Janet Jackson’s 60 Best Songs: Staff List

This All for You standout goes all in on a prominent sample of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” even incorporating new spoken-word parts from the singer/songwriter. But even though the 1972 Simon classic is one of pop music’s most visceral takedowns, Jackson takes it even further, with pointed language (“I’d rather keep the trash and throw you out/ Stupid b–ch in my beach house”) and a rapid-fire, hip-hop-inspired chorus that never lets up on the gas pedal. – KATIE ATKINSON

This song is responsible for one of the first instances of Miss Jackson calling a fan up to the stage, tying them down and slow grinding on them as they hyperventilate. That’s enough to put this record into the pantheon of her best songs. Although Janet famously isn’t super into S&M as the song may suggest, the scintillating “Rope Burn” is still about trusting your partner and not being afraid of a little pain while you do it. Just don’t forget the safe word. — ANGEL DIAZ

In this kiss-the-ring scorcher, a musical twin to “Rhythm Nation,” Jackson breaks down her fractured relationship with her father and former manager, taking it all the way back to childhood. “And Daddy, he was distant, never there to hold my hand,” she sings, setting up Joe Jackson as an absentee parent who scared his kids. Sure, Janet says she still needs her dad and wants to repair the relationship, but “You Need Me” is really about getting her dad to admit that now, he needs her, his superstar daughter. “Now the table’s turned, so tell me you need me,” she sings. “Just admit you need me.” Janet’s light vocal delivery never sounds aggressive, but if you lean in and listen closely, you’ll feel the heat of her burn. — CHRISTINE WERTHMAN

Jackson initially lures listeners to the title track from her 11th studio album, with silky vocals commenting on the mistakes she’s made, and the love (from fans and/or a lover) that’s carried her beyond those missteps. Then she smoothly sinks the hook in further by shifting to a syncopated, mid-tempo R&B/pop/dance groove, laced with enticing harmonies too captivating to ignore. Eleven years after its 2015 debut, “Unbreakable” still maintains its magical punch. It also stands as additional proof of the dynamic rapport between Jackson and longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, as the triumvirate reunited to triumphantly score a seventh No. 1 Billboard 200 album — which signaled Jackson’s first release under her Rhythm Nation label. — GAIL MITCHELL

The fourth single from janet. (and one of its six Hot 100 top 10s), “Because of Love” is an interesting transitional slice for Jackson. The effervescent vocals, the naïve lyrics and throwback shoop-shoops hark back to her Reagan Era frothiness, but the slammin’ beat and dirty Minneapolis funk, courtesy co-writers and producers Jam & Lewis, show that Jackson was savvy to the fact that it was only a matter of time until the worlds of pop and R&B would be forever changed by hip-hop. — JOE LYNCH

There’s a stark delineation between Janet’s almost astonishingly innocent love songs and those that are decidedly less so. “This Body” is firmly in the latter camp, and in the spirit of its parent album — 20 Y.O., which found Janet re-embracing the sense of liberation that pervaded the then 20-year old Control.  A co-production with then-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, along with longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, “This Body” finds Janet riding an acid funk beat to directly address the men who fantasize over her magazine pictorials — but she’s no passive sex object. Coming when it did, “This Body” feels like a rebuke to the now clearly sexist treatment Janet got in the mid 2000s, in the wake of both wide media scrutiny of her weight and her 2004 Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake. — REBECCA MILZOFF

The fifth single from Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 is one of her prettiest ballads. It moves at a leisurely pace, with an opening that runs 52 seconds before Jackson starts singing. (The strings on the record were Jackson’s idea.) The record ends with thunder and rain sounds which reinforce the song’s connection to R&B’s Quiet Storm tradition. This is Jackson’s only single to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, and she also recorded a Spanish-language version titled “Vuelve a mí.” – PAUL GREIN

Sandwiched between interludes at the tail end of Damita Jo’s ample tracklist, “SloLove” remains an underrated deep cut within Jackson’s decades-long discography. The superstar lets alter egos Damita Jo and Strawberry out to play at various other points across the sexually charged album, but “SloLove” is nothing but pure Janet as she effortlessly commands the dance floor from its breezy, blissful center. Listeners can practically picture Jackson grooving beneath the glittering disco ball as she giddily vows to take it “nice and slow” over a house-inflected beat that’s anything but. — GLENN ROWLEY

Just in case you thought “Any Time, Any Place” went a little too fast with the groove and a little too slow with the sex, here comes late-janet.-era B-side “70’s Love Groove” to really set the mood right. The song borders on excessiveness, but is saved by Jackson’s (and Jam and Lewis’) adherence to the source material: “Groove” gets there because it’s as patient and purposeful as its predecessors, gradually developing its hypnotic undertow, but changing keys like it’s changing positions, lest things ever get too static. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Before Beyoncé unleashed I Am … Sasha Fierce and Britney Spears revealed Britney Jean, Jackson introduced alter ego Damita Jo — the singer’s middle name. Unjustly overshadowed by the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” during Super Bowl XXXVIII, the album still delivered a fair share of solid wins like the title track. Its potent hip-hop funk provides the perfect backdrop for the assertive, saucy Damita Jo, who elevates Jackson’s lifelong control mission to another level: “I wanna nasty boy to put it on me good / Miss Janet don’t, but Damita sure would / A little lady, a whole lotta class / But do me wrong, I’ll get in that ass.” — G.M.

