Rhythm Nation 1814
Encyclopedia
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson
, released on September 19, 1989, by A&M Records
. Despite demands from label executives for material similar to her previous album, Control
(1986), she insisted on creating a concept album
addressing social injustice. Collaborating with her producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
, she co-wrote six of the album's tracks. Its remaining songs were written by Jam and Lewis, with the exception of "Black Cat
", which is Jackson's composition. She also co-produced the album, with label executive John McClain serving as executive producer. While writing lyrics for the album, Jackson, Jam and Lewis drew inspiration from news media, exploring subject matter such as racism, poverty and substance abuse. Although critics viewed the album's theme as transparent—too generalized to adequately address any of these issues—she was hailed as a role model for youth because of her socially conscious lyrics.
Produced during the height of the new jack swing
genre, the album blends rhythm and blues
with industrial music
and the utilization of rap
vocals, swing note, synthesized
percussion and the use of sample loop
. The title track "Rhythm Nation
" embodies each of these traits, laying the foundation for trends in R&B music throughout the decade. Other songs on the album range from mechanized dance rhythms to soft balladry, giving it the broad appeal of multi-radio format
regarding airplay
. Due to its innovative production and lyrical exploration, critics have regarded the album as the pinnacle of Jackson's artistic achievement. It became her second consecutive album to hit number one on the Billboard 200
, as well as the top of the charts in Australia and the top ten in Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the UK. Certified
sixfold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), it has sold over fourteen million copies worldwide. It has been named by Rolling Stone
magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
and is listed in the Quintessence Editions Ltd.
reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
Its seven commercial singles all peaked within the top five on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming the first and only album to achieve that feat. Jackson received nine Grammy Award
nominations, winning Best Music Video, Long Form
for "Rhythm Nation" in 1990. Music videos for the singles, which displayed a mix of Broadway
-style choreography and militant imagery gained heavy rotation on MTV
; Jackson was presented with the MTV Video Vanguard Award
in 1990 for significant contribution to the art form. The supporting Rhythm Nation World Tour became the world's most successful debut concert tour by a recording artist. It proved her to be a consummate performer rather than a studio-only phenomenon, as well as a fashion icon among young women.
Producer James "Jimmy Jam" Harris recalled: "We would always have a TV turned on, usually to CNN
... And I think the social slant of songs like 'Rhythm Nation', 'State of the World' and 'The Knowledge' came from that." He commented that the Stockton massacre inspired the song "Living in a World (They Didn't Make)", explaining, "[i]t says that kids aren't responsible for what the adults have done." Jackson was also inspired by reports of youth-based communities throughout New York City
, which were formed as a means of creating a common identity. She stated: "I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation ... one that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join." Her album's title is inspired by the pledge, "We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines" and her creed, "Music, Poetry, Dance, Unity"." The use of the number "1814" is twofold. First, R (Rhythm) is the 18th letter of the alphabet and N (Nation) is the 14th. The second, she explained, is that "[w]hile writing [Rhythm Nation] I was kidding around, saying, 'God, you guys, I feel like this could be the national anthem for the '90s' ... Just by a crazy chance we decided to look up when Francis Scott Key
wrote the national anthem
, and it was September 14, 1814."
Although protest songs were commonplace among rap artists in the late 1980s, the concept was rare within other genres. Alex Henderson of Allmusic suggests that Jackson adopted the embodiment of classic rap by addressing social concerns on her fourth album. Jackson revealed that she was inspired by other socially conscious artists, such as Tracy Chapman
and U2
. She also cited her mother Katherine
as her inspiration; she dedicated the album to her mother on the album's interior booklet stating: "I have never known a more beautiful, caring, loving, understanding, and intelligent woman than you, mother. Someday I hope to be exactly like you. I love you with all my heart." She also stated in an interview: "I'm not naive—I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics and what we're saying. Hopefully that will inspire them, make them want to join hands ... and make some sort of difference.
and Terry Lewis
, with co-production credit given to Janet Jackson. A&M executive John McCain served as the album's executive producer. Lyrics for each of the songs were included in the album. All the tracks were recorded at Flyte Tyme Records
productions studio in Minneapolis Minnesota
and mixed at Flyte Tyme, Edina, Minnesota
. Jam and Lewis also penned or co-wrote the songs with Jackson, as well as arranging and programming the music, and playing much of the instrumental tracks. Total production time for the album was seven months. Like its predecessor, Control, the album is a construct of rhythm and blues, rap, funk and synthesized percussion. Author Ken Hughes of Keyboard Magazine
notes that although considered to be crude by modern standards, "[t]he startling, groundbreaking production work and sound design done by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album owes its existence to the creative exploitation of the [ Ensoniq Mirage
keyboard's ] severe limitations." The New York Times
music critic Jon Pareles
described the album as having a multi-radio format
, containing songs that appeal to a wide variety of radio airplay, including top 40, mainstream rock
, quiet storm
, and Adult Contemporary
(AC). He commented: "The pleasures of 'Rhythm Nation' come from technique—the sudden sputters of drum-machine triplets, the richness of electronic sounds meshed with vocals ... Most of the music was made on synthesizers and samplers, and there's no attempt to disguise the artificial timbres of drums, tape loops and sampled guitars." This style of music was coined new jack swing
in 1987 by Teddy Riley. In The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 (2006) musicologist Richard J. Ripani describes Riley as "probably the most important innovator of this style." However, Ripani observes that Riley was likely influenced by Jackson's single "Nasty
" from Control, arguing "[s]ince Jackson's album was released in 1986 and was hugely successful, it is not unreasonable to assume that it had at least some impact on the new jack swing creations of Teddy Riley."
The use of sample loop
, triplet swing, rap vocals and blues notes are present in the album's title-track "Rhythm Nation". It samples a single measure of "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
" performed by Sly and the Family Stone, which became the basic background loop for the song. Vocals are alternatively sung in octaves or rapped in spoken verse. Ripani wrote that "Rhythm Nation" articulates the broad spectrum of rhythm and blues music, noting its significance to the development of R&B in the early 1990s. "Escapade" was inspired by the Martha and the Vandellas
1965 single "Nowhere to Run", which Jackson originally intended to remake, but instead chose to record a new song with a similar feel after a suggestion from producer Jimmy Jam. The background vocals for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" and "Miss You Much", both penned by Jam and Lewis, were recorded in late 1988 prior to Jackson recording the lead vocals in 1989. The song "Black Cat" was written solely by Jackson and was produced by Jellybean Johnson; it was the final song to be recorded on the album. "Black Cat" departed from Jackson's typical musical style, being the sole rock
production of the album. Jackson was inspired to write a song about a young man who was suffering from substance abuse and asked Jimmy Jam for his assistance in writing the chorus and verse. Once the initial track was established, Jam suggested Jackson speak to Jellybean Johnson to produce the song, as he was a "closet rock-and-roller." Johnson later confirmed his love of heavy metal
guitar and agreed to produce the song. Johnson asked David Barry, who had worked on Jackson's previous album, Control, to play guitar for "Black Cat". To give the song a heavy metal feel, it was recorded using a mixture of Rockman
and Marshall
amplifier.
