So, Madonna causes controversy and gets look at as interesting? Yet, Janet didn't even have a controversial moment until 2004, she was almost 38, yet she gets bashed big time. Yeah, I think that the media definitely had an agenda all along.

Janet Jackson flashed her boobs during the Superbowl. I'm sure Madonna was mad she didn't think of it first, but of course that was going to get some negative PR. Not the time or the place.

I don't recall Janet flashing her own breast.

I remember it as a planned thing between the two of them. 1) She didn't get mad at him. 2) Timberlake has no history of sexual assault in public that I can recall.

Yes, she did. She didn't talk to him since. Where did you get your info?

Wikipedia says:

Jackson's publicist stated the performance ending was only supposed to reveal Jackson's red lace bra, though the lace undergarment was accidentally removed along with the outer layer.[7][46]

A photograph by the Associated Press immediately after clearly shows that no such undergarment was underneath Jackson's outer layer of clothing in that section of her wardrobe.[47]

So maybe it was all Janet, and Justin didn't even know about it. My guess is he knew, though.

Yeah, that was after Justin said that it was a "wardrobe malfunction". Janet's face after it happened doesn't sit right with me.

Justin is a Punk

She looked disturbed.

TMZ. Where did you get yours?

And so that means that it's the only thing she should be remembered for? That's stupid.

And until this very day Justin that was one half of the duo that night has suffered no repercussion, in fact his career soared. That was part of what she was singing about, prejudice, bigotry, illiteracy....get the point? Good lets dance!

And until this very day Justin that was one half of the duo that night has suffered no repercussion, in fact his career soared. Any word for that? Crickets.......

Janet Jackson has created a blueprint for numerous female artists that came after her. Please give her that respect. What makes her stand out significantly from young sex symbol artists today is her use of music to bring about a political movement in a NATION that this generation seems to so casually and frequently dismiss. Her music in this particular album was a cry for cause, for change, for union, but didn't make the impact that it should have, which I think is what this article was trying to articulate. Album sales, sold out stadiums, and hit singles records aside, Janet has without a doubt contributed immensely more to the music world, particularly R&B, pop, hip-hop & dance, than what is credited to her. Her legacy is cemented. This generation's young and new can do what they do today because of pioneers like Janet Jackson....and what she stood for... an artist with substance. it's just unfortunate that most don't pay their respect and don't give credit where it is due. Rhythm Nation 1814 was a masterpiece album that 25 years later, should finally get the celebration it so rightly deserves.

ps- her induction into the rock and roll hall of fame is way overdue. the same with tina turner's grammy lifetime achievement.

I know that's right!!

Correct. Beyonce, Britney, Christina, Ciara, Kelly and Rhianna ALL live in the house that Janet built! She was the first singer/dancer combo we all take for granted today. Besides none of the young women of today command a stage like Janet does. She was the pioneer especially at the advent of the video era.

Great article! Janet's legacy tends to get overlooked, and that's a shame. Oh, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame definitely needs to put Janet on the ballot. It's long overdue!

Except for the fact that her music is not rock 'n' roll.

Many artists on the R&R Hall of Fame aren't rock 'n' roll. What is your point?

Neither is Madonna's but she is in already. Neither was MJ's, but he's in.

It's every bit as rock n roll as Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Abba, Donna Summer, Hall & Oates, the BeeGees, etc. Janet Jackson deserves this honor.

Or is Cat Stevens too heavy of a rock & roller for you? (Also in!)

What is "rock & roll"? It originated from blues and R&B music.

Neither is Madonna's but she has already been inducted. Now do you see the discrepancy? Dropsmic......

This is one of the few albums from the 80s I listened to over and over. Well-deserved praise.

I agree 100%! Madonna is overrated and has never had and never will have the multicultural Janet Jackson has had. Stop dreaming Madonna fans. Madonna has never released an album nearly as important as Rhythm Nation which won the Billboard award the #1 Selling Album of 1990. Madonna is still waiting to the award for the #1 selling album of ANY year.

"Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second best-selling female artist in the United States, with 64.5 million certified albums. Billboard ranked her at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of American singles chart. The magazine also declared her as the top-touring female artist of all time."

Your quotation doesn't actually address Peter Asher's points. The first two points (one of which is missing a word, at least in its current unedited state) concern the comparative cultural importance of the two artists. Your quotation focuses exclusively on sales. So let's be clear: Peter Asher offers no evidence for his first two claims; but your evidence is very limited in its usefulness. Mere popularity can easily be evidence of banality rather than importance; at the very least you need to give some kind of evidence that Madonna's large volume of sales reflect "importance," rather than bubble gum-ness, if you're going to offer sales as evidence against Peter Asher's first two claims.

Peter Asher's third claim is a very narrow one, that Madonna has never been the best selling artist in any specific year. I'll be honest: I'm not sure why he considers *that* to be relevant to his claims of Janet Jackson's greater importance. But be that as it may, your quotation about Madonna's total sales doesn't contradict Peter Asher's third claim in the slightest.

