janet. the discography rate.

nikkysan

nikkysan

he/him
janetratelogo.png

Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Dancer. Performer. Actress. Activist. Ally. Mother. Mutha.

ICON.

Ms. Janet Damita Jo Jackson has shaped pop music as we know it for over three decades. Breaking boundaries muscially and socially. Her first two “proper” records shaped the New Jack Swing genre as we know it. Janet’s influence is still felt in music today, whether it be music, tackling social issues, music videos, performances, fashion... you name it, Janet likely did it before your fave (and better). the list of artists she's inspired is long... Britney Spears, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Tinashe, Kelela, practically the entirety of k-pop was made in the image of Janet's (and her brother's) performance artistry… how many of those artists are regularly discussed today by us on this forum ,and pretty much any pop music community? All of them.

So yeah, get the picture? Good, let’s dance.


songs.png

control.jpg

Control
(1986)

Control
Nasty
What Have You Done for Me Lately
You Can Be Mine
The Pleasure Principle
When I Think of You
He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive
Let’s Wait Awhile
Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)

rhythmnation1814.jpg

Rhythm Nation 1814
(1989)

Rhythm Nation
State of the World
The Knowledge
Miss You Much
Love Will Never Do (Without You)
Livin’ In A World (They Didn’t Make)
Alright
Escapade
Black Cat
Lonely
Come Back to Me
Someday Is Tonight

janet.jpg

janet.
(1993)

That’s the Way Love Goes
You Want This
If
This Time
Throb
What’ll I Do
Funky Big Band
New Agenda
Because of Love
Again
Where Are You Now
The Body That Loves You
Any Time, Any Place
Whoops Now

velvetrope.jpg

The Velvet Rope
(1997)

Velvet Rope (feat. Vanessa-Mae)
You
Got Til’ It’s Gone (feat. Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell)
My Need
Go Deep
Free Xone
Together Again
Empty
What About
Every Time
Tonight’s the Night
I Get Lonely
Rope Burn
Anything
Special
Can’t Be Stopped
God’s Stepchild

allforyou.jpg

All For You
(2001)

You Ain’t Right
All For You
Come On Get Up
When We Oooo
China Love
Love Scene (Oooh Baby)
Would You Mind
Trust a Try
Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) (feat. Carly Simon)
Truth
Someone to Call My Lover
Feels So Right
Doesn’t Really Matter
Better Days
Who

damitajo.jpg

Damita Jo
(2004)

Damita Jo
Sexhibition
Strawberry Bounce
My Baby (feat. Kanye West)
Spending Time With You
Island Life
All Nite (Don’t Stop)
R&B Junkie
I Want You
Like You Don’t Love Me
Thinkin’ Bout My Ex
Warmth
Moist
Truly
SloLove
Just a Little While
I’m Here
Put Your Hands On

20yo.jpg

20 Y.O.
(2006)

So Excited (feat. Khia)
Show Me
Get It Out Me
Do It 2 Me
This Body
With U
Call on Me (feat. Nelly)
Daybreak
Enjoy
Take Care
Love 2 Love
Roll Witchu
Days Go By

discipline.jpg

Discipline
(2008)

Feedback
LUV
Rollercoaster
Rock With U
2nite
Can’t B Good
Never Letchu Go
Greatest X
So Much Betta
The 1 (feat. Missy Elliott)
What’s Ur Name
Discipline
Curtains
Let Me Know

unbreakable.png

Unbreakable
(2015)

Unbreakable
BURNITUP! (feat. Missy Elliott)
Dammn Baby
The Great Forever
Shoulda Known Better
After You Fall
Broken Hearts Heal
Night
No Sleeep (feat. J. Cole)
Dream Maker / Euphoria
2 B Loved
Take Me Away
Lessons Learned
Black Eagle
Well Travelled
Gon’ B Alright
Promise of You
Love U 4 Life

extras.jpg

B-Sides, Soundtracks, Compilations, Features, etc.

