Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. An influential figure in popular culture, she is known for her innovative works that incorporate socially conscious and sexually provocative themes, as well as her elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, breaking American gender and racial barriers and enabling her rise to prominence. Lyrical content that concerned social issues and deeply felt experiences contributed to the appeal of Jackson's work to the youth audience.
The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, Jackson was a child actress, starring in the television shows Good Times (1977–1979), Diff'rent Strokes (1980–1984) and Fame (1984–1985). After signing with A&M Records in 1982 and terminating business affairs with her family, she achieved global stardom with Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). The albums led to crossover success in popular music and influenced the development of the new jack swing fusion genre. In the 1990s, Jackson became one of the highest-paid musicians, signing two of the largest music deals of all time with Virgin Records. She cemented her sex symbol status with a leading role in the film Poetic Justice (1993), and the albums Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997).
Jackson achieved her tenth US number-one single with the title track from her seventh studio album, All for You (2001). Following the controversy surrounding her 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, Jackson experienced a career decline. She faced an industry blacklisting under the direction of Les Moonves, then-CEO of CBS, resulting in reduced radio airplay, televised promotion, and sales figures of her music catalog. The aftermath impacted the commercial performance of her eighth studio album, Damita Jo (2004). Over the next decades, Jackson continued to perform and release new music, including the studio albums 20 Y.O. (2006), Discipline (2008), and Unbreakable (2015). Her tenth concert tour, Together Again Tour (2023–2024), became the highest-grossing tour of her career.
Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 100 million records. One of the highest-charting musicians in the history of the Billboard charts, she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 by a female artist (18) and remains the only artist in history to have seven singles from one album—Rhythm Nation 1814—peak within the top five positions. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 11 American Music Awards, 10 MTV Video Music Awards, eight Guinness World Records entries, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
