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JANET'S ALBUM RANK


JupiterArgus

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i don't think that already exists a thread so here i go.

Throughout her music career, Janet has explored a variety of music genres and has experimented with changes of sound and image. She has released a total of 11 Studio Albums in her career and has sold over 100 Million Records worldwide. For this blog post I will ranking her 11 albums from worst to best, with each album I will also choose my favourite 3 songs from the album and 1 song that is my least favourite. NOT MY PERSONAL OPINION (only for the songs)

 

#11. DREAM STREET

Image result for janet jackson dream street

Some people says debut albums can be awful, but this is false. Janet'se second album Dream Street is bad, and it's dissapoint because her debut was good, she has never perform any of this album songs on any world tour, can i blame her? No, this album is bad. The intro track is probably one of the best songs on the album tough.

    Top 3
Don't Stand Another Chance / Dream Street / Communication

Song to Skip
Two to the Power of Love

 


#10: JANET JACKSON

Image result for janet jackson janet jackson

Janet's first album was nothing special but at least it was more tolerable than Dream Street.

The opening track Say You Do is another standout moment which is fairly enjoyable. The rest of the songs aren't amazing but they are inoffensive. Don't Mess Up This Good Thing and Come Give Your Love to Me are pretty good for a an album by a 16 year old who didn't know what to do with her career yet.

 

Top 3
Say You Do / Young Love / Don't Mess Up This Good Thing

Song to Skip
Forever Yours

#9 DISCIPLINE

Image result for janet jackson discipline

Janet's tenth album saw her music shift towards an electro-pop and dance-pop sound while still maintaining some R&B elements. While this could've been an interesting album, it ultimately turns out to be weak overall. 

The lead single Feedback is catchy enough and is a fairly good song, but it's not amazing by any means and is only a standout because there aren't many great songs on this album. Can't B Good has a self descriptive title, Never Letchu Go is forgettable and So Much Betta is annoying in certain parts. And there's a bunch of songs which aren't worth a mention. However, there are some good songs on this album. Rock With U is probably my favourite song on the album and deserved to be a more successful single than FeedbackLuv and 2nite are also good tracks, it's just a shame that the best songs are near the beginning of the album.

Top 3
Luv / Rock With U / 2nite

Song to Skip
Never Letchu Go

#8 20 Y.O

Image result for janet jackson 20 y.o.

2006 was the year that Control celebrated its 20th Anniversary. Unlike most other pop stars who release a special remastered edition of an album on these occasions, Janet decided to record a whole new album instead. 20 Y.O. is trying to be a celebration of Control but falls far below the level of that album, think of it as a birthday party gone horribly wrong. Okay, maybe not horribly wrong, but it certainly isn't a success and this is mainly because of Janet's then-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri getting involved and deciding to turn the album towards an Urban sound which ends up becoming a failed experiment (and also cost him his job at Virgin Records). The album's lead single Call on Me is by far Janet's worst lead single of her career (that $1 Million spent on the video was a waste) and the song With U is allegedly a continuation of Let's Wait Awhile but is utterly forgettable and it's a crime to put those 2 songs in the same sentence. Songs like Show Me and Get It Out Me may be catchy at first but they quickly lose their touch. However, there are some redeemable moments. So Excited should have been the lead single and is the only song in the first half that I genuinely like (although it's nothing spectacular). Enjoy is a fairly good track and slower songs like Daybreak and Take Care are good as well, perhaps if more down-tempos had been included then the album could've been slightly better.

