The 1991 show was chock-full of memorable moments. It was quite a different time back then musically, and there is no better proof of that than the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall, who was at the top of his game at the time with The Arsenio Hall Show – the Emmy-winning program was the place to be seen on late night television. Music-wise, leading the pack in nominations in 1991 was R.E.M., who boasted 10 noms for their iconic music video “Losing My Religion,” which (spoiler!) appropriately won the Video of the Year Award. Other big nominees were C+C Music Factory with five nominations (a true sign of the times) for “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” Queensrÿche with five for “Silent Lucidity” and Madonna with three for “Like a Virgin (Truth or Dare version).” But the Queen of Pop was far from the most controversial artist there.

A Sky Magazine account: A freshly pressed CD of the Diamonds And Pearls album is carried in like actual diamonds are in there. The full track listing runs: Thunder/Daddy Pop/Diamonds And Pearls/Cream/Strollin’/Willing And Able /Gett Off/Walk, Don’t Walk/Jughead/Money Don’t Matter 2night/ Push/Insatiable /Live For Love. Thunder, a screeching gospel rocker with electric sitars . slammin ’ guitars and Anna Stesia-style synthesisers, the dirty, sexy T.Rex punk funk of Cream, and Gett Off, with crunching rhythm, awkward metal chord changes lyrics like “move your big ass round this way so I can work on that zipper baby, tonight you’re the star and I’m the big dipper”. The breezy Strollin’ (video directed by Spike Lee), Walk Don’t Walk with its honking car horn melody and the persistent rap of Push.

Most people chase celebrity, but fame chased Prince. Both Cymone and Husney remember instances of Prince practicing for life as an elusive star long before he was a household name. Cymone says that when Prince was 18 and had yet to put out his first album, he would often refuse to go into the local 7-11 with Cymone because he wanted to prepare for when he would no longer be able to go anywhere without being recognized. Naturally, Cymone mocked Prince’s prima donna behavior and would tell everyone in the store what Prince was up to, much to Prince’s annoyance: “I told them you didn’t want to go in because you’re gonna be famous one day.” Prince was a notorious control freak and, even at 18, he had a specific vision for his first album. He wanted to produce it completely on his own, even if that meant turning down a legend.