prior to release. The video was referred to as a "telemusical" and featured a compilation of the album's songs. The film project had a budget of $1.6 million. Jackson worked with director Dominic Sena
, executive video producer René Elizondo, Jr., and production designer Vance Lorenzini
. Jackson and Sena developed a full screenplay centered around two boys whose dreams of pursuing a music career together are ruined because one of them becomes a victim of substance abuse. Shot on location in Los Angeles, Sena referred to the shoot as the "1814 Project" to keep the general public unaware that Jackson was filming on the streets of LA. He also revealed: "Her brother Michael
came by one day, but it was purely on a personal level. He didn't come onto the set. He saw some rough cuts of what we were doing and remarked that he liked them, but he never interfered. He knew this was Janet's project." Jefferson Graham of USA Today
commented: "Michael Jackson's kid sister is taking her brother's approach to video ... Like Michael, she dances up a storm in the moody black-and-white video's three songs—Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation and The Knowledge—wears military-like attire and plays the role of a mystical figure to young kids." Jon Pareles remarked that it "juxtaposes her dance routines with grim urban imagery and a plot line about drugs versus dreams; it's like a sequel to Michael Jackson's "Bad" video." Gender and Qualitative Methods (2003) documents: "The choreography suggests self-control and military discipline ... The factory environment, the black-and-white scenery and the choreography hinting at Asian martial arts, underline the atmosphere of remorseless determination."
Released on September 19, 1989, the album debuted at number 28 on the Billboard 200
and 87 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
and rose steadily to the number one position on both charts. It remained at number one on the Billboard 200 for four consecutive weeks and sold three million copies within the first four months of its release. In November 1989, the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) certified the album gold, denoting 500,000 unit shipments within the United States. This number rose to a platinum certification, denoting 1,000,000 units, and double platinum by the end of the year. By the end of 1992, it was certified sixfold platinum by the RIAA. Since its debut, the album has sold over 14 million copies worldwide. The film was released to VHS
in October 1989, and re-issued as Rhythm Nation 1814 compilation in November 1990 following the release of the album's final single; the re-issue features all music videos produced for the album. Both versions of the video release earned double platinum certification by the RIAA. The film has sold over four million copies worldwide.
The lead single "Miss You Much" became the first of four to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100
. The single hit number one in October 1989 and topped the chart for four weeks. It also topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
and Hot Dance Club Songs. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA in November 1989. According to Radio & Records
magazine, "Miss You Much" was the number one radio hit of 1989. The album's second single and title-track, "Rhythm Nation", peaked at number two on the Hot 100, kept from the number one position by Phil Collins
's "Another Day in Paradise
". Stephen Holden
of The New York Times referred to the song as "[a] militantly utopian dance-floor exhortation ... the song calls for racial harmony and cooperative struggle to create a better, stronger world." It also topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Songs and earned gold certification by the RIAA in January 1990. "Escapade" became the second single to top the Hot 100, in addition to reaching number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold in May 1990.
"Alright" peaked at number four on the Hot 100, at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and became the fourth and final single to top the Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold in June 1990. In the corresponding music video for "Alright", Jackson pays homage to early 20th century Broadway theatre
; cameo appearances are made by Cab Calloway
and Cyd Charisse
. "Come Back to Me" peaked at number two on the Hot 100. "Black Cat" reached number one on October 27, 1990, six weeks after its September 15 debut, and was certified gold on November 13. "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" became the seventh and final single to be released off the album on November 6, 1990; it rose to number one on January 19, 1991, topping the chart for one week. The single was certified gold on February 12. "State of the World" was released on radio airplay but not as a commercial single, as A&M executives felt the album would garner high sales if there was a song receiving airplay that was not commercially available.
In September, 1990, Jackson received two MTV Music Video Award nominations; Best Dance Video and Best Choreography for Rhythm Nation (co-nominated with choreographer Anthony Thomas), winning Best Choreography. In addition, she received the MTV Video Vanguard Award, regarded as MTV's highest honor.
was hired as Jackson's musical director; his band became the tour's opening act. Reporter Doug Adrianson wrote: "Because of the inevitable comparisons with brother Michael, 32, expectations for the Rhythm Nation Tour are higher than a moonwalk
. To make sure the show is suitably spectacular, Jackson and musical director Chuckii Booker rehearsed with a sizable crew for two weeks at the Pensacola Civic Centre ... the same place Michael fine-tuned his Bad tour
." Total production cost was an estimated $2 million dollars.
The debut concert in Miami, Florida on March 1, 1990 sold out prior to the performance. Music Critic Deborah Wilker remarked that "[Janet] does not present a serious threat to brother Michael, though she has proven beyond any doubt she is a formidable force in her own right." She also reported on the media attention surrounding the opening concert, stating, "[t]he kick-off of this tour was a media event, with reporters and film crews from across the country on hand. In the audience was Janet's brother Jackie
and mother Katherine
, as well as singer Whitney Houston
and producers Jam and Lewis." Described as "an elaborately choreographed spectacle" by Entertainment Weekly
, the tour aimed to re-create the award-winning, visually innovative music videos of Rhythm Nation 1814s numerous hit singles and those of its predecessor, Control. Jay Cocks of Time
magazine stated that her stage show integrated "sleek high tech and smooth dance rhythm into an evening of snazzy soul with a social conscience" and that the tour "leaves no doubt that she's not a studio-made creature." Critic Chris Willman expressed: "If the dancing in Janet's tour is even more enthralling than that of brother Michael ... it's because she spends so much of her stage time working with six other dancers as part of a hip-hop chorus line. It represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements." Some observed that Jackson, like many of her contemporaries, lip-synched
parts of her stage show. Jon Pareles commented "[m]ost lip-synched shows are done by video-era pop performers whose audiences are young and television trained. They fill arenas to enjoy a spectacle like what they saw on television—the dancing ... the stage effects and incidentally the songs." Critic Michael MacCambridge described lip-synching as a "moot point", stating, "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles."
