#ThrowbackThursday We go back to 1989 when Janet Jackson started a 4 week run at Nº1 on the US album charts with Rhythm Nation 1814. This iconic album produced 7 top 10 singles! From one album! The album’s opening pledge states, “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.” Even though record label executives wanted material similar to her previous album, Control, Jackson insisted on a concept album addressing social change – she delivers an urgent cry, calling for racial harmony through “compassionate, dedicated people power.”
Jackson related the theme of the album as a means of creating a common identity, “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.” The album blends dance-pop and rhythm and blues with industrial music and funk and is seen as one of the defining examples of dance-oriented pop music of its time.
It is the only album to achieve Nº1 hits in three separate calendar years. Jackson received 9 Grammy Award nominations, winning Best Long Form Music Video for Rhythm Nation. For promotion, Jackson released the Rhythm Nation 1814 Film and was presented the MTV Video Vanguard Award for her significant contributions to popular culture. Her Rhythm Nation Tour became the world’s most successful debut concert tour and Miss Jackson became quite a fashion icon, with “Rhythm Nation” attire copied by fans worldwide.
The following year after the album was launched the inaugural Billboard Music Awards were held in Santa Monica, California. Jackson was the main winner of the night, winning in eight categories, including Top Pop Album, Top R&B Album and Top R&B Artist.
Jackson talked about how important the lyrics are: “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. […] If I just touched one person, just to make that difference, make them change for the better, that’s an accomplishment.”
