Nina West

The next to fall will be a chart topper But which one?

I promise I'll be worth the wait GPTK7LOj24k 15. Let's Wait Awhile | 8.3 Highest Scores: 11: (Bjork, vibe), 10: (Sour Candy, Simon), Lowest Scores: 7/7.5: (Liam, popchartfreak, Jessie Where, Davidson, Cremey, blacksquare, Math) At #15 is the last of Janet's ballads to feature here - Let's Wait Awhile, released in January 1987 as the 5th single from Janet's 3rd studio album Control and was written and produced by Janet, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Melanie Andrews serving as co-writer. It is also the first song Janet co-produced. The song was inspired by conversations Andrews had with her childhood boyfriend, which led to write the lyrics, which discuss sexual abstinence and postponing sexual intimacy within a relationship until the time is right. Upon release it received praise from music critics with many considering it to be a teaching tool to encourage sexual abstinence amidst the AIDS crisis at the time. The track peaked at #2 on the US Billboard charts, becoming her 5th consecutive top 5 hit. Internationally it was also successful with top 5 peaks in UK & Ireland, top 20 peaks in Canada, Iceland, Belgium, & Netherlands and top 40 peaks everywhere else. In that same year controversy arose when the road manager for the band America heard the song and heard striking similarities to the band's 1975 song "Daisy Jane" written by band member Gerry Buckley, which led to a litigation for plagiarism against Janet and Jam and Lewis, which was eventually settled out of court. This gorgeous and tender ballad could have easily gotten lost amongst the album's uptempo bangers, but thankfully it doesn't as it not only shows how diverse Janet's range is, but also showcases her ability to combine a beautiful melody with a meaningful message. There is a fragility and tenderness to Janet's vocals that perfectly represents the theme of the song's nature. The production is simply stunning with sensual beats that stays in your mind long after the song's over.

Ready for another!!!

Another will drop later & it will be a 'Control' single But which one?

"How can I be strong?" I've asked myself qUHtwV8wkOU 16. Again | 8.266 Highest Scores: 11: (Pandamic Tension), 10: (Nina West, popchartfreak, Sour Candy, Simon), Lowest Scores: 5: (blacksquare) #16 is Again, released in October 1993 as the 3rd single from Janet Jackson's 5th studio album Janet and was written and produced by Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The song was also included as the closing song to the 1993 film 'Poetic Justice', which Janet also starred in. Originally it was an experimental sound Jam and Lewis was considering for the album, and wasn't given any serious thought until the film's producers requested a ballad for the soundtrack. Upon its release music critics were divided on the track, but nonetheless it became a massive commercial success by topping the US Billboard charts, while also hitting top 10 peaks in Canada, Sweden and the UK, as well as top 20 peaks in Ireland, New Zealand, Finland, Australia, Netherlands and Switzerland. The song would also receive Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for 'Best Original Song' in 1993 & 1994 respectively. The track was covered by How To Dress Well in 2012 for his 2nd album 'Total Loss' and sampled by Iyaz on his 2010 single 'Solo'. Probably the most potent ballad on the album with its heartfelt lyrics and radiant yet melancholy melody that goes beautifully with the fragility of her vocals. The simmering orchestral strings and gorgeous piano lines adds a sense of elegance to this stunning ballad. I love the emotional depth Janet injects into this delicate little number and if this fell into the hands of a lesser artist, then it could have easily become a basic lightweight bore, but thankfully Janet's engaging presence never lets that happen and to date this stand as one of her finest ballads Janet's ever recorded.

Another is about to drop & its a Janet ballad but which one?