Jackson and Vandross received a well-earned Grammy nod for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for their spry duet version of this song. Their flirty banter, including playfully dropping each other’s names, adds some spice. A remix featuring BBD and New Edition’s Ralph Tresvant enabled the song to tap into the hot sound of the era, new jack swing. That was the version featured on the Mo’ Money soundtrack, which reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The song samples George McCrae’s 1975 hit “I Get Lifted.” – P.G.

Originally a Jacksons song from their 1984 album Victory, written by Janet’s brother Randy, “One More Chance” has a more “traditional” R&B sound that eventually led to this version getting some decent airplay from rogue radio DJs before the album dropped, which was rare at the time. It makes sense, though, as the rock-solid track was more tame subject-wise compared to most of the album — while Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis did a good job de-’80s-fying Randy’s version, making it a better fit for the time period. — A.D.

One of the most socio-politically fed-up songs on Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, “State of the World” opens with a whiplash-inducing sound collage of TV channel surfing: news reports on “the homeless problem,” beauty ads, Flintstones sound effects and crime statistics. But America’s ails don’t move Jackson to despair – on the contrary, they send her straight to the dancefloor for catharsis. With Jam & Lewis providing relentless beats and a tasty new jack seasoning, “State of the World” finds Janet taking a tough look at homelessness, poverty and drugs while hitting the dancefloor just as hard. — J.L.

Before D’Mile became the Oscar-winning architect of standout early 2020s R&B albums, he scored his first major chart success with this electro-pop-leaning lead single from Janet’s Discipline album. From sexy fembot vocal effects to lyrics that double as an instruction manual for activating her erogenous zone, “Feedback” was a glorious late-career evolution of Janet’s commitment to sexual liberation. When she ends the bridge with, “’Cause my swag is serious/ Somethin’ heavy like a first-day period, so,” there’s no tongue-in-cheekiness. Her allure and sexual satisfaction are no joke — and that what makes the seductive, no-nonsense thrill of “Feedback,” and the entire Discipline album, so good. — KYLE DENIS

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced the soundtrack for the late-1990s film starring Angela Bassett, so it was no surprise that their girl Janet showed up as a featured vocalist on one of the songs, though it was a surprise to Shaggy. The Jamaican artist did not know that Jackson would be the one to step in his “caravan of love,” which is certainly a-rockin’ along to the springy sample of the Honey Drippers’ “Impeach the President.” Doing her best Rose Royce impression, Jackson breathlessly sings, “Ooh boy, I love you so/ Never ever ever gonna let you go/ Once I get my hands on you,” but her coos of “Mr. Lover,” Shaggy’s nickname, throughout turn up the temperature. Though singer Samantha Cole replaced Jackson on a re-recorded version of the song due to label drama a couple years later, the OG “Luv Me” is the one that, as Shaggy says, “Leave a lastin’ impression for weeks and weeks.” — C.W.

After scoring her biggest hit in nearly a decade with “Feedback,” Janet continued her late-2000s comeback with “Rock With U,” the club-ready second single off 2008’s Discipline. Combining elements of Eurodisco and house music with her sensual pop stylings, Jackson recorded the song as a love letter to her ever-loyal LGBTQ+ fan base — even recruiting the trailblazing trans performer Mimi Marks to appear in the song’s expertly choreographed one-shot music video. And if there’s one enduring lesson Ms. Jackson imparts on the clubby track, it’s that, yes: strobe lights do, in fact, make everything sexier. — G.R.

It wasn’t explicitly a sequel to “Let’s Wait Awhile,” but it didn’t have to be: If you’d been following Janet Jackson since Control, you understood the implications of her ending her Rhythm Nation 1814 album with a seductive ballad promising that the time was now. And as she previously promised she would be, “Tonight” was worth the wait: Janet reaches near-delirious levels of breathiness as she guarantees “No more fantasizing of how it would be/ ‘Cause tonight all your dreams come true” over gorgeously cavernous production, teasing that next time we heard from her, she’d REALLY be turning up the heat on the slow jams. — A.U.