Top 3
So Excited / This Body / Daybreak

Song to Skip
Call on Me

#7 DAMITA JO (it's on my top 5)

Damita Jo is probably Janet's most underrated album. The 5 albums I've ranked above it get the attention they deserved and received good reception from critics and fans. But Damita Jo unfortunately dealt with a huge amount of hate when it was released back in 2004 and is still a polarising album among fans for some reason. I won't go into much detail, but all I will say is that it is a shame that this album was overshadowed by the infamous Superbowl Incident. Just a Little While is one of the album's weakest tracks and was not a good choice at all to be the lead single (the fact that this song was placed last on the tracklist suggests that Janet had no idea what to do with the song once it became the lead single). The track All Nite (Don't Stop) would have been a better lead, mixing electropop, funk and latin, the song is one of the catchiest tracks of Janet's career and is a great dancefloor track that deserved to be a worldwide hit. The track Damita Jo is a great first song on the album, managing to introduce the character of "Damita Jo" while being a good standalone song in its own right. It is followed by Sexhibition, an instantly catchy song that should've lasted a bit longer. The house-influenced SloLove is the album's most overlooked track. Strawberry Bounce could've been a hit in its own right and the Motown-influenced I Want You shows a more vulnerable side to Janet on this album. Despite having many strong points, the album does have a couple of duds, specifically Warmth and Moist which overdo the sexiness a bit too much. Alltough, i really hate R&B Junkie

Top 3
Island Life / Damita Jo / Strawberry Bounce


Song to Skip
Warmth

 

#6 Unbreakable

Image result for janet jackson unbreakable

After a 7 year break since her last album Discipline (the longest break Janet has taken between albums), Janet returned with her most personal album since The Velvet Rope in 1997. Her brother Michael's death, her breakup with Jermaine Dupri and marriage to Wissam Al Mana all took place during this 7 year break, providing inspiration for this album. Her previous 2 albums had been lackluster and the 2000s proved to be an underwhelming decade for Janet in a number of ways. However she returned to form with this album which saw her exploring the genres of R&B, Pop, House, Rock, Soul & Quiet Storm. The lead single No Sleeep is the perfect song to reintroduce us to Janet, a slow R&B track with elements of quiet storm, it doesn't attempt to follow contemporary pop music trends (like Janet's last 2 albums) but instead it holds its own ground as a solid song that is reminiscent of some of her material from The Velvet RopeShoulda Known Better is a ballad that looks back at the message of Rhythm Nation and comments that she should've known better than to assume that a song could change the world and acknowledges that the same issues that she sang about on her album Rhythm Nation 1814 are still an issue today. After You Fall is another sadder song which is made up of Janet's vocals accompanied by just a piano. Broken Hearts Heal is lyrically about her brother Michael, but manages to be an uplifting and hopeful track about meeting him again in the afterlife. There are certainly happier moments on the album, BurnItUp! and Dammn Baby are both catchy upbeat tracks that could've been decent hits with some promotion. Night is a house track with great energy while Take Me Away is an uplifting electro-rock track. The Great Forever is another track worth mentioning and Gon' B Alright is a great way to end the album. There aren't any bad tracks on here, but certain songs such as 2 B Loved and Lessons Learned struggle to stand out on an album with so many other great tracks.

 

Top 3
Shoulda Known Better / Night / No Sleeep

Song to Skip
2 B Loved

 

 

#5 ALL FOR YOU (Personally, my fav overall)

 


Image result for janet jackson all for you album

All For You is the first album on this list that I would say is overall quite good. The album focuses on an upbeat dance-pop sound as well as incorporating a variety of other genres, the upbeat tone of the album was a deliberate move away from the darker sound of her previous album The Velvet Rope. While All For You is far from being her best album, it is still an overall good effort. The lead single All for You is an instant standout with catchy disco and funk elements, it's no surprise that this is one of her biggest hits. But my favourite track would have to be Trust a Try, a fusion of opera, rock, hip-hop and dance, which showcases one of the album's angriest moments. You Ain't Right is another standout with its own angry emotions. Janet also experiments with oriental music on China Love and tribal house on Come on Get Up, in both cases the results are great. Doesn't Really Matter and Someone to Call My Lover are both simple catchy fun pop tracks that were obvious single choices. Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) is a bit of an odd track but it's not that bad and it gets too much hate (however it's strange that this was picked as a single). Better Days serves as a good closer to the album. However, there are some low points on the album, the sexual tracks such as Love Scene (Ooh Baby) which don't have the same sensuality as Janet's sexual songs from the 90s.

