Rhythm Nation 1814

Love JJ!

Wow. Never been a Janet Jackson, this took me by total surprise. Love the rocking production, LOVE the drum machines, not wild about the way they buried her voice in the anthems but the songs carry the weight for me. Best surprise album since joining so far.

Dated production, but the songs themselves hold up.

Never heard anything like this before i love it

I always loved Michael Jackson, but never knew his sister's amazing abilities with her voice, and damn I must say I'm pretty impressed. This is definitely the music I'm gonna listen to in a car, with my girlfriend or in any confortable atmosphere.

Best Jackson family album I've heard yet.

На самом деле, реально крутой альбом. Я скажу, я прям кайфанул от него. Начинается он такой весёлый, туц туц туц танцевальный и немного даже хипхоповый, но где-то в середине настроение резко меняется и он становится атмосферным, немного загадочным и очень лиричным. Это один из лучших альбомов, из тех, что я услышал в этом генераторе. Фаворит - треки Black Cat и Someday is Tonight.

Powerful messages, great beats - gotta be her best album, it's so good!

The geniuses behind this album are Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, producers and songwriters extraordinaire. I have a great 4 CD promo of a bunch of the songs they wrote during the New Jack Swing era (New Edition, Karyn White, SOS Band, Boyz II Men, etc.) as well as tracks from Human League, Robert Palmer, and Herb Alpert). This album is a 4.5 rounded up to 5 due to the total banger quartet of Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do Without You, Alright, and Escapade. These are love/relationship songs, in contrast to the more political/social songs like the title track and State of the World. The remixes I have for these 4 tracks are among my faves of all time — I’ve sold most of the Janet CD remixes I had (after ripping the CDs into FLAC files) but still have all the vinyl, and that’s at least 50 items. At 75 minutes, this could be pared down to a totally solid 5 without the interludes (7 of them, but only about 3 minutes total) and 2-3 of the message tracks (e.g. State of the World and Living In a World). Her next 3 albums were pretty good, too. This is the only one in our 1,001 though, although I’m surprised that her album before this, Control, didn’t make the list.

Though I never owned this album, I remember when the various videos from this came out and were all over MTV right at the turn of the decade. But I must admit I had forgotten how many really great songs were on this record. I think I recognize no less than 7 singles off of this album, if I am counting correctly, which is pretty incredible. Personally, I have always liked Come Back to Me the best. There's something about this song, whether it's the groove or the despair / vulnerability of Janet's voice throughout, it definitely moves me more than anything else on this album. That said, the other singles are really excellent songs. And if you think about how she made huge hits out of Escapade, Love Will Never Do Without You, Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, and others all within months of each other? Consider how different some of these songs are from each other, whether it's tempo, tone, complexity, etc. It's really quite an amazing effort, and a testament to the writing. Of course, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have worked with so many different great R&B artists, but I think Janet wrote (or co-wrote) a lot of the big hits on this record, and she's the one that really makes them come alive. There's some other songs on here that are excellent as well. The best of these to me is State of the World. Though the theming is a ton different, the sound of this one reminded me a ton of Johnny Gill's Rub You the Right Way - Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis probably borrowed from themselves, since they wrote both. I was instantly drawn in by this one. While this album has 20 tracks, that's a bit of a misnomer since 8 of them are just interludes. The core 12 songs on here individual and collectively are great. This is easily a 5 star album for me. Frankly, this is one of the few complete albums I have listened to so far on this list.

Listened through - perfect album

State of the World is a giga banger, whole album is good

MYYYYYYYYYYYY GIRLLLLLLL MY ALBUMMMMM. famous words from my clown man "i can't wait for the racism and the cumming"

just amazing. a must-listen

thoughts: i love interludes in albums when done well, and they’re done impeccably here. this is THE janet jackson sound refined over about an hour, she sings the entire way like she’s smiling and/or hopeful, and i get why this was so huge when it came out songs: “rhythm nation”, “miss you much”, all the interludes rating: 9.0/10

If Control was Janet Jackson laying out her intent to map out her place in the music scene, then Rhythm Nation 1814 was her big bang. Militant, informative, propulsive and ambitious, the baby sister of the Jackson clan creates her own looming shadow and mythos in the course of an hour, crafting some of her most terrific ideas at that point. Credit also goes to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whose genius instrumentation and compositions lead the way in easing Janet to the 90s where she'd gain more importance in stature, which wouldn't have been possible if Rhythm Nation wasn't made. An important record for Janet and a milestone in pop music.

Impecable groove. Historical reference in terms of music production. 10/10 snares.

Lets go Janet Jackson! I've seen people argue that she's the Better Jackson than Michael, and While i don't agree atm, she seems awesome and album is sick! New Jack Swing is pretty cool and this is the best I've heard of it. There's just so many great songs here It's amazing! 94/100

Wow. Unexpected but a banger for sure. The production is amazing. Its exactly what I would think the mid 80s sounds like. I saved a bunch of tracks just on the production alone. And Janet's voice is incredible. Although in black cat she sounds exaclty like her brother. I couldnt hear the family resemblance until then. Not a lyrics guy but it feel conscious and on the bleeding edge. Tough decision now though. Its pretty ballad heavy. Alot of slower stuff and that's not really my think but damn that production is immaculate. Its a very high 4 if I had that kind of granularity but its close enough to get full marks in my book

Zak u would like Paula Abdul if u liked this

The album is held back by the hokey, preaching "socially conscious" interludes, and the songs "State of the World" and "Living' in a World (They Didn't Make) is eye-rolling in their pretension (and yes, I did skip past them this time), but the jams are outstanding on this album! There was a reason why those 7 singles went into the Top 5 of the Singles chart. While others have categorized this sound as New Jack Swing, I personally think it is actually an artful blend of soul and new wave and it actually (thankfully) is bereft of actual hip hop. After Janet's album CONTROL and their production of Human League's CRASH with diabolically funky "Human" and George Michael's "Monkey" (the first song I learned to play on my first drum set) this is, in my opinion, the defining production chops of Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam. One of the reasons that this album went stratospheric was the incredible music videos supplied to MTV at the heights of the network's power. Visually stunning with fantastic choreography, they were hard to forget. The bangers: "Rhythm Nation", "Miss You Much", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", "Alright", "Escpade", "Black Cat" and "Someday is Tonight". But it also certainly didn't hurt that Madonna, the clear Queen of Pop at this time in the 1980s, released LIKE A PRAYER six months earlier. This helped Janet Jackson in two ways, it didn't compete for the same audience by being released earlier in the year, and it help stoke a hunger in pop audiences for more female led dance pop music that Janet Jackson was able to capitalize on, and boy did she. It would be one of the final great 80s album before R&B/ Pop was stuck with an endless number of boring New Jack Swing, Philly Swing, and Hip Hop records.