Jamaican dancehall swagger embraced the sophisticated sway of R&B/pop to create this 2002 song of the summer contender that sounds just as frothy and vibrant nearly 25 years later. Beenie Man’s Neptunes-produced gem is about letting go of the emotional baggage that comes with romantic betrayal and finding an escape route from that universal malady through another universal means: music. The song’s video, a fan fave directed by Dave Meyers, vividly maps that course through its colorful beach setting and party vibe. And between Beenie Man’s melodic, quick-fire patois and Jackson’s soft, coquettish vocals soundtracking the proceedings, you can’t help but follow their groove-seeking lead. — G.M.

“Alright” flips a timeless sample of Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It)” into a new jack swing anthem centered on trust, loyalty, and emotional comfort, revealing a softer side of Janet’s approach to love. Heavy D’s smooth guest verse on the remix also marked one of the first rap-sung collaborations in mainstream pop. Its now-iconic music video honors jazz music and dance legends like Cab Calloway, Cyd Charisse, and The Nicholas Brothers (all of whom appear in the visual), while pairing jump-jiving choreography with vintage Hollywood flair. As with much of Jackson’s video work, “Alright” left a lasting mark on pop culture; Chris Brown’s “Yeah 3x” drew heavy comparisons to the original video, and Victoria Monét’s aptly-titled “Alright” video nods to Jackson’s blueprint. — J’NA JEFFERSON

Considered Janet’s most difficult album to create, The Velvet Rope served as a cathartic release for the once-troubled icon. The title track doubles as both liberation anthem and emotional purge: Once devoid of happiness, Jackson’s journey toward self-love begins on “Velvet Rope,” where she encourages listeners to shed judgment and embrace vulnerability. Accented by Vanessa-Mae’s mesmerizing violin solo, Jackson is no longer waiting to exhale as she lifts her internal rope and grants access to those willing to join her inside Club Janet. — CARL LAMARRE

Janet’s youthful idealism was on full display throughout Rhythm Nation 1814 — perhaps nowhere more so than on the fiery pro-education anthem “The Knowledge.” Over the new jack swing sound she’d pioneered with dream team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the youngest Jackson imagined a future free from social ills plaguing the world both then and now (“Prejudice, no!/ Ignorance, no!/ Bigotry, no!/ Illiteracy, no!”). And while the anthem was never released as an official radio single, a mostly instrumental version received its very own video treatment as part of Janet’s post-apocalyptic short film Rhythm Nation 1814, which took home the Grammy for best long form music video the following year. — C.W.

Jackson radiates positivity and light on this ebullient single, which was the lead single from her first compilation album, Design of a Decade 1986/1996. The song was originally written as a possible duet with Michael, but the sibs chose to team on “Scream” instead. The release of this warm and comforting song less than three months after the release of the hard-edged and aggressive “Scream” showed Janet’s range. “Runaway” has Middle Eastern influences, including church bells and sitars. The best moment was this self-deprecating ad-lib: “Ooh, didn’t quite hit the note/That wasn’t such a good time.” — P.G.

Busta Rhymes nearly crashed his car on the highway when he heard Janet Jackson tell Hot 97 that he was the one rapper she wanted to work with in the future. Bus-a-Bus made a call to Mona Scott-Young to connect him with Janet, and the rest is history. Busta and Janet joined forces on “What’s It Gonna Be?!” in 1998, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a nomination for best rap performance by a duo or group at the 2000 Grammy Awards, while giving Janet a certified smash hit with a rapper. The collaboration is best remembered for its Terminator 2-inspired music video, which enlisted Hype Williams for the platinum-melting visuals. According to Busta, the futuristic liquifying visual came with a $2.4 million budget; it was worth every penny. — M.S.

Unbreakable, Janet’s most recent studio album, had some real hidden gems. Fusing her signature, Jam & Lewis-helmed sound with bouncy trap-infused bass courtesy of Dem Jointz, Janet added another lovable rhythmic-pop banger to her catalog. And, of course, who can say no to a Velvet Rope interpolation? Especially when the song in question is “I Get Lonely,” which she nods to on the bridge, cooing, “Gonna break it down, break it down.” Always a master at keeping her sound fresh while remaining singular, Janet understood the assignment with this one. — K.D.

A stealth highlight from the ending ballad run on Rhythm Nation 1814, “Lonely” didn’t crash the charts like “Come Back to Me” or advance Janet Jackson’s overall story like “Someday Is Tonight.” But it did have that shivering, flute-sounding hook — the most alluring sonic texture in Jam and Lewis’ pitch-perfect cold-outside, warm-inside production — and it does have Janet’s cooed reassurances of “Anytime you feel the need/ Call me when you’re lonely.” It’s not as explicitly sexy as most of her best slow songs, but the sheer intimacy of it remains staggering. — A.U.

