too late

Miracle Mile (1989) by Steve De Jarnatt

Cinematography by Theo van de Sande

Miracle Mile (1989) by Steve De Jarnatt

Cinematography by Theo van de Sande

Miracle Mile (1989) by Steve De Jarnatt

Cinematography by Theo van de Sande

Miracle Mile (1989) by Steve De Jarnatt

Cinematography by Theo van de Sande

5. Velvet Rope | The Velvet Rope

Violin killed it. Janet killed it. One of the best album openers of all time.

4. All Nite (Don't Stop) | Damita Jo

Her best single of the 00s, tragically neutered by the awful reaction to her Super Bowl incident with Justin Timberlake (funny how his career carried on just fine).

3. The Pleasure Principle | Control

There are a lot of great songs on Control, but this is the one that really mapped out the rest of her career. There's something a little more subtle and forward-thinking about this than the other stuff she was doing at the time.

2. Escapade | Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

While "You Want This" is certainly a great effort, this truly hangs with the best of The Supremes stuff as mid-late 20th century female pop perfection. Even her less-successful remake, "Runaway," was still pretty damn good.

1. Empty | The Velvet Rope

10. Love Will Never Do (Without You) | Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

This hit #1 right before I was born. That melody is worth its weight in iPads.

9. Alright | Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

Hip-hop bliss. Nothing more to it.

8. If | janet.

This song and video invented Britney Spears and the 2010s. You're all welcome.

7. Doesn't Really Matter | All For You

Sweetness riding a sticky beat. This video set my expectations for the future way too high, but at least it invented Instagram's aspect ratio.

6. Go Deep | The Velvet Rope

15. That's The Way Love Goes | janet.

Realer than real, not afraid to bust out some smooth jazz sounds, simply delightful from beginning to end.

14. You Want This | janet.

What would a 90s Supremes song sound like? This is somewhere in the right direction, no doubt due to the killer sample. I want to live in that video

13. Together Again | The Velvet Rope

A true classic, and the first Janet song I can remember hearing. Her most memorable vocals and I love the way the beat slinks in and out.

12. Rock With U | Discipline

While Janet's throwbacks are usually perfection, this is simply transcendent. Her last regular single with a video, it's a fitting swan song for a fabulous career.

11. All For You | All For You

20. R&B Junkie | Damita Jo

The best possible revenge for her dubious first two albums is making a track so killer it would have wiped the floor in the era of those albums.

19. I Get Lonely | The Velvet Rope

There's something oddly modern, almost James Blake-esque, about this that really keeps it fresh in the 2010s.

18. Feedback | Discipline

Ahead of its time (came out months before Lady Gaga's debut), that heavy flow only gets better with age

17. Miss You Much | Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

The song that announced that Janet would not be a one-era wonder. She asks if "that's the end?," but it would be decades before we had an answer to that.

16. Nasty | Control

30. Free Xone | The Velvet Rope

Scatterbrained ode to being yourself

29. So Excited (ft. Khia) | 20 Y.O.

A sufficiently ratchet bop

28. Rope Burn | The Velvet Rope

Infinitely sexier than 50 Shades could ever hope to be.

27. Rhythm Nation | Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

That groove is fire , chorus is a little corny but she works the hell out of the verses

26. Someone To Call My Lover | All For You

Loopy-bubbly reworking of a killer sample.

25. When I Think Of You | Control

"BASS" is one of the better Janet commands.

24. What Have You Done For Me Lately | Control

One of the greatest questions of the 20th Century. The bridge is heaven.

23. Any Time, Any Place | janet.

Janet's tried to top this many times, and I admire her for that, but it's just never gonna happen again.

22. Throb | janet.

Superb house hotness. Makes sex noises sound classy.

21. Got Til It's Gone (ft. Q-Tip and Joni Mitchell) | The Velvet Rope

Jupiter Ascending (2015) by Andy & Lana Wachowski

Clueless (1995) by Amy Heckerling