R&B Bridgez: ‘Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814’ | 30th Anniversary

R&B Bridgez: Rhythm Nation 35

Following the huge success of her breakthrough album “Control,” Janet Jackson refused to give her record label A&M what they wanted, a sequel to that album.

Janet along with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis wanted to make a political statement with her next release. An album about bigotry, race issues, gun violence, poverty, drug abuse, illiteracy and ignorance.

Today, 35 years ago on September 19th, 1989 “Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814” was released. Everything about the album was on point. Putting the music aside, the albums sequence and interludes is what makes it perfection.

The 6x platinum Rhythm Nation 1814 and its visual accompaniment remains a career-defining opus; it is the only album to ever see seven of its singles reach the top five on Billboard and it garnered a total of nine GRAMMY nominations, including Producer of the Year, for which a woman had never been nominated before.

Janet stated at the time, “I know an album or a song can’t change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience’s attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics.”

Peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200, the album was certified six times platinum by the RIAA and sold over fourteen million copies internationally.

Rolling Stone observed Jackson’s artistic growth shifted from “personal freedom to more universal concerns—injustice, illiteracy, crime, drugs—without missing a beat.” The album was also considered “the exclamation point on her career”, consisting of a “diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses”, which effectively “expanded Janet’s range in every conceivable direction”, being “more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike.”

With singles “Miss You Much”, “Rhythm Nation”, “Escapade”, “Alright”, “Come Back to Me”, “Black Cat” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You)”, it became the only album in history to produce #1 hits in three separate calendar years, as well as the only album to achieve seven top five singles on the Hot 100.

Famous for its choreography and warehouse setting, the “Rhythm Nation” video is considered one of the most iconic and popular in history, with Jackson’s military ensemble also making her a fashion icon.The video for Love Will Never Do (Without You) is notable for being the first instance of Jackson’s transition into sexual imagery and midriff-baring style, becoming her trademark. The video was directed by world-renowned photographer Herb Ritts.

The long-form “Rhythm Nation” music video won a Grammy Award. The video for “Alright” features cameos by Heavy D, famed dancer/entertainers Cyd Charisse and The Nicholas Brothers and jazz legend Cab Calloway.

Janet’s Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 became the most successful debut tour in history and set a record for the fastest sell-out of Japan’s Tokyo Dome. She established the “Rhythm Nation Scholarship,” donating funds from the tour to various educational programs.

As she began her tour, she was acknowledged for the cultural impact of her music. Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote “the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country”, and William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund, told the Los Angeles Times, “Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ is having positive effects.”

Rhythm Nation 1814 became the highest selling album of 1990, winning a record 15 Billboard Awards.

Take A Trip Back Down Rhythm Nation!

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