This album was so good from start to finish. I usually hate skits or interludes on projects but it helped her carry her story forward so I didn’t mind them this time. Something was in that water in Gary Indiana boy!

I should’ve been listening to Janet Jackson all this time

Janet slams so damn hard, i cannot stop dancing. Literally. Amazing work.

Wow! Really impressed. This was awesome. Catchy and also significant and serious themes.

Had this album on cd when it was first released.. hadn't heard it in ages until it popped up here however many years later, still holds up.. loving it

got my wish! in wonderful amazing fashion! janet is 1000% one of the coolest performers and Presences in the history of popular music, and i think both the huge booming production (that still has wiggle room for actual pacing and stylistic variation) matches her here. im not sure how comprehensively successful the whole concept is LOL but tbh it does rly cut to something at the heart of pop music, which works in ideals and shorthand, its an underrated medium for utopian thinking. helps just how tight each soundscape wraps around u...tons of details but remains very readable and cohesive. just an obviously titanic effort!

When I was a tween at the dawn of the 90s, I didn't care for new jack swing. At all. But I've grown sentimental in middle age, and have enjoyed revisiting a lot of the R&B tracks that were popular in my neighborhood back then. Some of them are guilty pleasures, but some are just brilliant. This album is full of the latter; I love it, and I should listen to it more often.

Why can I not retain how to count down with five fingers the way Janet does? It was so cool. I wanted her style so badly. The fact that the countdown is part of the pledge right before and not part of the Rhythm Nation track is a crime.

Groovy~

I was excited to see this come up on the list. It's one of those iconic albums that I really do think I should listen to. I figured I would know at least a few tracks, but I was surprised by how many I knew well. Great dance music and variety of sounds.

I always wanted to be a part of the Rhythm Nation. I think it's pretty cool that Michael Jackson and Prince were supposed rivals — exaggerated or not, depending on whose stories you believe about ping-pong games and Prince ducking out on "We Are The World" — but that Michael's sister and dudes from Prince's band created some of the greatest pop songs ever made. That's the kind of utopia I imagine in Rhythm Nation. There are just so many hits on this album. This is an amazing statistic: It is the only album in the history of the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart to have seven commercial singles peak within the top five positions. It is also the first album to produce No. 1 hits on the chart in three separate calendar years, beginning with "Miss You Much" in 1989, "Escapade" and "Black Cat" in 1990, and culminating with "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" in 1991.

So of its time, but strangely timeless, Ms. Jackson (because I'm nasty at heart) and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis weave a tapestry of samples, loops and New Jack Funk to drop an album filled with club bangers. Social consciousness is heavy on her mind here, songs about racism, poverty, injustice, politics, sex, 35 years later and it feels very much on point today. In fact today this would be branded "woke" and all the connotations that go along with it. Meanwhile I'm still here trying to perfect the 5-4-3-2-1 hand countdown she does in the "Rhythm Nation" video.

5/5. This is one of those albums that feels unfair that it was made, akin to Boston debut, where every song is just a perfect hit. This is just a greatest hits album, every song has its strengths and there are no weaknesses I can see. Sure, it helps she is a Jackson but there is no denying that the name doesn't matter here. These are all just really well-made. There are some more melancholy songs that do sometimes feel out of place but the interludes really help, when normally they wouldn't. It gives the listener that break between each song. First half is much better and with 3 less songs total, this would be a classic for the history books (more than it already is) but it is still really good to keep it at a 5. There is a weird vibe of dark lyrics of the state of the world with poppy music but honestly, dealing with tragedy with danceable and accessible music feels like a very healthy way to go about it. We live on in spite of the evil of the world, that is how we fight it instead of giving into the pessimism the world expects us to do. Best Song: Miss You Much, Escapade, Rhythm Nation

I was in college when this album came out. And since she wasn't angry or unclean, I didn't pay much attention. Shame on me. This is a fun record! It kind of loses steam towards the end, but there's a lot of great stuff here.

This was easy. It’s one of my favorite albums from the 90s anyway.

Stellar writing - very catchy beats.

So great

I have had a run of so many bad, unremarkable albums over the last several months. This has given me energy to continue for at least a few more weeks

This album's concept is half-baked at best, but the industrial new jack swing sound goes so hard that I don't even care. favs: Rhythm Nation, Black Cat, State of the World, Miss You Much, Come Back to Me, The Knowledge least fav: Lonely

My gimp

Socially conscious, rhythm&industrial, chunky-funk, Janet-Storm. I can't comprehend how deeply this album hits. Minneapolis!

WOOOOOO!!!!

Janet should've deserved better. One of the best damn albums of the 90s. Easy 5.

I’m at a 5. I would go much higher if I could. I hold Michael Jackson in a lot of reverence, and maybe that’s a character flaw, for a multitude of reasons I could write about whenever we get Thriller or Bad or Off The Wall. To segue into my point, I’ve never really given Janet a fair shake for whatever reason – I’m genuinely not sure why. I think Scream is one of the best tracks on HIStory, and I know some of her bigger hits. I’ve just never really had an excuse to tackle this album other than laziness. Once again, I have proven myself to be a fucking moron – this album is fantastic, from top to almost bottom (sorry to “Someday Is Tonight”, it’s just a very awkward fit on this album to me – still a good track though!). While it's definitely stuck in the late 80s, this is New Jack Swing at some of its earliest and its finest; the entire stretch of Rhythm Nation to Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make) is off the charts in terms of production, instrumentals, lyricism, social messaging, and vocals. Even as the back half of the album transitions into more of a love-driven record, I don’t think anything changes that much other than the atmosphere and mood – obviously, it climaxes at Someday Is Tonight, but there’s still great production and a big variety of styles to keep the album feeling fresh, even if its subject matter grows narrower and narrower. Regardless of anything else, what I’m most impressed by is that she wrote this at the ages of 22 and 23. Singers nowadays at that age would dream to have something like Rhythm Nation in their catalog, let alone the seven Top 5 singles she had on this album. That’s about as old as Billie Eilish is now, and she's probably the only other artist I can think of with similar critical acclaim at the same age. Hell, it would be a real miracle if Olivia Rodrigo’s next album after GUTS somehow has the cultural impact and acclaim of this. Ultimately, I truly think Janet broke out an album that could genuinely rival some of Michael’s best (ok, maybe not Thriller, but possibly Bad, and probably Off The Wall). What’s here is nothing short of fantastic, and I don’t think there’s a single miss. A few tracks go a little long, and some production quirks are a little overused, but those are nitpicky in relation to how much I just deeply enjoyed this. It’s so easily deserving of a 5, and I’m very glad I finally listened to it. There better be more Janet on this list.

