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Saturday, July 13, 2019

"When I Think of You" by Janet Jackson

#1 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Song#:  2828
Date:  08/09/1986
Debut:  60
Peak:  1 (2 weeks)
Weeks:  19
Genre:  R&B, Dance-Pop



Pop Bits:  Jackson's first two singles from her Control album, "What Have You Done for Me Lately" (#4) and "Nasty" (#3), were inching her closer to the top spot on the Pop chart. She finally made it to #1 with this third single. It also got to #1 at Dance while reaching #3 at R&B and #10 AC. The widespread, mainstream appeal of the song helped it become Jackson's first to top the Pop chart and her first to reach the AC Top 10. The single would be her third in a row to go gold. Oddly, it would be the only single from Control that missed reaching #1 at R&B. The hit helped sales of Control continue and it would stay firmly planted in the Pop Top 10 through to October.

ReduxReview:  This was the perfect pick for the third single. With her profile significantly raised after two major pop and R&B hits, Jackson had quickly established herself as a star and folks were interested in her next move. This song was a change of pace from her harder hitting first two singles and the tune's more relaxed beat made it more accessible to a wider audience. It would end up being the album's best performing single overall. Although it was the exact right single at the right time, it wasn't one of my favorites from the album. I find it to be a very pleasant, sunny tune that floats easily over the ears, but I preferred the more edgier tracks on the album. Still, it was a brilliant move.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  With this song hitting #1, it claimed a chart achievement. The single made Janet and Michael Jackson the first siblings to have solo hits reach #1 on the Pop chart. To-date, they still remain the only siblings to have accomplished that feat. They were also the first siblings to score solo #1 albums, however two other sets of siblings would also do the same. Brothers Master P (Percy Miller) and Silkk the Shocker (Vyshonne Miller) had #1 albums in the late 90s. Then a pair of famous sisters, BeyoncĂ© and Solange (Knowels) joined the ranks when Solange's album A Seat at the Table topped the chart in 2016.  BeyoncĂ© hit #1 with her debut solo album Dangerously in Love in 2003.

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1 comment:

  1. 7/10 for me as well, even though this was her only #1 single off of the Control album I thought her previous and subsequent singles were better than "When I Think Of You", "What Have You Done For Me Lately" and "Nasty" were my two favorite songs off of the Control album.

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