Is Rhythm Nation 1814 the biggest era for any female R&B artist?

[king_c]

I know Mariah's Music Box sold more, but that's more of a pop album. I honestly can't think of another female R&B album that reached the heights RN did. janet. the album sold more, but didn't have as many top ten/#1s

I say for females DEFINITELY

Rhythm Nation is a ALBUM. Lonely, RN, Escapade, Miss You Much, The Knowledge, Alright, Love Will Never Do... everytime I listen to this album I feel like:

 

[Bailey]

I recall the era as really cementing Janet as someone to stay in the game, Control, while a hit, some said it was a "one off"  what RN did was show how much more Janet was capable of. The evidence later came with her record breaking deal with Virgin records, making her the highest paid music artist at the time. 

I remember that entire album was in very heavy rotation on the radio, she won, as we know, a slew of awards. Janet did that   I don't think many female artists had the diverse audience nor reach Janet achieved. Off the heels of RN and signing with Virgin, Janet had a ton of pressure to deliver, which is why we have the over produced filler filled album simply titled Janet.  

[Mr. Wonder]

Everything included, I think j. was bigger on a global scale. But stateside, an argument could be made. 

[PensivePutana]

Would Whitney's Bodyguard era count in this?

[Bailey]

9 hours ago, PensivePutana said:

Would Whitney's Bodyguard era count in this?

not necessarily since she didnt write most of that and its a soundtrack album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album was the top selling and top chart performing album of 1990, the Bodyguard era was 93

[Lenzo88]

13 hours ago, Bailey said:

I recall the era as really cementing Janet as someone to stay in the game, Control, while a hit, some said it was a "one off"  what RN did was show how much more Janet was capable of. The evidence later came with her record breaking deal with Virgin records, making her the highest paid music artist at the time. 

I remember that entire album was in very heavy rotation on the radio, she won, as we know, a slew of awards. Janet did that   I don't think many female artists had the diverse audience nor reach Janet achieved. Off the heels of RN and signing with Virgin, Janet had a ton of pressure to deliver, which is why we have the over produced filler filled album simply titled Janet.  

Up until that Janet. Shade.....ur just asking for a 2020 level rude awakening!!!

[Lenzo88]

It was definitely her “Thriller” moment that solidified her legacy and cemented her as a pop culture phenomenon so....But I don’t know if it’s the biggest R&B album era for a solo female artist. Whitney’s first 2 albums seemed like much bigger eras but Rhythm Nation is unmatched in concept and quality! 

[Mr. Wonder]

14 hours ago, PensivePutana said:

Would Whitney's Bodyguard era count in this?

That was a pop album. 

[Aquaria]

17 hours ago, PensivePutana said:

Would Whitney's Bodyguard era count in this?

You are a mess for this username.  

I can’t see the name history, who is this?

[PensivePutana]

Just now, Aquaria said:

You are a mess for this username.  

I can’t see the name history, who is this?

Mind yours, dear..

2 hours ago, Mr. Wonder said:

That was a pop album. 

Oh, that was the qualifier.. I always thought of JJ as a pop-R&B hybrid. So she does stand alone on that front.

[janetDAYZ]

Everybody saying the Whitney album is POP .... Isn't RN considered a "pop" album too? Why are we putting it under the R&B umbrella ONLY? 

[Bailey]

RN like so many of Janet's albums really was an eclectic hybrid of rock pop soul r&b, that's the thing with Janet, she has such a diverse reach. Take the RN album, if you just went by single alone, and not hearing any other insert Black Cat, by itself, what would you think? If you took say just Escapade alone what would you think? Let's take RN alone, what would you think? ..All of those tracks came off the same album though

[vibeology]

Not in the UK at least. Im listening to alot of radio working from home and im hearing ALOT of Control songs played, but never RN. If it is, its Escapade.

I hear Whoops Now and Best Things more than anything off of RN!

[Bailey]

the UK is a different story regarding Janet. Janet's reception in Europe was always different than other areas. 

[JoeJoe]

7 hours ago, vibeology said:

Not in the UK at least. Im listening to alot of radio working from home and im hearing ALOT of Control songs played, but never RN. If it is, its Escapade.

I hear Whoops Now and Best Things more than anything off of RN!

which is weird because the UK loved those 2 songs and you're right if they play any song off of RN it's Escapade. I've heard UK Janet fans say the same. I don't think black pop was ever big in the UK so maybe that's why

[vibeology]

3 hours ago, JoeJoe said:

which is weird because the UK loved those 2 songs and you're right if they play any song off of RN it's Escapade. I've heard UK Janet fans say the same. I don't think black pop was ever big in the UK so maybe that's why

It doesn't get any more black pop than Whoops Now  and as i said they still play Control songs...I've even heard All 4 You a few times recently. For whatever reason, RN as a whole didn't translate. 

 

[JoeJoe]

4 hours ago, vibeology said:

It doesn't get any more black pop than Whoops Now  and as i said they still play Control songs...I've even heard All 4 You a few times recently. For whatever reason, RN as a whole didn't translate. 

 

I still don't think black pop does well overseas period. What black pop artists have made it big over there?

[Dave79]

The Rhythm Nation album was a strange beast here in Australia. The chart peaks for the singles were all over the place:

Miss You Much - 12

Rhythm Nation - 56

Escapade - 25

Come Back To Me - 79 

Black Cat - 6 

Love Will Never Do - 14

State of the World - 94

 

Alright didn’t chart here until it was released as a single in the Design of a Decade era, and even then only peaked at 100. For ages I thought it was perhaps not released as a single here back in 1990 - I certainly don’t remember it getting the attention that any of the other singles received - but then it charted in New Zealand so it would be weird for it to get a release there and not here (though stranger things have happened). Maybe it just didn’t click with the public here. Not surprised that Black Cat was the best performing single though, as rock dominated the charts here at the time.

As for the album, it didn’t reach #1 until February 1991. It took 69 weeks from its chart debut to reach the top where it sat comfortably for four weeks.

[PensivePutana]

I think New Jack Swing was mostly an American phenomenon, that didn't have much reach overseas.

[vibeology]

5 hours ago, PensivePutana said:

I think New Jack Swing was mostly an American phenomenon, that didn't have much reach overseas.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I know UK have always appreciated smooth polished RNB pop sounds here...the hard industrial New Jack mood not so much

[vibeology]

7 hours ago, JoeJoe said:

I still don't think black pop does well overseas period. What black pop artists have made it big over there?

What black pop artists are there? Anyway, I think the poster above is more on the ball

[JoeJoe]

7 hours ago, vibeology said:

What black pop artists are there? Anyway, I think the poster above is more on the ball

All the black pop artists in general throughout the decades. None other than Michael, Janet, or Rihanna have really made dents in the UK or have been huge there. That's what i'm talking about

[king_c]

8 minutes ago, JoeJoe said:

All the black pop artists in general throughout the decades. None other than Michael, Janet, or Rihanna have really made dents in the UK or have been huge there. That's what i'm talking about

Mariah and Whitney didn't? Idk if they fully count cuz they did R&B later, but both of them started out with mostly pop music.

[Bailey]

14 hours ago, PensivePutana said:

I think New Jack Swing was mostly an American phenomenon, that didn't have much reach overseas.

so Europe slept on a major music moment  the problem with that is music builds on itself, so a lot of what we hear today came from those that laid the foundation

[vibeology]

2 hours ago, king_c said:

Mariah and Whitney didn't? Idk if they fully count cuz they did R&B later, but both of them started out with mostly pop music.

Id argue they were bigger in their pop days over here