The first international concert, which took place in Tokyo
, Japan
, sold out the Tokyo Dome
within seven minutes—a record for the fastest sellout in the history of the Dome. Los Angeles Times
reported that "Japan became a 'Rhythm Nation' as Janet Jackson opened her tour at the Tokyo Dome, cascading thunderous waves of funk and choreography over 50,000 people ... The choreography, a cross between break-dancing and military maneuvers, sent some spectators dancing into the aisles." Jackson also performed in Osaka
and Yokohama
before returning to the United States and then traveled to Europe for the final leg of her tour. Grossing $28.1 million, the tour ranked number five among the best-selling of 1990, making Jackson the only female artist to place within the top ten. The Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour, with an attendance of over two million patrons, remains the most successful debut tour by any recording artist. A number of commentators began to acknowledge the social impact of Jackson's work during her tour. William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund
, told the Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects." Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle expressed, "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country." Deborah Wilker stated: "Jackson is a rare positive role model for kids—particularly young women who have been video-bred on the bimbo look. Jackson thankfully keeps her clothes on ... she preaches brotherhood and racial unity; and she comes across as a confident young lady who is very much in control." Ebony
magazine reported on her reputation as a fashion icon stating that "[a]s Janet was entertaining 2 million fans during her triumphant Rhythm Nation tour, hoards of teen girls were imitating her distinctive look—black quasi-military long jackets, black tight-tight pants, and big white shirts."
(1973) by Pink Floyd
and Appetite for Destruction
(1987) by Guns N' Roses
, he states, "the album becomes a cause without a rebellion." Though unmoved by the album's theme, he compliments its musical formula, stating: "The tone of the music is airless, sealing out imprecision and reveling in crisp, machine-generated rhythms; Ms. Jackson's piping voice, layered upon itself in punchy unisons or lavish harmonies, never cracks or falters." Robert Christgau of The Village Voice
commented: "if the P-Funk pretensions of 'nation' are a little much from somebody whose knowledge of the world is based on the 6 o'clock news, the 'rhythm' is real, and I give her credit for it. Her voice is as unequal to her vaguely admonitory politics as it was to her declaration of sexual availability, but the music is the message: never before have Jam & Lewis rocked so hard for so long." James Jones of USA Today commented that "the lyrics get a bit corny at times, and Jackson's thin, wispy voice lacks the punch or emotion to convincingly preach on homelessness and drugs, but the slick production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis keeps you dancing just the same."
Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone
magazine likened Jackson to a politician, "abandoning the narrow 'I' for the universal 'we' and inviting us to do the same." Aletti complimented Jackson's political resolve and musical accompaniment as she "[balances] despair with optimism, anger with hope, in the currently fashionable formula", without forgetting social progress is a result of hard work. San Francisco Chronicle
writer Michael Snyder considered the album a worthy successor to Jackson's previous album, Control, because it "adds a little sociopolitical substance to the usual high-grade hip-hop" as she "bounces between the two extremes of romance and generalized, politically correct topicality." Dennis Hunt of Los Angeles Times
compared Jackson to Madonna
, stating that she aspires to become "the kind of dance-music queen who can also sing ballads and pop tunes. The album runs the gamut from social commentary to lusty, sensual tunes, from dance music to songs laced with jazz and Brazilian textures." Steve Morse of The Boston Globe
compared the album's commercial success of to that of Aerosmith
, Billy Joel
, and other members of the Jackson family, attributing such accomplishment to the fact that Jackson created "a dance record with a ruthlessly frank social conscience that addresses drugs, homelessness, illiteracy and teen runaways. She's reached far beyond dance music's fluffy image to unite even serious rockers and rappers who usually look the other way."
The album earned five Grammy Award
nominations in 1990: Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
and Best Rhythm & Blues Song
for "Miss You Much", Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
and Best Music Video, Long Form
for "Rhythm Nation", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
, winning Best Music Video. Music critic Deborah Wilker stated the fact that Jackson was not nominated for Album of the Year
was a "huge oversight." The following year Jackson earned nominations for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
for "Black Cat", and Best Rhythm & Blues Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for "Alright".
Some commentary on the success of the album was centered around the idea that Jackson was a manufactured act. Music critic Robert Hilburn
wrote: "Known for years as simply 'Michael's little sister,' Jackson, 24, was supposed to have graduated to a stronger identity in 1986 when her Control album sold 9 million copies worldwide and established her as a queen of dance pop ... [but because] her two earlier solo albums had been so forgettable, it was easy for outsiders to assume that the success of Control was due solely to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the former Prince allies who produced the album and co-wrote most of its songs." Hilburn adds that the commercial success of her former choreographer, Paula Abdul
, as a solo act fueled this belief. In response, Jackson stated "... it bothers me that some people think someone gave me an image or told me what songs to sing or what clothes to wear. I'm not a robot. I want people to know that I'm real ... 'She's only successful because of Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam or Paula Abdul ... or she's Michael's sister' or whatever. That really bothered me." Jimmy Jam stated "when someone says, 'Well, she brought in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,' you've got to remember that we weren't exactly ... Quincy Jones
... 'Control' was our first smash. The same with Paula. It wasn't like Janet [hired] Fred Astaire
... She took a chance on all of us." Diana Baron, then-executive director of A&M publicity stated: "Janet is probably one of the hardest-working and most determined artists I've ever been around ... She has incredible strength and focus. She's willing to put in all the work to achieve her desired end. All this talk about her being a 'pop creation' couldn't be further from the truth."
A later review by Alex Henderson of Allmusic criticized Jackson's "wafer-thin" voice, but commented that her soul, spirit and enthusiasm make up for the limits of her vocal range on the numerous political and non-political "gems" throughout the album. Henderson describes the album as "an even higher artistic plateau" than Control, and adds: "For those purchasing their first Janet Jackson release, Rhythm Nation would be an even wiser investment than Control—and that's saying a lot." Sputnikmusic
's Zachary Powell stated that while her first three albums took her out of the Jackson family shadow, "Rhythm Nation put the exclamation point on her career ... The album itself is powered by the quality invested in it, top notch production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and a musically diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses make for a work of many natures." Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine
calls the album the "perfect storm that is her 1989 masterpiece". He also complimented Jam and Lewis's production, stating: "Jam and Lewis's work on Rhythm Nation expanded Janet's range in every conceivable direction. She was more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike. This was, of course, critical to a project in which Janet assumed the role of mouthpiece for a nationless, multicultural utopia. Jam and Lewis helped sell Janet's notion of a consciousness raised."
and Whitney Houston
reached superstar status." Author Stan Hawkins comments the success of the album "helped secure Jackson a position on par with Madonna" as she headlined her first world concert tour in 1990.
