK releases featured "Lady Cab Driver" or "Horny Toad". An extended dance remix of "Little Red Corvette," featured on some 12" releases, was later featured on the 2006 compilation Ultimate.
Last Updated: June 12, 2021
