September 12th marks the 20th anniversary of a landmark album in musical history: Janet's Jackson's seminal Rhythm Nation 1814. I understand that I'm likely the only person here who appreciates Janet, but this album was so instrumental for me getting into music that I'll give it a proper tribute anyway!

Flash back to 1989: I'm 9 years old and just starting to follow the current music scene, staying up late to catch MTV's top 20 countdown against my mom's wishes and discovering the joys of The Cure, Madonna, Richard Marx, Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Mötley Crüe and this strange Prince fellow. Late in the heat of August, a new video debuted by this artist named Janet Jackson, who was Michael's little sister. The video, done in classy black and white, showcased the emergence of a true pop superstar, as "Miss You Much" would lead off the album with a huge bang, racing up to Number 1 in the fall. The choreography was funkier than anything her older brother had done, and with an image that a 9-year old kid would adore (hey, she has a key for an earring! Cool!), Janet really made me realize that I liked girls quite a bit. If that wasn't enough, the chair routine at the end of the video sealed the deal: this 9-year old boy was in love.



As the album was pushed over the ensuing two years, each single release seemed to take me on a journey with Janet. ”Rhythm Nation” synthesized Janet’s inclination for funk (thanks to a Sly Stone sample), her dance expertise (culminating in the iconic choreography that would go on to become her trademark) and her socially conscious message, which would garner her praise from critics and scores of inspired fans struggling through the plight of the 80s. I, myself, performed dance routines to this song on a couple of occasions in front of sizable crowds. ”Escapade” was pure pop confection- a perfect slice of ear candy celebrating the universal need for a reprieve from the 9-to-5.



”Alright”, with its endless hooks and feel-good message of the enduring power of real friendship, featured a truly epic video paying tribute to a decadently clad in yellow Cab Calloway within the framework of a celebration of 1930s urban life. ”Come Back to Me” reveals Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as masters of late 80s balladry, and Janet delivers an ethereal, honest, and understated vocal that underpins the true yearning aimed for within the song.



Showcasing the diversity of the album, ”Black Cat” was written solely by Janet and roars through the speakers as a hard rock stomper. As a 10-year old who got his kicks out of hair metal (remember that Mötley Crüe was a real favorite!), this marriage of Janet’s street-but-sweet consciousness and the over-the-top rock bombast was my absolute favorite. Finally, in early 1991, ”Love Will Never Do (Without You)” saw the ever-reserved Janet let her hair down and reveal herself as the truly sexy woman she was. Her ensuing career may have diminished the impact that such a thing had at the time, but prior to this video, Janet was always clad to the max in full-length suits, so it felt like a genuine epiphany at the time of a woman growing into her own.



Outside of the singles, the remainder of the album is just as strong. As collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis noted at the time, Janet could have very easily gotten by with a 10-track album called Escapade that featured typical pop fodder of the day, but she insisted on putting her message out on the forefront. My favorite track on the album is “State of the World”, an of-the-time glimpse into the difficulties facing so many people in the 80s. Elsewhere, ”The Knowledge” chugs along to some sparse funk and encourages its listeners to further their education, while ”Livin’ in a World (They Didn’t Make)” is a desperate call to us all to strive to make the world better for children- a simple message to be sure, but a genuine one, as is evidenced by her heartfelt vocals. The remaining ballads ”Lonely” and ”Someday Is Tonight” (which acts as a sequel to Control’s “Let’s Wait Awhile” a few years prior) are excellent examples of R&B slow jams of the late 80s.

Rhythm Nation 1814 is the pre-eminent collaboration between Janet and her tried-and-true team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. While the album definitely sounds as if it came from 1989, the album still packs a great punch and Janet injects each song with enough personality to make it memorable. If Control chronicled Janet’s personal call for independence and established her as an artist in her own right, Rhythm Nation 1814 expounded upon her views of the world and cemented her legacy as a bona fide superstar, breaking several records.

The Rhythm Nation Tour launched in support of the album would prove to be the most successful debut tour of all time. It was the biggest selling album in the United States in 1990. Each of its 7 singles cracked the Top 5 in the United States, a record that no other album has matched. It spawned 4 number 1 singles, including one in each of 1989, 1990 and 1991, becoming the first (and only) album to have a number in single in 3 separate years.

If this alone is not enough to cement its status as a benchmark album, the fact that it proved inspirational to thousands of people struggling to get by will ensure that it is remembered fondly. Unlike so many pop stars today with their token charities and obligatory PC messages, Janet actually took a risk by imbuing her messages into the actual content of the album, making her a heroine to many, including me. Simple and naïve as they may be, they are the ponderings of an idealist 23-year old woman concerned about the world around her and optimistic about the efficacy of her actions. I suppose the fact that I also tend to have my head in the clouds and am an eternal optimist endears the album to me as it does. Dare it say it- Rhythm Nation 1814 is late 80s pop’s landmark in the lineage of socially conscious predecessors such as What’s Goin’ On, There’s a Riot Goin’ On and Stevie Wonder’s 70s work.



This was one of the first albums I ever owned, and it has remained vital to me throughout the past 20 years- so much that, in fact, it is my favorite album not by Prince! As time progressed, my initial star-struck fanaticism was replaced by a mere appreciation of the finely crafted pop gems and the boldness and guileless altruism with which it was delivered. It’s become a cliché to announce that an album has “changed your life”, so to speak, but this album really did. So here’s to you, Janet, and the anniversary of your landmark album. It helped to educate me in music and ideals, and I would definitely be a lesser person without its place in the world. I carry a copy of it around with me everywhere I go, and through all of life’s peaks and valleys over the past two decades, I’m still happy to enlist in this utopia you propose. I won’t let my eyes deceive me.

I'm not too big of a fan of New Jack Swing (much of it sounds incredibly dated, somehow more dated than earlier 80s synthpop stuff) but the title track of this album is great. The music video for it is one of my favorites too.

Beautiful tribute Ian - if Janet could read it I know she would be very touched.

Great job my love.

jamen...