Janet Jackson Overview
This is a review of Janet Jackson greatest hits which includes how she
got famous and her rise to being a great solo singer in the Pop era. She was born Janet Damita Jo Jackson on May 16, 1966, in Gary, Indiana. She is the youngest of ten children. During her career in music, she sold over 150 million records, and is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the history of contemporary music. She also stared on several TV Sitcoms “Good Times”, “A New Kind Of Family”, “Different Strokes” and “Fame”. She also stared in five films as well.
Growing Up
Being the youngest of the Jackson family, she first appeared on stage with her siblings at the MGM Casino, in 1973, at the age of seven. Her father signed her with A&M Records when she was sixteen. In 1978, Jackson’s first recording was released, “Long Song for Kids“, a duet with brother Randy Jackson, which appeared on the b-side of his debut single “How Can I Be Sure“. From 1979 to 1980, she starred in “A New Kind of Family” as Jojo Ashton, and then joined the cast of “Diff’rent Strokes”, portraying Charlene Duprey from 1981 to 1982. During this time, black teenage girls adopted her layered hair style and wore hooped earrings in a similar fashion as she did, which made her a role model for black youth at a time when the television industry appealed overwhelmingly to white audiences.
Music Career
Her first album was titled “Janet Jackson” released in 1982, and she had 2 top 100 pop hits from that album. Her second album “Dream Street” only had one song to chart the bubbling under chart at #101. It was at this time the Janet Jackson severed ties with her family and wanted to go it alone on a solo career.
Her third studio album title “Control” was released and debuted on the Top 200 album chart peaked at #1 in 1986. That album had five singles peak at the top 5 on the Hot 100 chart. And the song “When I Think Of You” was her first #1 hit for two weeks on the Hot 100 Pop chart. The “Control” album was certified five times platinum by RIAA and has sold over 14 million copies worldwide. It won four American Music Awards which is also a record and has not been broken since.
Her next studio album “Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814” in 1989 was certified six times platinum by RIAA and sold over 14 million copies worldwide. This was the only album in history to produce number 1 songs in separate calendar years “Miss You Much” in 1989, “Escapade” in 1990, and “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” in 1991. It’s also the only album in the history of the Hot 100 to have seven top 5 hit singles.
She was now well on her way of becoming a very popular singer in her own right. She is the only female artist in the history of the Hot 100 to have 18 consecutive top ten hit singles, from “Miss You Much” (1989) to “I Get Lonely” (1998).
Janet Jackson’s first single to make it on the Hot 100 chart was “Young Love” #64 in 1982. Her last top 10 hit single was “Someone To Call My Lover” #3 in 2001. Her last charted hit single on the Hot 100 chart is “Feedback” #19 in 2008. She had a total of 43 hit singles to chart on the Hot 100 and if you count the Bubbling Under ones they total 48 in her career. Her last number one song was “All For You” #1 for seven weeks, in 2001. She had “Rock With U” that was #121, in 2008 which was her actual last song to chart.
Her most successful #1 hit was “That’s The Way Love Goes” which topped the charts for eight weeks in 1993.
Janet Jackson’s Number 1’s & Top Ten Hits
Here is a complete list of Janet Jackson’s number 1’s and top ten singles on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and R&B charts in chronological order showing title, peak date, number weeks at #1, #2, & #3 peak position in (). All number one hits will be in bold.
