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Uptown is the fifth track on Prince’s third album Dirty Mind, and, a month prior to the album’s release, Uptown was released as the album’s first single (released in the USA, New Zealand and Holland).
In 1982, it was included as the second track on the Australian 12" of 1999, the first single from Prince’s fifth album 1999.
In 1993, the track was included as the seventh track on Prince’s compilation album The Hits 1 (also included as the first disc of The Hits / The B-Sides).
"Uptown" refers to the popular commercial district in southwestern Minneapolis, Minnesota, centered at the Uptown Theater (the former Lagoon) at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue.
Of note is that the center of the "Uptown" area is Calhoun Square, about which Prince (while using the name  ) wrote the song Calhoun Square. The area also includes the former site of ’s New Power Generation Store.
While specific recording dates are not known, the album sessions took place from May to June 1980, in Prince’s North Arm Drive Home Studio in Orono, Minnesota (credited as "Somewhere in Uptown"), and completed in June 1980 at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California.
The track was based around a bass line created by André Cymone, although he is uncredited.
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