Chart Rewind: Janet Jackson Made Hot 100 History With ‘Doesn’t Really Matter’ This Week in 2000

Published: Friday 21st Aug 2020 by Rashad

Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.

So, as our retrospective segments, ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay,’  allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our latest feature –  Chart Rewind – serves as a variation of our Retro Rewind assay to salute an entire era of music history.

This week we’d really love to replay ‘Doesn’t Really Matter’Janet Jackson‘s first #1 hit of the millennium.

Join us inside:

As Janet fans entered the new millennium, they undoubtedly not only questioned where the Pop diva would fit in the music industry’s shifting climate (which was increasingly favoring Teen Pop and Hip Hop) but also how she would follow the mega-successes of her two studio efforts of the 90’s – the 6x Platinum ‘Janet.’ album and the 3x Platinum ‘Velvet Rope’ LP.

While hard at work on her 7th studio production (‘Rope’s follow-up), the youngest of the Jackson clan was also flexing her acting muscle as she’d been cast as the love interest in ‘Nutty Professor II’ – the successor to Eddie Murphy‘s wildly successful 1996 comedy film, ‘The Nutty Professor.’

It would only make sense that having an act of Jackson’s musical caliber in the movie would call for her to contribute to its accompanying soundtrack, especially given the last time she lent her songwriting pen to music for a motion picture she nabbed an Academy Award nod for the endeavor (see: ‘Again’ from 1993’s ‘Poetic Justice’).  To no surprise, her contribution – much like with ‘Justice’ – yielded a smash hit.

Co-written with longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the trio crafted ‘Doesn’t Really Matter’ – an uptempo Pop tune housing lyrics that essentially mirrored the mindset of Jackson’s character in ‘Professor.’  A sonic foretaste of what was set to come on ‘Rope’s follow-up (later titled ‘All For You’), ‘Doesn’t Really Matter’ – released in May 2000 – impacted the Hot 100 on airplay alone and debuted within its top 60.  By this week that year, the tune had climbed to #1 on the tally and stayed there for 3 weeks.

Coming as the 9th #1 hit of her career, the achievement penciled her in history books for becoming the first female act with a Hot 100 chart-topper in three consecutive decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s) and made her the first artist overall to have chart-toppers in each of those specific decades.

When the dust settled, ‘Doesn’t’ didn’t get any love from the Recording Academy as it garnered no GRAMMY nods but it did take home Gold elsewhere:  the RIAA.

Look below to see who joined her in the top 25 this week 20 years ago:

Hot 100 This Week in 2000

 

Hot 100 This Week

 

Click here to see this week’s fully updated ‘TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100’ edition.

Your thoughts?

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  1. Pat August 21, 2020

    When your soundtrack contribution is a smash

  2. Spread legs 🦵 like C@r@na August 21, 2020

    Go janet!!!!! All for you era was gold! Everything was so right from head to bottom

  3. Fancy BISH August 21, 2020

    This song is so special…it feels fresh and new even now 20 YEARS LATER 🔥 And who is that singing the Ohhhh part? ❤️ #MUVA

  4. Oh plz August 21, 2020

    YES YES YES!!! One of my absolute favorite J.J songs + videos ❤️❤️❤️. Ms. Jackson looked drop dead GORGEOUS in this amazing video. I even learned the choreography back in the day! 😂😂…If only we could go back in time.

  5. Eric August 21, 2020

    One of my favorite songs and favorite periods from Janet. I learned the entire dance routine for DRM.

  6. Fancy BISH August 21, 2020

    Look at the chart 🥰 I see Country Grammar is about to hit the Top 10 🎶 I just heard Ride Wit Me on an episode of Friends lol…take me back chile, take me back 🤳🏽

    • Spread legs 🦵 like C@r@na August 21, 2020

      I get emotional when I saw Aaliyah’s try again on chart. I miss my Home girl Aaliyah. She will be as popular as Beyoncé if she still alive today.

      • Fancy BISH August 21, 2020

        Yes! ✅ 💯 Try Again is a classic! I miss Aaliyah too 😭

  7. Urg August 21, 2020

    Just shows how the Hot 100 in 2020 is just full of 🗑🗑🗑🗑🗑🗑🗑

    • D August 22, 2020

      Exactly lol… I sighed audibly when I compared today’s chart to the good ol days.

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