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25 years since Rhythm Nation 1814


T.C

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Tomorrow it will be the 19th (here in Aus at least haha) meaning it will be the anniversary of Janet's critical masterpiece.

 

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Often considered her greatest piece of work and her most iconic era in the states, it went on to produce 7 top 5 hits (unbroken record), 4 #1s in 3 separate calendar years (also unbroken) and also went on to sell 14 million.

 

Share your memories with this?

 

I was born 6 years too late i'm afraid :(

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Her best album is Control and you all will have to accept it in your hearts as truth. cat_zps63f44c32.png8f70c6ea.gif

 

But anyway, I was 11 when Janhova released RN1814.  I was a "stan" before it was popular during this era.  The black and white visuals..the choreography..the videos..MTV, BET, and VH1 stanning for the Goddess..the ultimate slayage to her peers. cat_zps63f44c32.png  Me and my cousin were big Janet fans and her impact carried over to having my cousin dress in all black like her..we had all her posters and stuff..and we would rush home to see her videos..I remember how eventful this era was..I remember hearing her songs on the radio all the time..especially LWND because it was summertime and it just made you feel good.

 

Any talent show would consist of the RN routine..girls were dressing like her..boys were fascinated by her "assets"..She was larger than life!

 

To experience the RN era in real life was EVERYTHING though..such an iconic piece of pop history.. :wub:  :wub:

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25 Greatest Moments That Made Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814″ Album A Modern-Day Classic

 

RhythmNation1814-album2.png

 

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the R&B/pop classic album Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson. As one of the most successful selling R&B albums since its 1989 release, Nation became iconic for its recording-breaking chart entries, fashion statements and influence in urban American communities.

Check out the 25 greatest moments, facts and figures about the Rhythm Nation 1814 era that made the album a modern-day classic.

25. “Get the point? Good. Let’s dance.”

That memorable phrase is one of the shortest album cuts on a pop or R&B album, and real Janet fans knows what song follows that on Rhythm Nation 1814.

24. Janet awarded collegiate scholarships to high school scholars throughout her Rhythm Nation 1814 tour.

Though very successful artist use their platforms and monies to give back to the less-fortunate by setting up summer camps, non-profit organizations and governmental initiatives, Janet used the platform of her mega-successful Rhythm Nation 1814 tour to award college scholarships to high school students who excelled in academia and community service.  This gesture was a driving force, from the entertainment industry, to the rise in African-American college enrollment in the United States, along with influences of TV shows “A Different World” and “The Cosby Show.”

23. “Edit!”

It is the popular catchphrase that introduces the #1 hit single “Rhythm Nation” and was revamped almost 12 years later in her video intro for the #1 global smash “All For You.”

22. Janet’s most successful brother, Michael Jackson, cited “The Knowledge” and “Rhythm Nation” as two of his favorite songs that motivated him to dance.

When the King of Pop gave props to another artist’s music, music fans knew that said music was a big deal.  As critics often wrote off Janet as an act heavily influenced by her brother leading up to this music era, Michael silenced the naysayers and surprised pop music fans as he mentioned in his own documentary that two of Janet’s Rhythm Nation songs motivated him to dance.  The songs “The Knowledge” and “Rhythm Nation” inspired Mike as he prepared for his new jack swing-driven Dangerousalbum. See the interview snippet below.

21. It is the only album to score U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits in three consecutive calendar years.

After topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts with “Miss You Much” (in 1989), “Escapade” (in 1990), “Black Cat” (in 1990) and “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” (in 1991), Janet’s Rhythm Nation 1814 is the only album to boast at least one #1 single in three consecutive calendar years, without a re-release or deluxe version.

20. It is the only mainstream pop/R&B album known for the “industrial” production sound.

Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes with an aggressive fusion of rock, soul and electronic music.  While the musical production trend of the Rhythm Nation 1814 era relied on melodramatic ballads, new jack swing, italo disco and hard rock sounds, the album’s use of the industrial sound blended in its R&B and pop foundation made the album a standout throughout the late 1980’s/early 1990’s.

19. Without a physical release or accompanied music video, “State Of The World” peaked at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1991.

Before and during the Rhythm Nation 1814 era, mainstream pop and R&B singers rarely released singles without an accompanied CD/cassette and/or music video. After releasing seven commercially successful singles from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album, Janet’s label, A&M Records, decided to release “State Of The World” as the album’s eighth single for radio promotion only.  The tune’s popularity on radio ascended to the fifth most-played song in America during the spring of 1991 and further pushed sales of its housing album.