This tender Velvet Rope ballad finds Jackson in a confessional mood. “I’m scared to fall in love/ Afraid to love so fast,” she whispers, a piano-led melody dancing around her sad words. But the sun rises on the chorus, both in the brightness of the piano and the hope in Jackson’s voice as she recalls the racing of her heart when the object of her affection is near. Strings swoop in at the end, and there’s even a key change, closing “Every Time” on a promising note. The song didn’t chart on the Hot 100, but the intimate slow jam gave listeners a place to put their feelings amid the more dance-ready singles. — C.W.

As it ridiculous as it may sound, there’s a large swath of people who were introduced to Janet Jackson, and “Would You Mind” specifically, with this X post about “miscellaneous uncs [shooting] poison on stage.” And, honestly, there’s not a better way to enter the gripping sensual universe of the Jam & Lewis and Rockwilder-produced track. Across the five-and-a-half-minute runtime, Janet traces the full journey to orgasm, whispering seductive desires and demands that unfortunately end in an interrupted moment of release. This is the kind of song that turns your cheeks red during a private listen, but for Janet, it was the ultimate way to channel her sexual power — which she flaunted onstage in memorable performances of this song on her no-holds-barred All for You Tour. — K.D.

Found on her eponymous fifth-studio album, “You Want This” weaves together recognizable elements from The Supremes’ “Love Child” and Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” into a funky groove anchored by Janet’s command-and-control delivery. Production from her frequent collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis keeps everything tight and dance floor ready, while a featured rap verse from MC Lyte on the remix sharpens the track’s edge. The lyrics lean playful but pointed, sending a clear message that attraction alone is not enough for Ms. Jackson’s standards. (“If you want my future, You better work it, boy,” she coos on the chorus.) — J.J.

Even with the fallout from the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy casting a shadow over this sectino of her career, “All Nite (Don’t Stop)” remains one of Jackson’s most enduring club bangers. One of the standouts from 2004’s Damita Jo, the track fuses pulsating electro-house production with Latin-inspired rhythms and infectious dancehall energy — elements amplified further on the song’s remix with Elephant Man. Despite the commercial hurdles that kept it off of the Hot 100 chart, “All Nite” climbed to No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, reaffirming her command of the dance floor even amid industry backlash. — J.J.

With its background chatter and distorted beat, this 1998 Dance Club Songs No. 1 has all the touchstones of the exact kind of house party that it’s meant to soundtrack (not unlike the daydream festivities that go down in the music video). Co-written with Jam & Lewis, as well as Jackson’s ex-husband René Elizondo Jr., the pop icon paints the picture of a perfect night out, from the pre-party to the bumping-and-grinding dance floor to finding the right person to bring home. “Go Deep” brings the party and is a party. – K.A.

Peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100, “Let’s Wait Awhile” was the fifth single from Jackson’s explosive breakthrough album Control. She’d already declared her emancipation from domineering family patriarch Joe and emergence from other personal challenges through the set’s preceding singles like the title track and “Nasty.” Now, for her first co-production credit with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, a 20-year-old Jackson co-wrote this poignant ballad about sexual abstinence. Underscored by its exquisite melody and Jackson’s sweet, compassionate entreaty (“I promise I’ll be worth the wait”), the song’s message also sparked important conversations during the ‘80s AIDS epidemic. — G.M.

Rhythm Nation’s “Black Cat” proved Janet has a real knack for a guitar-driven rock banger, and “What About” showed that she could further bend that genre to add dimension to her prototypical alternative R&B soundscape on later albums like The Velvet Rope. A snarling indictment of domestic abuse, this Velvet Rope standout finds Janet balancing quiet, chilling verses with choruses that trade off a particularly feminine brand of rage and fury. She goes full woman-scorned on this one, delivering one of her most impactful vocal performances ever. When the instrumentation switches from flamenco guitars to a hard rock arrangement, her vocal takes on more grit, hurt and anger, adding real weight to her catalog’s overarching theme of liberation. — K.D.

In case you ever doubted whether Ms. Jackson was a true ride-or-die, cue up “Doesn’t Really Matter.” Later nestled within her seventh album, All for You, the Gary, Indiana native makes one thing crystal clear: It’s mind over body every day of the week, giving the adage “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” a sleek makeover on this glossy 2000s bop. The sugary, glitchy earworm not only topped the Hot 100 for three weeks but continues to have a chokehold on the Lamarre household, courtesy of its original appearance in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. — C.L.

In one of the sharpest left turns of her career, “Black Cat” finds Janet trading her polished pop sheen for snarling glam metal. One of four No. 1 singles from Rhythm Nation 1814, the tantalizing track tackles serious topics like violence and drug abuse while showcasing Janet’s fierce side, a contrast to her then-wholesome image. Bolstered by a righteous rhythm guitar and Jackson’s edgy comfort, the song earned her a Grammy nomination for best female rock vocal performance. Ultimately, it expanded and cemented her influence beyond pop, inspiring rock artists like Fefe Dobson, and also shaping the crossover ambitions of the late Selena. — J.J.

