About Janet Jackson
As the youngest of the 10 Jackson kids, Janet Jackson boasts an incredible musical pedigree. Coming up behind her brothers - Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie (aka The Jackson 5) – Janet set her early sights on being a race-horse jockey. Then came The Jacksons variety show.
Still, Janet headed away from music and toward acting. Roles on Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame, among others, filled her resume. Music came, too, and a 16-year-old Janet released her first record in 1982. The eponymous album climbed to number six on the Billboard album chart.
Her next set, Dream Street, didn't do as well, despite contributions from her brothers. Making a break from working with her father, Janet found her way to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Control. With smash singles like “Nasty,” “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “When I Think of You,” and “Let's Wait Awhile,” the collection topped the charts, and had a number one cut in “When I Think of You.”
With help from Paula Abdul-choreographed videos taking over MTV, Control sold more than five million copies just in America while also winning multiple awards.
Jimmy and Terry returned for Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 in 1989. It did even better than control, with a staying power that yielded number one hits across three years -- "Miss You Much" in 1989, "Escapade" and "Black Cat" in 1990, and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" in 1991. To date, Rhythm Nation is the only record to have done so.
More awards, more accolades came as the Rhythm Nation World Tour set sail, soon becoming the most successful debut tour ever by a solo artist.
Janet changed labels (to Virgin Records), did some acting (Poetic Justice), and put out a new record (1993's Janet). Songs such as "That's the Way Love Goes" and “If” brought out a more mature lyrical side of the singer. Along with another world tour, Janet collaborated with brother Michael on “Scream.” The song's accompanying video cost some $7 million to make – the most expensive video ever according to the Guinness Book of World Records and 1995's Best Short Form Music Video according to the Grammy Awards.
With so many hits in her catalog, a collection came in Design of a Decade 1986/1996. The release tided her over the two years until her next studio album would appear. A contract renewal worth $80 million seated her as the highest paid solo artist ever, topping both Michael and Madonna.
Then, in 1997, The Velvet Rope dropped and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. A world tour coupled with an Emmy-winning HBO special, The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, kept Janet at the top of the game.
Leaning back into acting for a spell, Janet joined Eddie Murphy for 2000's massively successful Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. The next year, a new album came - All for You. The lengthy set entered the Billboard chart at number one on its way to selling multi-platinum, her seventh record to do so.
In early 2004, Janet performed alongside Justin Timberlake during the Superbowl halftime show. The infamous “wardrobe malfunction” which revealed part of her right breast got her another entry into Guinness as both the "Most Searched in Internet History" and the "Most Searched for News Item."
When Damita Jo came out a month later, reviews were lukewarm. It still sold well, though not as well as previous efforts. For 2006's 20 Y.O., Janet recovered a lighter side, reaching back to her R&B and dance music roots. Again, sales faltered a bit, by Jackson standards.
On screen, Janet was next seen in Tyler Perry's hit film Why Did I Get Married? playing a psychotherapist. Another label change (to Island Records) followed.
Janet's tenth studio album, Discipline, was released in 2008 and maintained her chart-topping momentum. Critics didn't dig it and, for once, neither did fans, causing the effort to not go platinum. The ensuing Rock Witchu Tour also experienced lackluster ticket sales.
In late 2009, Janet put out a second greatest hits collection, Number Ones. That was followed with two more Tyler Perry films (Why Did I Get Married Too? and For Colored Girls), along with performances on American Idol and at the Essence Music Festival.
To drive the point home, Number Ones was reissued in August of 2010 as a ramp up to the Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour in 2011.