Start Anew
Diamonds (with Herb Alpert)
Making Love In the Rain (with Herb Alpert)
You Need Me
The Skin Game
The Best Things In Life Are Free (with Luther Vandross)
One More Chance
70’s Love Groove
And On And On
Scream (with Michael Jackson)
Runaway
Twenty Fourplay
Accept Me
Ask For More
Together Again (DJ Premier 100 In A 50 Remix)
Together Again (Jimmy Jam Deeper Remix)
What’s It Gonna Be? (with Busta Rhymes)
Luv Me, Luv Me (with Shaggy)
Girlfriend/Boyfriend (with Blackstreet, feat. Ja Rule and Eve)
Feel It Boy (with Beenie Man)
Don’t Worry (with Chingy)
Weekend
Make Me
Nothing
Made for Now (feat. Daddy Yankee)


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1. Score every song between 0-10.
Half points (x.5) are allowed but nothing smaller. You are allowed to give ONE song the coveted 11. Choose wisely. Some songs received remixes when they were released as singles, the versions in the Spotify and Youtube playlists are the album and music video versions respectively, but feel free to rate whatever version you like best. The Together Again remixes are a special case because the song’s structure and melodies have been completely reworked, so they warrant to be rated separately.

2. Do NOT troll.
Any ballot that only gives extreme scores with no nuances (i.e. handing out 10s/9s to songs they like and 0s/1s to songs they don’t), tanking a certain album/era of Janet’s career knowing it’s a fan favourite, or if your overall scoring average is below 6 will have your ballot questioned and possibly discarded without a good explaination.

3. Only commentary is allowed for your 11.
We’re rating 150+ songs here, so trying to organize commentary for all those songs would be a nightmare for me. Let’s save all our discussion and thoughts for this thread, it keeps the thread active. It’s what an artist of Janet’s calibre deserves.

4. Send your scores with the PM list below and nothing else.
This just makes inputting scores into my spreadsheet a lot easier, so please use it.

Control -
Nasty -
What Have You Done for Me Lately -
You Can Be Mine -
The Pleasure Principle -
When I Think of You -
He Doesn’t Know I’m Alive -
Let’s Wait Awhile -
Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun) -
Rhythm Nation -
State of the World -
The Knowledge -
Miss You Much -
Love Will Never Do (Without You) -
Livin’ In A World (They Didn’t Make) -
Alright -
Escapade -
Black Cat -
Lonely -
Come Back to Me -
Someday Is Tonight -
That’s the Way Love Goes -
You Want This -
If -
This Time -
Throb -
What’ll I Do -
Funky Big Band -
New Agenda -
Because of Love -
Again -
Where Are You Now -
The Body That Loves You -
Any Time, Any Place -
Whoops Now -
Velvet Rope (feat. Vanessa-Mae) -
You -
Got Til’ It’s Gone (feat. Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell) -
My Need -
Go Deep -
Free Xone -
Together Again -
Empty -
What About -
Every Time -
Tonight’s the Night -
I Get Lonely -
Rope Burn -
Anything -
Special -
Can’t Be Stopped -
God’s Stepchild -
You Ain’t Right -
All For You -
Come On Get Up -
When We Oooo -
China Love -
Love Scene (Oooh Baby) -
Would You Mind -
Trust a Try -
Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) (feat. Carly Simon) -
Truth -
Someone to Call My Lover -
Feels So Right -
Doesn’t Really Matter -
Better Days -
Who -
Damita Jo -
Sexhibition -
Strawberry Bounce -
My Baby (feat. Kanye West) -
Spending Time With You -
Island Life -
All Nite (Don’t Stop) -
R&B Junkie -
I Want You -
Like You Don’t Love Me -
Thinkin’ Bout My Ex -
Warmth -
Moist -
Truly -
SloLove -
Just a Little While -
I’m Here -
Put Your Hands On -
So Excited (feat. Khia) -
Show Me -
Get It Out Me -
Do It 2 Me -
This Body -
With U -
Call on Me (feat. Nelly) -
Daybreak -
Enjoy -
Take Care -
Love 2 Love -
Roll Witchu -
Days Go By -
Feedback -
LUV -
Rollercoaster -
Rock With U -
2nite -
Can’t B Good -
Never Letchu Go -
Greatest X -
So Much Betta -
The 1 (feat. Missy Elliott) -
What’s Ur Name -
Discipline -
Curtains -
Let Me Know -
Unbreakable -
BURNITUP! (feat. Missy Elliott) -
Dammn Baby -
The Great Forever -
Shoulda Known Better -
After You Fall -
Broken Hearts Heal -
Night -
No Sleeep (feat. J. Cole) -
Dream Maker / Euphoria -
2 B Loved -
Take Me Away -
Lessons Learned -
Black Eagle -
Well Travelled -
Gon’ B Alright -
Promise of You -
Love U 4 Life -
Start Anew -
Diamonds (with Herb Alpert) -
Making Love In the Rain (with Herb Alpert) -
You Need Me -
The Skin Game -
The Best Things In Life Are Free (with Luther Vandross) -
One More Chance -
70’s Love Groove -
And On And On -
Scream (with Michael Jackson) -
Runaway -
Twenty Fourplay -
Accept Me -
Ask For More -
Together Again (DJ Premier 100 In A 50 Remix) -
Together Again (Jimmy Jam Deeper Remix) -
What’s It Gonna Be? (with Busta Rhymes) -
Luv Me, Luv Me (with Shaggy) -
Girlfriend/Boyfriend (with Blackstreet, feat. Ja Rule and Eve) -
Feel It Boy (with Beenie Man) -
Don’t Worry (with Chingy) -
Weekend -
Make Me -
Nothing -
Made for Now (feat. Daddy Yankee) -

