Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Some good stuff here, a little too much the same tone throughout for me.
I loved Control both the song and album when it came out constant repeat on my Walkman. 8th grade I think I cools not get enough. I bought this follow up album on hopes it would repeat but nope it never really clicked. Listening today has been nostalgic but not offered much in terms of changing my mind. In fact if anything my ears live in a much larger and diverse world now compared to middle school and I’m left wondering a bit what I ever saw in this. 3/5
Feel like you need to listen to this music while watching the dance routine video. I like a few of the songs although I would not categorize anything here as break through. Most of the Jacksons are very talented - Janet is no exception.
I really wanted to like this, especially given how few girly pop albums are on this list, but the “save the children” songs screamed D.A.R.E to me. Enjoyed quite a bit of this album otherwise.
These may be the worst instrumentals I have ever heard in my life. They are a pure distillation of everything bad about the "80's sound". I have no way to objectively gauge the quality of the lyrics or vocal performance, because every line is undercut by what sounds like a toddler vomiting on a synthesizer. These could be the most masterfully written songs of all time and I simply would have no way of knowing because my body is actively rejecting this music like a bacterial infection. I can't comment on the political arguments in this album, because there is no political argument strong enough to survive with this soundtrack behind it. If these instrumentals were playing behind Churchill's speech during the battle of Britain, England would have surrendered immediately.
Without any background information on this album or even knowing who sang it about two songs in I would have been able to say it came out in 1989.
Stacked with hits and they all hold up.
Don’t think this needed to be as long as it was. Really like it at first, it does cheesy 80’s better than a lot of what the rest of the artists spent this decade trying. Some of the best New Jack Swing one could find. The runtime was a bit long though and I didn’t really get many memorable songs out of the album past the first few.
Zo in de schaduw staan van je broer, en dan alsnog redelijk hetzelfde klinken, ik vind het ergens ook wel knap.
Nipples all the way down.
Pop/R&B are generally not my wheelhouse. This album rises above it's peers of the time. Love the strong hip-hop influence. New Jack Swing should have caught on more.
12 million records sold worldwide means you did something right. And the whole album is fun.
This started strong with the first song, but I guess I found the rest not very interesting.
An interesting concept album and it's a wonderful album with excellent production like most Jackson music albums. She has a very talented voice and well written sings.
I can definitely hear how this became a blueprint for a lot of the female pop artists who came along in the late 90s and early 2000s. The hard dance beats, stacked vocals, choreography-ready production, even the more serious social messaging all feel like things that got recycled over and over later. I can respect the influence. I just don’t particularly enjoy listening to it. The bigger problem is that it’s still loaded with the exact kind of late 80s synth-pop production that usually drives me nuts. Drum machines, glossy keyboards, electronic effects everywhere. Janet has plenty of attitude, but 64 minutes of this sound was exhausting. About four minutes of Janet Jackson is plenty for me, so you can imagine how the other hour went.
I'll tell you how dorky me and my wife are. If we're having a day out more often than not just before we leave the house one of us will say 'let's go on an escapade' and the other will exclaim 'Let's go!' just like Janet Jackson on this. It's more fun than it sounds? I remember her singing Black Cat at some awards show. That was back when sexy didn't have to be back because it was just there on your TV.
Once those drums kicked in on the title track I knew this was going to be something I enjoyed. Very fun dance heavy sounds that touch on pretty interesting topics in a pop record ocassionally. Main issue here is one I level at similar length records being: this is just too long. It's definitely a fun listen and the interludes are quick and don't ruin the flow, but I get the point part way through and wish it had been cut down to a shorter time. Still, a fun listen with some great dance elements.
There is credit due to Janet for attempting a fully realised pop rnb album when that was the domain of (largely male) rock crowd. Would we have Brat without Janet? That said, it’s a little bland when compared to Raw Like Sushi or Boomania. Beats haven’t aged well.
Not a fan. Not a style of music I enjoy, sounds dated, and I didn’t like Janet Jackson back when this was released. I struggled to get through this one.
A fantastic album that transported me back to my youth. Janet’s Rhythm Nation Tour was my first concert I ever attended.
mediocre with some bangers. meh like lock in Janet. sooo boring icl
A record coming out in 1989 that is so aggressively 80s that I'm immediately fatigued by the sound of the production. The sonic palette is jam packed with nearly every element somehow both crisply compressed and pushing into the red. The most memorable tracks have me reaching for the volume to turn it down. I'm sure if I were in a club, and only one single came on, the impact would be very different. I'd get up on the dance floor to join the multicultural rhythm nation. And while I took issue with some of Neneh Cherry's lyrics and naively privileged approach to progressive politics in Raw like Sushi, I can't even with Ms. Jackson. So many interludes hailing me as commercials for concepts the songs seek to reinforce. The mechanisms are entirely unsubtle. I'm to be interpellated by her (always) ideological messages. We are in a race between education and catastrophe, she says, and yet capital does not get name-checked in all her briefings of the listener. On planet Janet, each individual gets remade or transformed into an ideological subject who recognizes themselves as the intended recipient (nay! → consumer) of the music. All of this intended uplift as the corporate machine of the music industry weighs so heavily upon us. I appreciate her act of redirection (I cannot call it resistance) to channel these forces to produce popular music with themes that most any progressively minded person can't argue with and would be happy to let their 8 year old sing along to. Apparently in 2021, the Library of Congress selected the album for preservation in the National Recording Registry, deeming it "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" in its evaluation. It is a statement record. I can't speak to if Rhythm Nation 1814 positively impacted an individual such that their subject-hood was reshaped in ways they were ultimately better off for in their own eyes, but I can say that there's sufficient evidence today to declare her critique to be toothless such that we have to regard these as commercial gestures more than revolutionary ones despite all the regalia she adorns herself with.
Now we’re talking. Funk and rock. An album that changed the world. Black cat is enough to sell this as a great. But the title track, state of the world and miss you much are just sublime. If you have problems with her brothers work, check out Janet. She rocks. She rolls. She funks. 50 stars.
This album gets a lot of props for being 'politically aware'. I will concede that it is relatively socially conscious by mainstream pop standards, but Ms Jackson's "violence, drugs and bigotry are bad, education and getting along are good" is hardly a controversial or nuanced platform. And, when married to the fascism-lite imagery of the title track (check out the video!), it becomes a bit... confusing. Maybe "fascism-lite" is a bit harsh; maybe this is more "sparkling authoritarianism". There is a youthful optimism here that borders on naivety and strays into unsettling conclusions if you really think it through ("we can be our own nation and we will all agree and the world will be a better place if we all listen to Janet! We are all individuals!"). But you can't deny that Janet -- young and naive as she was -- was speaking with her own voice and presenting a powerful and multi-dimensional image; strong, sexy, smart, informed, aware, sensitive. Janet had found her own voice on the 'Control' album (which probably also deserves a spot on this list) and follows the approach through to an ultimate conclusion here. And you can dance to it. Jam & Lewis' mechanical funk is very of its time but still sounds awesome. I could live without the interludes (which come across as a bit pretentious and preachy) but they are mercifully brief, and the songs proper are nearly all bangers. Seven top five singles! I do get pissed off when people describe any pop music with a hard edge and strict beats as 'industrial' -- it's really not, people -- but this is an uncompromising sound. There are plenty of references to the history of funk here - notably the Sly sample in the title track or Lyn Collins sampled on Alright - but this is reconstituted into a new and powerful form. This album really established Janet Jackson as an iconic artist. But, as Michael also discovered, it can be difficult to follow up this kind of iconographic success (let's not speak of the 32 foot tall HIStory statues he floated down the Thames). Janet's 90s albums are, I would argue, a return to more human-scale concerns (and better for it, even if less singular than this album) But this is a manifesto for a world view, for Janet as an iconic artist. for socially aware pop. And you can dance to it.
Lite väl lång men överlag trevlig pop
Kompetent men otroligt tråkigt.
Riktigt nice i början men tröttnade lite mot slutet.