My girl, Janet! This era of Janet's music changed my life forever. The video to Rhythm Nation made me realize that I wanted to learn to perform. As an 8th grader looking for something bigger than kid stuff, I decided to join the pep squad, dance team, and cheerleader once I got to high school...and so I did for all four years. To this day, I have a video playlist dedicated to Janet Jackson complete with the Rhythm Nation choreography with the original choreographer. My dream was to BE Janet, not like her. She's an incredible dancer and one of the best all-time pop performers. Miss You Much, Escapade, Black Cat, and Love Will Never Do (Without You) are always on my playlist. The video for Love Will Never Do is sooooo sexy. Hello, Antonio Sabato Jr. The album does seem to lag at the end, but it's cohesive and keeps me entertained. 13 yr old me deeply appreciates this album, and adult me will forever love Janet. 5 stars.

reminds me of junior high great album

i dunno if it was being born too late or growing up around other mostly suburban, mostly white folks, but somehow I completely missed Janet Jackson on my cultural radar. i only really know her from the superbowl wardrobe malfunction (which I always felt was stupidly overblown) and two of her songs ending up in Weird Al's polkas, which probably says more about me than anything I've written up to this point. anyway, this album was awesome. lots of haters in the top comments but not all music has to be timeless! sorry that a black woman made a great album and now you have to listen to it once, there will be plenty more led zeppelin and the eagles in this list for you. i basically liked every other track on here (which ends up being most of them minus the interludes) and found the subject matter and genre explorations cool and unique. some songs felt a bit heavy-handed in their message (see: livin' in a world (they didn't make)'s school shooting news report at the end) and i didn't really care for the ballads, but beyond that, this album slapped. the seamless pivots between 80s synthpop, industrial, hard rock, R&B, and more kept me engaged until the last few tracks and I'll definitely come back to this! favorites: rhythm nation, state of the world, the knowledge, miss you much, love will never do (without you), alright, escapade, black cat

Love love love this album

Absolutely love this album .

1000000% better than her bro

Loved it. All good, and some really great songs on here. I remember when it came out - I fell in Love with Janet!

Absolute fire

Such an undeniable legendary pop album. Listened to it twice today because I was having so much fun with it. Miss You Much is my fav I think, such a banger. I feel like Janet Jackson is often overlooked when talking about the greatest pop stars of all time, but you can see that a lot of what she did is in the DNA of many of the modern pop stars we love.

Janet Jackson was ahead of her time creating a social justice album. So many good songs and it's wild how the themes still resonate today. This is a classic and should be on everyone's list.

I am about 99.9% sure I owned this cassette tape when I was very young, so listening it now was such an awesome experience. I was able to connect and sing along because I remembered it all, but old enough now to process what she was talking about. Janet Jackson does not get enough credit for her contribution to the musical world. Great album and so many amazing one off songs. She really weaved it all together into a wonderful album.

I wore the hell out of this cassette in the late 80’s. It’s the Janet album I always go back to. There is not one bad song, though I will say that Escapade has a hissing sound in it that always makes me feel queasy. I can’t explain that. This is Janet at her best: catchy dance bliss.

Wow this album is good. Starts strong and maintains it throughout. Even with the ballads towards the end.

One of my favorite albums of all time, truly cohesive and flawless !

Fantastic blend of pop, funk and social consciousness. (The dancing in her videos takes it to a whole other level.)

All time classic.

We really are all part of the Rhythm Nation

the musical talents run through the jackson blood. not just michael, but her sister too. my god. imaginative catchy new jack swing, but don't get too distracted by the amazing beats, plenty of lyrics about the human condition and the issues of the world today, the good, bad, and ugly. ah who am i kidding the music itselfffff it's so good not to ignore. few artists actually know how to do the new jack stuff right.

Quintessential Janet! So many great songs here. My only real gripe is how unnecessarily long some of the songs are. But overall a spectacular album!

Loved it. “Is that the end”!!!

No Notes!

love this album!!!!!!! Janet is a queen and there are so many classic bops on this record!!!!!!!

80-90s pop vibes here other than her brother is some of the best of it too. I maybe could’ve only done without one track and definitely had some 👍s.

Surprised how much I liked this!

•Owned •An album that frantically (often coldly) jumps between social commentary/breaking news and ballads/dance pop, Rhythm Nation expects you to dance to the hits but demands that you hear the message it's brought along. All with love and no cynicism. The New Jack Swing palate may feel dated, but hey, these goosebumps are still happening. •5/5

This is probably one of the albums when people ask what surprised me from the list that I will use as an example. I always wrote this off as it came out when I was quite young and as it wasn’t in my typical genre I summarily wrote it off. Turns out I really like the theme and execution. This is the type of record that I was hoping to find in this 1001 journey.

Jackson's immaculate vocals contrast with crunchy, aggressive electronic pop to amazing effect. The complete opposite of the rather bland and unchallenging pop of the 70s and 80s. And you can just feel how this was produced from the ground up to sound great on a CD hifi.

I miss listening to this album!

Awesome.

I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this one, but I loved it beginning to end. I was surprised how many of the songs I'd known although I'd never listened to them in album form. I enjoyed the flow from song to song and even the bits between. The title track is such a good funky intro to the album. "Escapade" remains one of my all-time favorite songs. I drove a few extra miles to keep listening to it while driving. Perfection. "Black Cat" was a song I didn't remember much, but I really enjoyed the heavy metal feel. That was unexpected. I could listen to it all over again today.

Yes, I am a part of the Rhythm Nation!!

Listening to this today was a real treat. I'd forgotten how much it defined the late 80s for me. Apart from a couple of songs, every track is a winner. This album needs to be in my regular rotation.

I emigrated to the Rhythm Nation shortly after its release and have remained a happy citizen ever since. What an impressive accomplishment. Scads of hit songs that sound as great as ever today. Phenomenal!!!

There is a lot going on behind the beats on this one. I forgot how young Janey Jackson was (23) and that this is overtly message driven (compared to Control). The artistic maturity since Control is noteworthy and the production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis could be their best. This album was huge and unlike many releases of the time, one spin makes it obvious why that was the case. A masterclass in popular dance, hip-hop, pop.