Anthony DeCurtis, author of Present Tense: Rock & Roll and Culture (1992) wrote that through her lyrics and image, "its clear Jackson wants to present herself as a professional, as the creative intellect behind a product that has as one of its aims the betterment of black people and the creation of role models for black women." In Reflecting Black: African-American Cultural Criticism (1993), author Michael Eric Dyson argues that the album's utilization of rap music, as not only a form of self-expression, but as a means of protesting voids in society created by social injustice was a "crucial" effort, adding that "Janet Jackson says it herself ... she wanted to get to the people who weren't socially conscious, who wanted to party and dance." Rickey Vincent author of Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One (1996) comments: "Her 1989 Rhythm Nation album was the boldest and most successful pop attempt to combine social commentary, celebration, and state-of-the-art dance funk since her brother Michael's efforts to be Bad
."
There was speculation that her brother Michael's personal record label, MJJ Music (a joint-venture between himself and Sony Music Entertainment
) would have signed her as its premier artist; he reportedly intended to name the label Nation Records
as a tribute to her, but the copyright had already existed. She instead went on to negotiate a $32 million dollar contract with Virgin Records
in 1991—at the time, the largest recording contract in history. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that her success "found Janet eclipsing her big brother for the first time—as she would continue to do for more than a decade." In July 2008, Entertainment Weekly
magazine placed Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 at number 54 in their list of Top 100 Best Albums of the past 25 years. The album is also ranked number 275 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
. It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
|-
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...
, released on September 19, 1989, by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. Despite demands from label executives for material similar to her previous album, Control
Control (Janet Jackson album)
Control is the third studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on February 6, 1986 by A&M Records. Her collaborations with songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis resulted in an unconventional sound: a fusion of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap vocals,...
(1986), she insisted on creating a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
addressing social injustice. Collaborating with her producers 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...
, she co-wrote six of the album's tracks. Its remaining songs were written by Jam and Lewis, with the exception of "Black Cat
Black Cat (song)
"Black Cat" is the sixth single from American recording artist Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 . The song was written by Jackson herself...
", which is Jackson's composition. She also co-produced the album, with label executive John McClain serving as executive producer. While writing lyrics for the album, Jackson, Jam and Lewis drew inspiration from news media, exploring subject matter such as racism, poverty and substance abuse. Although critics viewed the album's theme as transparent—too generalized to adequately address any of these issues—she was hailed as a role model for youth because of her socially conscious lyrics.
Produced during the height of the new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
genre, the album blends rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
with industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
and the utilization of rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
vocals, swing note, synthesized
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
percussion and the use of sample loop
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...
. The title track "Rhythm Nation
Rhythm Nation
"Rhythm Nation" is the second single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Background:...
" embodies each of these traits, laying the foundation for trends in R&B music throughout the decade. Other songs on the album range from mechanized dance rhythms to soft balladry, giving it the broad appeal of multi-radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
regarding airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
. Due to its innovative production and lyrical exploration, critics have regarded the album as the pinnacle of Jackson's artistic achievement. It became her second consecutive album to hit number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, as well as the top of the charts in Australia and the top ten in Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the UK. Certified
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
sixfold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), it has sold over fourteen million copies worldwide. It has been named by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
and is listed in the Quintessence Editions Ltd.
Quintessence Editions Ltd.
Quintessence Editions Ltd. is a publishing company based in London which is the originator of the "1001 Before You Die" series. Typically, the titles in this series are intended as reference books. They are illustrated books authored by multiple contributors...
reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.
Its seven commercial singles all peaked within the top five 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...
, becoming the first and only album to achieve that feat. Jackson received nine Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations, winning Best Music Video, Long Form
Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs...
for "Rhythm Nation" in 1990. Music videos for the singles, which displayed a mix of Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-style choreography and militant imagery gained heavy rotation on 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....
; Jackson was presented with 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...
in 1990 for significant contribution to the art form. The supporting Rhythm Nation World Tour became the world's most successful debut concert tour by a recording artist. It proved her to be a consummate performer rather than a studio-only phenomenon, as well as a fashion icon among young women.
Conception
Following the commercial and critical success of her 1986 album, Control, Jackson was motivated to continue songwriting and took a larger role in the creative production of her new album. Executives at A&M requested that she expand on the ideas presented on Control, suggesting a concept album entitled Scandal that would have been about the Jackson family. She wrote a song titled "You Need Me" which was directed at her father Joseph, but was unwilling to devote an entire album to the subject and substituted her own concept for theirs. She commented that "[a] lot of people wanted me to do another album like Control and that's what I didn't want to do. I wanted to do something that I really believed in and that I really felt strong about." "You Need Me" was added as the B-side of the album's lead single "Miss You Much".Producer James "Jimmy Jam" Harris recalled: "We would always have a TV turned on, usually to CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
... And I think the social slant of songs like 'Rhythm Nation', 'State of the World' and 'The Knowledge' came from that." He commented that the Stockton massacre inspired the song "Living in a World (They Didn't Make)", explaining, "[i]t says that kids aren't responsible for what the adults have done." Jackson was also inspired by reports of youth-based communities throughout New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which were formed as a means of creating a common identity. She stated: "I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation ... one that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join." Her album's title is inspired by the pledge, "We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines" and her creed, "Music, Poetry, Dance, Unity"." The use of the number "1814" is twofold. First, R (Rhythm) is the 18th letter of the alphabet and N (Nation) is the 14th. The second, she explained, is that "[w]hile writing [Rhythm Nation] I was kidding around, saying, 'God, you guys, I feel like this could be the national anthem for the '90s' ... Just by a crazy chance we decided to look up when Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
wrote the national anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
, and it was September 14, 1814."
Although protest songs were commonplace among rap artists in the late 1980s, the concept was rare within other genres. Alex Henderson of Allmusic suggests that Jackson adopted the embodiment of classic rap by addressing social concerns on her fourth album. Jackson revealed that she was inspired by other socially conscious artists, such as Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. She also cited her mother Katherine
Katherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
as her inspiration; she dedicated the album to her mother on the album's interior booklet stating: "I have never known a more beautiful, caring, loving, understanding, and intelligent woman than you, mother. Someday I hope to be exactly like you. I love you with all my heart." She also stated in an interview: "I'm not naive—I know an album or a song can't change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience's attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics and what we're saying. Hopefully that will inspire them, make them want to join hands ... and make some sort of difference.
Composition and production
The album was produced by James "Jimmy Jam" Harris IIIJimmy 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...
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...