Кажется что носитель такой знаковой и говорящей фамилии не может написать плохой поп альбом, и в целом так оно и оказалось Сами по себе песни офигенные, припевы заедают в голове, но альбом длинный, от него устаёшь, и к сожалению, качество песен сильно скачет, но самый большой минус для меня, это звучание альбома, он звучит очень устаревше, эти барабаны и драм машины..это сильно мешает наслаждаться песнями
I got too much of this album 7 its videos in 1989. It has a few genuinely good pop songs and the production was top notch for the time (but sounds machine-like today, like all Jam/Lewis albums do). All the skits and bits in between tracks takes away from the music but maybe it enhanced the experience in 1989, I wouldn't know. The title track is a pretty solid song, still gets airplay and has a good hook. The rest is filler (with a repetitious drum machine beat crammed down your throat) until you get to "Escapade" which is a really good pop song, catchy with a sing-along chorus. "Miss You Much" has a moment but isn't quite on target. "Black Cat" was JJ's foray into rock, kinda like MJ's "Dirty Diana". Not my thing but it has its moments. Two huge radio hits and a couple "video" hits as well. The sound is electronic & dated, she has a legacy built on this album, definitely influential for the time. There's merit for this to be on the T1001 because of the huge impact it had in the late 80's, but it wouldn't make my personal list. 3 stars for that reasoning.
What a strong album. So many hits in one release: Rhythm Nation, Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do, Escapade, Black Cat, Come Back To Me.
The best singles still land, but the slower singles and B-sides drift into a dated sound that just feels a little too corny for me to really get excited about.
Im missing how this is anything other than catchy 80/90's radio disposable POP. 2.5 star
I can see why "Rhythm Nation 1814" is on this list, even though it isn't that great. After 1989, many artists began to copy Jackson's sound. "Rhythm Nation 1814" itself feels dated by today's standards. The singles on it are good for casual listening. However, the extremely short interludes are unnecessary. 3 stars for "Rhythm Nation 1814".
One long drum machine occasionally interspersed with a melody
Nice of this project to throw something in for the American listeners.
A really poor album full of lyrics seemingly written by an 8 year old, very basic musical structure and vocals lost in the mix. Somewhat saved by the more upbeat songs.
Well the title track and opener had a vibe and you can see it’s importance in influencing many many artists that followed. The rest of it though, by Christ it got worse and more painfully dated as it went on.
Holy moly. This is great. I had no idea this album went so hard. There’s a couple light poppy songs that lose some momentum for me, but overall I’m excited to learn Janet Jackson has an industrial album.
See, this is more like it. Really love the hits here and the rest is good if overlong.
It’s great! Not my typical vibe, but very well done.
80's stadium pop.
I feel so totally meh about this. It just washed right over me. 3/5
State of the World might be my most hated genre of song from the 80s. Shits bad! Okay what should we do? SHITS BAD! Okay thanks. It’s front loaded with this vibe of song. The production is equal parts delightful and overbearing. Livin in a World ending with a bunch of children getting murdered and then HARD CUT TO A FUNKY FRESH DANCE SONG IS CRAAAAZY
3 - BAD
silky smooth and an interesting mix of pop and dance. not my taste, though.
I remember being pleasantly surprised by this one, Janet definitely surpasses MJ as an artist. Good instrumentation, great track diversity and structure. Good vocals but unfortunately lyrics are a little weak and far too many interludes. Solid 3
Interlude: Pad This Album In all seriousness though, I can't believe how many of these songs I recognized. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions - Miss You Much - Love Will Never Do (Without You) - Escapade - Black Cat
4/10
I prefer the newer stuff
The singles carry this more than a lot of pop albums and it never dissolved into mushy ballads so it was a great listen
I wished I was listening to Control a few times but still a really excellent album
Did I enjoy this album? Yes! Do I prefer other albums by Janet? Yes Feels like an album of what Micheal ended up doing for the next 5 years, which like, good on her for beating him to the punch.
This album hits one of my biggest weaknesses, which is electronic, synth heavy dance music with swing style rhythms and sharp, catchy synth stabs. On top of that, I love the 80s electronic, almost mechanical movement in the production. Honestly, when it comes to this album, I could care less whether it’s Janet Jackson or anyone else. It’s the nostalgia and the sound alone are that pulls me in.
This album, coming 15 years before the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” that (somewhat unjustly) derailed her career, is considered by critics to be her creative pinnacle. As such, I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It hung around longer than it should have, clocking in at over 60 minutes. Songs are a bit too samey without much variety in rhythm. Vocals quite wispy at times. Thematically confused, comes across like “the world is in a terrible place, so shake your rump and get it on.” And dang, those interludes are irritating and pretentious, and do not advance the plot the way they should. Wish the curator had selected “Control” as her album instead.
Think I'm in love
A fun album, lots of very heavy drums and a lot of the songs blended into each other. But it was fun to listen to , also the resemblance to her brother on the cover is uncanny to me
I really wanted to like this, but I didn’t.
High 2, I don't want to dance to the woes of the world
Ну не знаю. Наверное не моё
7/10 pretty good sounds abity like a more party like MFDOOM song
Low-end 3. Moves from generic 80s pop to fine but unremarkable R&B. State of the World and Someday is Tonight the highlights of each half
(6 estrellas)
This album is so good. Listening to it felt fresh, rebellious and full of energy from the first track to the last. There is a real sense of purpose and drive running through the whole record. It sounds confident and alive, with a strong mix of attitude and groove that still hits hard. It is a concept album focused on social issues, unity and the idea of a better collective future. Janet ties the personal and the political together without losing the musical momentum. The production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis is excellent. The beats are tight, the arrangements are sharp, and the whole sound feels modern even by today’s standards. Everything is clean and powerful without becoming overproduced. Janet’s vocals sit perfectly in the mix and carry both strength and clarity. Rhythm Nation 1814 remains one of her strongest and most focused albums. Energetic, purposeful and still exciting to listen to.
#228 Heard Before? My parents were Columbia House subscribers, and so we ended up with many popular albums that were rarely played except to indulge my burgeoning musical curiousity. Notes: - drum machine joy is real. - crowded arrangements - it's an orgy of glassy DX7 and rompler textures. - cheesy interludes suit the spirit of the album and aren't too long. - "Black Cat" should have been used in the Halle Berry Catwoman film. terrible missed opportunity. - vocal performances are neither here nor there, which really weighs down the interminable ballads. - the naive politics occasionally tip over from heartwarming to embarrassing. - "GET THE POINT? GOOD. LET'S DANCE." Verdict: I want to live in a world where we can solve racism with dance-pop. Listen Again? I don't need to, but it was interesting to review it after at least 30 years since the last time I heard it. Thanks, 1001.
I want to like it but it really just isn’t my thing. I like her voice but there are a lot of production choices that I’m not a fan of. I do respect her for pressing to make an album of social commentary even if the lyrics are a little clumsy sometimes. Has a few catchy tunes, but it isn’t something I’ll come back to. Seeing how successful she was before she was blacklisted does make me even angrier for her though. Fav song: Black Cat Least fav: Someday Is Tonight
Not the biggest fan of this. Some decent poppy sounding ones but in general it was in one ear and out the other. Too many interludes also. Specific rating - 3.4 Fav song - living in a world (they didn’t make) Least fav- someday is tonight.
I knew she was famous but I didn't realise she was as big as she was! I'm glad we had this album just so I could read her wikipedia and learn more about her cultural impact. But musically I didn't love it. A bit too repetitive for me and some slightly annoying production choices. Favourite song: Black Cat Least: State of the World
2-5 ok very cheesy
I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would.
really nice
I found that boring. Monotonous
Talented. I can only do a little bit at a time though. I can't believe how much Viacom overreacted. I kind or want to rate this higher since she was so badly mistreated.
Definitely 80's pop.
It’s fine I guess
some definite bops on here, but album construction is questionable. not sure why most of the interludes couldn’t just be song intros? also backloading all the slower songs instead of distributing throughout the album was a weird choice
More than others, this is an album of its time. All art is of its time in that it takes place in a contemporary context, but great art has an ability to transcend time and place. This doesn't do that. It is rooted in late eighties America, enough so, that it just feels incredibly dated, even though at the time it was considered to be a great album. Once was enough for me.
2.5 Too long and ultimately not especially memorable for me. It was cool to have this right after "Stripped" though, similar vibes.