5. Submit your ballot by the 31st of July 2023 12am AEST.
I am open to giving an extention if people need one.

playlists.png


The Spotify playlist is missing the following songs: Who, I'm Here, Roll Witchu, Days Go By, Promise of You, Love U 4 Life, Start Anew, One More Chance, Ask for More, Weekend and Nothing. The YouTube playlist has everything.




I hope you enjoy this as much as I do...
Are we ready?
I am.​
 
Last edited:
nikkysan

nikkysan

he/him
Last edited:
nikkysan

nikkysan

he/him
This rate has been in the making for a very long time and I'm so happy we are finally able to rate Janet's discography in full. I didn't grow up a Janet stan, I discovered her music properly around 7 years ago, and to say that my life was changed forever after being exposed to her artistry would be an understatement. I am indebted to Janet's music, it got me through a particularly rough period in my life, whether it was a need to escape from the shit happening in the real world or as motivation to get my life in order.

The good sis @RainOnFire is acting as my back up host should anything come up in real life and I cannot finish the rate, so please give them all your love too! We've been talking about this rate for a while now and we're really excited to finally do it.

*insert funny Janet gif here as currently imgur links are not working for some reason and the ATRL cigs all seem to use imgur to host their gifs*
 
Dangerous Maknae

Dangerous Maknae

I did my scores for this rate back in 2020 when we thought Black Diamond is coming soon. But I have to re-do them since i had just discovered her at the time and didn't give enough time to the early albums to grow on me.
 
Coochi

Coochi

Oh my word I cannot wait to watch this unfold!

I know 90% of her discography inside out and back to front so this possibly won’t be too time consuming for me but I will for sure use this as an excuse to just listen to everything again (several times over) to double check my opinions… there are also a few songs in the extras section I’m not too familiar with so that’s a nice dimension for me to explore.

I know what my 11 is going to be for sure…
 
boom bazooka joe

boom bazooka joe

he/him
I actually feel rotted trying to do some of these scores. I've never been a "use the whole scale" person when it comes to rates, especially a discography rate (and I'm certainly not doing so here), but with such a mammoth amount of quality material, there has to be some difference between the best of the best and the just great.

I'm probably being dramatic. On my first pass through I think I gave out 4-5 scores under a 6 total, but it feels nasty pun intended to give some of these legendary songs only an 8 in comparison to all the 10s that are on display, ya know?
 
Applause

Applause

boom bazooka joe said:
I actually feel rotted trying to do some of these scores. I've never been a "use the whole scale" person when it comes to rates, especially a discography rate (and I'm certainly not doing so here), but with such a mammoth amount of quality material, there has to be some difference between the best of the best and the just great.

I'm probably being dramatic. On my first pass through I think I gave out 4-5 scores under a 6 total, but it feels nasty pun intended to give some of these legendary songs only an 8 in comparison to all the 10s that are on display, ya know?
Click to expand...
When @nikkysan discards our ballots as fraudulent for scoring too many tens but we were actually being serious.

images
 
nikkysan

nikkysan

he/him
boom bazooka joe said:
I actually feel rotted trying to do some of these scores. I've never been a "use the whole scale" person when it comes to rates, especially a discography rate (and I'm certainly not doing so here), but with such a mammoth amount of quality material, there has to be some difference between the best of the best and the just great.

I'm probably being dramatic. On my first pass through I think I gave out 4-5 scores under a 6 total, but it feels nasty pun intended to give some of these legendary songs only an 8 in comparison to all the 10s that are on display, ya know?
Click to expand...

I feel this on a spiritual level. Like... the first 4 albums alone??? I have to somehow whittle some of those songs which would be 11/10s in most other artists discographies down to like... 8s and 7s? Impossible.
 
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