, with co-production credit given to Janet Jackson. A&M executive John McCain served as the album's executive producer. Lyrics for each of the songs were included in the album. All the tracks were recorded at Flyte Tyme Records
Flyte Tyme Records
Flyte Time Records is the record label started by producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It is now part of Universal Records....
productions studio in Minneapolis Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and mixed at Flyte Tyme, Edina, Minnesota
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. Jam and Lewis also penned or co-wrote the songs with Jackson, as well as arranging and programming the music, and playing much of the instrumental tracks. Total production time for the album was seven months. Like its predecessor, Control, the album is a construct of rhythm and blues, rap, funk and synthesized percussion. Author Ken Hughes of Keyboard Magazine
Keyboard Magazine
Keyboard Magazine is a magazine that originally covered electronic keyboard instruments and keyboardists, though with the advent of computer based recording and audio technology, they have added digital music technology to their regular coverage, including those not strictly pertaining to the...
notes that although considered to be crude by modern standards, "[t]he startling, groundbreaking production work and sound design done by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album owes its existence to the creative exploitation of the [ Ensoniq Mirage
Ensoniq Mirage
The Ensoniq Corporation's Mirage was an 8-bit sampler introduced in 1984. Priced below $2000 with features previously only found on more expensive samplers like the Fairlight CMI, it became a best seller....
keyboard's ] severe limitations." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
music critic Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
described the album as having a multi-radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
, containing songs that appeal to a wide variety of radio airplay, including top 40, mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
, quiet storm
Quiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
, and Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
(AC). He commented: "The pleasures of 'Rhythm Nation' come from technique—the sudden sputters of drum-machine triplets, the richness of electronic sounds meshed with vocals ... Most of the music was made on synthesizers and samplers, and there's no attempt to disguise the artificial timbres of drums, tape loops and sampled guitars." This style of music was coined new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
in 1987 by Teddy Riley. In The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 (2006) musicologist Richard J. Ripani describes Riley as "probably the most important innovator of this style." However, Ripani observes that Riley was likely influenced by Jackson's single "Nasty
Nasty (song)
"Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared...
" from Control, arguing "[s]ince Jackson's album was released in 1986 and was hugely successful, it is not unreasonable to assume that it had at least some impact on the new jack swing creations of Teddy Riley."
The use of sample loop
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...
, triplet swing, rap vocals and blues notes are present in the album's title-track "Rhythm Nation". It samples a single measure of "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...
" performed by Sly and the Family Stone, which became the basic background loop for the song. Vocals are alternatively sung in octaves or rapped in spoken verse. Ripani wrote that "Rhythm Nation" articulates the broad spectrum of rhythm and blues music, noting its significance to the development of R&B in the early 1990s. "Escapade" was inspired by the Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
1965 single "Nowhere to Run", which Jackson originally intended to remake, but instead chose to record a new song with a similar feel after a suggestion from producer Jimmy Jam. The background vocals for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" and "Miss You Much", both penned by Jam and Lewis, were recorded in late 1988 prior to Jackson recording the lead vocals in 1989. The song "Black Cat" was written solely by Jackson and was produced by Jellybean Johnson; it was the final song to be recorded on the album. "Black Cat" departed from Jackson's typical musical style, being the sole rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
production of the album. Jackson was inspired to write a song about a young man who was suffering from substance abuse and asked Jimmy Jam for his assistance in writing the chorus and verse. Once the initial track was established, Jam suggested Jackson speak to Jellybean Johnson to produce the song, as he was a "closet rock-and-roller." Johnson later confirmed his love of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitar and agreed to produce the song. Johnson asked David Barry, who had worked on Jackson's previous album, Control, to play guitar for "Black Cat". To give the song a heavy metal feel, it was recorded using a mixture of Rockman
Rockman (amplifier)
The Rockman is a headphone guitar amplifier. The original Rockman was developed and built by Scholz Research & Development, Inc., a company founded by Tom Scholz, who is also the founder and a key member of the rock band Boston. Scholz Research & Development was sold to Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc....
and Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
amplifier.
Release and promotion
When A&M released the album's lead single "Miss You Much" to radio in August 1989, the label issued a press statement announcing "[s]ocial themes run throughout much of the material" on Jackson's fourth studio album. A 30-minute long-form music video, Rhythm Nation 1814, was produced to promote the album, which aired on MTVMTV
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....
prior to release. The video was referred to as a "telemusical" and featured a compilation of the album's songs. The film project had a budget of $1.6 million. Jackson worked with director 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...
, executive video producer René Elizondo, Jr., and production designer Vance Lorenzini
Vance Lorenzini
Vance Lorenzini is an American production designer who has produced and designed thousands of television commercials and music videos, as well as several feature films and television projects....
. Jackson and Sena developed a full screenplay centered around two boys whose dreams of pursuing a music career together are ruined because one of them becomes a victim of substance abuse. Shot on location in Los Angeles, Sena referred to the shoot as the "1814 Project" to keep the general public unaware that Jackson was filming on the streets of LA. He also revealed: "Her brother Michael
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
came by one day, but it was purely on a personal level. He didn't come onto the set. He saw some rough cuts of what we were doing and remarked that he liked them, but he never interfered. He knew this was Janet's project." Jefferson Graham of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
commented: "Michael Jackson's kid sister is taking her brother's approach to video ... Like Michael, she dances up a storm in the moody black-and-white video's three songs—Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation and The Knowledge—wears military-like attire and plays the role of a mystical figure to young kids." Jon Pareles remarked that it "juxtaposes her dance routines with grim urban imagery and a plot line about drugs versus dreams; it's like a sequel to Michael Jackson's "Bad" video." Gender and Qualitative Methods (2003) documents: "The choreography suggests self-control and military discipline ... The factory environment, the black-and-white scenery and the choreography hinting at Asian martial arts, underline the atmosphere of remorseless determination."
Released on September 19, 1989, the album debuted at number 28 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and 87 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
and rose steadily to the number one position on both charts. It remained at number one on the Billboard 200 for four consecutive weeks and sold three million copies within the first four months of its release. In November 1989, the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) certified the album gold, denoting 500,000 unit shipments within the United States. This number rose to a platinum certification, denoting 1,000,000 units, and double platinum by the end of the year. By the end of 1992, it was certified sixfold platinum by the RIAA. Since its debut, the album has sold over 14 million copies worldwide. The film was released to VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in October 1989, and re-issued as Rhythm Nation 1814 compilation in November 1990 following the release of the album's final single; the re-issue features all music videos produced for the album. Both versions of the video release earned double platinum certification by the RIAA. The film has sold over four million copies worldwide.
The lead single "Miss You Much" became the first of four to reach number one 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...
. The single hit number one in October 1989 and topped the chart for four weeks. It also topped 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,...
and Hot Dance Club Songs. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA in November 1989. According to Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
magazine, "Miss You Much" was the number one radio hit of 1989. The album's second single and title-track, "Rhythm Nation", peaked at number two on the Hot 100, kept from the number one position by 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....