Not my thing. 1
Fair enough but a bit pedestrian for me
7/10
I’m going to make this review based on a blind listen of the album, as it was released in 1989. Not on the woman she is today, but who this album’s artist was. - This was such a surprise for me. Before listening, I figured I’d like it since I already have loved Janet’s hits. I have always looooved the song “Rhythm Nation” and I remember buying her All For You album when I was a teen. But THIS. ALBUM. IS. AN. EXPERIENCE!! When I saw the length, I was groaning and thinking it’d be too long. But I love the social justice messages, the fun beats, and, after watching her music videos, her incredible dancing just adds to the whole vibe. She got me to get up and dance when I was convinced nothing would lift my mood today. This is a wonderful album.
Bumped from 2->3 solely because of Black Cat; best song on the album by a mile. Wanted to like this more than I did. Something about the overproduced style mixed with rich-lady-talking-about-poor-people just didnt land very well.
didn't leave an impression, sorry janet
Enjoyed this but not as much as I thought
A few great hits. Lost me in the second half. The r&b songs were slow and repetitive sounding to me. Good sentiment in the songs that spoke of the state of the world.
I did not finish this. It’s fine but not my thing. Of the material I did listen to, Knowledge stood out for me.
Never felt the need to listen to a Janet Jackson album. She's talented, and the most likable member of a vast, strange family. But ... it's a pop album. Singles on the radio. That's adequate. This is ok. Kind of boring. The songs all seem longer than they need to be. (Thanks, compact disc technology!) The percussion is notably tinny. Don't like that. The album ends (at last) with a reprise of the song about the plight of the children, drawing the listener's attention to linger on the way the children live in a world they didn't make. This, combined with some psychoanalytic theory and a bit of pop psychology, helps one to understand -- finally! -- the deep inner logic of Howard the Duck, who of course also -- just like The Children --was Trapped in a World He Never Made.
One thing I am learning through this process is that listening to unfamiliar music requires patience, and I don't have a lot of patience anymore. Or at least, I don't have patience for records from this era. I'm starting to think a lot about how an artistic endeavor can be ruined by production trends of the time. I think there is an album in here I would have liked. But I found this record to be way too long to be tolerated. There were too many songs on here. There were too many "interludes." (Honestly even one interlude was too many.) The songs themselves were often too long. I can't say I hated it, I just felt like it went on too long and I was often bored, which is not what you want in a pop/R&B album. The slow songs were particularly excruciating. The good songs were really good though.
Her only real fame is being the sister of Michael. It’s more a Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis album than anything else, and they aren’t that good either.
The politics are just too simplistic to do justice to the fun dance bops
7/29/26. I was familiar with this album but loved revisiting here. Such high energy and you really want to dance, but also caught on to the conscious and social messaging throughout. Great album!
A: Jeee. Konsistent och bra album. Hon borde vara kändare (eller minst lika känd) som Michael Jackson. Så bra att jag typ int ens lyssnade på det lol. 5/5 (S-tier?) D: Mycket bra och unik stil. Gillade introt, är en ganska vanlig trope men tycker om det varje gång när ett album vädjar till en "nation". Märks att dom är släkt. 5/5
Faves: Rhythm Nation Escapade
The missing link between crappy 80s synth pop and shitty 90s dance pop. Yay ! The corny, syrupy vocals made my ears bleed after two songs ; the epileptic drum machines and loud metallic claps almost gave me PTSD. As a bonus, I got to be lectured about poverty by someone with an estimated net worth of $180 million. I'm still wondering why I put myself through one hour of this nonsense. 1/10
I was predisposed favourably, but the music is too far from my taste, yet another album painful to listen to.
An album I absolutely loathe, though I can understand its impact and influence on the kind of modern music I can’t stand either. Albums like this are the reason I like metal.
decent 2.5
I can see how this would have been a hit album back in 1989, but the sound isn't one that really appeals to me nearly 40 years later. That being said, I did quite enjoy the track "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
80s drums man. Just gross
Jackson inc., easy listening
She’s good and there are a few classic songs here but it’s not really my genre.
Much better than I was expecting
Never gave Janet Jackson a fair chance at listening, and I wasn't disappointed.
I hear Miss you Much everyday at work so I was expecting this to feel like torture. I was pleasantly surprised & that includes the interludes
The last interlude should be in Kingdom Hearts 4
Vapid rich person discovers the television then becomes distracted by their vapidity again, before trying to claim moral superiority immediately after faking an orgasm.
Omg. Hate the social conditioning and the killing kids and the world sucks woke mentality. Basic ah 80s sound, sounds like ever other. She wants to be Michael so bad.
1012 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."
Quintessential Janet Jackson. Good album all the way through. I love all of the instrumentation throughout
This was on track for an enjoyable three star. But the last three tracks were so bad that it left a bad taste in my mouth. Ultimately a 2.5 rounded down to 2.
v good
This style was indelibly imprinted on me by kids' movies of the 1990s as the soundtrack of dark and terrifying nightclubs in steamy abandoned factories turned rave skatepark where bad guys congregate. Maybe I'm just thinking specifically of the Foot Clan hangout in TMNT? Anyway... Really fun confluence of post-disco soul, funk, and hip hop merging into a pure pop confection. All the synthetic wizardry that high budget 80s studio magic can conjure are dialed up to 11- delightfully dated. The beats are hyperkinetic and strikingly staccato. It's like the party parts of a Prince album. But like other albums in this tradition, is concerned with surfacing social issues and the ills of American life via pop in a way that never really works, The ballads drag it down, but there's only a couple. Because she doesn't have the full range of the other 80s pop RnB divas, her albums are much more about groove and melody rather than pure vocal virtuosity, and much the better for it.
Micheal wasn’t the only one with pipes
neupecatljivo skroz.. nije za mn jebiga
Incredibly dated, that's for sure. I can see that it has its merits, of course, but it's just not really for me.
Disco traz um pop medíocre e sem atratividade. Os piores momentos são as baladas. “Black Cat”, tem uma guitarra interessante.
Oh no. First things first whoever is banging those synth drums would you kindly stick them up your hole. The repetitive catterwalling is bad enough without said drums. This is truly and spectacularly awful.
Mostly not what I'd listen to by choice but the up-tempo tracks are bangers.
뭐라 쓰지
3.2/5 Favorite Songs: Rhythm Nation State Of The World Black Cat Someday Is Tonight
As a lifelong MJ fan, I never paid much attention to Janet. I'd heard some singles growing up, and I know the narrative in recent years had been to proclaim this as good as, if not better, than MJ's best. It's not. Of course it's not. It was a smash hit and is deserving of being heard, but it's more like the average parts of Dangerous slapped together in a bloated package. The fist half of the album is very repetitive, and outside of the lyrics and sone New Jack type swagger, it doesn't offer much. The second half is stronger once she throws in some variety - ballads and the like - but it's a far cry from Bad or Thriller.
Have obviously heard of Janet, ever listened to an album of hers though. Cool into, ahead of its time. Production on rythm nation is really good. Just a great pop track. Good lyrics and vocals too. Again cool interlude with tv Into state of the world. Very 80s, but it’s a well made pop song once again. Not a ton of substance to the lyrics but they’re catchy. Production is cool again on the knowledge, vocals are kind of bs. Miss you much just sounds like an MJ song. This is a banger. Great 80s production again. Much better vocals/lyrics. Maybe her best song, I think it’s got the most radio play. Love will never do is fine. Not the best but not the worst. Pretty generic. I like the piano and I like the chorus of living in a world, the verses are just ok. I’m surprised at how long some of these songs are. Alright is a mother classic. Great production and vocals again. And followed up by another all timer in escapade. So many song that I heard every day in retail were Janet Jackson I’m now realizing. Again it’s just all about the production. This song rightfully still gets a lot of play today. The bridge interludes just keep doing it for me. Really nice guitar and drums in black cat. I mean this is just another banger. Production works so well w the vocals. Sick guitar solo. A great blend of multiple genres of music. Lonely is just ok. Too slow for me. Not really the time for a change of pace. Very interesting change of pace as a whole to close this album out. The slow song aren’t bad I just don’t like them as much as the pop/rb tracks. Production is still really good, just nothing too special about someday si tonight or come back to me. With that being said the outro to someday is tonight is awesome and a great way to wrap the album. Really enjoyable listen. Didn’t feel like over an hour. 3.8/5 stars.