Top 3
Truth / All for You / China Love

Song to Skip
Feels So Right

 

#03 CONTROL
Control_(Janet_Jackson_album)_coverart.jpg

This is the album that gave Janet the successful breakthrough that she needed to have a lasting career. She severed ties with her father's management and decided to work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who would work on many of Janet's later albums) to create an album that had a then-unconventional sound featuring a fusion of R&B, Funk and Disco and pioneered the genre of New Jack Swing. What Have You Done for Me Lately is the perfect lead single to this album, showcasing Janet as an independent woman while also showing off an upbeat mixture of R&B and Funk. The albums' opening track Control sets up the theme of the album effectively and is followed by Nasty, a standout song with a hard beat. The Pleasure Principle is a grower compared to the previously mentioned tracks, being more toned down but still a great song. When I Think of You is another song worth mentioning for being a cute dance pop track. Let's Wait Awhile is one of the slower songs on the album that isn't as strong as the other singles from the album but is still nice in its own way. He Doesn't Know I'm Alive is perhaps objectively one of the weakest songs on the album, but it has an odd charm to it that makes it distinct on this album. You Can Be Mine is also another weaker track, partly because of its repetitive chorus but it's still a nice upbeat track. The album's final song Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun) is a great closer, a quiet storm track which tones down the fierce atmosphere which was present earlier on the album.

Top 3
Nasty / What Have You Done for Me Lately / Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)

Song to Skip
You Can Be Mine

 

#03 RHYTHM NATION 1814
517592.jpg

After having huge success with Control, Janet's record label wanted her to release a similar album to continue her success. Instead, Janet decided to release a concept album focusing on social issues that were prevalent at the time of the albums' release and are unfortunately still prevalent in the present day. The album is another example of Janet's exploration of genres, focusing on a mixture of R&B, Industrial, New Jack Swing, Rock, Pop and Dance music. The track Rhythm Nation is the perfect title track, effectively introducing the message of the album while also showcasing an industrial dance sound that makes it a big standout in Janet's discography. The theme of this song continues into State of the World and The Knowledge, the latter being a grower compared to the first two songs but eventually becomes a standout once you listen to it enough times. The song Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make) is the album's darkest track and focuses on children suffering in a world they had no choice in becoming a part of. However, the album does have its lighter moments as well. The dance-pop track Miss You Much is a catchy standout while Escapade feels like a part 2 to When I Think of You. The 6-minute long Alright doesn't overstay its welcome and Love Will Never Do (Without You) is an uplifting pop song which features Janet singing in a lower voice for the first verse before moving up an octave in the second verse (this was because the song was originally going to be a duet with a male vocalist). Black Cat is a metal-influenced song focusing on the topic of gang violence, it is the album's angriest song and adds to the variety of sounds that are found on this album. Afterwards, the last few songs are at a slower tempo. Lonely is a great slower song with a lovely atmosphere. Come Back to Me is also good, but is probably the weakest ballad on the album. The final song Someday Is Tonight serves as a foreshadowing of Janet's change of image with the Janet. album.

Top 3
Rhythm Nation / Black Cat / Escapade

 

