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Janet Jackson has proven herself to be an icon and legend in the music industry. She is regarded to be one of the most significant artists in pop culture history. Having sold over 160 million records worldwide, she remains to be one of the best selling artists of all time.

The evolution of Janet Jackson's Career

Other than her incredible impact on the music industry, Janet Jackson has been known as the youngest child of the Jackson family, and one of the three sisters. Her older brothers already made a name for themselves in the music industry, with the Jackson 5, later named The Jacksons, had 4 consecutive number one hits, and 11 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their debut album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, sold over 5 million copies worldwide, and they became huge names in the industry throughout the 70s. But in 1976, in a time when The Jacksons Variety show started airing, Janet made her television debut on an episode of the show. She appeared on several tv shows throughout the late 70s and 80s, such as Diff'rent Strokes, and Good Times. But Janet had desires of following her brothers into the music business.

In 1982, Janet released her self titled debut album with the help of her father Joe Jackson. It reached number 63 on the Billboard 200, and spawned two Hot 100 entries including Young Love which peaked at number 64 and Come Give Your Love To Me which peaked at number 57. The album sold 250,000 copies in the US, and 400,000 copies worldwide. Although not Janet's breakthrough album, it marked a start to her career.

Aside from acting on several TV shows during the start of Janet's Music career, in 1983, at a time when her older brother Michael Jackson became a massive pop star and one of the most iconic artists of the 80s with the release of his albums Off The Wall and Thriller which became the best selling album of all time, Janet and her sister La Toya Jackson provided backup vocals on Michael's song PYT (Pretty Young Thing), and Janet was also a dancing zombie in the music video for Thriller.

In 1984, Janet released her second album Dream Street, again with the help of her father. It reached number 167 on the Billboard 200, and didn't do as well as her previous album. It sold 250,000 copies in the US, the same as her previous album, but all of the album's singles failed to chart on the Hot 100.

In 1986, after parting business with her father and meeting producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet released her third album Control in 1986. And the album became a huge success, hitting Number 1 on the Billboard 200, and selling 6 million copies in the US and over 10 million copies worldwide. The album spawned five top 5 hits, including Janet's first ever number one hit, When I Think Of You, which spent 2 weeks at number one. The album was considered a significant landmark in her career and inspired a new generation of stars, such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Aalayiah, and many more who cited Janet as a huge influence in their careers.

In 1989, Janet released her fourth album and followup to Control, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814. The album went to Number 1, becoming her second consecutive album to reach Number One, and also sold 8 million copies in the US and over 12 million copies worldwide. It made history when it spawned seven top 5 hits, the most out of any album in history, four of which hit Number 1. Including Miss You Much which spent 4 weeks at number 1 and became the longest running number 1 of 1989, Escapade which spent 3 weeks at number 1, Black Cat which spent 1 week at number 1, and Love Will Never do (Without You) which spent 1 week at number 1. Janet became the first artist in history to have Number 1 hits from the same album in a span of 3 years, as Miss You Much reached number 1 in 1989, Escapade and Black Cat reached number 1 in 1990, and Love Will Never Do (Without You) reached number 1 in 1991. Apart from those number 1 hits, the album's title track Rhythm Nation and its music video remains to be one of the best choreographed and most iconic music videos of all time. Janet was also praised for tackling social issues in her music as well. This album certified her as a true icon and success in the industry.

In 1991, around the time Love Will Never Do was widely successful, Janet left A&M Records and signed a new record deal with Virgin Records. At the time, it was the largest recording contract in history, being worth around 50 million dollars, which is a huge accomplishment, especially for a black woman.

In 1993, Janet released her fifth album, janet. The title's meaning was to drop her last name as a statement, as she has mentioned she wanted to make a name for herself apart from her being part of one of the biggest music families of all time. The album was groundbreaking, and Janet established herself as a sex symbol with the release of the album, and from there on out, Janet was not afraid to express her sexuality, something that very few female artists were doing at the time. The album debuted at number 1, becoming her first album to debut at number 1 and the second album by a female artist in history to debut at number 1, just after Whitney Houston's 1987 self titled album Whitney. The album became her 3rd consecutive album to hit number 1. It also sold 350,000 copies in its first week, becoming the highest first week sales by a female artist ever at that time. It spawned four top 5 hits and six top 10 hits, two of which hit number 1. Including That's The Way Love Goes which spent 8 weeks at number 1, tieing with Mariah Carey's Dreamlover as the second running number 1 hit of 1993, both behind Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, which spent 9 weeks at number one, and Again which spent 2 weeks at number 1. The album sold 8 million copies in the US, and over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming her best selling album to date as well as one of the best selling albums of all time.

In 1997, Janet released her sixth album The Velvet Rope. The album debuted at number 1, becoming her second consecutive album to debut at number 1, and her 4th consecutive album to hit number 1. It also spawned two more top 5 hits, including the number 1 hit Together Again which spent 2 weeks at number 1, but the song was also praised, as the song helped people getting through tough times such as losing loved ones, but the song was actually about Janet losing a friend to aids, which is why after the release of The Velvet Rope, some called her a gay icon. The album sold 3 million copies in the US and over 10 million copies worldwide.