6/10 - not my cup of tea for a relisten but appreciate this being a snapshot of the time
Very depressing to listen to this nearly 40 year old album and realize that we're dealing with the same social issues. Gun violence and racism are American virtues at this point. As far as the music goes, it's interesting as a time capsule. As others have pointed out, Janet Jackson's foray into the burgeoning fusion genre of new jack swing is notable and interesting on paper, but my modern ears cannot get down with this. There's some bops, but listening to the album front to back was kind of a chore. This is a very ambitious album with a lot of heart, I'm just not a big fan of R&B. Songs like Black Cat are overproduced as hell, but still fun.
3.5
The gold standard
Average album saddled with non-stop interludes.
It's definitely a little too long, but I thought the production on this one was great. Not sure if it's fair to call it Prince-derivative or simply of its time, but it still strikes me as one of the better new jack swing/80s dance pop efforts. Janet sounds great, the funk elements are on point, Black Cat is an absolute banger, and the solid title track has a bonus of a slightly off-tune bassline so sick it caused frequency resonance crashes with certain 5400rpm hard drives. A high 3 I'm happy to round up.
Fine. Casey said if he doesn’t care for it much, it’s just background noise. Told a story that I don’t know what it is. Some fun beats to dance to.
Can't do it. Not made for me. Couldn't make it past the second track.
Nopples
Good vibes, good rhythm, arrangements are the best. Good album.
oy. ok so 9 tracks on here are 5-6min long. tone it down girl..you don't have THAT much to say (lol). i remember how we thought she was suuuuch a badass, but the reality is that almost every track has the SAME DAMN BEAT - hadn't listened to this album in decades- found myself noticing how I could sing 'Alright with me' from Alright with almost all the other 7 top 5 singles she had w this record. the sound is SO 80s to me I can't get past it - like acid washed jeans, too dated & sthg I do not miss. although rhythm nation was a massive success Alright and Escapade are the only really good ones - and they sound like they should be on Control, not RN1812. 2.5 sorry maybe that's mean. my hubby said as soon as he heard me listening to Janet: 'I've always wondered if there's any talent there, or if it's just a fem version of her brother-it all sounds the same'
She will always be Ms Jackson if you’re nasty. This is a trip in time and it holds up. So many fond memories.
The album that taught the machines to swing. You can't help but do the *janet jackson shoulder dance" when listening to this album. I have never actively put this album on but know pretty much every song and can sing (ill advisedly) half of them. The upbeat tracks turned my office into a dance floor (al I'll advised). The ballads are less interesting especially the closing trilogy. Cut those out and and end with Black Cat and this is 5 stars. But what the hell do I know?
Я ожидал что будет хуже, а так норм 3,5 потом переслушаю
feels like a miss to only listen to a Janet Jackson album when her true talent lies in dancing. regardless, this is a lot of the same Janet music that we all know and love. very dance-able. I don't like the interludes though. kind of ruins the flow for me.
Absolutely not my cup of tea and very much of it's time I'm guessing
1. pledge - 0 2. nation - 1 3. tv - 0 4. ztate - 1 5. race - 0 6. knouuledge - 0 7. dance - 0 8. mizz - 1 9.back - 0 10. never - 0 11. living - 1 12. alright - 0 13. baby - 0 14. ezcapade - 1 15. acid - 0 16. cat - 0 17. lonely - 1 18. come - 1 19. tonight - 2 20. darknezz - 0
the changes of tone and topic severity between songs is kinda meh
Really cool album. I had never been inclined to check out Janet' music before this was recommended. I do think pop music has advanced enough in the present where this does sound a little dated, but I imagine this was very revolutionary and forward thinking for its time. It still a strong album and I don't think it had weaknesses, mostly consistent top to bottom, real good political commentary that is still sadly very relevant in the present
Not an album I cared about when it came out, so I wasn't excited to listen today. Especially with the runtime. Upon listening I found it to be...fine. Musically it felt very repetitive and I didn't really care for her voice all that much. I found myself reading and doing puzzles while listening and the time went a bit quicker, which I found better than reading the lyrics. I think I'm making this sound worse than it really was. I liked the songs Love Will Never Do and Escapade enough to save them to a playlist. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. It was mid.
Hey, look! A Jackson that isn't Michael! Obviously she was never on the same level as Michael from a fame perspective, but Janet Jackson's career was very successful in its own right. She was a major player in the pop landscape too, and Rhythm Nation 1814 is widely seen as one of her more important albums. How do I feel about it? I'm sorry, but I don't think I liked this as much as I wanted to. I have a ton of respect for this album, but there are some things that hold it back from full-on enjoyment for me. I'll start with the things I appreciate. I think the focus on social commentary and the influences behind the album are commendable. It's not every day that you hear a major pop star make an entire album that alludes to things like poverty and mass media, so for that, I have respect for this album and Janet as an artist. I also think Janet's got a good voice. She's not my favorite vocalist, but she's good. Ultimately, I think the thing that holds this album back the most for me is the production. This album is also seen by many as a defining album for New Jack Swing, a movement that was pretty popular in the late 80s and early 90s, with this album being produced by two of the biggest producers of the scene, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This style of music isn't really my kind of thing. I get the appeal of the production style, but there's just something about it that doesn't speak as much to me as maybe I would've liked. That's just a personal preference though. Back to the album specifically, I also don't think any of the songs were like the cream of the crop or anything. There are some great songs on here, no doubt about that. "Rhythm Nation," "Miss You Much," and "Escapade" are pretty strong singles, but I don't think any of those songs are perfect. The album itself is pretty homogeneous in some ways, which works for some elements of the album, but not as much for others. Overall, Rhythm Nation 1814 is one of those albums that I respect more than I actually enjoy. I understand the significance of this and I found value in the album listen, but it's not the kind of album that I think will stick with me in a major way. It's good, but I think it barely misses the mark of being great. High 3/5.
Some bops some slops
Perfect pop
Not offensive just didn’t do a lot for me.
Something doesn't sit right with me hearing someone with a net worth of $180,000,000 singing about people who "don't have enough to eat". And doing a choreographed dance along with it. Take away the family name and would this be notable enough to set it apart from the other pop records from the late eighties? Possibly not.
This could not sound anymore 80s. Couple songs had me bumping my shoulders but it’s like as soon as the length constraints of vinyl were no longer an issue everyone decided to include a bunch of crap on every album.
ambitious in concept, mostly pretty interesting in execution. Sometimes a little corny or slow.
Parece un album hip hop, no me gustó, casi todo es el mismo ritmo, muy aburrido...
2/5 not my type of pop
Pretty good
Rhythm Nation
OH YES. my problem with political music is that i tend to hate it if the lyrics are too direct. but if the songs themselves are bangers i could ignore all the direct political elements and believe in the message that they are trying to convey. and that is why hadestown is one of my favourite musicals. rhythm nation is anothet good example of this: janet blends the direct observations of society with the hope for the better with extremely danceable musics that made me ignore the sharp messages behind it and ad a conformist, this probably makes me wanna change the world. 5/5
26/06/2026 Obviously I know this came before Beyonce, but I was absolutely ready to score it the same as that shower of shite. It was surprisingly better. Spotify listeners: 10 million
It's like Michael Jackson from a parallel universe... Oh, wait, that's his sister. Well, overall, it's okay.
This is a DISTINCT sound. Those electronic drums, the compressed to the point of distortion snare smashes. All of the angular beats. The lyrics raise class, race and social issues but from this weird alien lens, like the artist is aware of these things but has not actually experienced it. Not because they are rich enough to have shielded themselves from inequality, but because they have spent their entire lives in a slavery-adjacent music creation sweatshop run by their father in Gary, Indiana. This IS late 80s to early 90s music made by the Jackson family. It cannot be from another time, another place, or even any genetic line. A... 3 I guess?
It seems pretty ambitious with all the interludes and what not. Too bad the music is terrible
I love 80s keyboard drums and this didn’t have enough. This was very lowkey and felt low effort except really trying to put out a forced sounding social message.
This is a stellar pop album and she wasn't kidding about the rhythm. It does start to feel a little samey toward the end.
This album is just good pop, and Black Cat is one of the best pop songs of the 80’s. There’s just some fat here that could be trimmed.
