Song · Janet Jackson
“Rhythm Nation” by Janet Jackson
From the album Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
“Rhythm Nation” by Janet Jackson appears on 6 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 2018 and 2026. It was first released in 1989 on the album Rhythm Nation 1814. Its best result is #121 on The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,237 indie & aaa song of all time and #128 of the '80s.
Janet Jackson chased "Miss You Much" with "Rhythm Nation" in October 1989, the second single from her fourth album, Rhythm Nation 1814, and proof that a dance record could carry a message. The news was full of tragedies, and she answered with a socially conscious theme riding a new jack swing groove, written, arranged and produced with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; Sly Stone shares the writing credit.
The video turned it into a manifesto. Dominic Sena shot it in black and white to underline its theme of racial harmony, with Jackson and her dancers in unisex military gear drilling through a post-apocalyptic warehouse to rapid-fire steps she worked out with a then-unknown Anthony Thomas. A&M tried to talk her out of making it, and it went on to win 2 MTV Video Music Awards, for Best Choreography and Best Dance Video.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 630 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2020 | 1936 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2021 | 585 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2023 | 121 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
| 2025 | 455 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs | 800 |
| 2026 | 152 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
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