's "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...
". Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times referred to the song as "[a] militantly utopian dance-floor exhortation ... the song calls for racial harmony and cooperative struggle to create a better, stronger world." It also topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Songs and earned gold certification by the RIAA in January 1990. "Escapade" became the second single to top the Hot 100, in addition to reaching number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold in May 1990.
"Alright" peaked at number four on the Hot 100, at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and became the fourth and final single to top the Hot Dance Club Songs. It was certified gold in June 1990. In the corresponding music video for "Alright", Jackson pays homage to early 20th century Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
; cameo appearances are made by Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
and Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
. "Come Back to Me" peaked at number two on the Hot 100. "Black Cat" reached number one on October 27, 1990, six weeks after its September 15 debut, and was certified gold on November 13. "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" became the seventh and final single to be released off the album on November 6, 1990; it rose to number one on January 19, 1991, topping the chart for one week. The single was certified gold on February 12. "State of the World" was released on radio airplay but not as a commercial single, as A&M executives felt the album would garner high sales if there was a song receiving airplay that was not commercially available.
In September, 1990, Jackson received two MTV Music Video Award nominations; Best Dance Video and Best Choreography for Rhythm Nation (co-nominated with choreographer Anthony Thomas), winning Best Choreography. In addition, she received the MTV Video Vanguard Award, regarded as MTV's highest honor.
Rhythm Nation World Tour
The Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour became Jackson's first world concert tour in support of a studio album. She was assisted by a team of eleven musicians, back-up singers, and six dancers. Anthony Thomas was selected as chief choreographer for the tour. Musician and record producer Chuckii BookerChuckii Booker
Chuckii Booker is an African American award-winning producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader.-Biography:...
was hired as Jackson's musical director; his band became the tour's opening act. Reporter Doug Adrianson wrote: "Because of the inevitable comparisons with brother Michael, 32, expectations for the Rhythm Nation Tour are higher than a moonwalk
Moonwalk (dance)
The moonwalk or backslide is a dance technique that presents the illusion of the dancer being pulled backwards while attempting to walk forward. A popping move, it became most popular around the world after Michael Jackson executed the dance move during a performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25:...
. To make sure the show is suitably spectacular, Jackson and musical director Chuckii Booker rehearsed with a sizable crew for two weeks at the Pensacola Civic Centre ... the same place Michael fine-tuned his Bad tour
Bad World Tour
The Bad World Tour was the first solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson that visited Japan, Australia, the United States and Europe. Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts to 4.4 million fans across 15 countries...
." Total production cost was an estimated $2 million dollars.
The debut concert in Miami, Florida on March 1, 1990 sold out prior to the performance. Music Critic Deborah Wilker remarked that "[Janet] does not present a serious threat to brother Michael, though she has proven beyond any doubt she is a formidable force in her own right." She also reported on the media attention surrounding the opening concert, stating, "[t]he kick-off of this tour was a media event, with reporters and film crews from across the country on hand. In the audience was Janet's brother Jackie
Jackie Jackson
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson is an American singer and musician, a member of The Jackson 5, and the second child in the Jackson family.-Life and career:...
and mother Katherine
Katherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
, as well as singer Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and producers Jam and Lewis." Described as "an elaborately choreographed spectacle" by Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, the tour aimed to re-create the award-winning, visually innovative music videos of Rhythm Nation 1814s numerous hit singles and those of its predecessor, Control. Jay Cocks of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine stated that her stage show integrated "sleek high tech and smooth dance rhythm into an evening of snazzy soul with a social conscience" and that the tour "leaves no doubt that she's not a studio-made creature." Critic Chris Willman expressed: "If the dancing in Janet's tour is even more enthralling than that of brother Michael ... it's because she spends so much of her stage time working with six other dancers as part of a hip-hop chorus line. It represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style—a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements." Some observed that Jackson, like many of her contemporaries, lip-synched
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
parts of her stage show. Jon Pareles commented "[m]ost lip-synched shows are done by video-era pop performers whose audiences are young and television trained. They fill arenas to enjoy a spectacle like what they saw on television—the dancing ... the stage effects and incidentally the songs." Critic Michael MacCambridge described lip-synching as a "moot point", stating, "Jackson was frequently singing along with her own pre-recorded vocals, to achieve a sound closer to radio versions of singles."
The first international concert, which took place in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, sold out the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
within seven minutes—a record for the fastest sellout in the history of the Dome. Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that "Japan became a 'Rhythm Nation' as Janet Jackson opened her tour at the Tokyo Dome, cascading thunderous waves of funk and choreography over 50,000 people ... The choreography, a cross between break-dancing and military maneuvers, sent some spectators dancing into the aisles." Jackson also performed in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
before returning to the United States and then traveled to Europe for the final leg of her tour. Grossing $28.1 million, the tour ranked number five among the best-selling of 1990, making Jackson the only female artist to place within the top ten. The Rhythm Nation 1814 Tour, with an attendance of over two million patrons, remains the most successful debut tour by any recording artist. A number of commentators began to acknowledge the social impact of Jackson's work during her tour. William Allen, then-executive vice president of the United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
, told the Los Angeles Times, "Jackson is a role model for all young people to emulate and the message she has gotten to the young people of this country through the lyrics of 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is having positive effects." Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle expressed, "the 23-year-old has been making smash hit records for four years, becoming a fixture on MTV and a major role model to teenage girls across the country." Deborah Wilker stated: "Jackson is a rare positive role model for kids—particularly young women who have been video-bred on the bimbo look. Jackson thankfully keeps her clothes on ... she preaches brotherhood and racial unity; and she comes across as a confident young lady who is very much in control." Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine reported on her reputation as a fashion icon stating that "[a]s Janet was entertaining 2 million fans during her triumphant Rhythm Nation tour, hoards of teen girls were imitating her distinctive look—black quasi-military long jackets, black tight-tight pants, and big white shirts."
Critical reception
The album received predominantly positive reviews for its musical production, with a mixed reaction on Jackson's choice to dedicate the album to social and political themes. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented: "Her motives may be sincere; the results are unconvincing." Comparing her creation of a concept album to The Dark Side of the MoonThe Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
(1973) by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
(1987) by Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, he states, "the album becomes a cause without a rebellion." Though unmoved by the album's theme, he compliments its musical formula, stating: "The tone of the music is airless, sealing out imprecision and reveling in crisp, machine-generated rhythms; Ms. Jackson's piping voice, layered upon itself in punchy unisons or lavish harmonies, never cracks or falters." Robert Christgau of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
commented: "if the P-Funk pretensions of 'nation' are a little much from somebody whose knowledge of the world is based on the 6 o'clock news, the 'rhythm' is real, and I give her credit for it. Her voice is as unequal to her vaguely admonitory politics as it was to her declaration of sexual availability, but the music is the message: never before have Jam & Lewis rocked so hard for so long." James Jones of USA Today commented that "the lyrics get a bit corny at times, and Jackson's thin, wispy voice lacks the punch or emotion to convincingly preach on homelessness and drugs, but the slick production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis keeps you dancing just the same."