Verry good album. LOVE the drums and overall composition. Rhythm Nation and Escapade were my favorites. How have I not heard this sooner is my only question. 9.3/10
From the off I thought the New Jack Swing style of production was pretty cool... However, by the end of the first track the album lost me and it was in fact pretty damn boring and vapid throughout. A bad album, full of faux humanity, awful lyrical content, terrible production and not my jam at all.
This is a piece of New Jack Swing history, a bombastic album. It doesn't hold up as well as other classics like Don't Be Cruel but still great.
I was surprised by how much did I enjoy it. It is engaging, it is fun, it is melodic, it is moving and not dumb either. Janet is such a force.
Bonjour, je suis là soeur de Michel le Fils de Jacques Voilà voilà, vous aimez ce que fait mon frère ? Aaaaah bah vous allez adorer ce que je fais ! Quel hasard Si vous vous sentez perdu dans la compo, vous pouvez écouter les paroles c'est aussi similaire, Naaaaan mais je dit ça au cas où Mais je vous assure que c'est similaire Puis comme il ne sort pas un album avant un moment, vous avez que ça pour le moment Bisous, Jeanne, la soeur de Michel le fils de Jacques
C'est un peu comme du Michael mais en aussi bien (j'adore) Playlist pick : Rhythm Nation
This one took me way back!
Funky
I will argue that Rhythm Nation still sounds like the future even after decades have passed where this general sound blew up and bloated and died out. I don't know how we as a society went from a world where RN1814 was possible to whatever world we are left with now. Like, understand that Dangerous sounds like this because lil sister Janet got this sound. Understand that this title track's video was all stark and dystopic, both as a symbol of the “state of the world” and also as a symbol of being able to unite and fight through it. It's a little gender bending even, with those unisex uniforms. We coulda had a rhythm nation, guys, and they threw out supreme leader under the bus for a nip slip. Timberlake will answer for that some day. How good is this? Besides being a futuristic and cohesive and LOOOONG but never dragging pop album, it has 8, count ‘em, 8 interludes. That's hip-hop skit album ruining numbers. In this case, though, it operates as consideration, possibly without expecting it. The 20 track layout must have fucked with cd shuffles, but it allows the digital age, and indeed cd to cassette tapers, to take the songs for their mixes and leave the interstitials alone. Because that's really what they are… links between songs, easily embraced on a listen through, but easily skipped. It's honestly impressive enough to use the “channel surf” gimmick without sounding cheesy, but then, she also manages to have some of the less hamfisted social commentary tracks of the era. Michael could never. And let's talk about the singles. Four? Eight? A lot regardless. But I really want to talk about Love Will Never Do Without You, an absolute top tier pop love song, even before you mix the sweet vocals and arpeggiated plinks of the intro with the throb of the backbeat and the purely industrial sounding percussion. This is a love song between Janet and a Gundam or something, and yet it works so damned well. This is what basically everyone was trying to do for the next 4 years, and Janet still got the hit single out of it two years after the album released. That's such a hallmark of this album: beauty and concrete, arguably beauty DESPITE the harshness. Is there a song that can have something as purely faerie-coded as the the descending glockenspeil of Escapade while also being as effortlessly cool? Maybe, but good luck. That's not to say everything is perfect. The calls out throughout the songs are probably the one bit that particularly feels dated (“minneapolis!”), and songs like “Lonely” or “The Knowledge” are sort of destined to be filler, certainly compared to the rest of the album. But then we have “Black Cat” tearing through with more metal cred than a lot of what was passing for actual metal at the time. We have Living in a World (They Didn't Make), and if that is a bit out of place soundwise, I dare you to not be outraged when it fizzled into an end clip that could be from yesterday, and what do we have to show for it? Trust, I was prepared to be happy with this, but if Michael owned the 80s, this is Janet stating she's the ruler from here to the mid 90s. This should be seen as an equal to Thriller, but even that wouldnt be fair because I think it might be better than Thriller. Let's 5* this
It’s a decent pop album but it doesn’t sound timeless it’s about as 90s as it gets
I really like the production on this album. I like that it sounds dated. I like Janet’s vocals. This is good.
What on earth is this doing on the list? Also, that title makes absolutely no sense. It's kind of like an 80s pop version of "Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury", for those who are familiar with that from this list or elsewhere. It suffers from the same big flaw as that album: the lyrics are too on-the-nose and lack depth. However, this album is otherwise a pretty good 80s pop album. It's catchy if insanely dated and has a consistent rhythmic groove that works. The "80s sound" tends to work for me weirdly, as those gated snares just appeal to my lizard brain. There's no denying that Janet has a good voice and an ability to write hooks(if it was her writing the songs, running counter to the pop tradition of having five million songwriters to make the perfect hook). However, the album is slightly bloated. It has too many interludes to pad out a runtime that didn't necessarily need padding out. Yet for all its faults, it's still a good 80s pop album. Unfortunately, a good album does not mean essential listening, and this doesn't cut it for essential. So it doesn't deserve it's spot on the list. This album is ranked #13 of 26 albums for 1989. Other 1989 albums rated by me: Disintegration(1/26)-5 Doolittle(2/26)-5 Like a Prayer(6/26)-3 Done by the Forces of Nature(12/26)-4 Let Love Rule(14/26)-2 Fromohio(15/26)-2 Nick of Time(17/26)-2 Djam Leelii(19/26)-4 Moss Side Story(24/26)-2
Even though it was released in 1989 this felt very much like a 90s pop album. It had great production (if overproduced) and is very much a product of its time. It wasn't bad but I didn't find it particularly engaging either.
okay i really enjoyed this, reminds me of the sonic soundtrack
I was quite surprised and somehow excited having a Janet Jackson- album popping up. But this one hasn't aged well. Sounds like Michael Jackson but without any hits. favourite: "Black Cat" (because of the guitar) 2,5
This album sounds like my childhood
The funk-pop-R&B production still sounds great 25 years after this was released. Janet's performances are sexier than her contemporaries and even quiet a few of her successors.
I like new wave! It was not perfect, but i'll give it a five
Hmmm. I know a song or 2 by name. Not really my style. And an hour? Let’s click play and go. Yep, Rhythm Nation is very familiar and good. Oh, I like Miss You Much even better. Not sure an interlude is needed after every song. Ok. It is finished. I’ll admit, I was kinda dreading an hour of this album. But it seemed faster than that. It was well done for the time. The singles are still good. Truly a three and a half star but I just can’t round up to 4.
It’s ok, but nothing special here - goid voice
Enjoyed the album but nothing really stood out.
Great production, catchy songs, but a little inconsistent. I’d listen again though, just maybe not the whole album
Better than expected, although could go back to this. Heavily produced and sound very 80’s maybe that’s where it should stay as a little dated 3/5.
I thought this album started really strong. It was solid, interesting heavy pop. The album overstays its welcome, however, and ends on a low note with a few really slow songs right in a row to close it out which was an odd choice. Overall the lyrics, while addressing real issues, were very surface-level, like they were touching on current events, but in a way that was pretty uninteresting and inoffensive. Still, it was decent overall. 3.5 -> 3/5
Alright I have a hot take on this album. Which is; this album is just too much. Not like I hated it, it’s just too much extra shit. Like how many fucking interludes do you need? There’s a ton on this album. It doesn’t help that a lot of the interludes have the same sort of energy/message. I did genuinely LOVE 4 songs on this album, those being “Rhythm Nation”, State of the World”, “Escapade”, and my top favorite song, “ miss you much”. I’ve had that damn ear worm stuck in my head for DAYS! It’s so catchy and fun. Most of this album wasn’t really for me and didn’t do anything for me. But here’s my hottest take yet that I will gladly defend to my death, Janet is was better than Micheal. Not to mention the obvious, but she’s also way more talented and I wish she didn’t have to live in his nasty shadow.
YES! It's been years since I've heard this stuff!
I remember getting this album from the library on cassette when i was younger. It represents Janet’s strongest most cohesive collection and is just so damn catchy. Rhythm Nation, Miss You Much, Escapade and Black Cat are all classic pop songs. I enjoy the industrial feel that the production brings to these songs and its hard to hear the accentuated beats without picturing the military style dancing. The tracks post Black cat are just superfluous filler Overall it’s just a bit too long and this drags it down to just being a good middle of the pack album with some outstanding moments..
