All of Janet Jackson's Albums Ranked From Best to Greatest

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "Young Love
2. "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing"
3. "Say You Do"

If you watched Janet Jackson's documentary on Lifetime last year, then you already know that Janet's heart wasn't really into making music at this point in her life and career. Throw that in with Janet only being sixteen at this point and finding herself like any other teenager, her eponymous debut is a reflection of everything she was going through at that specific time. With Control being such a massive impact, many forget that it was this album that was actually Janet's debut. Some of the stand outs include the tracks "Young Love," "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing," and "Say You Do," which we think perfectly encapsulates the youthful airy vibe of this record.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "Dream Street"
2. "Pretty Boy"
3. "Fast Girls"

And it was pretty much the same deal with her sophomore follow-up Dream Street two years later in 1984. While the album didn't experience the massive commercial success that Janet would achieve just two years later with her third record, there were some bright spots such as "Don't Stand Another Chance," which was produced by her brother Marlon Jackson (some ad-libs from Michael were present as well). "Dream Street" and "Pretty Boy" were smooth listens too.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "Dammn Baby"
2. "BURNITUP" Feat. Missy Elliott
3. "Unbreakable"

Janet's 2015 comeback had us saying dammn baby. It's hard to believe this album was released eight years ago because it fits right in with the 2023 sound. Y'all know what they call ageless albums like Unbreakable? Timeless. That's what call them. Also, the video for "Dammn Baby" was super cool and futuristic.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "Feedback"
2. "Bathroom Break (Interlude)"
3. "Rock With U"

Seeing Janet perform some of the tracks from Discipline on her current Together Again tour has given us a brand new appreciation for this album. Our girl is still out here doing the darn thing four decades after the start of her solo career. Released on February 22nd, 2008, with Jermaine Dupri, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Darkchild and more contributing to the production efforts. The album was a mixture of electropop, house, dance-pop, R&B, and hip hop, and reached No 1. on the US Billboard 200.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "So Excited"
2. "Call on Me"
3. "Daybreak"

Act bad, don't hurt me, look sexy, talk dirty. 20 Y.O. was Janet at 40, flirting, and thriving. Celebrating two decades of her solo music career up to that point, 20 Y.O. was a super fun album that blended multiple genres along with elements of the old Janet music wise combined with the new. Some of these songs are definitely a blast to the mid-2000s past, proving that us 90s babies have grown up with Janet as well.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "All Nite (Don't Stop)"
2. "I Want You"
3. "Thinkin Bout My Ex

Released in 2004, if some of Janet's previous projects up to this point were considered grown and sexy, then we can probably call Damita Jo extra grown and sexy. This is probably one of if not Janet's most underrated album that has finally started to get the recognition and appreciation it fully deserves in recent years. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (Janet's partners in crime) were the main producers of Damita Jo, with extra production efforts from Dallas Austin, Scott Storch, and more. We should also note that Damita Jo is responsible for Janet's second-highest first week sales.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "All for You"
2. "Would You Mind"
3. "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)

If you're a mid-90s baby like myself, then you probably got your introduction to Janet album-wise with All for You, which featured some pretty big hits. The single "All for You" has become one of Janet's signature songs, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks along with earning a Grammy Award, and the album itself remains a staple in 21st century music (Taylor Swift references the song/album in her latest album Midnights). 2001 was a super fun year for Janet as we also got the MTV Icon special that year as well, which is a viewing requirement for any Janet Jackson fan.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "Control"
2. "Nasty"
3. "The Pleasure Principle"

There comes a time in everyone's life where they have to take control of what they say, control of what they do, and do it their way. And when they do, they'll find they've got control—lot's of it. Where do we start? Is it with Janet Jackson taking over the reigns of her music career? Is it with her working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for the first time? Is it the entire album which is a masterclass of a record? Perhaps the videos? How about her signature style at that time? Wait a minute, we forgot something. What about that performance of "What Have You Done for Me Lately" at the 1987 Grammys?

Ladies and gentlemen, this how you say "I'm here." And indeed, Janet was here.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "That's The Way Loves Goes"
2. "If"
3. "Any Time, Any Place"

You know what else is a major turning point in an artist's career? When they decide to name their albums after their first name. By the time 1993 rolled around, Janet's trajectory was already at icon level with the classics Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 behind her, but janet. was the album that re-introduced her to the world. Prior to 93' we hadn't really met grown woman Janet, and this was the album where she let loose from the iconic album cover, to the song topics which were far more sensual than her previous records. We also got some fire performances this era such as the 1993 VMAs and the tour she went on in support of the album.

Side note: If you haven't failed epically at doing the dance break for "If," you aren't a real one.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "Free Xone"
2. "Got Til It's Gone"
3. "Together Again"

This is so hard y'all. I know many consider Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet's magnum opus, but I'm going to have to against the grain and say it's The Velvet Rope. There's a certain maturity and vibe to this album that makes this record one of Janet's highest artistic peaks, and it's one of those things that can only come from age and experience. The place that you have to be in to make a record like Velvet Rope (and to fully understand it as a listener) is a place that most don't get to until their past 25 or 30 (Janet was 31 when this was released). It's a combination of having about about decade plus as an adult when it comes to worldly experiences, relationships, etc., while also having more wisdom then what you did at 18 or 21.

Any Janet fan should scour the internet for videos and interviews conducted during The Velvet Rope era as it will give you tons of insight into the creation of the record.

Our Favorite Tracks:

1. "The Knowledge"
2. "Rhythm Nation"
3. "Alright"

The word socially conscious gets overused a lot, but Rhythm Nation 1814 is truly an album that defines every aspect of the word. There's so many lessons in this Rhythm Nation that we would be here all day if I tried to list all of them. In short, if you don't walk away from this album wanting to do your part to make this world a better place and become a better person as a whole, then you kinda missed the point Janet was trying to make with this record. Songs addressing the state of the world while still being bangers that you can dance to is something that is greatly missed in our current music climate, and nobody did it better than Janet and her brother.