"Rhythm Nation" is the second single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 from American R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 and pop

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 singer Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...

's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

Background

The song became the second of the historic seven top five singles released off the Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album. Jackson composed the lyrics while Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...

 composed the music, which featured a sample

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 from Sly & the Family Stone

Sly & the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...

's 1969 song "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

"Thank You " is a 1969 hit single recorded by Sly and the Family Stone, recognized as one of the greatest and most influential funk songs of all time. The song, double a-sided with "Everybody Is a Star", reached number one on the soul single charts for five weeks, and reached number one on the...

". The song preached racial unity and harmony among nations and in promise of "looking for a better way of life" and a way to stop "social injustice

Social injustice

Social injustice is a concept relating to the claimed unfairness or injustice of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities...

". The song became as famous for its countdown in both the song and the video as it was for its message. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 (behind Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

' "Another Day in Paradise

Another Day in Paradise

"Another Day in Paradise" is a song by Phil Collins released as the first single from his number-one album But Seriously . As with his song from Genesis, "Man on the Corner" "Another Day in Paradise" was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness; as such, the song was a substantial...

") and number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

 during late 1989 and early 1990.

The song inspired the name of English DJ Trevor Nelson

Trevor Nelson

Trevor Nelson MBE is an English DJ and presenter.Born in Hackney to a family of St Lucian heritage, he attended Central Foundation Boys' Grammar School in Cowper St, Islington, London EC2 and Westminster Kingsway College...

's BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

 show "Rhythm Nation". Nelson told Jackson this during their 1998 interview which aired on the same show. The show also spawned several compilation albums under the same name.

Music video

The famous black-and-white

Black-and-white

Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...

, military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

-inspired dance video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was directed by Dominic Sena

Dominic Sena

-Life and career:Sena was born in Niles, Ohio. He is of Italian-American heritage. His family hails from the town of Bagnoli Irpino, Avellino, Italy. As one of the founders of Propaganda Films, Sena worked primarily in music videos early in his career. Sena directed several of Janet Jackson's...

 in August 1989. It was the finale in the Rhythm Nation 1814 Film. Famous for its high-octane choreography in an abandoned factory, the video won for Best Choreography

MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography

The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....

 (shared by Jackson and choreographer Anthony Thomas) and was nominated for Best Dance Video

MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out along with several others, yet it returned for the...

 at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards

1990 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1990 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1990, honoring the best music videos from June 2, 1989, to June 1, 1990. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles....

, where Jackson also received the MTV Video Vanguard Award

MTV Video Vanguard Award

The following is a list of recipients of the MTV Video Vanguard Award.The Video Vanguard Award, also known as the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award or the Lifetime Achievement Award, is given to musicians who have made a profound effect on the MTV culture...

. "Rhythm Nation" ranked thirty-seven on VH1

VH1

VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

's Greatest 100 Videos and forty-four on MTV: 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made. The video features a young Tyrin Turner

Tyrin Turner

Tyrin Turner is an American actor who has appeared in movies since 1989. Turner is best known for playing the main character, Caine "Kaydee" Lawson, in the 1993 film Menace II Society. He also has made guest appearances on television shows such as Chicago Hope and Hangin' with Mr...

.
During MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

's first ever mtvICON

MTV Icon

MTV Icon was a series of annual television specials produced by MTV between 2001 and 2004, each paying homage to a musical artist or band selected as a cultural icon, in a format similar to the network's annual Video Music Awards and Movie Awards events...

 in 2001, singers Pink

Pink (singer)

Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....

, Mýa

Mya

-A person:* Bo Mya , Chief Commander of the Karen National Union* Mýa , American R&B singer-songwriter and actress** Mýa , a 1998 album by Mýa-A code:* Burmese language, ISO 639-3 code is mya* Moruya Airport's IATA code...

, and Usher

Usher (entertainer)

Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...

 each paid tribute to Jackson by performing dance moves from Jackson's earlier hits including "Pleasure Principle

The Pleasure Principle (song)

"The Pleasure Principle" is the sixth single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . The photo for the single cover was shot by famed fashion photographer David LaChapelle.-Song information:...

", "Miss You Much

Miss You Much

"Miss You Much" is the lead single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 . The song was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.-Song information:...

", and "Alright

Alright (Janet Jackson song)

"Alright" is the fourth single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Song information:...

". At the end of the performance they all gathered together and performed "Rhythm Nation".

In a 2011 poll by Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

, the song's music video was voted the tenth best music video of the 1980s.

Performances

Jackson has performed "Rhythm Nation" on all her tours, including Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour

Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour

The Rhythm Nation World Tour is the debut concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fourth studio album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 , and also contained material from her third studio album Control...