Not my favourite Janet Jackson album (which is “Control”, even though you didn’t ask), but this is still outstanding. Top notch production, top notch singles, and a minimal amount of filler. The interludes, which I normally hate, are tolerable as they’re so short - albeit they are unnecessary. Full of songs that, nearly 40 years later, are as relevant today as they were then. Yes, I get a bit cringe by the time we get to the final track, but this album’s status is cemented by then. Probably a 4.5* for me were I being really picky, as it’s not perfect. But it’s pretty close.
Firstly, I could have definitely done without the school shooting audio. I was listening on headphones while walking home and had slightly zoned out, so was initially very confused when that snapped me back to attention. Otherwise, this album was... fine. Nothing too bad, not much too exciting to my ears. I liked Black Cat which was all cheesy rock song, but great fun. I liked Love Will Never Do (Without You). I liked Rhythm Nation although it ran out of ideas way before the song stopped. Which brings me to... It's too long. An issue easily fixed by cutting out some of the interludes and losing about 90 seconds of Someday Is Tonight where Janet is just making moaning noises faintly in the background of a sax solo. It has surprised me quite how many 'songs where the artist is faking having a shag' feature on the 1001 list, but they have all been pretty shit. A very middle of the road: 3/5
I've never really liked JJ's music and this has not changed my view. The 80's Prince lite production is not my bag and I don't think she has a particular good voice. The interludes are annoying and sermonizing felt performative rather than heart felt. A very low 2.
Rhythm Nation 1814 I love the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis 80s soul-funk sound, with those snares and keyboard stabs and an almost industrial percussive feel, and there are multiple bangers on here. However the interlude concept definitely disrupts the flow, making songs as great as Escapade or Black Cat feel a bit buried in the back half. Lyrically and thematically it also does occasionally veer into touring youth theatre territory in its slightly heavy handed, if earnest and sincere, messaging. Knowledge is a particular culprit: ‘Bigotry? No. Illiteracy? No.’ The title track really is fantastic though, as good as late 80s RnB funk gets, a great stomping, clanging feel, a catchy chorus and that ‘ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh’ motif is great against the chaotic rhythm. State of the World is also a great bit of 80s RnB, and Miss You Much is another banger, the Jam and Lewis rhythmic groove is superb underneath a great chorus. While she doesn’t have the strongest or most forceful voice, she has a very appealing ephemeral, fly away quality to her voice that works so well with the production, particularly on Love Will Never Do, where there are some lovely little melodic hooks. Livin’ in a World has a nice chorus, and is a classic 80s RnB ballad in style, but I don’t find it as engaging as the more uptempo funk and swing tracks, and along with Alright feels like a slight sag in the middle of the album, even though they are still decent tracks. Escapade is another superb track though, obviously very Prince influenced in it’s drums and keyboards, but it has a brilliant, pop rush of a chorus, and again her flighty voice over the processed percussion is fantastic. Black Cat has the potential to be bad, but it’s great, it’s funk-soul-swing-hair metal crossover is great, and much more fun that ‘actual’ rock bands like Van Halen. Lonely is lovely, working in a way that Livin’ in a World doesn’t quite, and its influence on 90s RnB and people like TLC is very clear. It feels like a very strange bit of sequencing that it's followed by two more ballads in Come Back To Me and Someday is Tonight. Come Back To Me is another lovely song, but it feels a bit lost coming right after Lonely, and Someday is Tonight is probably my least favourite track, and it feels like an album full of RnB funk bangers just sort of peters out. That bit of sequencing and the interludes are to the album’s detriment, as is its length at 64 minutes. Such is the strength of the good songs, a version without the interludes and maybe dropping a track or two might push a 5, but as it is I think its a solid 4. 🪘🪘🪘🪘 Playlist submission: Rhythm Nation or Escapade? Rhythm Nation
Robotic dance pop with interminable breakbeats. It's the side of the Jacksons' music that is less appealing. Listening to the title track I'm left wondering who influenced whom between bro and sis, and that's the real surprise. This basically sets the template for Michael's syncopated and soulless dance tracks of the 90s; and indeed Mike and Jan's superior 'Scream' duet in 1995. At least 'Scream' had a good chorus, whereas much of this is just electro-marching, to infinity and beyond. 'Escapade' is trying to be Prince, but coming off second-rate. Who's heard of '1999'? Everybody. Who's heard of 'Escapade'? Me now, unfortunately. Janet does inject a seam of social consciousness here. That includes the arresting moment of school gunshots on the otherwise terrible 'Livin' in a World'. The song itself is like the equally drab Lonely' or 'Come Back to Me' which have that sort of electro wooden-block sound, which must be held to account for giving Toni Braxton ideas. It's fair to say the album careens off a cliff with these final tracks, going from robo-bland to neo-soul. The album has had the most top 10 hits from any single album ever (in the US). Three of those were hits across three different years. For such a soulless album it beggars belief. I can only assume the popularity was because this was of the Jackson franchise. It doesn't elicit Pantera-levels of opprobrium, but it's reasonably close.
A fost ok, îmi place ca am descoperit stilul ăsta foarte ritmat :)) Pentru mine e doar ok
Sounds like a bunch of outtakes from Michael Jackson's Bad album, both in songrwiting and the synths/sounds used. This made me realise that they even recycled many of the sounds a few years later on the Janet/Michael duet Scream.
One of my favorite albums of all time
Much better than the stuff her brother Michael was up to.
I'm more of a Control guy
Уже второй рнб альбом, который мне дико зашел. Что происходит? Песни написаны круто, отличные аранжировки, которые даже сейчас звучат лампово и ностальгически, а не устаревше. Разнообразие композиций и настроений не дает заскучать. Где-то даже как будто проскальзывает вайб Майкла, например в треке Love Will Never Do, который мне предсказуемо понравился больше всех, хотя там было из чего выбирать. Вкуснятина
Жесть, она крутая
пусть будет просто 3, хотя и плохого ничего не скажу, как и хорошего
Some good tracks but they were mostly similar. Fun album though and enjoyed it!
no pude ni terminar de escucharlo, perdón. es intolerable la mina
Yeah not bad
Very well done.
Every song sounded the same to me. Not for me.
I can hear this CD playing on my Sony phono/CD/dual tape deck/AM FM all-in-one system, circa 1990. Maybe not as good as I remembered it, but the hits still hit.
Packed full of hits that I still enjoy. 3.5 stars
Sumptuous cyborg music: your mileage may vary, but this is so well done it makes me reconsider my rejection of the subgenre of Janet Jackson-adjacent music robosmooch - the sax solo on “Someday is Tonight” breaks open a counterfactual liminal space where softcore brass-blowing is still cool. The suspicion holds that the political content is accessorised to the technology, one up from dangling a Flavor Flav clock as necklace, but I appear to have become a nostalgic sucker for those old sonic signifiers of media critique - don’t you miss sampled bursts of interchannel TV static?
Sounds expensive, if ultimately pretty bland and repetitive. Gets a bit preachy in parts, which I found quite distasteful. Daydream >> Rhythm.
from starving kids to wanting to have sex finally, what a ride
76/100.
Electronic pop noise. Unlistenable and annoying.
Best Track - "Escapade"
Lots of it sounds like 80s don't do drugs raps
the greatness is in the family
Loved it. Little bit of whiplash on the lyrics song to song, but the music is great.
Täiega meeldib selline kõla. Janet ei sära just vokaalides, aga ta laulud on päris meeldejäävad ja catchyd. Hea meelega kuulan sellist kraami veel, eriti võimsad olid kuidagi need funky synth trummid/bassid. 3.6/5
She loves an interlude
A good escapade, just not my escapade (2.5)
I had to listen two. I listened to Pearl jam's Ten half way through for a breather. Way too samey but not awful .
For the longest time, Janet Jackson lived under the enormous shadow of her brother, Michael Jackson. She began stepping out from beneath it with Control—another album I assumed would make the 1001 list but somehow didn’t—but by the time she released Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, she had fully established an identity completely separate from the King of Pop. When this album randomly popped up today—on a Friday, no less—my first reaction was, “Oh boy, I’m not sure about this. I have to listen to an entire Janet album?” In retrospect, that reaction feels pretty misguided. Just because I was never a huge Janet Jackson fan didn’t mean she wasn’t influencing me during my formative years, because she absolutely was. It started with videos like “Nasty” and quickly moved to “The Pleasure Principle,” but “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” was the one that permanently cemented my feelings toward her. But I digress. The sheer number of radio singles on this album alone explains why it landed on the 1001 list. I had always assumed, based on the cover art and reputation, that this was some sort of heavy concept album. While there is social commentary woven throughout, it’s more restrained than I expected—and honestly, that works in the album’s favor. At its core, this is simply a fantastically produced late-80s R&B and pop record with Janet Jackson front and center, and I’m completely here for it. Maybe nostalgia is coloring my perspective a bit—it’s hard to separate these albums from the memories attached to them—but once I pressed play, there was no denying Janet Jackson’s gravitational pull.
