Today (May 16th) Janet Jackson turned 50, and to celebrate we rounded up 50 accomplishments the superstar has achieved (in chronological order):
1. She released her self-titled debut album Janet Jackson in 1982, at sixteen years old.
2. She performed on American Bandstand and Soul Train in 1982.
3. Her third studio album, Control (1986), hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
4. Five singles on Control peaked in the top five of the Hot 100 chart.
5. Control is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time.
6. She holds the record for most American Music Awards nominations from one album (with twelve) for Control.
7. She won six Billboard Music Awards (including Top Pop Singles Artist) in 1986.
8. Control was nominated for four Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year) in 1987.
9. She won a Soul Train Music Award for Album of the Year and Best Music Video for “What Have You Done for Me Lately” in 1987.
10. Her single “Nasty” won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography (Paula Abdul) in 1987.
11. Her fourth studio album, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989), hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
12. Rhythm Nation was the biggest-selling album of 1990.
13. Rhythm Nation is the only album in the history of the Hot 100 chart to have seven singles peak within the top five.
14. Rhythm Nation is the only album to produce No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 chart in three separate calendar years (1989–1991).
15. Rhythm Nation received nine Grammy Award nominations and she became the first female artist to be nominated for Producer of the Year in 1990.
16. She won eight Billboard Music Awards in 1990, including Top Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year, Top Selling Album of the Year, Top Selling R&B Album of the Year, Top Selling R&B Albums Artist of the Year, Top Selling R&B Artist of the Year and Top Dance Club Play Artist of the Year.
17. She won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography (“Rhythm Nation”) and was presented with the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1990.
18. She received an American Music Award for Favorite Dance Single for “Miss You Much” in 1990.
19. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.
20. She received an American Music Award for Favorite Dance Artist in 1991.
21. “Love Will Never Do Without You” won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in 1991.
22. She is listed in Guinness World Records for Largest Recording Contract in 1991.
23. Her fifth studio album, janet. (1993), hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart.
24. janet. became her third consecutive album to top the Billboard 200 chart and her first to debut at No. 1.
25. In 1993, janet. debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 350,000 copies sold in its first week — a then-record debut sales week for a woman since Nielsen Music began tracking sales in 1991.
26. janet. is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time.
27. janet. produced six top ten hits on the Hot 100 chart.
28. “Again” from Poetic Justice received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song in 1993.
29. “That’s The Way Love Goes” won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1994.
30. “If” won a Billboard Music Award for Dance Clip of the Year in 1994.
31. “If” won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in 1994.
32. She won a Grammy Award (with her brother Michael Jackson) for Best Music Video for “Scream” in 1996.
33. Her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope (1997), hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
34. The Velvet Rope became Jackson’s fourth consecutive album to top the Billboard 200.
35. “Got ’til It’s Gone” won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 1998.
36. “I Get Lonely” became her record 18th consecutive Hot 100 top 10 (1998), a streak that began in 1989. She passed Madonna’s run of 17 straight top 10 Hot 100 entries (1984-89).
37. “Together Again” won the award for “Most Played Song” at the BMI Pop Awards in 1999.
38. She is listed in Guinness World Records for Top-Selling Dance Album of the Decade, Female for Janet in 1999.
39. She is listed in Guinness World Records for Most Successful Siblings in History (with her brother Michael Jackson) in 1999.
40. Her seventh studio album, All For You (2001), became her fifth consecutive album to top the Billboard 200 chart.
41. She was declared MTV’s inaugural icon in 2001, and received a televised tribute, MTV Icon: Janet Jackson.
42. She was presented with the Artistic Achievement Award at the Billboard Music Awards in 2001.
43. She was presented with the American Music Award’s Award of Merit in 2001.
44. “All For You” won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2002.
45. Her ninth studio album, 20 Y.O. (2006), became her eighth consecutive platinum album.
46. She is listed in Guinness World Records as “Most Searched Person in Internet History” and “Most Searched News Item in Internet History” is 2007.
47. Her tenth studio album, Discipline (2008), hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
48. Her eleventh studio album, Unbreakable (2015), hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
49. She was honored with the inaugural BET Awards Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award in 2015
50. “No Sleeep” became her 40th entry on the Hot 100 chart.
Happy Birthday, Janet Jackson!!