Vince Aletti of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine likened Jackson to a politician, "abandoning the narrow 'I' for the universal 'we' and inviting us to do the same." Aletti complimented Jackson's political resolve and musical accompaniment as she "[balances] despair with optimism, anger with hope, in the currently fashionable formula", without forgetting social progress is a result of hard work. San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
writer Michael Snyder considered the album a worthy successor to Jackson's previous album, Control, because it "adds a little sociopolitical substance to the usual high-grade hip-hop" as she "bounces between the two extremes of romance and generalized, politically correct topicality." Dennis Hunt of Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
compared Jackson to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, stating that she aspires to become "the kind of dance-music queen who can also sing ballads and pop tunes. The album runs the gamut from social commentary to lusty, sensual tunes, from dance music to songs laced with jazz and Brazilian textures." Steve Morse of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
compared the album's commercial success of to that of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, and other members of the Jackson family, attributing such accomplishment to the fact that Jackson created "a dance record with a ruthlessly frank social conscience that addresses drugs, homelessness, illiteracy and teen runaways. She's reached far beyond dance music's fluffy image to unite even serious rockers and rappers who usually look the other way."
The album earned five Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations in 1990: Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
and Best Rhythm & Blues Song
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
for "Miss You Much", Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist has been awarded since 1963. The award is presented to the arranger of the music.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
and Best Music Video, Long Form
Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs...
for "Rhythm Nation", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
, winning Best Music Video. Music critic Deborah Wilker stated the fact that Jackson was not nominated for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
was a "huge oversight." The following year Jackson earned nominations for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
for "Black Cat", and Best Rhythm & Blues Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female for "Alright".
Some commentary on the success of the album was centered around the idea that Jackson was a manufactured act. Music critic Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn is a pop music critic and author. As critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world...
wrote: "Known for years as simply 'Michael's little sister,' Jackson, 24, was supposed to have graduated to a stronger identity in 1986 when her Control album sold 9 million copies worldwide and established her as a queen of dance pop ... [but because] her two earlier solo albums had been so forgettable, it was easy for outsiders to assume that the success of Control was due solely to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the former Prince allies who produced the album and co-wrote most of its songs." Hilburn adds that the commercial success of her former choreographer, Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, as a solo act fueled this belief. In response, Jackson stated "... it bothers me that some people think someone gave me an image or told me what songs to sing or what clothes to wear. I'm not a robot. I want people to know that I'm real ... 'She's only successful because of Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam or Paula Abdul ... or she's Michael's sister' or whatever. That really bothered me." Jimmy Jam stated "when someone says, 'Well, she brought in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,' you've got to remember that we weren't exactly ... Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
... 'Control' was our first smash. The same with Paula. It wasn't like Janet [hired] Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
... She took a chance on all of us." Diana Baron, then-executive director of A&M publicity stated: "Janet is probably one of the hardest-working and most determined artists I've ever been around ... She has incredible strength and focus. She's willing to put in all the work to achieve her desired end. All this talk about her being a 'pop creation' couldn't be further from the truth."
A later review by Alex Henderson of Allmusic criticized Jackson's "wafer-thin" voice, but commented that her soul, spirit and enthusiasm make up for the limits of her vocal range on the numerous political and non-political "gems" throughout the album. Henderson describes the album as "an even higher artistic plateau" than Control, and adds: "For those purchasing their first Janet Jackson release, Rhythm Nation would be an even wiser investment than Control—and that's saying a lot." Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
's Zachary Powell stated that while her first three albums took her out of the Jackson family shadow, "Rhythm Nation put the exclamation point on her career ... The album itself is powered by the quality invested in it, top notch production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and a musically diverse collection of songs flowing with the natural talent Jackson possesses make for a work of many natures." Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
calls the album the "perfect storm that is her 1989 masterpiece". He also complimented Jam and Lewis's production, stating: "Jam and Lewis's work on Rhythm Nation expanded Janet's range in every conceivable direction. She was more credibly feminine, more crucially masculine, more viably adult, more believably childlike. This was, of course, critical to a project in which Janet assumed the role of mouthpiece for a nationless, multicultural utopia. Jam and Lewis helped sell Janet's notion of a consciousness raised."
Legacy
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 emerged the best-selling album of 1990 and made history as the first album to generate seven top-five Billboard hits; "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Escapade", "Alright", "Come Back to Me", "Black Cat", and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" all peaked within the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It is the only album to score number one hits on the Hot 100 in three separate calendar years—"Miss You Much" in 1989, "Escapade" and "Black Cat" in 1990, and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" in 1991. The commercial success of Jackson's album became part of an important turning point for black women in the recording industry. Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender wrote in their book, Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000), that prior to the 1980s, black artists were often segregated, being limited to disco, soul, and rhythm and blues charts and radio airplay. As such, "one important struggle for black women has been in their 'crossover' from dance music to white-dominated pop and rock." While the dominance of female superstars on the mainstream charts had been led by Madonna, "[b]y the late 1980s, black women too, were achieving greater financial success in the pop mainstream. Artists such as Janet Jackson, Tina TurnerTina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
and Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
reached superstar status." Author Stan Hawkins comments the success of the album "helped secure Jackson a position on par with Madonna" as she headlined her first world concert tour in 1990.
Anthony DeCurtis, author of Present Tense: Rock & Roll and Culture (1992) wrote that through her lyrics and image, "its clear Jackson wants to present herself as a professional, as the creative intellect behind a product that has as one of its aims the betterment of black people and the creation of role models for black women." In Reflecting Black: African-American Cultural Criticism (1993), author Michael Eric Dyson argues that the album's utilization of rap music, as not only a form of self-expression, but as a means of protesting voids in society created by social injustice was a "crucial" effort, adding that "Janet Jackson says it herself ... she wanted to get to the people who weren't socially conscious, who wanted to party and dance." Rickey Vincent author of Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One (1996) comments: "Her 1989 Rhythm Nation album was the boldest and most successful pop attempt to combine social commentary, celebration, and state-of-the-art dance funk since her brother Michael's efforts to be Bad
Bad (album)
Bad is the seventh studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album...
."