This one was a lot of fun and features a totally distinct production style from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (distinct from others, not anything else they made bc it all sounds like this from what I’ve heard). A classic 80s, over the top pop album is both the best and worst ways. This album clearly took a lot of work to make and it shows in the number of tracks stacked on top of each other here. I can also hear the influence on Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, and maybe even Prince? I do however think it suffers from including some of the same surface level political commentary that her brother utilized on some of his later albums. I think it’s great that Janet Jackson had something to say and was willing to use her platform to do so, but there’s a way to do political commentary that’s not so simple and (in my opinion) clumsy. My favorite tracks were “Miss You Much” , "Lonely", and “Alright".

can't believe i hadn't listened to this

This album is pretty amazing for how many great song/hits it contains. Though the interludes and theme don't make the package better, there's at least 5 great songs, catchy, melodic and enjoyable.

Strong 9 this is straight bangers

Amazing! One of my favourites of all time.

Soft spot for this one. Every song is great, even the moody romantic ones. I used to think it is badly paced with all that slow burn at the end, but I like it now. This can pep up any doldrum day.

Legendary badass!

Makes sense that it sounds a lot like Michael's stuff. I'd have to listen to her more than just this to see if I actually liked /her/ stuff. But it's on a good track.

So I usually joke about how I hate production from around this year for sounding too cheap and fake but maaaaaan. What a fucking record. The production sounds of-its-time but it only makes the record stronger. Pretty much every song is a bop. Also, I'm not usually one for slow, sex jams, but "Someday Is Tonight" is making me feel some sort of way. Shout out to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Holy shit. Favorite tracks: "Rhythm Nation", "Someday Is Tonight", "Black Cat", "Love Will Never Do"

Great album

Great, fun album.

I quite enjoyed this sociopolitical album. I haven't listened to much Janet and was pleasantly surprised. Found myself humming Rythym Nation, got pulled into the softness of Miss You Much, love the excitement of Escapade, and totally got into the Black Cat. I'll probably wonder why I put this on my 5 star list but heck let's do it.

Girl.

Perfect pop

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.

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.

C'est un peu comme du Michael mais en aussi bien (j'adore) Playlist pick : Rhythm Nation

okay i really enjoyed this, reminds me of the sonic soundtrack

76/100.

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

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.

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

Sounds like if Trent Reznor was a black woman from the 80s when he was making Petty Hate Machine

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!

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⭐️

blueprints are lovely

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. 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.

uh uh huh!

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.

perfect pop album

Fun

++: 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

This is such a good album, especially for the time at it's release.

The end of the 80s pop and on the cusp of a 90s revolution.

Day825 - this was a mega hit album. i still can hear at least three or four just flipping the channels today but what i remember most about this album was the videos.

Der Sound von Janet Jackson in seiner Höchstform. 4/5

4/5

A good album, I liked Rhythm Nation and Miss You Much the most.

leading and dancing in the 90s

Rhythm Nation?? moren like LIBERALthm WOKEtion!! The only album so far where that stereotypical 80s sound didn't annoy me, big W

One thing I've found with this project... There's some albums I want to love but can't. And there's some albums I want to hate but don't. This comes into the second category.

low 4 just my thing actually

As the 1980s were coming to an end, many pop artists were working hard to ensure they'd maintain relevance in the 90s. For Janet Jackson, she not only had to accomplish this, but prove there was more to her than simply being Michael's little sister. 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is a surprisingly poignant record that delves deep into themes of racism, poverty and substance abuse, as well as romance, and its clear that Janet was prepared to delve deeper into these subjects then even Michael was prepared to. With songs like 'Rhythm Nation', 'The Knowledge' and 'Miss You Much' and the fact that Jackson had a hand in the writing production and arrangement of most of the songs on the record, this record proves that the baby Jackson has a unique array of talent in her own right. 'Rhythm Nation 1814' sounds really fresh and confident, and shows that Jackson and her team had a keen eye on the next decade with its bold pop sound incorporating elements of new jack swing, industrial and dance. Michael sure wasn't the only unique pop star in the family! Best songs: Rhythm Nation, The Knowledge, Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do (Without You)

36# ShabaraparadmAHH- Soo, I find the lyrics kind of annoying and preachy, although I agree with the message. I was actually surprised by the sound of it. Ignorance from my side, but I didn't know at all that Janets work we're so acclaimed, but now I know and understand why. This has energy funkiness and artistry. Some 80s sounding, but with a lot of experimental elements, so it doesn't really sound dated. That little scream in almost all of the songs is funny, that high pitched Aah- I don't need more interludes, thanks. At least they're off of the actual songs. The Lonely track is beautifully produced, with that flute on the back, wow.

Even though the genre is not completely my favorite there is no doubt this album is a masterpiece!

Album #1,063 I was thinking if they were going to add a Janet Jackson album, it would be Control, but this one had quite a few hits as well. I enjoyed the fun songs like Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do, and Escapade, and less the “socially conscious” songs that were starting to become a trend at the time. Better than the raunchy, horny pop, that’s for sure.

A pop anthem between Prince and Michael Jackson, thus, a perfectly suited 80s album. I love the high-mindedness, but her life seems too removed to make a proper protest song, so RN is filled with cliches. But the rhythms pop, and the first few songs are top notch. 3.5/5

I received this album as a Christmas present in 1989. It could be the nostalgia but I love it!

I think she actually achieved world peace here<3. Jokes aside, it's a very thoughtful, soulful, groovy record, albeit a sound very of its time. Janet is such an underappreciated artist.

Better then expected. Very dated production in places.

she slay

Very unique sound. Too much of the same sonicly.

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis absolutely crushing it. Some truly transcendent songs. The single that hit me hardest as a 10 year old was 'Escapade', which at the time I heard as 'Ice-capade', because there was some kind of arena event with that name. So I always imagined Janet Jackson ice skating in love, which...works! I also just love the art direction: the uniforms, the black and white, the album cover. The epitome of stylish.

The reviews on this are so funny "its a product of its time" yeah thats...kind of how music works LMAO An album that came out in 1989 sounds like it came out in 1989 shocker! Regardless of the reviews, its a very good album but if you care enough to dive into the rest of her discography, you'll realize that she was still finding her footing here. She has a strong body of work but I personally find the run of Janet, The Velvet Rope, and All for You, much more fitting for her. (Be prepared these albums are from the 90s/early 2000s guys !!! so it will sound like 90s/ early 2000s music!!) Once you hear the rest of her music you will never get over the urge to beat Justin Timberlake with hammers.

