The key to Janet Jackson's career is the fact that she offered listeners far more than her last name. Her brother debuted on the public stage long before her and became the biggest pop star that ever lived, and the surname they share will forever be intertwined with his legacy. But Janet established herself as a distinctive voice in R&B that has maintained relevancy long after her brother's apparent mental collapse.

Janet Jackson was born in 1966 in Gary, IN, after her brothers in the Jackson 5 had formed and begun performing. Though she would appear on stage with them for a while, she turned to acting at the age of 10, specifically for television sitcoms. She appeared on Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes and A New Kind of Family before turning to singing, like her brothers. Her self-titled debut came out in 1982, when she was still a teenager. It was largely ignored.

She acted in the Fame television series the following year, and returned to music with Dream Street in 1984, which actually did worse than her debut. But when a new manager, John McClane, was brought on board, she returned to the studio to craft a new sound. Blending more of an R&B and hip-hop flavor into her pop songs, Control was definitely an album of its time when it was released in 1986. It was also wildly successful, putting Jackson on the map and peaking at number one on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums charts.

Her public persona had been formed--Jackson was a tough cookie who spoke her mind. Though she was pressured to amp up her sex appeal, Jackson turned the idea down, proof Control wasn't just a marketing gimmick. She took a bigger role in directing the follow-up, a socially conscious effort called Rhythm Nation 1814. This too became a smash success, and began the steady career that Jackson enjoys to this day.