There was speculation that her brother Michael's personal record label, MJJ Music (a joint-venture between himself and Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
) would have signed her as its premier artist; he reportedly intended to name the label Nation Records
Nation Records
Nation Records is a record label set up by Kath Canoville and Aki Nawaz in 1988.-History:The label was set up after major labels declined to release their fusion of world music and dance music, an album called Fuse...
as a tribute to her, but the copyright had already existed. She instead went on to negotiate a $32 million dollar contract with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
in 1991—at the time, the largest recording contract in history. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that her success "found Janet eclipsing her big brother for the first time—as she would continue to do for more than a decade." In July 2008, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
magazine placed Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 at number 54 in their list of Top 100 Best Albums of the past 25 years. The album is also ranked number 275 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.
Accolades
| Organization | Country | Accolade | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents' Choice Foundation | United States | Parents' Choice Award Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award is an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It is considered a "prestigious" award among children's products, and has been... |
1989 | |
| Billboard Music Awards Billboard Music Award The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011... |
United States | Top Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, Top Selling Album of the Year, Top Selling R&B Album of the Year, Top Selling R&B Albums Artist of the Year, Top Selling R&B Artist of the Year, Top Dance Club Play Artist of the Year, Top Hot Dance 12" Singles Sales Artist of the Year | 1990 | |
| Billboard/Tanqueray Sterling Music Video Awards | United States | Best Female Video Artist, Black/Rap, Best Female Artist, Dance, Director's Award, Black/Rap (Rhythm Nation 1814), Director's Award, Dance ("Alright"), Tanqueray Sterling Music Video Award for Artistic Achievement (Rhythm Nation 1814) | 1990 | |
| MTV Music Video Awards | United States | Best Choreography (Rhythm Nation), 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... |
1990 | |
| Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... s |
United States | Best Music Video, Long Form Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs... (Rhythm Nation 1814) |
1990 | |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... |
United States | "Women In Rock: The 50 Essential Albums" (Rank 27) | 2002 | |
| Quintessence Editions Ltd. Quintessence Editions Ltd. Quintessence Editions Ltd. is a publishing company based in London which is the originator of the "1001 Before You Die" series. Typically, the titles in this series are intended as reference books. They are illustrated books authored by multiple contributors... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd... (No rank) |
2003 | |
| Rolling Stone | United States | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:... (Rank 275) |
2003 | |
| Entertainment Weekly Entertainment Weekly Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture... |
United States | The 100 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years (Rank 54) | 2008 |
Track listing
Note:- All songs except interludes and "Black CatBlack Cat (song)"Black Cat" is the sixth single from American recording artist Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 . The song was written by Jackson herself...
" are produced by Jimmy JamJimmy Jam and Terry LewisJames Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
and Terry LewisJimmy Jam and Terry LewisJames Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
. - "Black Cat" is produced by Janet Jackson and Jellybean Johnson.
- All songs except interludes and "Black CatBlack Cat (song)"Black Cat" is the sixth single from American recording artist Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 . The song was written by Jackson herself...
" are co-produced by Janet Jackson.
Personnel
- Herb AlpertHerb AlpertHerbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
– trumpet, horn, brass - Julie Ayer – violin
- Stephen Barnett – conductor
- Steve Barnett – conductor
- David Barry – electric and 12-string guitar
- Lee Blaske – arranger
- Chris Brown – bass
- Carolyn Daws – violin
- Hanley Daws – violin
- David Eiland – programming
- Rene Elizondo – background vocals
- Richard Frankel – art direction, cover design
- Johnny Gill – percussion, special effects, finger snaps
- James Greer – background vocals
- Guzman/Rotterdam Conservatory Orquesta Tipica – photography
- Steve Hodge – background vocals, engineer
- Peter Howard – cello
- Janet Jackson – arranger, keyboards, vocals, background vocals, producer
- Jimmy JamJimmy Jam and Terry LewisJames Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
– percussion, piano, drums, keyboards, programming, producer - Jellybean JohnsonJellybean JohnsonJellybean Johnson is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota...
– guitar, drums, vocals, background vocals, producer - Jesse JohnsonJesse Johnson (musician)Jesse Woods Johnson is a musician best known as the guitarist in the original lineup of The Time....
– guitar - Lisa KeithLisa KeithLisa Keith is an American Christian contemporary/pop singer, probably best known for her work as a backing vocalist for other artists and lead vocalist on Herb Alpert's hit single from 1987, "Making Love in the Rain"...
– background vocals
- Kathy Kienzle – harp
- Joshua Koestenbaum – cello
- Jamial Lafleur – background vocals
- Terry LewisJimmy Jam and Terry LewisJames Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
– bass, percussion, arranger, background vocals, producer - Tshaye Marks – background vocals
- John McClain – background vocals, producer
- Tamika McDaniel – vocals
- Tarnika McDaniel – background vocals
- John McLain – guitar, background vocals
- Shante Owens – background vocals
- Amy Powell – vocals
- Randy Ran – background vocals
- Nicholas Raths – guitar, classical guitar
- Sonya Robinson – background vocals
- Clarice Rupert – background vocals
- Warlesha Ryan – background vocals
- Tamas Strasser – viola
- John Tartaglia – viola
- Reshard Taylor – background bocals
- Romuald Tecco – concert master
- Anthony Thomas – background vocals
- Hyacinthe Tlucek – concert master
- Steve Wilson – background vocals
Charts
| Chart (1989–91) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums 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... |
1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
10 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
28 |
| German Albums 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... |
39 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
8 |
| New Zealand Albums 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... |
9 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
24 |
| Swiss Albums 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... |
23 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
4 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| Hong Kong Hong Kong Recording Industry Alliance Hong Kong Recording Industry Alliance Limited is a not-for-profit copyright management organization, formed to handle copyright issues for recording companies regarding the broadcast, public performance and relevant usage of sound recordings and music videos in Hong Kong, Macau and other... |
Gold |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
Gold |
| Switzerland | Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
6× Platinum |
Singles
| Year of release | Single | Billboard Hot 100 | Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Songs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Miss You Much" | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1989 | "Rhythm Nation" | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | "Escapade" | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | "Alright" | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1990 | "Come Back to Me" | 2 | 2 | — |
| 1990 | "Black Cat" | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 1991 | "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Chart procession
|-|-
See also
- 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
- The 500 Greatest Albums of All TimeThe 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
External links
- Rhythm Nation 1814 Lyrics at MetroLyricsMetroLyricsMetroLyrics is a lyrics-dedicated website, founded in 2002. It is the highest trafficked lyrics website in the world, with 48 million+ unique users per month and 125+ million page views per month, and is the 3rd largest music site in the US and Globally...
- Rhythm Nation 1814 Video Page at janetjackson.com
Further reading
- Cornwell, Jane. Janet Jackson. Carlton Books, 2002. ISBN 1-84222-464-6