Call René and Boo, gotta meet them soon sO2-iFjjht4 17. Go Deep | 8.133 Highest Scores: 11: (vibe), 10: (Davidson), Lowest Scores: 4: (Bjork) #17 is Go Deep, released in June 1998 as the 4th single from Janet's 6th studio album The Velvet Rope and was written and produced by Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Janet's husband René Elizondo Jr collaborating on the lyrics. Official remixes for the song were released, featuring Missy Elliott, Teddy Riley and Timbaland. Upon release the track was promoted as the album's 4th international single and wasn't given a physical release in the USA, due to the label focusing more on driving album sales and thus not charting on the Billboard Top 100 due to chart rules. But still managed to get strong airplay and performed well on the dance, radio & R&B charts. Elsewhere it performed well by peaking at #2 in Canada & hit top 20 peaks in Iceland, New Zealand and UK, along with top 40 peaks in France, Netherlands & Australia. Now this is an unexpected surprise as I didn't think this would have ranked so high on here given how it feels very much forgotten and criminally underrated, probably due to its lack of a US release and often gets overshadowed by the album's other big hits. However, I'm glad that this did so well on here and managed to a get a decent average of 8.1. A firm highlight on the incredible 'The Velvet Rope' album with its thick bass lines, funky grooves, and gentle synths which results in a killer R&B number. Janet's vocals sound fantastic as ever as they dance lightly over the smooth production and helps lift the track as well. Even the broken down ending adds a nice touch and captures that party vibe perfectly.

I will try and post another entry later tonight

Nutty, nutty, nutty, my love for you ZGo4WebNIjM 18. Doesn't Really Matter | 8.1 Highest Scores: 9: (Nina West, Sour Candy, Simon, Math), Lowest Scores: 6.5: (dandy) At #18 is the highest ranking song not to gain any 10's or 11's - Doesn't Really Matter, released in May 2000 from the soundtrack to the film Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and would later feature on her 7th studio album All For You. It was written and produced by Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The track received early attention a week ahead of its US release, after an unmastered version leaked to several radio stations. The song's lyrics were based on a poem Janet found which she previously wrote and disposed of. Initially conceived as a ballad, Jimmy Jam chose to increase its tempo and two different choruses were written by Janet & Jam; Jam wrote the 'nutty, nutty' line, while Janet wrote the song's title, the label decided to use Janet's chorus & Jam's chorus towards the end. Upon release the song became Janet's 9th chart topper on the US Billboard charts & was her 19th single to be certified Gold, making her only the third singer, after Madonna and Whitney Houston, to achieve this feat. Elsewhere it was also successful worldwide by reaching top 10 peaks in Canada, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Spain & the UK where it became her 15th top 10 hit. A really good song that not only continued Janet's decade and a half hot streak, but kicks off the 2000's (Janet's 3rd decade) with grace and elegance with this upbeat synthetic, neon-colored bop with its catchy melodies, vibrant production, and one hell of a earworm chorus with an uplifting message and a fun sense of empowerment throughout. There's a lot going on production wise with the ever changing tempos, and Janet manages to ride the beats effectively with her breathy vocals and sings softly enough that it becomes apart of the beat instead of getting lost which is a detriment to how great of a vocalist she is. A solid offering all round nothing more, nothing less.

Do you judge me by my cover? 79SNvZi3ltE 19. The Best Things In Life Are Free (ft Luther Vandross) | 8.0 Highest Scores: 10: (Nina West, Simon. Pandamic Tension), Lowest Scores: 6/6.5: (Davidson, blacksquare, Math) #19 is the last of the non-album singles now with The Best Things In Life Are Free, a duet between Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross, recorded for movie soundtrack to the 1992 movie Mo' Money and was released as the lead single in May 1992. The song was composed by Jam, Lewis, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch. Prior to her first release with Virgin records, Janet was asked by Jam and Lewis to record a song for the soundtrack and also went directly to other singers Luther Vandross, Bell Biv DeVoe, Color Me Badd and Johnny Gill." It was the first all-new song Jackson recorded at the new location of Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota. For the American version the song had added rap verses from Bell Biv DeVoe and Tresvant. Upon release the duet became a major worldwide hit with top 5 peaks in Australia & UK, top 10 peaks in Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Germany & USA. In 1995 the song was remixed by David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, and CJ Mackintosh for Janet's greatest hits album and was re-released in the UK and peaked at #7, making this the 2nd time it hit the top 20. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. This was actually the first ever Janet song I ever heard & its what got me into discovering her music in the first place, becoming a life long fan ever since. When I first saw the music video as a kid I honestly thought Stacey Dash was Janet Jackson, fun times, thankfully I quickly saw Janet's other iconic videos and became educated. Love this song an exhilarating blast of pop meets new jack swing, just a shimmering, catchy and fantastically well-crafted track with Luther and Janet's distinct voices perfectly weave around each other and creating that perfect chemistry together. So glad this got Janet back into the UK top 10 after such a long drought of 5 years.