La partenza è stata col botto, poi gli ultimi pezzi si sono adagiati un po' troppo a mio gusto.

Those album was on constant rotation in my house in the early 90s. My mom would crank this up while cleaning the house. I'm not sure if it's legit good or just an absolute nostalgia induced love of this. Either way, I love it.

Peters out at the end but the harder edged R&B tracks are great. Bit of it's time but there's lots to enjoy

Cool 1980/90's feel. Easy background frel good music eg driving

very nice! Did discover one of the songs they play constantly at my job is on here LOL

very impressed by this one, janet has a gorgeous voice

super solid all the way through, super fun!! she’s great!!

What a great record, the production from Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis is legitimately unbelievable especially for 1989. They're making sounds I was not even aware you could make especially on tracks like 'Escapade' and 'Lonely' and the title track, which is a perfect layered piece of art. The album ends with three 5-6 minute ballads which is an odd choice but they're all so good that it doesn't matter.

Production was pretty fun, good background music album but songs were kinda forgettable. 3.5

01) Interlude: Pledge - / 02) Rhythm Nation - 9,0 03) Interlude: T.V. - / 04) State of the World - 7,5 05) Interlude: Race - / 06) The Knowledge - 7,0 07) Interlude: Let's Dance - / 08) Miss You Much - 8,5 09) Interlude: Come Back - / 10) Love Will Never Do (Without You) - 10,0 11) Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make) - 7,5 12) Alright - 8,0 13) Interlude: Hey Baby - / 14) Escapade - 7,5 15) Interlude: No Acid - / 16) Black Cat - 9,0 17) Lonely - 7,0 18) Come Back to Me - 7,0 19) Someday Is Tonight - 7,5 20) Interlude: Livin'...In Complete Darkness - / TOTAL: 7,96 (80/100)

Torn with this one, might even be a 5

So many bangers. Really like this album.

Forgot how good this album is - can see the influence on say Beyonce with the intro to Cowboy Carter.

Good

Full disclosure, this was one of the first CDs I owned (stolen from Columbia House), and nostalgia is really big with me. Not a lot of love on here for Janet. Not sure why. This album has her best songs, was a smash hit, and while similar to her brother, she clearly has her own sound. Influence 2. Quality 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 5. I've always liked Janet 4.

Pretty good, I'd never listened to it before. The last few tracks were kind of boring for me and skipped them but overall a solid 4 I think.

I liked this a surprising amount, it has the cheesy 80s production but I don't mind it here for some reason. Very good pop album

Just a great musical journey all throughout. Vocals were full but soft, calm, and worked well with the other musical ideas in the album. There was a little too much interludes but in the grand scheme of the album it makes sense and works well with it. Would recommend. 8.5/10, Favorite Song: Escapade

There’s a LOT going on here, similar to “Like a Prayer”, but with a lot less angst. Janet is filling multiple roles, mixing hip-hop, funk, power pop, blues, rock and R&B in an album that sprawls all over. Its main drawback is length - things stay a little too similar over time that the songs mush together. But that said, it’s a real feat of an album with a constant flow, and 1989 feels like a real high water mark for ladies in pop. Tempted to give it a 3 but I feel like this warrants some more time to digest and enjoy.

Buen disco

Much like with her brother, I was never really much of a Janet Jackson fan, although I'm nonetheless impressed at how much success she had with this album. In many ways, I think this would have been a stronger album if it could have been made without the painfully hollow late 80s production sound, and even better if she'd managed to spend more than three tracks on the social-consciousness songs, as the rest of the album is far less distinctive musically (and lyrically); even if there's nothing necessarily profound in "Rhythm nation" or "The knowledge", they feel like a welcome excursion into the real world from one of the Jackson Five. The only other track that really stood out for me was the more rock-oriented "Black cat". But full credit to Janet Jackson for crafting a solid pop album that appealed to an amazingly wide audience.

Rhythm Nation - 4.5/5 State of the World - 4/5 The Knowledge - 3.5/5 Miss You Much - 3.5/5 Love Will Never Do (Without You) - 4/5 Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make) - 3.5/5 Alright - 4/5 Escapade - 4/5 Black Cat - 4.5/5 Lonely - 3.5/5 Come Back to Me - 3/5 Someday is Tonight - 3/5 I went into this not really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I listened to. I guess new jack swing is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. It feels a bit overproduced at times and I feel like some songs could have been slightly trimmed down for time. I feel it could have been a 5 if the message wasn't dropped halfway through the album, but a really solid production saves it from any lower. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Rhythm Nation, Love Will Never Do, Alright, Escapade, Black Cat

Much better than her brother's output. Maybe it's less played out than Michael. Maybe it's that there isn't the baggage that MJ's music carries either. The album is really long, which could use some editing. Cut a few tracks get it done in 45 I say. And honestly a lot of it sounds the same. But, it also sounds like background music for the Streets of Rage video games and that's fine by me.

4.3 lowkey slayed

Fun 80's Pop

Perhaps underrated by Janet's standard -- i.e. this album is never brought up when talking about her classic, even though it could easily stand among them. Freeing album with strong vocals and lush production, even if the latter might be excessive.

I remember liking this when I came out but forgot how good it actually was. Yea if you can get over the 80s production it helps but it was the 80s! Hovered between a 4 and 5, went with a solid 4

Very much of it’s time - which is not a complaint! Janet is way more political than her brother and her sound is closer to Prince than Michael. It’s a fun if not nostalgic listen.

Got the point? Good, let's dance!

Only occasionally listened to Janet Jackson back in the day. This was a solid record with some clear standouts. No filler

great album but nothing is more dated sounding than those digital drums and 80s synths.

Janet captures the mood of the time. Some songs feel dated to me, like the synth in The Knowledge, but besides that- she is a powerhouse with a voice.

Super solid 80’s album

What a top notch album. Some of the sounds on it did not age gracefully and act as a timestamp on the sound but still it does not take away much from the overall album. So many great tracks and performances.on this album Love Will Never Do is a musical masterpiece. So many great hooks in one song.

A bit long but groovy!!