Well, there are 4 obvious big hits on this album. Nearly every track on the first half of the album has the same beat at a different tempo with only a few flourishes over the top to try and differentiate them and I honestly can't tell if I have heard any of the songs outside the hits. That really started to become unbearable by Miss You Much. Thankfully (?), after Love Will Never Do the album took a turn into slow jams and abandoned that bad habit. Throughout this listen I constantly thought that maybe this song or that song was familiar, but never enough to be sure if I had heard it before. Having said all that, this is still an enjoyable ride. It's upbeat, fun, and infectious and you just can't hate it.
Good album. Not my type of music.
One of my favorite listens yet. Extremely important listening from a genius
Ihan ok levy, tunnistin muutaman hitti biisin.
Interlude: The Beginning The album basically sounds like your average 80s pop/rnb thing. Interlude: In the middle Rhythm Nation is probably the single most recognizable song, and well, it sounds good. So does the rest of the album, it IS a nice listen all in all. Interlude: Coda Sadly it's not really amazing in any way.
Great 80s music from Janet Jackson! She sparked a whole vibe in the late 80s and Rhythm Nation stands strong. Fun listen.
While I am familiar with the Jackson family, the only sibling that I listen to regularly is Michael. Prior to this, I’d only heard “What Have You Done For Me Lately” by Janet Jackson. I think that’s the only song I’ll stick with.
Janet if you’re Nasty!!
Rhythm Nation 1814 could have been shortened by a good 35 minutes and it would have been a better album for it. I don’t think any of these songs need to be as repetitive and long as they are, and the skits are also rather annoying. This album is over an hour long, and you feel every single bit of it. After a few songs, they all just kind of blend together and always seem to last longer than you want them to. This is a fine album. I’d never complain about having to listen to it, but, I’d honestly rather just listen to Michael instead if I had the option. That might sound harsh, but Janet sounds so similar, it almost sounds like her agent told her she needed to replicate the success of her brother by borrowing his style, but making it worse. All of these songs are fine, and most of them are even quite catchy for the first few minutes, but none of them are very memorable. “Black Cat” is pretty cool though, EASILY the most memorable song on the album. Has an insane guitar solo that comes out of freaking nowhere and sounds like nothing else on the album. It’s surprisingly heavy, and I wish more of the album was like it. “State Of The World” might be a little too preachy, but it’s also probably my favorite song on the album. It’s catchy, and got stuck in my head easily enough. The jazzy outro for “Someday Is Tonight” specifically also stood out to me, I just wish it didn’t have the annoying breathy moaning included. The biggest compliment I can give this album is that the beats more than make up for the repetitive nature of it all. I can live without a celebrity preaching from on high, and the lyrics generally leave a bit to be desired, but the actual singing and beats kick ass. Janet Jackson’s Top 10 on Spotify are a mixed bag of several albums, the only “hit” on this album being “Escapade”, which I thought was just okay at best personally. That being said, this is the only Janet Jackson album on the list, and I really don’t know anything about her. It’s making me want to dig into some more of her discography. And you know what, that’s a pretty big compliment. Thinking back on it now, I’m going to give my favorite on this one to “Black Cat”. It stood out enough that I might even remember it with that killer guitar solo. This album took a little bit to grow on me, but I’m ultimately happy I spent the day checking it out, even if she doesn’t hold a candle in the wind to her brother. Then again, that’s hardly an insult. No one does.
I find this era of R&B quite tedious, nothing exciting, lots of trills and vocal flourishes and gated snares. This does feel like a better example of it, however, and I do appreciate she had a message before it was passe for celebrities to tell us what to do.
Okay for what it is.. Lyrically heavy handed and nothing particularly memorable.
Would I listen again: not on purpose Tbh it felt a bit dated for me, nothing overly offensive but nothing I need to hear again.
She’s always pissing in the wind due to her brother being on a different level but it was awrite
Sounded like a knock off Michael Jackson album at times. Didn’t hate it but didn’t like it. 2/5
My most controversial rating so far, +2 from the global average, not every album needs to have some deep meaning to be great, Rhythm Nation 1814 is just too groovy and that's enough
Hard hitting synths with mechanical 80s beats. The sound is repetitive but this concept album from Ms Jackson spreads a good message. There's probably an accompanying dance move for each bland song. 2/5
Too boring
Miss You Much and Escapade stood out. The production takes away from the lyrics throughout most of it. Not an R&B fan, but the album did grow on me. 2/5
Didn't care about this much as I'm not huge fan of this type of pop music anyways.
So many interludes even if most are a few seconds
It’s ok. Bit underwhelming tbh and the whole concept thing is cringeworthy especially that bit right at the end. And it’s far too long. No need. 2.5
A little repetitive but the message was right. I didn't remember that part. Those music videos were tight AF too.
The first two thirds of this were pretty good, and I was pleasantly surprised! The last third however let it down, drifted into slow R&B that was pretty average. Solid album overall, and better than I expected.
Peak Janet Jackson. Black Cat played in our freshman year homecoming float (go panthers)
This was such a cool style of album design! The songs were all super danceable and fun to listen to, but the interludes made it an experience: Fav Song: Rhythm Nation
This has gotta be the most late 80s album ever and I love it. I firmly believe that Janet Jackson would have been just as big, if not bigger, than MJ if she had received the same level of investment. Favorite track: Rhythm Nation
Not for me. Bit boring & samey.
This is so over-produced I’m surprised that there was any production left for the rest of the music industry. This album makes me feel like I should be driving around early 90s LA with my ragtop down, about to commit some sex crimes.
There’s a fairly hard cap on how much I’m going to enjoy mega-produced pop music, especially this deep into the torture of the list. I will say, this one has a bit more going on than the average comparable. I could imagine liking it a lot more as a live performance with a slightly loose band.
5/5 I had it at a 4, but then 'Black Cat' played and I said... 'You know what... I'm giving it a 5.'
Sounds like if Trent Reznor was a black woman from the 80s when he was making Petty Hate Machine
pretty nice, especially at first. didn't blow my mind though
Good
Nice dumb pop nothing spectacular not near her Bro
Control to rhythm nation to janet is the sexiest consecutive three album run of all time.
Aside from a couple bangers, this is pretty boring.
Black Cat, Escapade, and Rhythm Nation are still great songs. Wow, some artists really loved the 30 second interlude to add tracks on the CD!
Did you know that societal problems are bad?
I remember when this debuted - if you weren’t around you cannot comprehend how popular it was. JImmy Jam and Terry Lewis at the top of their game paired with the least-problematic Jackson was a sure fire recipe for success. The album shows off Janet’s range, and there were some amazing singles. Still love Miss You Much! 4⭐️
I think someone needs to make the snare even louder, more grating, and completely quantised so there's even less groove. It only felt like someone was driving a railroad spike into my skull on the 2 and 4, but maybe they could have amped that up to, I dunno, like an I beam or something?
Koło chuja mi przeleciało
blueprints are lovely
80's barf, mixed with way too many interludes. Probably could have cut this one down to 30-40 minutes MAX.
Hearing some of these songs has hit place deep in my lizard brain. I have heard them when I was very young (post 1814), and I somehow have some flashbulb memories tied to them. Pretty wild when you think about it.
The hits are good but there's way too many interludes and musically it's fairly basic 80/90s pop music.
nope
After her break-out third album, Control, Janet Jackson wanted to create a concept album addressing social issues. The result is Rhythm Nation 1814, which some consider to be the high point of Jackson's artistic achievements, and was an international commercial success. Jackson won the Grammy for the video release of the single, Rhythm Nation. Jackson wrote socially conscious lyrics to accompany these well-produced dance tracks. While the album is a bit uneven, the singles were incredibly successful; seven of the song reached the top-five of the singles charts, more than any other album in history.