“Now make it mellow!” calls out Archie Bell via a sample of his and The Drells’ classic 1968 Hot 100-topper “Tighten Up.” It’s a plea answered by the Velvet Rope deep cut, which rides a warm, infectious Jam and Lewis dance-n-B production and is led by one of Janet’s coolest vocals, a sung-spoken delivery declaring her party to be the titular safe space. It’s a plea not totally answered by society, which has yet to chill out à la Ms. Jackson when it comes to openness and fluidity within sexuality and gender (“Girl meets boy, girls loses boy, girl gets cute girl back”). But Janet’s “Free Xone” remains one nation under a groove, with a simple guiding principle: “One rule — no rules.” — A.U.

This was thee moment when it happened. Most of the civilized world literally stopped when the music video premiered, and everyone instantly learned the lyrics as we tried to recreate the choreography in our living rooms. I was really young when this first dropped, so it’s always wild when I play it now and hear the frustration in their voices, as they direct their vitriol at the media scrutiny their family continues to face over some incendiary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis production. It’s crazy this remains the only duet between the superstar siblings — if this collab happened in this era, stans would’ve been clamoring for a joint album and I would be right there with them on that hype train.  — A.D.

Once they finally ran out of official singles to pull from the janet. album — after six Hot 100 top 10 hits and nearly two whole calendar years — radio was still reaching for songs like the shuffling ballad “Where Are You Now.” Understandable: the late-album highlight was one of Janet’s best, gentlest heartbreak laments, a song of bad timing, where she regrets the one she let get away, and wonders if she may have wised up a little too late. Rather than amplify her hurt, though, Jam and Lewis’ warmly melodic production seems to lend a sympathetic shoulder for her to ache on, knowing she’ll likely be able to move on soon after. — A.U.

The first taste of Jackson’s 11th studio album, Unbreakable, her first in seven years, arrived in June 2015 with the release of the moody R&B bop “No Sleeep.” Teaming once again with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and even adding a guest verse from star rapper J. Cole to the album and video version, Jackson sets a stormy scene (quite literally, with rain sounds) as she previews a steamy reunion: “48 hours of love/ It’s gonna be a weekend marathon/ So you better get ready, my king/ ’Cause I’m the queen of insomnia.” In true Janet fashion, it’s not explicit, but you get her meaning. Her use of the French phrase “fait accompli,” on the other hand, might require you to do your Googles. — C.W.

I hate to sound clichéd, but they really don’t make R&B like this anymore. Everything is hella vulgar and freaked out these days. “Anything” is for the grown and sexy, not the young and chopped. A mainstay on any intimate playlist worth a damn; this record sounds like the feeling you get when it’s finally time to make a move when the sexual tension is just too high to ignore. It’s the type of track that makes you daydream about your crush as soon as you hear Janet’s sensual voice over Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ quiet storm production. — A.D.

On the surface, “Love Will Never Do” is an outlier on the rebellious Rhythm Nation album, but in fact, the heartbeat-thumping, synthesizer-driven, Hot 100-topping love song has its own brand of lyrical defiance, with Jackson insisting to the outside world that her seemingly unfit romantic partner is, in fact, Mr. Right (“They said it wouldn’t last/ We had to prove them wrong”). The real rebellion, though, came in the 1990 music video directed by fashion photographer Herb Ritts, who unearthed a whole new femininity – and maturity – for the Jackson family’s little sis by pairing her with male models Antonio Sabato Jr. and Djimon Hounsou, a midriff-baring white tank top, and the perfect pair of blue jeans. – K.A.

From Ne-Yo to Drake, nearly every post-Jackson R&B artist has referenced “I Get Lonely” — and there’s really no mystery why. Not only do the song’s abandonment-minded lyrics make it one of Janet’s strongest entries for the “blues” side of R&B, but her lush vocal stacks and Jam & Lewis’ neo-soul-infused production also make it much-welcome departure from her signature dance-pop smashes. Housed on an album that explores the depths of sexual experimentation, “I Get Lonely” turns the bedroom into a confessional booth for Janet to assess the roots of her own behaviors and desires — heady, for sure, but she makes it sound oh-so-smooth. — K.D.

The title track to her seventh album, “All for You” arrived after the boldly explicit The Velvet Rope and in the wake of her separation from her longtime partner. But moping or vengeance couldn’t be further from her mind: Instead, Jackson and longtime creative partners Jam & Lewis, basking in a celebratory sample from Change’s disco-soul hit “The Glow of Love,” craft a hopeful, intoxicating ode to getting back out there and getting some. From the flirty, sing-song intro to the yearning, cooing chorus, “All for You” has not one but two hooks that grab you and don’t let go. As playful (chicka-AH) as it is sexy (“Got a nice package alright/ Guess I’m gonna have to ride it tonight”), “All for You” became her 10th Hot 100 topper (ruling for seven weeks) and ushered in a new era of frisky maturity for the icon. — J.L.