Good album, reminds of Princes beats. A bit long and sometimes repetitive. It was a bit better in the second half. 3.6 stars

Not totally my type of music but this thing is full of bangers and all of the eight(!!!!) singles still hold up. 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would - def some grooves and catchy parts. Was a bit long and some songs felt kind of similar but I enjoyed my listen not sure if I’d reach for it again - somewhere between a 3 and 4 but I’m rounding up to 4 bc it’s better than some albums I’ve given a 3

Almost too 80's for me, but I found this impressively diverse and engaging for an hour plus runtime. You can see her fingerprints on a lot of modern pop music in a good way. 4/5

I love it

4 honnete, parce que j'ai ecoute

Incredible album. Fun. Every track is full of energy and had me dancing in my chair.

Not a pop guy, but this seems like a good pop album. It was hard to take some of the deeper lyrics about the world seriously because of the light hearted beats and melodies surrounding them, but it was still a good flow.

Bombastic production and killer vocals, this album removes the preachiness of social justice and still manages to find room for some classic dancey/ballad love songs. Great listen overall. The interludes are also a great touch.

Better than I remembered / expected. Though I doubt I'll be back for another listen very often.

Enjoyed this album from the least problematic Jackson.

Pretty fun album. I don't have a ton to say about it other than that 7.5/10

First time listening to Janet, and was pleasantly surprised! I was unsure at first, and then on came 'Miss you Much'. I knew this song from this reel I saw a while back of 5 middle aged ladies dancing in this red carpeted, oak panneled basement. This sounds weird now that im typing it out... but the video was fucking awesome, wish I could send it here. Their moves were very average at best, but that's what made it so good. They were slaying the house down, boots mama. Anyways the song was a large part of the video for me, so hearing the OG version was a crazy occurrence. Usually I dont love 80s drum machine kinda stuff, but this album went hard!

Pretty fire

Interesting listen. Feels very 80s. The music is pretty nice. The interludes seem kind of pretentious to me. Nothing I'd likely revisit, but not an unpleasant listen.

Love it!

It sounds very 80s due to the electronic drums and synth. I like the interesting rhythms on each song and the music is very fun and upbeat, in contrast with the serious themes of social injustice tackled in the lyrics of many songs. Every song seems designed to be a chart hit. Highlights: Black Cat, Escapade.

The first time I heard Rhythm Nation, I was blown away. It felt bold, unified, and unstoppable. On a second listen, it still holds up as an iconic statement, but the momentum starts to drag a bit. The songs are strong individually, yet the album’s nonstop intensity and similar production textures make it feel a little repetitive front to back. It’s still a landmark in pop and R&B, just one that works better in moments than as a full straight-through listen. Dropping my score from a 9.5 to an 8.5 feels right.

This was definitely heavily produced in the studio and a little long, but I like the ideas

Funky!

I remember when this album came out. It was huge and I admittedly didn’t understand why. Now, listening to it, I get it. Janet had been living in the shadow of her legendary brother. This was her break out, which ironic considering she was mimicking/sharing his militarist wardrobe at the time. This was a lyrical look at the world around her, everything from love songs to race to poverty, though I don’t know how much she experiences directly. The album starts feeling long close to the end but finishes before it gets annoying. Key tracks are—of course—Rhythm Nation, and Miss You Much, which had a really solid bass line from Terry Shaw. Love Will Never Do is also great. Some of these songs sound like they were very much Prince inspired. This one has a strong historical resonance more than a timeless feeling but is a quality album. I look that it’s not as sexualized as a lot of her later work, though I understand the context of why it was necessary. I don’t know how often I would come back but I definitely could come back.

Random thoughts: * What a nostalgia blast this album was! * Janet and Michael Jackson sound so much alike! I could have swore Michael was on "State of the World" but it was just Janet. * I really haven't listened or thought about these songs in 35 years. But some of them came on, specifically Miss You Much, and I immediately started bopping just like I did when I was 12 years old. * I forgot how many songs were hits off of this album and then I found this trivia nugget on Wiki: "It is the only album in the history of the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart to have seven commercial singles peak within the top five positions." * Black Cat and Escapade were also nostalgia hits. * The production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Timbaland and Pharrell of the 80s is really key in this album. It really stands out! * This also brought back the memory of a babysitter who dubbed Janet Jackson onto a cassette for me. I know I'm really dating myself. * It might just be the rush of memories coming back to me but this is an awesome album!

We love Janet

amazing

I really liked this, not sure if it's just because I've been R&B deprived doing this list. Very unfamiliar with her work so took me by surprise, probably not a bad song on the album. Having so many interludes was pulled off surprisingly well too.

I liked this so much more than I thought I would! Sure, it's dated. The interlude gimmick doesn't always work. Some of the songs are laughably bad (Livin In A World). But when it all comes together, it's pretty fun. Highlights: Rhythm Nation, Escapade, Black Cat, Someday is Tonight.

Still holds up well. A lot of the social issues are still here and getting worse unfortunately.

Janet Jackson is definitely talented, and I like the 80s sound here even though it seems super dated, but my god I think an hour was a little long. Mostly because it seems like every song is 5 minutes long. A bit too long. But there's also so many bangers. Low 4 for me

Banger

Really great pop album. Somehow sounds very 90s yet has that distinct 80s drum backing on alot of it. I do have to say, though, that not every song needs an interlude; just too distracting. 8/10

A few of the tracks on this album are true greats, but as a whole, it doesn't move me enough to want it in my collection. It's all a bit too perfect and mainstream for me, I guess, but well worth four stars.

This is one of those albums where almost all the songs are strong. Could do without the interludes, but at least they were short. Songs: Miss You Much, Escapade

The opening track makes her sound like AM I really liked it!

Janet wants to talk about the issues in the world, but there's a tipping point where it overwhelms her and she just want to dance it out.

I really loved The Velvet Rope, and this one was also great - probably not quite up to that standard but still a very fun album

Why does this have a 2.99 average it’s not inaccessible or bad

She achieved just as much fame as her brother - she had so many hits and impact in music. Growing up in the MTV era, I guess it's no surprise how familiar I am with a lot of her music - from her appearances in films/soundtracks - she was a cultural powerhouse. And then the bullshit over the Superbowl. She deserves more respect than that. While the "New Jack Swing" may not be a style I seek out, her album is damn catchy and socially conscious, so it deserves all the love it gets.

Cool eclectic tracks, didn't listen to all

A mi się nawet podobało. Lubię rytmiczny pop, a głos Janet jest nieziemski. Nie jest to płyta z jej największymi hitami, ale doceniam koncept i spójność. 7/10

Favorite Track: Rhythm Nation

This is definitely a bit heavy-handed overall, but to be honest, I love Janet, and I'm rating this a 4 because Love Will Never Do Without You and Escapade are suuuuch baaangers.