{Stop pressuring me, just stop pressuring me} 0P4A1K4lXDo 20. Scream (ft Michael Jackson) | 7.966 Highest Scores: 10: (popchartfreak, Sour Candy), Lowest Scores: 6: (Pandamic Tension, blacksquare) Kicking off the top 20 in almighty fashion is Scream, a duet between Michael & Janet Jackson. Released in May 1995 as the lead single from Michael's 9th studio album HIStory: Past, Present and Future and was released as a double A-side with "Childhood", a solo track by Michael. The single would later feature on Janet's greatest hits album Design of a Decade: 1986-1996. The song is an aggressive, retaliatory song directed at the tabloid media and their coverage of the allegations made against Michael in 1993. It was written, composed and produced by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Michael, and Janet Jackson; Michael played many of the instruments. The song generated a lot of media hype and was leaked to radio stations early, despite Epic Records' attempt to keep it off air until the release date & prompted legal action against the LA radio station. Upon release it received a generally good critical reception and would become the first single in the 37-year history of Billboard to debut at number #5 on the US Billboard charts, where it peaked. Elsewhere it became a worldwide smash hit by topping the charts in Italy, Spain and New Zealand, while reaching top 5 peaks in Australia, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. The corresponding music video remains one of his most critically acclaimed; it won 3 MTV Music video awards and a Grammy for 'Best Music Video'. At a cost of $7 Million, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. This fared a lot better on my 'Michael Jackson - Rate' back in 2021 where it ranked at 9th with an 8.8 average. This is very much an integral part of Janet Jackson's musical journey (Michael's too) on this almighty event of a song by combining the titans of pop to create a fantastic song that incorporates elements of pop, R&B, hip-hop, funk and rock to create a ferocious groove thanks to the crisp production that effectively holds everything together. The choppy electronic rhythms, aggressive vocals and infectious beats gives the track plenty of energy and dramatic bite. Shame that this was the only collaboration we got between the siblings, but what we did get was something special at the very least.

A reminder of what's left from each era: Janet Jackson – 0/3 Dream Street – 0/3 Control – 4/7 Rhythm Nation – 5/8 Janet – 3/9 The Velvet Rope – 3/6 All For You –3/4 Damita Jo – 0/3 20 Y.O. – 0/2 Discipline – 0/2 Unbreakable – 0/4 Greatest Hits –1/4 Collaborations/Other – 1/7 'Damita Jo' becomes the latest era to lose all of its singles, falling short of a top 20 placement. However, we still 5 studio albums & 2 others represented in the top 20. 'Rhythm Nation' has the most with 5, then 'Control' with 4 & finally 'Janet', 'The Velvet Rope' & 'All For You' each have 3 singles.

We are now down to the top 20 Janet Jackson singles. Before I start the countdown here's a re-cap of the results: 21-40 21. Nasty - 7.933 22. I Get Lonely (ft Blackstreet) - 7.733 23. All Nite (Don't Stop) - 7.7 24. Control - 7.566 25. Runaway - 7.466 26. Throb - 7.433 27. Any Time Any Place - 7.4 28. You - 7.357 29. State of the World - 7.2 30. You Want This (ft MC Lyte) - 7.166 31. Whoops Now - 7.1 32. Feedback - 7.1 33. Alright - 7.0 34. Come Back to Me - 6.9 35. Because of Love - 6.866 36. Rock With U - 6.733 37. Son of a Gun (ft Missy Elliot & Carly Simon) - 6.666 38. No Sleeep - 6.6 39. Just A Little While - 6.566 40. Burnitup (ft Missy Elliot) - 6.366