Excellent article! What a pleasure it is to see Janet's work recognized and analyzed like this. I also strongly believe that her work is undervalued as discussed in the article. Her clear impact on pop culture, the music industry, and feminism (among other things) cannot be denied. I will say that I think Janet has always been more concerned with making a difference in people's lives through her music rather than the lack of recognition that she's received, which makes her stand out even more in my eyes. I think she's always been more interested in the message that her music sends rather than what's been expected of her or how it's viewed by critics. This is why she had the courage to release "Rhythm Nation" after the success of "Control" and then "The Velvet Rope" after the success of "janet." She makes music that's true to her and I respect that tremendously. Even if she's never inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (which I sincerely hope isn't the case), I believe Janet will be content with the timeless music that she's made and the lives that she's affected through that music. To be honest, those are the greater rewards.

We are a part of the rhythm nation.

One of the best articles I've seen about Janet Jackson. Thank you for your amazing words and recognition of Ms Jackson. RN is one of the best albums of all time and was such an event. Those critics could not fathom the success and prowess of the Rhythm Nation

When Rhythm Nation was released, I was working as a nightclub DJ and played all of the hits when they were released as 12" singles. I enjoyed them more than most hyper-popular Top 40 dance records. I'll never forget one night while I was playing the title track, during the long break someone threw a wet napkin at the booth and it landed on the spinning disc, scraping the needle a good half-inch to one inch along the grooves. The record continued to play. Normally, an error like this would clear the dance floor and the crowd would "boo" and groan. But on this record, nobody noticed. Nobody left the floor.
I was very glad it happened that way, but what does it say about the music if, in a nightclub with its professional sound system, a phono needle scrapes along the grooves on a record and nobody seems to notice they're not dancing to music?

cool story Bro.

What's amazing to me is that Rhythm Nation 1814 is every bit as relevant today as it was back then. Perhaps even moreso, actually.

The real triumph for Janet Jackson is that she broke the *Diff'rent Strokes* child star curse.

(Todd Bridges still fantasizes about the time his character almost lost his virginity to her character. Dana Plato still... oops, sorry).

This was one of the more pointless, sophomoric, and misguided attempts at a think piece that I've ever seen. I've come to expect more from the Atlantic. There was little to no actual evidence for the author's claims beyond vague quotes from the era and unfounded references to other pop-culture.

It reads like a lower-level gender studies or sociology term paper. Personally, I love analysis in the vein of entertainment, pop-culture, and the like. I think digging into the zeitgeist is absolutely necessary. But forcing myself to get to the end of this piece made me truly question the editors judgement. Come on guys, you're better than this.

You are such a pressed hater and have no idea. #BYE, And there is evidence everywhere you fool - the biggest selling album of 1990, the only album in history to produce 7 Top 5 hits, MTV Vanguard award, a record-making Billboard wins in one night etc etc

You are one messed up hater who cant stand the fact that your fav wasnt the focus of the article

Crack dealers sell a lot also.That doesn't make them culturally significant.It just means they have a lot of idiots for customers.How many number ones did Mozart have on the Billboard charts? Billboard charts have no artistic relevance.Your argument is just as stupid as saying McDonald's makes a better product than Ruth's Chris because they sold Billions of burgers.

"Crack dealers sell a lot also.That doesn't make them culturally significant". actually it kind of does. it brings crack and drugs into the national consciousness and spurs debate. and this article is clearly talking about pop culture, the operative word being pop.

Yes. I owned the Rhythm Nation album. While there may have been an attempt to do something culturally significant with this record, all it was in practice to me and my friends was a good piece of dance pop from Michael Jackson's sister.

You tell that to that kids that actually went back to school after hearing "The Knowledge", then talk.

Not only returned to school, but GRADUATED. And went on to college.

Her Rhythm Nation scholarship is still being awards.

Not only went back to school after listening to her music but also graduated. Have you done that lately?

This was a fantastic album. And she's a great musician. I agree that Janet Jackson deserves more respect than she's been given.

But, sorry, Madonna is clearly going to win the most culturally significant female artist of the 80s. She created controversy, she released a ton of hit songs, she reinvented herself several times, and she was a master at keeping the attention focused on her.

"Significant" doesn't mean "Best." You could argue for the musical merits of one vs the other. But Madonna made much more of a mark.

The article isn't praising Madonna because of controversy, which is how it should've been a long time ago.

I think appeal gets left out of these arguments, I also have to say in Janet's defense those who would offer up Madonna as the more impactful artist need remember where her music wasn't played or requested, who it never registered with. Example Eminem sells tons of albums and history may claim him as the greatest rapper ever 10...20 yrs from now, but it will be a lie.

So you're saying Janet isn't more recognized because of racism? Really?

Title should read, "The Second Most Significant Female Artist of the 80s." But that would be as attention getting I suppose. Madonna ruled the 80s and everyone knows that.

I'm agnostic on whether the argument is correct or incorrect, but let's be accurate about what the argument is:

it's *not* that Jackson "ruled" the 1980s, but that she had a more important cultural effect, judged from the perspective of 25 years later. Indeed, the article uses the word "transformative" in reference to her 1989 album.