In 2001, Janet released her seventh studio album All For You. It debuted at number 1, becoming Janet's 3rd consecutive album to debut at number 1, and her 5th consecutive album to reach number 1. The album spawned three top 5 hits, 2 of which hit number 1, Doesn't Really Matter which spent 3 weeks at number 1, and the album's title track All For You which spent 7 weeks at number 1, becoming the longest running number 1 of 2001, and as it went on to dominate the world, breaking several airplay records, and being played on radio stations all over the world, unsurprisingly it became the biggest hit of 2001. It debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest debuting single in history that was not commercially available in the United States. The album went on to sell 3 million copies in the US, and over 7 million copies worldwide.

Janet Jackson's impact was massive, and she became a pop icon upon the massive success of her career. The same year of All For You, Janet received several honorific awards, including MTV Icon, and the Billboard Artist Achievement Award.

After the huge success of her career, spawning 10 number 1 hits, 27 top 10 hits, and 5 consecutive number 1 albums, and 18 consecutive top 10 hits, the most out of any female artist in history, a record that still hasn't been broken today, it was only fitting that Janet Jackson would take the stage to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2004. It was overall a great performance, however the one moment, which remains to be one of the most infamous moments in TV history, was when Janet Jackson brought out Justin Timberlake at the end of the show, and Timberlake tore off a piece of Jackson's clothing, revealing her jewelry adorned nipple to millions of viewers. Naturally, the media exploded with controversy following the incident, and Janet issued an apology 24 hours later, while right after the performance, Justin said, "Hey Man, we love all giving you something to talk about". Although releasing his apology shortly after Janet's, Timberlake's apology was not as sincere, and his career catapulted from the incident as well as his breakup with Britney Spears. But Janet's career wouldn't be the same again. Viacom which owns CBS, MTV, Infinity broadcasting, and many other companies enforced a blacklist of Janet Jackson's songs and music videos following the incident. Her music videos did not appear on MTV at the time and many other radio stations stopped playing her songs. This made it that much harder to promote her next album, which was slated to outsell her previous album All For You. Janet was also banned from the 46th Annual Grammy Awards the following week, where she was originally supposed to perform a tribute to Luther Vandross. While Timberlake was not only allowed to attend the ceremony, but he was even given the opportunity to perform. Justin Timberlake's career skyrocketed following the incident, while Janet Jackson's career stalled.

In 2004, Janet released her 8th album Damita Jo. The album debuted and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold 1 million copies in the US and 2.4 million copies worldwide, becoming her first album to miss number 1 since her self-titled debut and her sophomore album Dream Street. It also became her lowest selling album since that time. However, having a top 2 album is still an accomplishment, but the album's singles underperformed. The album's lead single Just A Little While peaked at number 45 on the billboard hot 100 becoming her first hot 100 entry to miss the top 20 since her first two unsuccessful albums. The album's second single I want you peaked at number 57, and the album's final commercial single All Nite (Don't Stop) failed to chart on the hot 100. The Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversy heavily impacted the underperformance of Damita Jo and Jackson's following albums.

In 2006, Janet released her 9th album 20 Y.O. The album debuted and peaked at number 2 on the billboard 200, and the album's lead single Call On Me, a collaboration with rapper Nelly, peaked at number 25 on the billboard hot 100. However, the album's second single So Excited peaked at number 90. The subsequent single With U was released as a promotional single, and not a commercial single, therefore making it ineligible to chart on the hot 100. The album sold 680,000 copies in the US and 1.5 million copies worldwide, becoming her lowest selling album yet, however along with Damita Jo, it remains one of her most underrated albums.

In 2008, Janet released her 10th album Discipline. Upon the release of the album, after around 17 years with Virgin Records, she left the label and signed with Island Records, as Discipline marked her first and only album released under Island Records. It also marked the first time Janet didn't work with long time producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The album debuted at number 1, becoming her first album to hit number 1 since 2001's All For You. It became her fourth album to debut at number 1, and her sixth number 1 album. The album's lead single Feedback peaked at number 19 on the billboard hot 100, becoming her highest charting single since 2001's Someone To Call My Lover. However, the album's other singles failed to chart, and the album sold 460,000 copies in the US, and around 1 million copies worldwide. However due to the album's low sales, Janet decided to part ways with Island Records shortly after the release.

In 2009, Janet had a tough time, as all of the Jacksons did, when Janet's older brother Michael Jackson passed away. She took a 7 year hiatus from her music career, and focused a bit more on her acting career, starring in several films like Why Did I Get Married Too and and Four Colored Girls. She met muslim business man Wissiam Al Mana, which she married in 2012. But in recent years, it seems that it was also an unhealthy and controlling marriage.

In 2015, Janet released her 11th album Unbreakable, marking her first release in seven years. For the album, she reunited with long time producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and launched her own label Rhythm Nation, before releasing the Unbreakable Album under the label. It debuted at number 1 and became Janet's 7th number one album. With the album, Janet became the third artist in history to have number one albums from the last four decades. The album's lead single No Sleeep peaked at number 63 on the billboard hot 100. The album's second single and title track Unbreakable failed to chart on the hot 100, as well as the album's final single Damnn Baby. The album sold 250,000 copies in the US and just under 1 million copies worldwide.

Though the Super Bowl Halfime Show severely impacted her success following, Janet Jackson still remains to be a celebrated legend in the music industry, in 2018 she won several icon awards including the Billboard Icon Award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, and the Global Icon Award at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards. In February 2020, Janet also announced the release of her new album Black Diamond, and the Black Diamond Tour. However the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted these tour dates, and Janet has not addressed when the album will be released or when the tour will continue. But Janet's legacy remains to live on and Janet Jackson remains to be one of the biggest pop icons and one of the most significant in pop culture.