, janet. Tour

Janet. Tour

The Janet. World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fifth studio album Janet . It began in November, 1993 and continued through April, 1995...

, The Velvet Rope Tour

The Velvet Rope Tour

The Velvet Rope World Tour is the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , the tour embarked on an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.Due to the fact...

, All For You Tour

All for You Tour

The All for You Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2001 by American pop/R&B singer Janet Jackson in support of her multi-platinum album All for You...

And The Rock Witchu Tour

Rock Witchu Tour

The Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album Discipline. This was Jackson's first tour in nearly seven years. The tour visited North America...

She performed Rhythm Nation on the Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour and the janet. Tour she was dressed in a military suit. When she performed the song on The Velvet Rope Tour, she was dressed in an army suit. When she performed it on the All For You Tour, she performed the song while dressed in a black catsuit. When she performed it on the Rock Witchu Tour, she was dressed in a black body suit and underneath was a white blouse with a black tie.

Jackson also performed the song at the half-time show of the Super Bowl XXXVIII

Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy

Super Bowl XXXVIII, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004 from Houston, Texas on the CBS television network in the United States, was noted for a controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a...

 in 2004, just before the infamous "wardrobe malfunction

Wardrobe malfunction

A wardrobe malfunction is a euphemism for accidental exposure of intimate parts. It is different from flashing, as the latter implies a deliberate exposure...

" incident.

Jackson included the song in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal

Number Ones: Up Close and Personal

Number Ones: Up Close and Personal is the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Described as her "largest world tour", the show is in support of her second compilation album, Number Ones...

.

Awards

Billboard Music Awards:

• 1990 - Director's Award (Black/Rap), "Rhythm Nation"
• 1990 - Billboard/Tanqueray Sterling Music Video Award for Artistic Achievement, "Rhythm Nation"

BMI Pop Awards

• 1990 - "Rhythm Nation"

MTV Video Music Awards

1. 1990 - Best Choreography in a Video, "Rhythm Nation"

Soul Train Awards:

1. 1990 - Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Music Video, "Rhythm Nation"

Official versions and remixes

• Album Version – 5:31
• LP Version – 4:42
• Design of a Decade US Edit – 5:58
• 7" Edit – 4:27
• Instrumental – 4:44
• 7" CHR Remix – 4:06
• Rhythm Mix – 4:48
• 7" United Mix Edit – 4:34
• 12" United Mix – 6:35
• 12" United Dub – 6:11
• 7" House Nation Edit – 4:23
• 12" House Nation Mix – 8:07
• House Nation Groove – 6:45

Track listings

International 7" single/3" CD single/Cassette single

1. "Rhythm Nation" (edit)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (instrumental)

International 12" single

1. "Rhythm Nation" (United Mix)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (United Dub)
3. "Rhythm Nation" (edit)
4. "Rhythm Nation" (12" House Nation Mix)
5. "Rhythm Nation" (House Nation Groove Mix)
6. "Rhythm Nation" (instrumental)

UK CD single

1. "Rhythm Nation" (edit)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (House Nation Mix)
3. "Rhythm Nation" (United Mix)

International CD single

1. "Rhythm Nation" (edit)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (United Mix Edit)
3. "Rhythm Nation" (United Mix)
4. "Rhythm Nation" (instrumental)

Japan CD maxi single

1. "Rhythm Nation" (7" edit) – 4:30
2. "Rhythm Nation" (12" United Mix) – 6:37
3. "Rhythm Nation" (12" House Nation Mix) – 8:07
4. "Rhythm Nation" (House Nation Groove) – 6:45
5. "Rhythm Nation" (United Dub) – 6:11
6. "Rhythm Nation" (7" CHR Remix) – 4:08
7. "Rhythm Nation" (7" United Mix Edit) – 4:23
8. "Rhythm Nation" (7" House Nation Edit) – 4:37
9. "Rhythm Nation" (LP version) – 4:42
10. "Rhythm Nation" (instrumental 7") – 4:45
11. "Rhythm Nation" (Rhythm Mix) – 4:48

US promo maxi

1. "Rhythm Nation" (edit)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (LP version)
3. "Rhythm Nation" (instrumental)

UK 12"

1. "Rhythm Nation" (12" House Nation Mix)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (United Mix)
3. "Rhythm Nation" (United Dub)

UK cassette single

1. "Rhythm Nation" (edit)
2. "Rhythm Nation" (CHR Remix)

Peak positions

Chart (1989/1990)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	56
Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...  (Flanders)	24
Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....	2
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...	11
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	83
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	19
New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...	17
Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...	22
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	23
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1990)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	38

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1989 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance singles of 1990 (U.S.)
• R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)
  R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)
  These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1990:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Four songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Escapade", "Vision of Love,", "Love Takes Time" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight."-See also:*1990 in music*List of number-one...