It's Janet, Miss Jackson if you're nasty ujnq2v6R02U 21. Nasty | 7.933 Highest Scores: 9: (Nina West, Liam, Sour Candy, Jessie Where, Davidson, Liam.k), Lowest Scores: 6/6.5: (Bjork, Simon, Pandamic Tension) Just outside the top 20 is one of Janet's most iconic hits at #21 is Nasty, which comes as a total shock (but more on that later). Released in April 1986 as the 2nd single from Janet's 3rd studio album Control and was written by Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with production handled by the latter. The song remains one of Janet's signature songs with the iconic line - "My first name ain't baby, it's Janet – Miss Jackson if you're nasty" has been used in pop culture in various forms. The single was Janet's autobiographical account of confronting abusive men and has been cited as one of the earliest examples of new jack swing music. The music video was choreographed by Paula Abdul, who also appeared in the video and won an MTV Music Video award for Best Choreography. Upon release it was a commercial success by reaching a #3 peak on the US Billboard charts. Worldwide it was also successful with top 10 peaks in Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand and Germany and hit top 20 peaks in Australia, Finland, UK and Ireland. The song won for Favourite Soul/R&B Single at the 1987 American Music Awards and would rank on several best songs of all-time lists including 'Rolling Stone's' 100 Greatest Pop Songs. In 1999, Missy Elliot revealed that she was working with Janet on an updated remix for the song, titled "Nasty Girl 2000" along with Aaliyah being added to the track, however due to undisclosed reasons the record was never released. The song rose up 250% streams on Spotify due to the 2016 US election cycle with Donald Trump referring to Hilary Clinton as a "nasty woman" during the debate. This is a total surprise that this is only ranking at #21 on here, though it would be a dead cert for the top 20 at the very least. It was a very close call though as it was only beaten by a mere 0.5. Confident, sassy, vibrant, iconic, and influential, one of Janet's most important singles in her extensive discography with a message that's not only relevant but timeless. A brilliant song with its hard-funk grooves and relentless thumping bass that gives the song a hard and aggressive tone, and of course Janet's assertive vocals and snappy delivery really demands your attention. Classic Janet Jackson tune through and through.

GET READY A BIG ONE'S GONNA DROP NOW!!! PREPARE YOURSELF

Week 9 Ranking: 01. Michael Marouli - [02-04-03-02-03-05-05-01-01] 02. Ginger Johnson - [07-07-09-03-01-01-02-02-02] 03. Tomara Thomas - [05-08-02-01-04-02-03-03-03] 04. DeDeLicious - [09-02-07-05-08-06-04-05-04] OUT Kate Butch - [06-03-05-04-02-03-01-04] Cara Melle - [01-06-01-07-06-04-06] Vicki Vivacious - [04-05-08-08-05-07] Banksie - [08-01-04-06-07] Miss Naomi Carter - [10-10-06-09] Alexis Saint Pete - [03-09]

The next to drop will be a BIG one.. One of her most iconic hits, just falling short of the top 20...

You are the one that lives in me, my dear pVYgoFjI68Q 22. I Get Lonely (ft Blackstreet) | 7.733 Highest Scores: 11: (Davidson), Lowest Scores: 4: (popchartfreak) #22 is I Get Lonely, released in February 1998 as the 3rd single from Janet's 6th studio album The Velvet Rope and was written by Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Rene Elizondo Jr (Janet's then husband). The track has been described as a departure from her signature brand of crossover dance-pop and R&B into a pure R&B and soul vibe. For its single release the song was remixed to feature American R&B group Blackstreet, known as the TNT remix. Upon release it became Janet's 18th consecutive top 10 hit on the US Billboard charts by peaking at #3, setting a record as the only female artist in history to achieve that feat. Elsewhere it was also successful by reaching top 5 peaks in UK, Spain and South Africa, top 10 peak in New Zealand, and top 20 peaks in Italy, Canada and Netherlands. The song would go onto win many awards including Billboard Award, BMI, 2 Lady of Soul Awards, a VH1 Video Music award as well as a Grammy nomination for 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance'. The song would be sampled many times by other artists, including Janet herself on 'Get It Out of Me' from her 2006 album '20 Y.O.' and 'Dammn Baby' in 2015. Yet another solid number from Ms Jackson and what is probably her most soulful performance on this elegant neo-soul slow jam number with the gorgeous layers of textured vocal harmonies that gives this a stunning euphoric and gospel like feel. The song even kicks off with the catchy chorus, which was a wise decision and gets to show off her rich and warm vocal tones. I also love how the song builds throughout thanks to that soaring orchestra. Even the addition of Blackstreet adds a nice touch as the vocals from everyone involved blends beautifully together and therefore creating an instantly iconic number.

