The Time

The Time is an American funk rock band that emerged from Minneapolis in 1981, becoming one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from the city's legendary musical landscape. Led by singer-songwriter Morris Day, the band — also known at various points as Morris Day and the Time and the Original 7ven — became synonymous with the Minneapolis sound, a genre-blending aesthetic that fused funk, R&B, new wave, synth-pop, and dance into something entirely unique. Though closely associated with Prince, whom many band members collaborated with, The Time carved out their own identity as arguably the most successful artists to work within that orbit, scoring major hits with singles like "Jungle Love," "777-9311," "The Bird," and "Cool."
The band's influence extended beyond their own chart success, particularly through the production and songwriting partnership of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who left The Time in 1983 to forge a legendary production career that would shape pop and R&B for decades. Meanwhile, Morris Day and guitarist Jesse Johnson pursued solo careers while maintaining their involvement with the band, allowing The Time to evolve across multiple eras and iterations. The group's ability to balance funk instrumentation with synth-driven production made them pioneers in the fusion of organic and electronic sounds, establishing a blueprint that influenced generations of artists working at the intersection of funk and pop.
The Time's legacy as architects of the Minneapolis sound remains central to their cultural significance, with their catalog continuing to resonate with fans of funk, new wave, and '80s pop. The band's evolution — reflected in their various name changes and shifting lineups — speaks to their adaptability and commitment to remaining vital within an ever-changing musical landscape. Their contributions to both the development of the Minneapolis sound and the broader landscape of funk-influenced pop music have secured their place as essential figures in American popular music history.