Какие-то странные дела творятся с отзывами на этот альбом. Один жалуется на то, как повстречал Джексон в продуктовом, и удивился тому как она чуть не стырила 15 батончиков Милкивея мимо кассы. (upd: оказалось, что это древняя интернет-паста, но менять обзор не буду, пусть остаётся как есть) Другой говорит о том, что ему не нравится как певица пафосно поёт о проблемах мира. Окей, изложу свою точку зрения: Быть может, синты и вот эти все восмидесятовские штуки на альбоме сегодня звучат уже немного устарело, но по крайней мере, моему вкусу это отвечает. Лично мне все равно на то, что богатая темнокожая женщина поет о проблемах мира и осуждает(?) их, по звучанию это довольно клёвый, олдскульный поп-альбом. Напомнило мне и Майкла Джексона и даже любимого Тошинобу Куботу, который в то время и подражал всей этой фанковой, поп, R&B теме с запада. Да и ваще, нахожу странным жаловаться на перепродюссирование, типа, камон, это хрестоматийный поп-релиз, по моему, для этого жанра такая характеристика - не порок. В целом мне зашло короче.
Not my cup of tea
No va
uh uh huh!
I forgot how many hits she had. I really underestimate her as an artist and this album exemplifies that.
A largely fun album that’s held back by lyrics that think they’re deeper than they are and some bad early-CD era bloat.
This is not the kind of music I pick for myself, especially in the last half of the album where it gets cheesy. But I have to admit the first few tracks and even up to about the halfway point had me grooving and enjoying the energy and percussiveness of some of the melodies.
It's easy to forget now that in the 90s and into the 00s, Janet was way bigger than Michael, at least in terms of radio hits and cultural presence. But even in the 80s she had stone-cold classic after stone-cold classic. Five of her albums deserve a spot on this list (this one, Control, janet., The Velvet Rope, and All For You). Guess how many albums she has in this project? Good thing we'll get that seventh Neil Young album. If there can be only one, Control is probably the obvious choice in terms of cultural impact, but The Velvet Rope is undenialby her best album, with janet. not too far behind. Rhythm Nation 1814 is pretty great in its own right, it just never reaches the highs of those other albums, and the last four tracks stink of filler. So, five stars for Janet Jackson, five stars for The Velvet Rope, and four stars for the first 8 (proper) tracks of Rhythm Nation 1814.
I appreciated how the album worked as a whole with the incredible rhythmic and anthemic songs contrasted by the pop ballads that all came together with the interludes.
Not that I’m joining the Rhythm Nation, but that’s a good album Janet. Got some different styles, some sound effects (lots of breaking glass, I guess that was big in ‘89), some fun interludes, and some social content. Best song is Escapade, album fades at the end. (3.4*s) Never paid much attention to JJ, now that we’ve listened to an entire album, I think we’ll be hearing from her again.
Standing in the shadow of her older brother, Janet produced some formidable pop albums as well. I never really paid much attention though since Michael put out some of the best musical epics of the late 80s and early 90s. I do remember the title track video playing on MTV. After listening to the full Rhythm Nation 1814 album, it's pretty damn good and deserves a must listen spot. The album is a great statement piece and although themes of race and drug abuse have been done plenty of times, she did a good job at connecting with a younger crowd. Pretty solid synth production and drum machine percussion from Jam and Lewis. Definitely a stand out of that late 80s tech beat sound. Got some 80s hair band and guitars too with tracks like "Black Cat." Some slow songs could be dropped but that is merely preference and the team probably wanted to get some plays on smooth R&B stations. Got quite steamy at the end there Ms. Jackson. I am going to have to check out the accompanying short movie. 3.1 stars.
As big of a Michael Jackson fan as I am I have never delved into the likes of the rest of the family. Outside of the single Scream, with her brother, I think my only exposure to Janet Jackson is truly the Superbowl halftime show. I couldn't name a single song by her prior to this listen of Rhythm Nation 1814. I'm happy to give some overdue credit to Janet. It's not really in my wheelhouse but I can appreciate it for what it is. The drum machines and synthesizers plant you firmly in the late 80's time period, but it works well to accompany Janet's upbeat dance track vocals. While the album is good enough to hold up years later it does gets to be a little derivative by the end of it. The songs start to sound a little too much the same, but the baseline on the first half of the album is catchy enough that you can stick with it for a while and not be complaining. The end wraps up a little weak but it's still OK. The production team and Janet knew to stay in their lane and crank out some dance hits while she was coming off prior success. While I'm sure underlying theme may have come through more at its release I was mostly OK to just tune out to the hits without paying too much attention to the message. It's mostly fun and well arranged (though a little cheesy too) so even if it isn't in my wheelhouse I can enjoy it for what it tried to accomplish. I've always heard Janet was a superstar at one point but I was too young or not the target demographic when she was at her peak. When the Superbowl wardrobe malfunction occurred it hugely derailed her career and unfortunately turned her prior work in to a punchline. She wasn't on my radar previously, and MJ's career had declined in the wake of the turmoil so I never bothered to go back and check out any of her work. I don't plan to go back to the well and listen to another album, but might see if any of her other greatest hits are any good. Not a bad entry for 1001 as it gave me some exposure to Janet's career that has otherwise been ignored by me. 2.85 stars
Repetitivo
Janet shows incredible range here. Some songs are certainly relics (somewhat negative) of the time of the album release and I would've left a couple songs off, but this is undeniably a great listen.
perfect pop album
When the album title has a secret code number in it, the first track is an "Interlude" (on an album that *just started*) that has an "I'm 14 and this is deep" ring to it *and* the first actual song has the phrase "social injustice" right at start, you're gonna be in for a bumpy ride. *checks number of tracks* Oh dear God.
Fun
FTL: Yeah… not my taste. But not horrible music, good voice.
Really interesting actually. I wasn't really aware that Janet was such a popular artist but also such a credible artist. A lot of the big pop beats here are excellent. Some of the atmospheric industrial elements are great. The ballads are clearly very well constructed and I can see why they're loved but they don't quite hit for me. I also found it a bit long to digest as a single bit of art
++: Interlude: Pledge, Rhythm Nation, Interlude: T.V., Interlude: Race, The Knowledge, Interlude: Let's Dance, Miss You Much, Escapade, Interlude: No Acid, Black Cat, Come Back to Me, Someday Is Tonight +: State of the World, Love Will Never Do (Without You), Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make), Alright, Lonely +-: Interlude: Come Back, Interlude: Hey Baby, Interlude: Livin'...In Complete Darkness 8,2/10
Lošija strana 80s glazbe, koju inače jako volim. Brat joj je puno bolje prošao. 1/5, 1/10
I guess the talent really runs in the family. I quite enjoyed this album, right from the start, the message was clear and the RnB beats were very active and fun to listen to. My main criticisms are the excessive interludes, which I get are meant to transition the song topics, but it feels more like abrupt pauses in the music, and to me takes more away from the work than actually adding anything. That and the song "Someday is Tonight" are my only issues with this. The song felt completely out of place, both melodically and lyrically, I also felt a bit weird listening to a song that is presumably a girl telling her boyfriend that she's ready for him to pop her cherry. Overall though, pretty good album, although nothing remarkable. The themes and topics carried throughout the songs definetely help me appreciate it a little more.
Too slow, kinda wanted more…
Very produced, very early 90s pop sound. I didn’t mind it until the ballads at the end that kind of lost my interest. Moderately enjoyable in the first 2/3, but probably wouldn’t reach for this again
It was a fine if not a little too slick/overproduced recording. The good songs were on the first half of the recording and the latter stuff was blah.
This is a tough one. There are some really great songs on this album and I like a few of them a lot. On the other hand, though, the interludes (a product of their time) do nothing for me and outside of the great tracks, everything else is just boring to me. I'm stuck trying to decide how boring those are vs how great the others are. I guess it's a 3.5 album, but I'm going to have to push it to a 3
This is such a good album, especially for the time at it's release.
I'm very surprised that this is the only Janet album on this list. It's good but I would've preferred to have "Control" or "Velvet Rope". Favorite track: Rhythm Nation
The end of the 80s pop and on the cusp of a 90s revolution.
wow
***An ok album