18. “The Knowledge” music video slays all in solo choreography.

See the iconic music video for yourself.

17. Under the direction of video director Julien Temple and choreographer Anthony Thomas, the “Alright” music video won critical acclaim for its creative homage to the 1930’s and 1950’s.

Janet Jackson’s visual interpretations of her hit singles already marked the singer and her creative team as visionaries, and the making of the “Alright” music video set the bar for visual creativity even higher. As a nod to the entertainment and urban renaissance of the 1930’s and 1950’s, Janet enlisted dance pioneers Cyd Charisse, The Nicholas Brothers, and Cab Calloway, all of whom in their 60’s and 70’s, to reprise their marks during those eras in the award-winning music video.

16. It is the only album that boasts 7 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 top 5 singles.

Rhythm Nation 1814 is the only album, without a re-release or deluxe version, that churned out seven top-five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the U.S.  Those hit singles were “Miss You Much” at #1, “Rhythm Nation” at #2, “Escapade” at #1, “Alright” at #4, “Come Back To Me” at #2, “Black Cat” at #1 and “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” at #1.

15. The Rhythm Nation 1814 era won choreography accolades including Grammys and MTV Video Music Awards.

With nine Grammy Award nominations over two years, the Rhythm Nation 1814 era won Janet Jackson theBest Music Video, Long Form award for the Rhythm Nation 1814 telemusical in 1990.  Janet, along with lead choreographer Anthony Thomas picked up the Moonman for the Best Choreography category for “Rhythm Nation” at the MTV Video Music Awards.

14. Rhythm Nation 1814 set the trend for R&B albums released during the 1990s to include interludes to seamlessly connect album cuts.

“Hey Baby” “Let’s Dance” and “T.V.” are three of seven interludes on the Rhythm Nation 1814 album that set the trend for many R&B acts to connect album cuts with short spoken-word pieces and abbreviated songs and recordings.

13. Released as the B-side to the #1 selling single “Miss You Much,” “You Need Me” received praise from critics and fans over it heart-felt and confrontational lyrics to her father and former manager, Joe Jackson.

Though A&M Records suggested that Janet Jackson should follow up the mega-successful Control album with a personal album that addressed the highly publicized problems of her famous family, Janet obliged with one song, “You Need Me,” which served as a direct message to her father Joe for being the centerpiece within much of the family drama.  Though the song did not make the Rhythm Nation 1814album, its lingering impact as a B-side record resonated among fans and critics alike.

12. Rhythm Nation 1814 is the top-selling album of the new jack swing era by a female artist, second among all artists.

With more than 16 million units sold – and counting, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 is the highest-selling new jack swing-influenced opus by a female artist.  It was the best selling album overall, until that brother of hers, a.k.a. The King of Pop, released his 1991 Dangerous album, which sold doubly internationally.

11. The Rhythm 1814 Tour still holds records for largest gross revenue and highest attendance for a first-time touring act.

With 2 million in attendance, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 tour still holds the record for the largest attended and highest grossing debut tour, which earned the pop diva more than $22million. The tour also still holds the record for the fastest sold-out show at the 55,000-seater Tokyo Dome in Japan with a time of seven minutes.

Check out the concert below, which is uploaded to Youtube.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

10. “Black Cat” is Janet Jackson’s first single with the singer credited as the sole writer, which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.

During the 1980’s and 1990’s, very few premium pop and R&B divas were allowed the creative control to write songs for their new albums – with collaborations of producers and established songwriters.  As Janet Jackson took over the creative direction of her Rhythm Nation 1814 album, key collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis pushed Janet to write “Black Cat” all by herself because she wanted to address drug abuse and gang violence from a concerned friend’s point-of-view on her album. Janet wrote and recorded the tune, and it became #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit and her first and only #1 hit on the Billboard Rock Singles chart.

9. Rhythm Nation 1814 was the top-selling album of 1990, winning the first televised Billboard 200 Album of the Year and Billboard Artist of the Year awards.

The Rhythm Nation 1814 album became the biggest success story during the first televised Billboard Music Awards after it won eight awards including: Top Hot 100 Singles Artist of the YearTop Selling Album of the YearTop Selling R&B Album of the YearTop Selling R&B Albums Artist of the YearTop Selling R&B Artist of the YearTop Dance Club Play Artist of the Year and Top Hot Dance 12″ Singles Sales Artist of the Year.

