Our top 10 Morris Day and the Time songs list presents the music of an American band best known for its fusion of funk rock, synth-pop, and new wave sounds. This Prince-spawned band was formed in 1981, following inspiration from The Idolmaker, a 1980 musical film. The band was since its inauguration led by Prince’s childhood buddy Morris Day. Morris Day’s incredible vocal delivery and musicianship played a significant role in the success of the band.
Morris Day and the Time’s Breakthrough and Albums
A short while after its inauguration, the band issued its debut studio album, The Time. The Time was issued through Warner Bros. Record. With this album, the band blended funk, post-disco, and R&B sound influences. Prince teamed up with the band’s lead vocalist Morris Day in the production of this album. The Time is home to some of the best Morris Day and the Time songs including “Cool,” “Get It Up,” and “Girl.”
The album was a success in the mainstream, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Top Soul LPs Chart. This would also become the band’s first album to make it to the Billboard 200, rising to a peak position of number fifty. The Time was a commercial success, earning the band its first Gold-certified release in the USA.
What Time Is It? marked Morris Day and the Time’s sophomore studio album. The album saw the band take on a blend of funk, pop, and R&B sound influences. What Time Is It? rose to the second spot on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. The album also made it to the Billboard 200, peaking at number twenty-six. Morris Day and the Time achieved commercial success once more, with this album earning Gold certification by RIAA. “777-9311,” “Gigolos Get Lonely Too,” and “The Walk” are the most popular Morris Day and the Time songs from the album.
1984 was a great year for Morris Day and the Time following the release of its third studio album, Ice Cream Castle. Ice Cream Castle is the band’s best-selling album earning a Platinum certification by RIAA. The album made it to number three on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, peaking at number twenty-four on the Billboard 200. “Jungle Love,” “The Bird,” and “Ice Cream Castles” are the best Morris Day and the Time songs from the album.
The success of the band’s album Ice Cream Castles saw Morris Day and the Time compared to other funk acts of the time including Sly and The Family Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic. Unfortunately, disagreements between Morris Day and Prince forced the band to go on hiatus despite being at the peak of its career. The band would later come together in 1990, issuing its fourth studio album, Pandemonium, the same year. Pandemonium went on to be certified Gold in the US by RIAA with top musical gems from the album including “Jerk Out” and “Chocolate.”
Morris Day and the Time would later issue its fifth studio album, Condensate in 2011 under the moniker The Original 7ven. Unlike the previous four studio albums, Condensate failed to catapult the band to commercial success. The album settled for position fifty-eight on the Billboard 200 rising to number ten on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. It’s single “#Trendin’” managed to rise to the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, rising to number seventy-seven.
Morris Day and the Time’s Legacy
Over forty years since the band was formed, Morris Day and the Time still remains a force to reckon with in the funk scene. With four of its albums achieving at least Gold certification, Morris Day and the Time is among the most commercially successful funk outfits of all time. The band went on to perform the hit “Jungle Love” in the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony alongside Rihanna who gave the audience a taste of her hit singles “Umbrella” and “Don’t Stop the Music.”
Morris Day and the Time also entertained the audience in the 59th Grammy Awards ceremony by performing the hits “Jungle Love” and “The Bird” as a tribute to Prince. The band’s performance was followed up by yet another tribute performance to the late Prince by Bruno Mars who sang the hit “Let’s Go Crazy,” a song by Prince and The Revolution. Here we present the ten best Morris Day and the Time songs of all time.
#10 – Ice Cream Castles
Ushering us to the top 10 Morris Day and the Time songs of all time is the funk classic “Ice Cream Castles.” The song serves as the album title track to the band’s third studio album. “Ice Cream Castles” was the final song recorded for the album. The song was penned by Morris Day with contributions by Prince. Prince used the song’s title phrase as a metaphor for interracial romance.
The use of such imagery by Prince was inspired by the 1969 hit “Both Sides, Now,” a song by Joni Mitchell. Despite being the last recorded song for Ice Cream Castles, the song was issued as the opening track of the album. “Ice Cream Castles” immediately became a hit, rising to number eleven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. However, the success of this hit was quickly overshadowed by the hits “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.”
#9 – The Walk
Let’s roll back to the band’s sophomore studio album, What Time Is It? home to our ninth hit “The Walk.” The song was penned by Prince who also backed Morris Day on the vocals. The album version of this hit is nine and a half minutes long but its edited version is truncated to slightly over three minutes. Its moderate tempo and half-spoken vocals make it quite a unique classic.
“The Walk” was a success in the mainstream, rising to number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The song also made it to the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, peaking at number forty-two. “Everyday” by MC Lyte and “Garcia Vegas” by the hip-hop group 11/5 are among the songs that sampled “The Walk.”