“This is a story about control… My control.” In 1986, a 19-year-old Janet asserted a new level of personal sovereignty over her music, image and career with her breakthrough third album Control — and in doing so, created a blueprint for generations of future pop stars to follow. Released as the fourth single off the studio set, the title track also served as the project’s joyfully defiant thesis. Backed by newfound collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet proved she was “all grown up” and in the driver’s seat on her funky, intricate declaration of independence: calling the shots, speaking her mind and writing the soundtrack that would usher in an innovative, decade-defining era of contemporary R&B. — G.R.

After filming her debut movie role in 1993’s Poetic Justice, Janet caught a wave of inspiration: Channeling her inner Maya Angelou, Jackson sought a lighter ambiance for her first-named project, with “Again” serving as the emotional antidote. Looking to retreat from the high-motored intensity of Rhythm Nation 1814, Jackson — alongside Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis — crafted a gentle ballad designed to capture rekindled love, however briefly it ultimately lasts. Her fragile tenderness melts through the track like butter, as “Again” remains the ultimate audio hug for dreamy romantics. — C.L.

Peaking at No. 14 on the Hot 100, “The Pleasure Principle” was Janet’s first — and for a long time, only — single since becoming a breakout star to miss the top 10. But it’s become a key entry in her canon nonetheless. A rare non-Jam & Lewis production of Janet’s early classic period, “Pleasure” was penned by Time keyboardist Monte Noir — with, among its many car metaphors, a reference to a “big yellow taxi” that perhaps foreshadowed her later sampling of Joni Mitchell’s song on “Got ‘Til Its Gone.” It still sounds forward-thinking, an independent-woman anthem propelled by percussive synth beats and a brief, floating chorus. And the song is now at least equally well-known for its video: essentially one magnetic, elongated Janet dance solo (choreographed by Barry Lather) that everyone from Britney Spears to Jennifer Lopez has namechecked over the years as an influence. — R.M.

Press play on “Someone to Call My Lover,” and your day is instantly better than it was before. A “Ventura Highway” looped guitar riff mixed with Janet Jackson’s breezy vocals and some Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis magic on the production side made for an All for You hit, which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 and picked up a Grammy nomination. The 2001 anthem remains Janet’s most recent top 10 Hot 100 entry. Fittingly enough, a So So Def remix marked her first time working with Jermaine Dupri, who Janet would go on to date a year later. A new generation of listeners would be introduced to “Someone to Call My Lover” when the soothing track went viral on TikTok and surged in streams at the top of 2025. — M.S.

Part of what makes The Velvet Rope such a thrill is hearing an artist 15 years into their career taking artistic risks and exploring unfamiliar terrain — which is certainly the case with Jackson on the trip-hop banger “You.” Over a sample from War’s “The Cisco Kid” and a sublimely sensual rhythm, Jackson whispers, rants and grinds her way through a funky self-examination and self-evisceration. (Plus, even though the song isn’t actually about Michael — as was rumored at the time due to its “mirror” references, but was ultimately shut down by Janet — it’s a treat to hear the rare on-wax moment where her vocals evoke big brother at his snarliest.) — J.L.

The first of Janet’s 10 Hot 100 No. 1s is a song of virtually unmatched ebullience, a so-in-love, so-in-love head-rush of a capital-p Pop banger packed with maximum infectiousness in every bass burp, synth-horn stab and marimba twinkle. And when the clouds briefly assemble on it during the rumbling break, they part with one of the great rays of sunshine in music history: Janet’s perfectly joyous laugh, one of her secret weapons as a performer, deployed here for the first (but thankfully not the last) time. Janet’s first two pre-Jam and Lewis albums, written and produced essentially without her input, included multiple transparent soundalikes to Michael’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” but “When I Think of You” shows what happens when she instead gets to sing a song that just feels as good. — A.U.

This song is like a warm hug on a rainy day. Janet is at her most sensual on this track, as she longs to be touched over brilliantly subtle and slow-moving production, provided of course by her partners in crime Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. “Any Time, Any Place” perfectly captures how it feels like to be simultaneously in love and in lust with somebody, and is one of those rare tracks guaranteed to trigger flashbacks to certain moments with certain people. You know what I’m talking about. — A.D.

Released commercially overseas, this seventh and last single from Control was available solely for airplay in the U.S. Yet this soulful ode ranks just outside the top 10 on this tally, and is a popular TikTok creator go-to — which speaks volumes about the singer’s deep-rooted, enduring repertoire. Bookended by Jackson seductively expressing her ardor in French, this quintessential Quiet Storm slow jam oozes with sensuality as she breathlessly reflects on how hours fly by like mere minutes when spending time with someone you love. With its enchanting rhythm, amorous ad-libs and clever lift of brother Michael’s “The Lady in My Life” — along with, once again, Jackson’s lilting laugh — the track has since become a sample magnet for Tinashe, Cardi B and more. — G.M.