This is sick hn81K1Fm03Y 23. All Nite (Don't Stop) | 7.7 Highest Scores: 10: (blacksquare, Math), Lowest Scores: 4: (popchartfreak) #23 is All Nite (Don't Stop), released in May 2004 as the 3rd and final single from Janet's 8th studio album Damita Jo and was written and produced by Janet and Swedish duo Bag & Arnthor, with additional writing from Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Tony "Prof T" Tolbert. The song's melody is built around a sample of Herbie Hancock's 1975 song "Hang Up Your Hang Ups". A So So Def remix of the track featuring Elephant Man was also issued for the Urban market. Upon release the song's chart performance was massively affected by the blacklisting of her work on radio formats and music channels, following her controversial Superbowl performance, causing it to fail to reach the US top 100 and instead peaked at #119 on the Bubbling Under Chart. Internationally it was released as a double A-side with "I Want You" and found much better success by reaching top 20 peaks in Spain and UK, as well as top 40 peaks in Australia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and New Zealand. Janet considered releasing this as the lead single before selecting "Just A Little While". In March 2018 the song would gain some notice when Britney Spears posted a video working out to this track on her Instagram account and would post the video again in July 2023. The slick, exciting and funky dance number really should have been the album's lead single, because under very different circumstances this would have been a huge chart smash and its easily the best cut from her 'Damita Jo' album. However given the cruelly unfair blacklisting, nothing would have made any difference and sadly this got lost amongst the controversy. A lost classic for sure that fuses elements of dance, electro-funk, R&B and Latrin and along with Janet's trademark sensual vocals to create a relentless epic sounding number that's not only inventive, but excellently constructed.

Ready for another

This is a story about control LH8xbDGv7oY 24. Control | 7.566 Highest Scores: 10: (Sour Candy), Lowest Scores: 4: (popchartfreak) #24 is Control, released in October 1986 as the 4th single from Janet's 3rd studio album of the same name and was written by Janet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with production handled by the latter two. The song is about Janet breaking free from her family and wanting to finally to take control of her life. The song's arrangement was built upon complex rhythmic tracks, showcased state-of-the-art production. At the time of the song's release, Janet was in the midst of firing her father, Joe Jackson, from his position as her manager. The filming of the music video was described by Janet herself as her worst experience. Upon release it became Janet's 4th consecutive top 5 hit on the US Billboard charts by reaching a #5 peak. Elsewhere it would have some success by reaching top 20 peaks in Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and Belgium, but in the UK it would miss the top 40, peaking at #42. In 1988 the song won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video, and would be sampled on Kylie Minogue's song "Too Much of a Good Thing' in 1991. Pitchfork included the song in its Best 200 Songs of the '80s list at number 126. This track ,like the album itself is a significant in establishing Janet Jackson's identity as an artist and what better way to do that than with something that makes a big bold statement. A killer track in Janet's discography with it's vibrant dance beats, sequenced rhythms, funky synths and cool percussions, the production on this track is simply stellar with lyrics that still to this packs a solid punch. One of Janet's most important singles of her career and a staple of her evolution.

The next to fall will be a single from 'Control'

African skies with a Nairobi mood AtoyLKHmy1c 25. Runaway | 7.466 Highest Scores: 10: (Nina West), Lowest Scores: 4: (blacksquare) #25 is Runaway, released in August 1995 as the lead single from Janet's first greatest hits album Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 and was written and produced by Janet and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as one of the two original songs on the album. Originally the song was written as a possible duet with her brother Michael Jackson, but they chose to record 'Scream' together instead. After Janet fulfilled her contract with A&M records and signed a multimillion dollar contract with Virgin, she returned to A&M in order to release her first compilation album, which was why none of the songs from 'Janet' apart from 'That's The Way Love Goes' was included on the album. Upon release the song became a commercial success by reaching a #3 peak on the US Billboard charts and became the 4th highest debut of all-time on that chart, and also made Jackson the first female artist in history to debut at the top 10 of the chart twice. Worldwide it also experienced success by reaching top 10 peaks in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, Finland and Denmark. This is far better suited as a Janet solo track as 'Scream' was the far better option for Janet & Michael to record together. A stunning introduction to her greatest hits album with its blending of pop and R&B beats with Middle Eastern influences, makes for a cracking tune and along with its sparkling chorus and bubbly melodies. Catchy and carefree, this is just a fun little number that ranks at about the right place on here.

Ready for another entry

Once this gets to another page I will post the next entry which will be a 90's Janet single