The Best Of Janet Ms.Jackson (1982-1997)

Written By Kensedeobong Okosun

I have Ms. Mary Essien, a duty continuity announcer at the Akwa Ibom State Radio Corporation, fondly known as the “Voice of Promise”, to thank for my exposure to Janet Jackson’s music. She announced her shift intro and outro with Janet Jackson’s “Love Will Never Do Without You”. Once the song came on the radio, I knew she was in the house and matter-of-factly, Ms. Jackson’s songs would be in heavy rotation. This was back in the late 1980s and I was a preteen. All the songs featured in the albums from 1982 to 1989 were familiar to me.

It is quite nostalgic having to recollect those moments in the now, as they played a role in my identity formation and perception of the world. Back then, when you listened to radio, you could tell that the Broadcaster cared about the audience and carefully curated songs that would be appealing and meaningful. It is quite the opposite in contemporary times.

The Janet Jackson catalogue is eclectic, humanistic, and experimental. It explores social issues like racism, black sisterhood, women empowerment, impoverishment, child issues, homophobia, etc. Janet’s diversity is seen in her incorporation and platforming of other music forms like jazz, Hip-Hop, operatic vocals and violinism to create a dense and impactful delivery. She may have been MJ’s kid sister, but she remains the autonomous sibling that was never professionally overshadowed by him. Bravo, Ms janet.!

The playlist below showcases some of her amazing songs from the advent of her career in 1982 as a 16 year old to 1997. Even though she released music in the 2000s, I am of the conviction that the last decade of superb R&B musicking was the 1990s.

  1. “Say You Do” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjGdxayyXssJanet Jackson (1982).

  2. “You’ll Never Find ( A Love Like Mine)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HKgI3UXphsJanet Jackson (1982).

  3. “Young Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWM_DUQaGeYJanet Jackson (1982).

  4. “Love And My Best Friend” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr8M5Ml8fecJanet Jackson (1982).

  5. “Forever Yours” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5riG9nbZzmUJanet Jackson (1982).

  6. “Come Give Your Love To Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Apgc08_Sc‍ ‍Janet Jackson (1982).

  7. “Two To The Power Of Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObIU4jhhwcA‍ ‍Dream Street (1982).

  8. “Dream Street” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNLGsZux6R8‍ ‍Dream Street (1982).

  9. “All My Love To You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0usQnT10tJYDream Street (1982).

  10. “Control” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMuoowyCkUU‍ ‍Control (1986).

  11. “Nasty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkTBzFUToLY‍ ‍Control (1986).

  12. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q16EWAXwh94‍ ‍Control (1986).

  13. “The Pleasure Principle” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXInTVW5h4Y‍ ‍Control (1986).

  14. “When I Think of You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIgeh8PEQXI‍ ‍Control (1986).

  15. “Let’s Wait Awhile” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cZ7IOApdfg‍ ‍Control (1986).

  16. “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2tyZjh-eD0‍ ‍Control (1986).

  17. “Rhythm Nation” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl68taKd5KU‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  18. “State Of The World” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siERUGvN1vcRhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  19. “The Knowledge” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okpNFceZidY‍ ‍Rhythm Nation (1989).

  20. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4eBSZO3u6U‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  21. “Livin’ In A World (They Didn’t Make)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPQzecTTBp0‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  22. “Alright” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho-p8R3fbeM‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  23. “Escapade” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stvWluRNj3E‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  24. “Black Cat” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atYwjT8byg8‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  25. “Lonely” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a61puhhuhEs‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  26. “Come Back To Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo4r0o0Fo1M‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  27. “Someday Is Tonight” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHoP9UACqaQ‍ ‍Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

  28. “That’s The Way Love Goes” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Nkknmx44Q janet. (1993).

  29. “You Want This” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhhlgfnKjGM‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  30. “If” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCxTakTFh44‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  31. “This Time” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPb2EVCLdg‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  32. “Throb” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uRvJ0u4aGA‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  33. “What I’ll Do” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaSKy6763QQ‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  34. “Funky Big Band” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW7svWbqEDo‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  35. “New Agenda” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9asdotTIEtk‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  36. “Because of Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P79WpmeqZfc‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  37. “Again” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV94VttYZyE‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  38. “Where Are You Now” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lIev-ZxL9A janet. (1993).

  39. “The Body That Loves You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BefbQM3IMV0‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  40. “Any Time, Any Place” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KcIAmqkXOU‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  41. “Whoops Now” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkWJSshP56g‍ ‍janet. (1993).

  42. “Velvet Rope” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUsjP2gd6g4‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  43. “You” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yac3PlOZ8fU‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  44. “Got Til’ It’s Gone” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZGIFnGh4m8‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  45. “My Need” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWA2p5g-z8w‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  46. “Go Deep” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqMvGSNLyrY‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  47. “Together Again” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ0GpZklSt4Velvet Rope (1997).

  48. “Empty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9rIjjGmJhM‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  49. “Every Time” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42NUqFE4qV0‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  50. “I Get Lonely” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGu__mPSt6M‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  51. “Anything” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0eZ6vYqa6g‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  52. “Special” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGNmy7Ddeoo‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  53. “Can’t Be Stopped” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDGiLZOYhVA‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  54. “Accept Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLirbhXBIhU‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

  55. “God’s Stepchild” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrxGi4yFuqk‍ ‍Velvet Rope (1997).

Kensedeobong Okosun

Kensedeobong Okosun is a music enthusiast, music researcher, music journalist with expertise in music selection & planning, vocalist and an author. Her academic article “Sisterhood and Soul Music as expressions of Black Power” is featured in the edited volume, Black Power in Hemispheric Perspective (Raussert & Steinitz, eds, 2022). She has reviewed Dorothea Gail’s Weird American Music for the Forum for Interamerican Research (fiar, 2019). Her work has appeared on Nigeria’s Sun News Online and The Nigerian Observer.

Kensedeobong’s blog highlights music’s interconnectivity with society and comprises personal music experiences, researched information, concept playlists for multiple themes, etc.

A hard-core 90s R&B fan, she utilises the vehicle of memory, to position long forgotten music of yesteryears on the front-burner.

She is persuaded that music is a core conduit of collective harmony, equanimity, vitality and healing. And as such requires criticality in the filtration process, in order to disseminate meaning. Her blog promotes music equality and diversity.

She resides in Germany.

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