8. Janet released the Rhythm Nation 1814 “telemusical” exclusively on MTV to promote the accompanied album shortly before its release date.

Though her brother, Michael, was the only music artist who took over major TV networks to debut his new music, Janet was the first singer who featured a mini-film to promote music from an upcoming album via MTV.  Check out a snippet of the Rhythm Nation 1814 “telemusical,” which includes the only commercial release of the critically-acclaimed album track “The Knowledge,” below.

7. The Rhythm Nation 1814 album was highly praised for its socially conscious concept; thus, the opus became an instant classic which no other mainstream pop or R&B artist has managed to accomplish since.

Initially, [rock] music critics were not very welcoming of a female pop singer creating a socially-conscious driven album, especially when Rhythm Nation 1814 boasted love songs throughout half of the album, deeming one as disingenuous.  The criticism did not deter Jackson’s drive to express her artistry as a socially-concerned pop/R&B starlet. When the questionable tunes “Black Cat” “State Of The World” “Rhythm Nation” and “The Knowledge” became huge hits and fan-favorites, the naysayers were forced to eat their words. Years after the album’s successful run,  Rolling StoneVibeEntertainment Weekly andSlant were some of the entertainment magazines that honored Rhythm Nation 1814 as one of the greatest albums of R&B music and all-time.

6. The “Rhythm Nation” music video boasted stellar choreography, that is world-famous, and sported the iconic military fashion look which became mainstream.

Janet Jackson’s military-inspired look in the “Rhythm Nation” sparked a fashion trend during the early 1990’s and returned a few times since. Check out the very music video that birthed the mainstream trend below.

5. Janet was honored with the MTV Video Vanguard award the year before it was named after Michael Jackson and 21 years before another female artist received the honor.

The creative and visual direction Janet Jackson took to promote her Rhythm Nation 1814 era, in addition to the success of the preceding Control era, won her the highly coveted MTV Video Vanguard award.  The award honors iconic achievements in the music video art form, which was a huge deal to be one of the first honorees more than two decades ago.  Jackson received the honor in 1990 – one year before it was renamed after her brother Michael Jackson, 21 years before the next female honoree – Britney Spears and 24 years before the next R&B honoree – Beyonce.

4. Janet shattered the “manufactured act” reputation, dubbed by her harshest critics, and proved to be a formidable act and a sizable contemporary to her brother Michael Jackson.

Because Janet Jackson did not see commercial success as a singer until the release of her third album,Control, her harshest critics deemed the Control-era as Janet’s lucky break that was orchestrated by then-new collaborators Paula Abdul as choreographer and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis as producers. Though Jam & Lewis defended Jackson in interviews as the starlet taking the lead in her music artistry, critics were not convinced until the achievements of Rhythm Nation 1814 surpassed Control and the revelation of the singer guiding the album’s concept.  A&M Records executives also backed up the singer as a hard-working musician who monitored every creative detail of the era.

3. The chair routine in Janet Jackson’s “Miss You Much” extended music video is one of the most iconic and imitated choreographed routines in modern music.

The chair routine in Janet’s “Miss You Much” music video is one of the most acclaimed choreography in music videos.  Even, popular late-night TV host Arsenio Hall acquired exclusive backstage access to the Rhythm Nation 1814 tour rehearsal to televise Ms. Jackson and her dancers practicing the routine.

2. The “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” music video reinvented Janet Jackson into a world-class sex symbol.

In case you wondered at what point did Janet Jackson become the sex symbol the world embraced for years, the “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” music video, shown below, may serve as your reminder.

1. The success of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 era caused a bidding war from several records which earned her the distinction of signing the most lucrative recording contract.

Proving that her earlier success from the Control era was no fluke, Janet Jackson’s diligence and artistic vision won her numerous acclaim as a tour de force in entertainment during the Rhythm Nation 1814 era.  The aforementioned era served as the fulfillment of her recording contract with A&M Records in 1991, and the entire music industry took notice as record labels A&M, Capitol, Atlantic and Virgin participated in a bidding war for the starlet’s next musical chapter.  Virgin emerged victorious as Jackson signed a $32million contract with the label – thus, marking the R&B music icon as the highest paid music act at the time.

 

http://www.glistsociety.com/2014/09/25-greatest-moments-that-made-janet-jacksons-rhythm-nation-1814-album-a-modern-day-classic/ 

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