She's the most successful Jackson after her brother Michael, and of the sibblings, the most financially successful. Janet not only masterfully managed her career, but also her money, having a net worth of over one hundred seventy-five million dollars. That's a lot of greenry in the garden.
Janet mad her debut at the MGM Grand in 1976, and from there went on to star, and provide supporting roles, in various television series. Her noeworthy appearances included those on Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame (the series). However, by 1982, she was following in the footsteps of her brothers, releasing her debut solo album, self titled, Janet Jackson. It was not very successful, and remains one of her lowest selling albums of all time. The question I raise, "Did A&M sign her because they saw talent, or because they saw a Jackson?"
Being only sixteen, you know her father, Joseph, was there to exploit guide her, among a series of writers and producers. Upon its release, it managed to make minor waves in New Zealand, but in general was considered a flop. Despite promotion on television shows such as American Bandstand, and Soul Train, the general consensus among critics were that the songs simply weren't that good.
It all kicks off with, Say You Do, which has a funky goove and beat to it, almost reminiscent of the sounds from brother Michael's Thriller, released that same year. It's not bad, though at nearly seven minutes, it is a tad bit long.
With track two, things seem to step backwards. Again, using her brother as the example, You'll Never Find (A Love Like Mine), seems familiar to the sounds of Off the Wall (the album). Very horn and strings driven. Again, it's not bad. However, considering it came in 1982, in retrospect, it feeels dated.
Where it starts to fall apart for me, is when the ballads come into play, starting with Love And My Best Friend. The overall feel, and Janet's voice on the song, seem to tread familiar ground of, again, brother Michael's Ben, but not in a resonating way.
Truthfully, the album started to settle into background noise for me at this point. I was kind of hoping it would just end so that I could go on to other things. I mean, it was okay overall, but it was no Rhythm Nation by any stretch of the imagination. I guess by the end of it, the whole thing was just lackluster. Okay, but nothing special. Janet certainly had the voice in 1982, but the songs just aren't strong enough to pack a lasting punch. I wouldn't have hedged any bets on superstardom based on this album.
As we all know, with its lack of success, Janet went on to be the forgotten sibling of the Jackson family, never to produce anything further. Oh, wait...that was Tito. No, Janet, after another lackluster release, 1984's Dream Street, would refocus, and punch hard with 1986's Control, and the even more successful, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).
Fun fact, while the 80's were kept alive on the 90's Billboard charts through August 1990 by the likes of Paula Abdul, Michael Bolton, Technotronic, and Skid Row, it was Janet along with Phil Collin who would be the final two holdouts. They'd keep the era alive into early 1991 before finally exiting stage left. Of course, for the two of them, it would be far from the last time they charted.
While she fell off my radar in the 90's, and into the New Millenium and beyond, there's no denying that Janet has solidified herself as a pop and R&B icon in the world of music. She's earner her place as a legacy. Though she will probably never supercede her brother in popularity (Who honestly could?), she stands on her own merit.
In fact, let's do this right. Let's add Janet to the Retro Spins template. She deserves a spot on it.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS May 7, 1983 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS May 7, 1988 |
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