A Global Icon: The 25 biggest hits of Janet Jackson’s career

After a seven-year hiatus, Janet was back on the scene with her 11th album, "Unbreakable." The album’s first single, “No Sleeep,” featured a verse from rapper J. Cole and became a hit on the R&B charts. Shortly after the album's release, Janet embarked on the "Unbreakable" World Tour. 

Although "Control" was Janet's third solo album, she started working with production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and the album instantly became a full-throttle breakout project. The fourth single proved how the youngest Jackson family member was growing up. As she was on the brink of breaking away from her father's management team, "Control" was the perfect song for her newfound independence.

As Janet was on the verge of a new image with her fifth album, "janet.," she also took an acting role in John Singleton's film "Poetic Justice." Singleton was in search of a ballad for the film's soundtrack, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis worked with Janet on "Again." The song also became one of the few ballads on the "janet." album.

Janet's fourth album, "Rhythm Nation," held a strong black-and-white theme, but one of the album's most colorful videos was "Alright." Breakout dance routines became the norm with her visuals, and this single featured dancers such as the Nicholas Brothers, Cyd Charisse and Cab Calloway. The album went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide.

Janet celebrated two decades in the music industry with her album properly titled "20 Y.O." She worked with MCs in the past on remixes to her songs; however this album featured rapper Nelly for their hit song "Call On Me," and their chemistry was undeniable.

The second single from her classic "Rhythm Nation" album became one of her most iconic music videos to date. The album’s theme highlighted social justice and racial equality, and having backup dancers adorned in military uniforms made a powerful statement.

Although "Rhythm Nation" had more of a political message, “Come Back To Me” was a smooth ballad about rekindling a past flame. The song reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, and Janet also recorded a Spanish version titled “Vuelve a Mi.”

Janet’s sixth album, "The Velvet Rope," was one of her most personal works with themes of love, hatred and abuse. “Go Deep” was one of the few upbeat songs, and it was about getting lucky with a new man. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Janet was never afraid to go against the grain and shock the world. She wrote and produced “Black Cat” and proved she could take on hard rock and heavy metal genres with ease.

The video for “If” portrayed Janet in one of her most seductive visuals to date. It was the beginning of a new era, as she became an artist with great sex appeal.

Janet’s “I Get Lonely” became her 18^th consecutive top-10 hit, and at the time, it made her the only female to reach the feat with only Elvis Presley and The Beatles ever before doing it. The video featured a remix from R&B group Blackstreet. 

The smooth guitar riff sampled from America’s “Ventura Highway” was quite the groove for R&B lovers. “Someone To Call My Lover” became a standout single from Janet’s seventh album, "All For You," and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The playful track was the third single from her "Control" album. It was all about being at ease when you find the right lover, fulfilling the album's theme of being independent.

Janet starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the sequel to the "Nutty Professor" and provided a dance-friendly track to accompany the blockbuster film. It was only right for Janet to provide "Doesn't Really Matter" to the soundtrack about loving a person for who they are and not for their looks.

On Janet's 10th studio album, "Discipline," she decided to work with other producers such as Darkchild, Jermaine Dupri and The-Dream. Although it wasn't one of her best-selling albums, singles such as " Feedback" managed to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 1993, Janet decided to feature one of her most revealing and raw visuals on her hit song "Any Time, Any Place." The lustful single spent 10 weeks on Billboard’s R&B charts and remains one of her biggest hits to date.

The sixth single from "Control" was more of a toned-down groove compared to "Nasty" and the album’s title track. However, the video is one of Janet’s most memorable, featuring a solo dance performance that inspired future generations of artists. 

On every album, Janet is sure to give fans feel-good dance tracks that can be played in any club. "So Excited" became the singer's 17th No. 1 hit on the dance chart. 

On her fourth album, "Rhythm Nation," Janet used black-and-white visuals for many of the concepts. The “Miss U Much” video kept that same theme and became a pillar for jaw-dropping chair choreography.

“No my first name ain’t baby, it’s Janet. Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty!” is one the song’s most famous lines. Janet will always be a nice girl but will hold her own if someone steps to her the wrong way.

One of her biggest dance records was inspired by the loss of a friend who died from AIDS. Janet turned feelings of sadness into a joyous occasion.

Janet has worked with a number of producers throughout her career; however production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were the brains behind many of her hits. “All For You” was the lead single from her seventh album and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.

For the wanderlust listeners, “Escapade” is the perfect song for people who love to get away. The video featured an iconic dance break at a Mardi Gras-themed carnival.

The first single from Janet’s fifth album was the initial launch of the singer’s sexier look. The sensual and hypnotic production sampled James Brown’s hit song “Papa Don’t Take No Mess."

Janet joined her brother Michael for a wild duet, “Scream .” The futuristic scenery in the video inspired visuals from artists like TLC, The-Dream and Nicki Minaj. It was the only duet the two recorded before Michael’s death.