Song to Skip
Come Back to Me

#02 JANET.
Image result for janet jackson janet

The iconic Rolling Stone Magazine cover marked the beginning for a new era for Janet's career, which is why it is suitable that part of it makes it on the cover of this album. She also dropped her last name and from this point preferred to be referred to as simply "Janet". This album saw her delve into a variety of genres over the course of 75 minutes (a huge length compared to most other pop albums). The album's lead single That's the Way Love Goes is a great introduction to this new side of Janet, a midtempo track that manages to make the most of Janet's sensual vocals. The second single If has a harder, rockier edge, mixing Pop, New Jack Swing and Industrial Rock in one song. Other upbeat tracks included You Want This and the sexual club track Throb. Janet also experiments with a funky Jazz sound on Funky Big Band and with New Jack Swing (which she had helped pioneer with the Control album) on the track Because of Love, which in hindsight may not have been the best choice to be a single. This Time may be the album's biggest triumph with experimentation, featuring a guest appearance from operatic singer Kathleen Battle and mixes her vocals with a fusion of classical, rock and new jack swing genres. New Agenda is another standout that recalls a similar message to that of her Rhythm Nation 1814 album. The Janet. album also shines in its downtempo moments. The quiet storm track Any Time, Any Place is one of the album's best songs while the track Where Are You Now is a grower which turns out to be a good song when you give it some time. The album is overall really good but it does have its weak moments. The ballad Again may have been one of the album's biggest hits, but it sounds a bit like a cheesy Disney ballad (which isn't always a bad thing to be fair). The Body That Loves You takes a huge amount of time to grow on you, while the tracks Whoops Now and What'll I Do were released together as a double B-Side double A-Side single in many countries, and yet neither song feels like a strong standout song (even though the single still managed to become a hit somehow).

Top 3
If / New Agenda / Any Time, Any Place

Song to Skip
Whoops Now

 

 

#1 THE VELVET ROPE
Janet_Jackson_-_The_Velvet_Rope.jpg

This album has been regarded by fans as Janet's masterpiece. The album was written and recorded after she went through a period of depression, this is reflected in the album's moody atmosphere. The album covered a bigger variety of genres and themes than any of her other albums, showcasing pop, R&B, jazz, folk, rock, trip-hop and electronic music as well as becoming an influence on the sound of alternative R&B. The album also covered subject matter such as depression, self-worth, homophobia, AIDS, domestic violence, sexual orientation and social networking. The lead single Got 'til It's Gone is an alternative R&B/Hip-Hop track that represents the album's mood effectively. The first song Velvet Rope introduces the album's themes and shifts from electronic to techno to classical in a span of under 5 minutes. You is a trip-hop influenced track that features deeper vocals from Janet (that were once rumoured to be Michael's vocals) while the track My Need is a mid-tempo Hip-Hop song that deals with self-obsession and desire, it's one of the tracks that immediately stands out. The albums' lighter moments include funky pop track Go Deep and the dance house song Together Again which was written about a friend who died from AIDS and became the biggest worldwide hit of Janet's career. I Get Lonely was another successful hit from the album and manages to convey the theme of isolation while being an upbeat R&B track that is one of the best of this album. Free Xone discusses homophobia and the effects it has, while What About is about domestic abuse. The song manages to transition effectively from its calm verses to its hard rock edged chorus. Empty is an electronic ballad that is ahead of its time as Janet discusses social networking and trying to find acceptance through the internet. The album is filled is great, standout tracks of varying genres, styles and themes. The only real dud would be Every Time, a piano ballad that is pleasant enough but finds itself the weakest of a strong collection of songs. Got 'Til It's Gone is one of the dopest tracks Janet has ever do.

Top 3
What About / Empty / Velvet Rope

Song to Skip
Every Time
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Sigh! At least you had the common sense to put “Unbreakable” before “Damita Jo” but “All For You” before “Unbreakable”!!! One can argue AFY had higher highs but as a whole, “Unbreakable” is beyond superb in terms of cohesion, quality and actual themes. 

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2 hours ago, Lenzo88 said:

Sigh! At least you had the common sense to put “Unbreakable” before “Damita Jo” but “All For You” before “Unbreakable”!!! One can argue AFY had higher highs but as a whole, “Unbreakable” is beyond superb in terms of cohesion, quality and actual themes. 