Good rnb

3.5 rounded up to 4 for nostalgia reasons

I want to immigrate to Rhythm Nation.

Super cool

Lots of good varied pop in here. Some of those 5 min tracks need tightening to 3 to make it a masterpiece

I might give this a 3.5, as a fun pop and R&B album, upbeat and lively. However, I do think it is a bit more important than that, so I'd round up to 4 anyway. There are a couple great songs, but most of it really isn't my thing, though I can appreciate it and just picture the coordinated dancing in my head...

This is a really solid album. I love how it mixes protest songs with love songs. The interludes are a nice touch that help tie everything together. There are so many tracks that just make you want to move. I was hooked from start to finish!

Feels like a very good representation of it's style and that Janet more or less succeeded in what she wanted for this album. There should probably be some sort of warning for this, however. I was NOT expecting to hear the sounds of school children screaming while they're being gunned down and you won't either... (Livin' In a World (They Didn't Make)

justice for janet…she has always deserved so much more recognition and this is such a fun album

Would you just combine the interludes into the previous track

it was so good i truly HATE oppression!!!!

Surprisingly really good. Throughout, the tracks were interesting and cool. Fave song: Rhythm Nation Honorable mention: livin' in a world

Lyrics very meaningful and the vocals were great. Interludes to weave a complete story just a very good album. Favourite Song: Escapade Honourable Mentions: Rhythm Nation, State of the World

I don't think I'd ever considered a Janet Jackson album before. A lot of sameness, relentless, but also infectious.

I have fond memories of dancing to the industrial-strength bangers, but I wasn't aware of the social justice angle. Sure, there's some filler (I kind of tuned out toward the end) and the drum sound is ridiculous, but it's still a 4 for me.

Side 4 is boring ballads. Some other duds. But this is 1990. Like it or not

This was a fun ride. I don’t have much else to say.

I am a part of a Rhythm Nation.

I get it. It's really good, especially for 1989. I don't love how many interludes there are, but those are easily skipped. Apparently, it was a massive commercial success that produced seven top-five singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and is the only album in history to have number-one hits in three different calendar years (1989–1991). I always associated Janet Jackson with cousin Mary, which lets me sit in comfortable, warm memories.

Some of these definitely send me back to my youth.

Janet Jackson can write a HOOK! Also, I didn't know she wrote such meaningful songs with powerful messages! I really enjoyed this album more than I thought I would! This was solid! Her vocals are strong!!! Some of these songs are LONGGGG tho. Also, I hate interludes 99.999% of the time. "Black Cat" was AMAZING! That solo too!!! Liked Songs: "Rhythm Nation" , State Of The World" , "Miss You Much" , "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" , "Livin' In A World (They Didn't Make)" , "Escapade" , "Black Cat"

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. The political messages were still relevant to our times.

Great album, loved all the songs and ill def check out some more Janet Jackson after this

"Get the point? Good. Let's dance." Cannot fathom why there's so many negative reviews for this record. Janet Jackson is a queen and this record goes unreasonably hard. Great lyrics paired with incredibly groovy instrumentals and thoughtful sequencing. This has gotta be considered a classic, man. "Black Cat" is 100% the standout track on here for me. What the hell is a hard rock song doing here and why is it so damn good?? It doesn't even feel out of place on the record which I think is the most impressive part. I will say that I generally prefer the harder-hitting tracks in comparison to the softer cuts, but I can't say that I particularly *dislike* them. Amazing overall.

Kinda good I liked it more than expected

Really enjoyed this one when it was new, and again now. A couple tracks feel like filler, but the majority are really fun.

Ese año publicaba Madonna Like a virgin, Lenny Kravitz su debut y Queen Latifah, Neneh Cherry, Jungle Brothers o De la Soul eran un soplo de aire fresco que apuntaba a una nueva e ilusionante década. Sin embargo la reina por todos los méritos era Janet con esta monumental obra. Una síntesis de Prince (se nota la mano de los productores y el sonido que ella quería para su disco) y Michael Jackson, pero en mujer. Entre Madonna-Prince-Jacko estaba esta figura que recogía lo mejor de los 3 y suponía un modelo para empoderar a la mujer en todos los aspectos: estético, musical, audivisual, lírico y de gestión del éxito. Solo Madonna aguantó el envite, aunque le costó varios años (muchos), los otros dos no supieron entender los nuevos tiempos. Antecedente claro de todo lo que vino después desde Britney hasta Beyoncé, pasando por Laurynn Hill, Charlie XCX, Jamie Lidell, Martika, Rosalía y todo lo que se ponga por delante. No es Control, su gigantesco paso adelante apenas 3 años antes. Es mucho mejor. Hay de todo, y con mucha coherencia. Grande? Enorme.

Large variety of songs here, enjoyed it.

3.5

She had to put the interludes in. The fragile human mind could not handle this many hits in a row without some kind of buffer. This may be the ultimate culmination of new jack swing, which was such a cool genre with such a unique and fun sound. I very much enjoyed this album by an artist who I am required to refer to as Ms. Jackson. Cause I’m nasty.

Rating: 7.5/10 It sounds so 80s that it is almost cliche and corny, but damn is this enjoyable. A nice combination of slower ballads that are catchy and upbeat songs that slap.

Good, very 80s/confusion about what the 90s are gonna be-coded

Loved this back in the day. Great to revisit. Energy!

Too long. But got into it.

I was happily surprised by this. I went in assuming I was going to hate it. Some catchy tunes - not necessarily my jam but pleasant enough. I would give it a 3 just based on the songs but the production earns it another star.

I think this album is really well done for what it was in its own time and place. There are a bunch of hits on here and deservingly so. I would give it a five for the song Alright all by itself. That said I think it’s probably a four overall.

Peak New Jack Swing. Some of the "social commentary" gets a little heavy handed, but still great.

This is a killer album that I’ve never fully listened to

There's some garbage on here, but the hits are undeniably great.

It was good. Janet Jackson has a sort of timbre in her voice that is iconic.

This is my first time listening to a Janet Jackson album, so I didn't really know what to expect. It's a very solid pop album that's very of it's time. The crispy production in particular dates it - it reminds me a lot of Prince and Madonna in places. There are some great songs on here though, especially the title track, State of the World, Miss You Much, Alright, and Black Cat. I also surprisingly enjoyed Someday is Tonight, even though I usually hate those kind of sensual ballads. At times the lyrics are a bit cheesy, even though I do agree broadly with her views. But if you see it as a product of it's time it makes more sense. I think today's world is so cynical that this album wouldn't be too well received if it was released now. I can see why it was so influential at the time though, and also how it influenced Kendrick Lamar a bit on TPAB.