Proof that an unabashedly utopian political statement didn’t need to be corny or undanceable, “Rhythm Nation” (and the concept album it was on) still looks futuristic decades later, and as complete a realization of Janet’s ethos and creative viewpoint as she’d achieve. Inspired by various incidents of social injustice she saw at the time, she wrote and co-produced what she’d call “a national anthem for the ’90s” that still resonates deeply (“It’s time to give a d–n/ Let’s work together,” anyone?) and feels like the emotional linchpin of her live shows. 

Speaking of which, it’s also the prime example — in a stacked list of them — of how Janet inextricably linked dance to her music. It’s impossible to think of the song without its now iconic choreography by Anthony Thomas, perfectly mirroring Janet’s staccato lyrical delivery and the New Jack Swing beats — or without the cinematic video itself. Filmed in black and white, with its dancers in unisex military ensembles, it’s a visual testament to Janet’s vision of equality. “I know a song or an album can’t change the world,” she later said, “but there’s nothing wrong with doing what we’re doing to help spread the message.” — R.M.

Built around an unquestionably infectious saxophone riff and a sleek nu-jazz-influenced club beat, “Throb” distills Janet’s in-your-face yet tasteful sexuality into one of the boldest dance tracks of the ‘90s. Bedroom-centric commands like “make me wet” and “come for me” are heard throughout, while audible moans underscore the catchy Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis production, cementing Jackson as the era’s unrivaled queen of slinky sex anthems. Plenty of artists embraced eroticism during this time, but few could match Janet’s freak — and even fewer could turn pearl-clutching provocation into something this irresistibly groove-driven. “Throb” embodies the fearless spirit of her second eponymous album, where she fully stepped into her unabashed womanhood while experimenting with new sonic textures like hip-hop and house. — J.J.

The biggest hit of The Velvet Rope era, “Together Again” reigned atop the Hot 100 in the winter of 1998 as the eighth No. 1 of Janet’s career. The sunshine-y anthem became a healing balm for a world in mourning as, inspired by the loss of a close friend to AIDS as well as a piece of mail from a young fan who’d lost his own father, the superstar penned the song as a loving, joyful memoriam connecting victims of the AIDS epidemic around the world to the loved ones they’d tragically left behind. 

The music video for the chart-topping single is also a particularly iconic entry in Janet’s videography, from its Afro-futuristic setting in the Tanzanian Serengeti — elephants, falcons, and cheetahs, oh my! — to Tina Landon’s now-classic choreography, performed by the pop star and her stunning tapestry of backing dancers. Directed by French auteur Seb Janiak, the visual also gave birth to one of the most instantly famous looks of Janet’s career: a colorful, safari-chic ensemble, her hair dyed a vivid red and twisted into branch-like knots, and a delicate septum piercing glinting for the cameras long before the jewelry became a staple of the 2020s’ modern cool-girl aesthetic. — G.R.

One of the most influential songs on one of the most influential albums of the ‘80s, Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped bring New Jack Swing to the masses with the Control album. They proved that Michael’s little sister was a force to be reckoned with in her own right, as the project launched her into superstardom and became part of feminism’s soundtrack during that era. As the album’s second single, “Nasty” was even more in-your-face than “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” helping establish Jackson’s independence from her father after making the hard decision to fire him as her manager. Not only did “Nasty” change what pop could sound like; it also introduced the phrase, “Ms. Jackson, if you’re nasty,” into the pop culture lexicon before the days of TikToks and IG Reels. — A.D.

Like “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” before it, this lead single from Jackson’s 1997 multiplatinum album The Velvet Rope — the writing for which she described as “therapy” — didn’t receive a physical release in the U.S. But that didn’t stop it from becoming another Jackson classic: Seeking an edgier sound at this juncture in her life, the singer reconvened once again with Jam & Lewis in the duo’s Minnesota Flyte Tyme lab to concoct an exhilarating fusion between R&B/pop and hip-hop with reggae undertones.

Adding to the savory gumbo: a left-of-center sample from 1970’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” a single released by one of Jackson’s music heroes, folk/rock/pop icon Joni Mitchell. The repeated sample of Mitchell’s vocal, alongside A Tribe Called Quest founding member Q-Tip’s laid-back rap delivery, percolate in perfect harmony with Jackson’s re-energized, maturing vocals. Unlike “Funny,” “Gone” was accompanied by a music video that won several honors, including the Grammy Award for best short form music video. With “Got ‘til It’s Gone,” Jackson not only bridged genres but also generations. — G.M.