#8 – Girl
Coming in at number eight on our top 10 Morris Day and the Time songs list is the haunting hit “Girl.” The song was issued as the final single off Morris Day and the Time’s debut studio album, The Time. “Girl” is an emotional classic whose lyrics allude to Morris Day falling so hard in love with the woman who just broke his heart. The song was penned by Prince, who also offers incredible backing vocals on this hit.
Prince would, later on, pen a song of the same title, issuing it as the B-side of the hit “America.” These two songs were issued on Prince and The Revolution’s 1985 studio album, Around the World in a Day. “Girl” made it to number forty-nine on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.
#7 – Chocolate
The band’s fourth studio album, Pandemonium remains Morris Day and the Time’s highest charting album. Pandemonium was also the band’s only album to make it to the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number sixty-six. Our seventh pick “Chocolate” gives us a solid reason why the album was highly successful in the mainstream.
This upbeat cut is an amalgam of funk and pop sounds. “Chocolate” managed to rise to number forty-four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The only song by Morris Day and the Time from the album to surpass “Chocolate” in terms of mainstream appeal was “Jerk Out,” the band’s highest-charting single. “Jerk Out” topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, rising to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.
#6 – 777-9311
Number six on our top 10 Morris Day and the Time songs list is the charming hit “777-9311.” “777-9311” is the best Morris Day and the Time song from the band’s sophomore album, What Time Is It? The song served as the lead single to Morris Day and the Time’s sophomore album.
“777-9311” played a significant role in the breakthrough of Morris Day and the Time as well as the musical ascension of Prince. The song is best remembered for its complex yet alluring instrumental. “777-9311” was sampled in “What’z Ya Phone #” by 2Pac and “I’m Lovin’ It” by Justin Timberlake. The song made it to the second spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, peaking at number eighty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100.
#5 – Gigolos Get Lonely Too
“Gigolos Get Lonely Too” is among the musical gems issued on the band’s sophomore studio album, What Time Is It? The song’s lyrics allude to how everyone needs love including gigolos. While gigolos might have amassed quite a fortune from trading ‘physical intimacy’, the singer puts it clear that they also dream of true love.
The song is delivered in a slow tempo that compliments its mood and empathy-driven lyrical content. “Gigolos Get Lonely Too” was covered by Jesse Saunders and Jack Knight, who has penned successful songs for Usher, Keyshia Cole, and Blackstreet. The song made it to number seventy-seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.
#4 – The Bird
“The Bird” is yet another prodigious hit from the band’s most commercially successful album, Ice Cream Castle. The song fuses the band’s staple funk sound with pop influences. This concert staple has its title alluding to a dance that imitates the movement of a bird’s wings. Lead vocalist Morris Day gives us a taste of his dancing skills on the live recording of this funk classic.
Morris Day and the Time performed this song as a tribute to Prince during the 2017 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. The song was sampled in the 1986 hit “Push It” Salt-N-Pepa. “The Bird” was a success in the mainstream, rising to position thirty-six on the Billboard Hot 100.
#3 – Get It Up
The Time, the band’s gold-seller debut studio album, is home to the third pick on our top 10 Morris Day and the Time songs list “Get It Up.” “Get It Up” was the band’s debut single issued in June 1981. The song has been hailed as one of the biggest Minneapolis Sound gems of all time. “Get It Up” had its lyrics penned by Prince who also accompanied Morris Day on the vocals.
The song alludes to Morris Day’s efforts to indulge in sexual intimacy with some lady. “Get It Up” was an instant success, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The song was covered in 1993 by the Grammy Award-winning girl group TLC. TLC’s cover was featured in the soundtrack of the romantic drama film, Poetic Justice.
#2 – Cool
“Cool,” a song from the band’s debut studio album, The Time graces our top ten best Morris Day and the Time songs list at number two. The song was the band’s first hit to make it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number ninety. This pop-infused funk track also made it to the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, peaking at the seventh spot.
“Cool” was covered in 2008 by Snoop Dogg, who went on to feature his version on his ninth studio album, Ego Trippin’. Morris Day and the Time’s version had its music video directed by Chuck Statler, revered for his successful work with the American rock band Devo. “Cool” remains one of the most electrifying concert staples by the band.
#1 – Jungle Love
Number one on our top 10 Morris Day and the Time songs list is the fantastic hit “Jungle Love.” The song is the best release from Morris Day and the Time’s most commercially successful album, Ice Cream Castle. “Jungle Love” was penned by Prince with contributions by Jesse Johnson and Morris Day. The song is the second-highest charting hit by Morris Day and the Time after “Jerk Out.”
“Jungle Love” made it to number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, rising to the sixth spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The song also graced the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart, peaking at number nine. “Jungle Love” brings the best of the band’s Minneapolis Sound which was popular in the ‘80s. In this song, Morris Day informs a lady that he is not as gentle as other guys she might have met claiming to be a little fierce with his kind of (jungle) love. The band performed this hit at the 50th and 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremonies.
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Top 10 Morris Day And The Time Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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