Hot 100
- What Have You Done For Me Lately – February 22, 1986 #4
- Nasty – May 17, 1986 #3 (1)
- When I Think Of You – October 11, 1986 #1 (2)
- Control – November 16, 1986 #5
- Let’s Wait Awhile – January 17, 1987 #2 (1)
- Diamonds – April 11, 1987 #5
- Miss You Much – October 7, 1989 #1 (4)
- Rhythm Nation – November 11, 1989 #2 (2)
- Escapade – March 3, 1990 #1 (3)
- Alright – April 7, 1990 #4
- Come Back To Me – June 30, 1990 #2 (2)
- Black Cat – October 27, 1990 #1 (1)
- Love Will Never Do (Without You) – January 19, 1991 #1 (1)
- State Of The World – February 16, 1991 #5
- The Best Things In Life Are Free – May 30, 1992 #10
- That’s The Way Love Goes – May 15, 1993 #1 (8)
- If – July 24, 1993 #4
- Again – December 11, 1993 #1 (2)
- Because Of Love – January 29, 1994 #10
- Any Time, Any Place – May 28, 1994 #2 (1)
- You Want This – October 22, 1994 #8
- Scream – June 17, 1995 #5
- Runaway – September 16, 1995 #3 (5)
- Together Again – January 31, 1998 #1 (2)
- I Get Lonely – May 23, 1998 #3 (1)
- What’s It Gonna Be? – March 13, 1999 #3 (1)
- Doesn’t Really Matter – August 26, 2000 #1 (3)
- All For You – April 14, 2001 #1 (7)
- Someone To Call My Lover – June 23, 2001 #3 (2)
Adult Contemporary
- When I Think Of You – September 13, 1986 #10
- Let’s Wait awhile – January 31, 1987 #2 (1)
- Come Back To Me – August 25, 1990 #1 (3)
- Again – October 30, 1993 #4
- Runaway – September 2, 1995 #7
R&B Charts
- Young Love – October 9, 1982 #6
- What Have You Done For Me Lately – March 22, 1986 #1 (2)
- Nasty – June 14, 1986 #1 (2)
- When I Think Of You – August 9, 1986 #3 (2)
- Control – January 10, 1987 #1 (1)
- Let’s Wait Awhile – March 14, 1987 #1 (1)
- Diamonds – June 20, 1987 #1 (2)
- The Pleasure Principle – August 8, 1987 #1 (1)
- Miss You Much – October 14, 1989 #1 (2)
- Rhythm Nation – January 13, 1990 #1 (1)
- Escapade – March 10, 1990 #1 (1)
- Alright – April 7, 1990 #2 (1)
- Come Back To Me – June 30, 1990 #2 (2)
- Black Cat – September 15, 1990 #10
- Love Will Never do (Without You) – November 17, 1990 #3 (1)
- The Best Things In Life Are Free – July 18, 1992 #1 (1)
- That’s The Way Love Goes – May 8, 1993 #1 (4)
- If – July 17, 1993 #3 (1)
- Again – October 23, 1993 – #7
- Because Of Love – January 29, 1994 #9
- Any Time, Any Place – June 11, 1994 #1 (10)
- You Want This – October 22, 1994 #9
- Scream – June 17, 1995 #2 (1)
- Runaway – September 16, 1995 #6
- Got ‘Til It’s Gone – September 13, 1997 #3 (2)
- Together Again – December 13, 1997 #8
- I Get Lonely – May 23, 1998 #1 (2)
- Doesn’t Really Matter – July 10, 2000 #3 (2)
- What’s It Gonna Be (with Busta Rhymes) – April 3, 1999 #1 (1)
- All For You – April 14, 2001 #1 (2)
- Call On Me – September 23, 2006 #1 (2)
Her Career
On the Hot 100 chart, her songs spent a total of 33 weeks in the #1 position. She had 10 #1’s, 29 top 10, 31 top 20, and 38 top 40, hits on the Hot 100 chart. She also had 9 top ten albums. Her single of longevity on the charts is “Together Again” with 46 weeks. Billboard Magazine ranks Janet Jackson as the #9 most successful act in rock and roll history. Also, according to Billboard, she is the most awarded artist in music history with 33 wins. Janet is ranked as the #45 artist from 1980-1989, the #2 artist from 1990-1999 and the #8 artist of all-time from 1955-2010.
On the R&B chart+, Janet had 16 #1’s, 32 Top 10, 38 Top 20, 46 Top 40 hits. Janet is ranked as the #21 artist from 1980-1989, the #4 artist from 1990-1999, the #49 artist from 2000-2010, and the #14 artist of all-time from 1942-2010.
On the Adult Contemporary chart, Janet had 1 #1, 5 Top 10, 7 Top 20, & 13 Top 40 hits. She is ranked at the #148 artist of all-time from 1961-2001.
Shop Janet Jackson Greatest Hits
If you are a fan of Janet Jackson, here is an album you can purchase which has all of Janet’s number one hits and many of her top 10’s too. It’s titled Number Ones which you can add to your collection.
Now, you can shop for individual Janet Jackson Greatest Hits by clicking on the link. You will be taken to Amazon Try Prime Digital Music page where you can download any individual song of Janet Jackson for a small fee.
As an Amazon associate I earn from qualified purchases.
Go back to the top 100 songs of all time home page.