AFY has a theme :umm: but I agree with the initial poster’s opinion

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1 hour ago, Game For Now said:

Your opinion is duly noted 

 

"All For You" ... Sooooo meaningful. We have Control,RN, and TVR but ..."All For You" is just as meaningful if not more than those prior projects lol Ok Norman. "A4U" was a cute "theme" but its NOT a strong theme, period...Hell even 20YO had more validity theme-wise tbh 

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27 minutes ago, janetDAYZ said:

"All For You" ... Sooooo meaningful. We have Control,RN, and TVR but ..."All For You" is just as meaningful if not more than those prior projects lol Ok Norman. "A4U" was a cute "theme" but its NOT a strong theme, period...Hell even 20YO had more validity theme-wise tbh 

I never said any of that

I just said it has a theme and it’s more valid than anything from the Great Depression Eras

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4 hours ago, janetDAYZ said:

 

Out of 11 albums the fact that you had the "Janet Jackson" album @ #7 ...... I juss .........

Yup!!! ☺️😝

Honestly, her pre-Control and ‘04-‘08 output are nearly interchangeable to me so....the BIG 5 and “Unbreakable” are ALWAYS the hardest to rank tho! 🤔😫😭😭😭

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1. janet. (If, TTWLG, Anytime Anyplace) 

2. Rhythm Nation (Love Will Never Do, RN, Come Back To Me)

3. The Velvet Rope (I Get Lonely, You, Go Deep) (song to skip: Tonights The Night)

4. Unbreakable (Night, No Sleeep, Gon Be Alright) (song to skip: After You Fall)

5. Control (PleasurePrinciple, Nasty, Funny How Time Flies)

6. All For You (All For You, Son Of A Gun, Better Days) (song to skip: Love Scene)

7. Damita Jo (I Want You, All Nite, Spending Time With You) (Song to skip: Thinkin Bout My Ex)

8. Janet Jackson ( You'll Never Find, Don't Mess Up This Good Thing, Come Give Your Love To Me) (Song To Skip: Love&MyBestFriend)

9. 20 Y.O. (Enjoy, Take Care, Do It To Me) (song to skip: Love2Love)

10. Dream Street (Don't Stand Another Chance, All My Love To You, If It Takes All Night) (song to skip: Two To The Power Of Love)

11. Discipline (Feedback, 2Nite, So Much Better) (song to skip: GreatestEx)

(I say this everytime I rank because janet. & RN is always 1&2, what keeps RN from being #1 is that I prefer the single mixes & video mixes to most of those RN songs over the album versions, if not for that janet. & RN would almost be tied for how much I use & crave both, but the thing is I don't use much from the RN album, the only 2 singles from the RN era I use the album versions of is Love Will Never Do & Escapade)

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9 hours ago, jarrylf said:

1. janet. (If, TTWLG, Anytime Anyplace) 

2. Rhythm Nation (Love Will Never Do, RN, Come Back To Me)

3. The Velvet Rope (I Get Lonely, You, Go Deep) (song to skip: Tonights The Night)

4. Unbreakable (Night, No Sleeep, Gon Be Alright) (song to skip: After You Fall)

5. Control (PleasurePrinciple, Nasty, Funny How Time Flies)

6. All For You (All For You, Son Of A Gun, Better Days) (song to skip: Love Scene)

7. Damita Jo (I Want You, All Nite, Spending Time With You) (Song to skip: Thinkin Bout My Ex)

8. Janet Jackson ( You'll Never Find, Don't Mess Up This Good Thing, Come Give Your Love To Me) (Song To Skip: Love&MyBestFriend)

9. 20 Y.O. (Enjoy, Take Care, Do It To Me) (song to skip: Love2Love)

10. Dream Street (Don't Stand Another Chance, All My Love To You, If It Takes All Night) (song to skip: Two To The Power Of Love)

11. Discipline (Feedback, 2Nite, So Much Better) (song to skip: GreatestEx)

(I say this everytime I rank because janet. & RN is always 1&2, what keeps RN from being #1 is that I prefer the single mixes & video mixes to most of those RN songs over the album versions, if not for that janet. & RN would almost be tied for how much I use & crave both, but the thing is I don't use much from the RN album, the only 2 singles from the RN era I use the album versions of is Love Will Never Do & Escapade)

Controversial!!!

Wait.. there’s so much filler on janet. but no songs to skip... Lies 

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