10 Perfect Pop Albums Of The 1980s

Ever since her infamous Super Bowl incident back in the '00s, it feels like the entire world had collectively forgotten about Janet Jackson. For all of the amazing music that she had with her brothers and solo, she now usually just gets brought up as the kid sister of Michael who fizzled out after the '80s were over. Though many people may have lost track of her along the way, they might not have known what they had on their hands here.

Working with legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet turned in some of the most electrifying sounds of '80s pop, turning the sounds of R&B into the new sound of pop music going forward. Then again, confining Rhythm Nation to just one genre feels wrong, taking bits and pieces from soul, easy listening, and even some bits of glam metal in places to create a dramatic concept album centered around the power of music.

Although the album itself might suffer for having a few too many interludes every now and again, they just help you get that much more immersed in the experience, going from the bombastic side of the title track to the beautiful sounds of Love Will Never Do and then flipping back around again for the stadium rocker Black Cat. The King of Pop may still have his place on the throne, but Janet definitely deserves some sort of royalty for this album alone.