While “Escapade” could have easily fit into previous album Control, this sparkling dance-pop diversion is expertly positioned as much-needed jolt of joy amidst Rhythm Nation’s examination of societal ills with no easy answers. “Let’s save our troubles for another day/ Come go with me, we got it made,” Jackson exhorts, her sweet, hopeful vocals capturing the same youthful optimism Madonna funneled into “Holiday.” Frothy though it is, Jam & Lewis imbue its sonic fiber with a swinging elasticity, and on the second half, Jackson’s exuberant ad-libs, vocal runs and woos elevate this sweet slice of escapism – her first Hot 100 No. 1 of the ‘90s — into the upper echelon of her catalog. — J.L.

On the lead single for janet., Jackson’s first album for new label Virgin Records, there was no mistaking the sensual new direction she was taking, from the seductive beat to the suggestive lyrics (“You feel so good I’m gonna cry”). The song’s laid-back energy carried it to eight weeks atop the Hot 100 – her longest-running No. 1 to date – and a best R&B song win at the 1994 Grammy Awards. But most importantly, it cemented her track record as an ever-evolving pop icon who managed to stay true to herself while also exploring new sonic and lyrical territories with every new project. As she previewed the song for her dancers in the loft-party music video – including a pre-fame Jennifer Lopez – every head bobbed in unison, vibing out to one of the freshest songs of the ’90s. – K.A.

As the lead single from Control, the album that truly announced Janet as a force to be reckoned with across the pop and R&B worlds, “What Have You Done for Me Lately” changed everything. This spunky, funky 1986 banger marked the first collaboration between Jackson and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, two Prince collaborators who were also ex-members of The Time. Together, the three icons fine-tuned a sound that would define a good amount of the ‘80s — and later decades that mined that time for samples and inspiration. 
 
From the almost-militant four-bar drum loop and synth bassline to the LinnDrum and Tom percussion that ground Janet’s airy, charismatic vocal, every individual element of “Lately” is endlessly infectious, which makes their sum that much more enjoyable. Peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100, “What Have You Done for Me Lately” kickstarted one of the most iconic pop careers in history while also helping carve out more space for women to be brash, bold and gloriously selfish at top 40.  — K.D.

The tone was set for janet. by lead single “That’s the Way Love Goes,” but the bar was raised by second single “If.” While Rhythm Nation‘s “Black Cat” saw her trying on a rock skin for the first time, “If” internalized rock as just another ingredient in its explosive formula, as wailing six-strings matched with slamming post-new jack beats and a near-hip-hop, furiously rapid-fire delivery on the verses. It all fit perfectly with the seething lust of the lyrics, a hard-edged fantasy that verges on threatening with the level of sexual control it hopes to assume (“I’d make you call out my name/ I’d ask who it belongs to.”)

From the opening guitar squalls, let loose like an out-of-control firehose, matched with the seemingly inappropriate but somehow right-on sample of The Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together,” “If” was both an eye-opener and a jaw-dropper throughout. Janet would go on to release more explicit, more titilating and more boundary-pushing songs — as singles, even — but nothing burst through the doors quite like “If,” as she herself does in its brilliantly choreographed, oft-imitated music video. And it ends as unpredictably as it begins, cutting off mid-chorus — a fevered dream that Janet had to wake up from, but that we get to replay as often as we want. — A.U.

Jackson kicked down the door of the house that Joe built with 1986’s Control, showing she was more than just his daughter and Michael’s little sister. But what would she do now that she had her independence? Fans got their answer in full when she released the socially conscious concept album Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 in September of 1989, but a month before she hit ’em with the big themes, Jackson invited listeners to join her on the dance floor with the positively electric body-mover “Miss You Much.”

In the context of the album, “Miss You Much” is preceded by three tracks and three interludes that stress global injustice. But then comes the “Let’s Dance” interlude, where Jackson says, “Get the point? Good. Let’s dance,” setting up “Miss You Much” like it’s time for recess after a social studies lesson. 

Written and recorded by Jackson’s dream team behind the boards, producers and songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the lead single is fueled by a flurry of electronic percussion, with drum machines, a funky bass and synthesizers coughing and bouncing around like it’s a hip-hop song, not the next great late-’80s pop smash. Jackson’s light soprano skips above the cacophony until she slows it down to suggestively sing, “I just know that it feeeeels wrooong when I’m awaaay too loooong/ And it makes my body hot.” She then swings in the opposite direction on the chorus, with a staccato “M-I-S-S you much,” spelling it out for anyone who didn’t get the message.

The music video for “Miss You Much,” shot in black and white as part of the Rhythm Nation 1814 short film, features a smiling Jackson delivering sharp dance moves like her life depends on it and closes with a legendary chair dance. Much like the video, the song is very of its time, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s one of the strengths of “Miss You Much,” a song that perfectly captured the turn of the decade, when pop and hip-hop started to intertwine and Jackson would soon show the world that she had a lot more to say — and do. — C.W.