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’re pushing play on Janet Jackson‘s seismic 1993 hit, ‘If.’
Join us inside:
For an artist already etched in history books thanks to her tertiary and quaternary studio albums – the hit factories ‘Control’ (1986) and ‘Rhythm Nation’ (1989) respectively – detractors who hoped Janet Jackson couldn’t carry that level of success into the 90’s were sorely disappointed after watching her first album of the decade, 1993’s ‘Janet.,’ debut at #1 with the highest first-week sales for a female act at the time.
Fueled by the success of her longest-running Hot 100 chart-topper to date, ‘That’s the Way Love Goes,’ if anything Jan’s enduring popularity was pacing to eclipse the commercial performance of her previous efforts.
To amp the stride of her eponymous fifth effort, Miss Jackson and team selected the high octane ‘If’ as the set’s second single. Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the guitar-driven track skillfully merged Rock-ier sounds from the star’s preceding LP (see: ‘Black Cat’) with her newfound drive in more Urban and rhythmic lanes.
And, if its dominant Diana Ross & the Supremes‘ “Someday We’ll Be Together” sample wasn’t enough to get bodies moving, its accompanying Tina Landon-choreographed music video would definitely do the trick. Under the helm of Dominic Sena, the visual – set in a kinky, voyeuristic Japanese nightclub – boldly buried the subdued Janet of yesteryear and abundantly showcased the nasty Miss Jackson.
Audiences welcomed the transition with open arms.
Peaking at #4 on the Hot 100 (where it was found this week in 1993), the tune was eventually certified GOLD in the United States and even helped to add a few more trophies to the diva’s crowded mantel including MTV VMAs, Billboard Music Awards, Soul Train Awards, and more. Etched in her personal history as a fan favorite, ‘If’ joined the likes of ‘That’s the Way Love Goes,’ ‘Again,’ ‘Because of Love,’ and more to assist their parent album with becoming the singer’s best-selling LP to date (worldwide).
As we stretch before breaking into an embarrassing attempt at the music video’s iconic breakdown, look below to see who joined Janet in the top 25 this week 27 years ago.
Hot 100 This Week in 1993
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to see this week’s full ‘TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100.’