Good artist. Good music from the late 80’s. Proved herself in a family dominated by males. Stamped herself as a iconic female artist.

Great energy up front before settling into ballads in the back. What I hoped prince’s most recently reviewed album would be. Ahead of its time (or, at least, still relevant today) lyrically.

It was a lot of things I don't particularly like in music but somehow I loved every song. Except for ballads. This album could do without ballads.

I had fun, thanks Janet. Not sure I'll come back to much of this, but it was fun.

Very good pop album

This album feels oddly current!

When I got this album today, I screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" but much to my surprise I liked it & made me feel like dancing- anything that makes me feel like dancing is AT LEAST ⭐️⭐️⭐️ in my book!

89/1089 - Why the interludes? Good music.

If you are like me and extreme syncopation scratches an itch in your brain, you will love it.

Banger after banger! Is the album over produced? Sure. Are the interludes completely unnecessary? Also, yes. But is Janet's performance and the songwriting enough to make this an all-timer? Fuck yeah! Also, I'm going to need a cold shower after "Someday Is Tonight" Favorite tracks: Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do, Escapade, Black Cat

Great

Dope

The whole album has a cool and relaxing vibe. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, but it also just doesn't really excite me much.

A bit of a whirlwind this one. Flips between heavy social/political commentary and just straight love/pop ballads. I think it could've done without the last one or two songs, but still some good music here. 7/10

I really enjoyed most of this album. Politically motivated but the singles are a lot of fun. Top 3 tracks: Black Cat Miss You Much Escapade 8.5/10

Such a wonderful album. One that I've been waiting for an excuse to listen to. And I'm so glad it came. I love Janet's music. To me, Control and The Velvet Rope are absolutely great, with the latter being one of my favorite pop releases ever. This album reaches this level. It begins with incredible bangers 2, 6, 8. 16, is a song I don't enjoy much. But I love Janet's delivery on the incredible ballads here- 11, and especially the ending of 17, 18, 19... Tear jerking, huge sound. Vocals, instrumentals. Pop heaven. 4.5

Fine album.

Yeah, pretty good. I love that this album used to brake computers.

Where some albums feel very timeless, this one feels very firmly set in the early 90's. It's hyper produced and polished, so it doesn't give that warmth that you get from raw talent. This is still a great album and clearly stands the test of time, it just feels firmly planted in a specific time and place.

I prefer this album, at least in terms of albums I would listen to often, to the albums by Michael Jackson. Obviously, Rhythm Nation is not as iconic as Bad or Thriller, but this is a really good album of new jack swing. I'm surprised the song with the most plays "only" has 41 million. I would think at least one of these tracks would top 100 million. Perhaps that is just the 80's baby in me coming out with unrealistic expectations. Rhythm Nation (the song) has Sly and the Family Stone written all over it but not too much to wear they are copping an entire song. There are 8 interludes on the album and I normally don't like these because they tend to break up the song momentum. What's odd to me is there are fewer interludes on the back half of the album when the songs are a bit slower. I would think there would be fewer interludes when the music is slower. I tend to get many of these songs stuck in my head and while the backhalf is a bit slow, I think anyone who likes Michael Jackson or new jack swing should listen to this one. It's a great album.

I forgot just how great of an album this is.

Sometimes, I wonder if I was a teen in the eighties, would I have been a goth? Sometimes, I think yes. Sometimes, I hear an album like this one, and think I’d have been one of those girls in the bright crazy patterned clothes and the casual use of leg warmers. I really didn’t expect to enjoy this album as much as I did, but it’s just really fun and makes you want to dance and enjoy yourself. And call me crazy if you want, but I think enjoyment is pretty good.

Don't think I've ever listened to this all the way through since I was a kid. Holds up surprisingly well even if some of that 80s R&B production can be a sound a tad dated. Solid stuff though

Hell yeah everything about this album.

The production is very dated but otherwise really solid album with great vocals and messages

I really don't like hip hop, but this is some of my favorite hip hop music that I've listened to. Like I originally wanted to give it a 2 but I ended up thinking it was a super solid album.

4.

Most of it sounds like a product of its time, but I kinda like that. Later on it gets more timeless with some lovely ballads.

2000s vibes

probs 4

Surprised by how much I liked this album. Maybe I’m a closet JJ fan…

Well, that was a surprise. Put a smile on my face and a tap, tap shuffle into my day

Wow, this is really cool! This is another one of these cases where I obviously know who Janet Jackson is and I know her nineties hits, but never heard anything from this album. This is a great selection that runs the gamut of eighties pop, from funk to hard rock. Super cool and makes you want to dance.

I had never before heard- Ok that's a lie i have heard Janet before in the song Scream with Michael Jackson ofc, but even with her solo stuff getting more attention among music nerd circles, I haven't really gotten to check it out until now. I was the most interested in this one out of all her albums because it had industrial influences according to RYM so like, why not! And for the most part I kinda see it? The rugged and mechanical beats in this album wouldn't be too out of place if in EBM if you isolated them and put people chanting endless meaningless slogans. But anyway, this album was really enjoyable, I mean Janet sounds amazing, the instrumentals are punchy and dance-able but also not saddled by 80s production like I'd expect especially on Rhythm Nation and Miss You Much which are just so cool and really made me want to get up and dance to them. I will say though: the length is not the best, especially as the last few songs just veer into R&B ballads without much more to them just dragged the enjoyment of the album which started which such cool energy. There's also how many interludes there are in this album, almost ridiculously so but they're short enough to not be a total bother I think. All in all, pretty good!

9/10. I saw an interesting video about this album's title track which claimed that the title track causes computers, and even local computers, to crash. Interesting facts aside, this album features a lot of bops. I love its strong anti-racism message. :)

Beautiful production, vocals, and harmonies. Wonderful album.

Janet’s best known

great album, but wayyyy too many interludes....

to be lost, found in sound, of this room

3.8

Had very low expectations but this wasn’t that bad in the end. Black Cat is a banger.

i love this sound i feel like you just don’t hear music like this (at least in the mega pop sphere) anymore

A+

State of the World kind of slaps in the most 80s way. Escapade is another great single. I went in with unfairly low expectations and was swept away. While this wasn't a close listen, I really enjoyed this album for everything that it is. The songs are well-produced and shimmer with all of the trappings of the time. Instrumentals were funky and varied and the individual songwriting was really strong. Made for a fun listen a couple of times through.