''Number Ones'' (released internationally as ''The Best'') is the second

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

by American singer

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

. It was released on November 17, 2009, by

Interscope Geffen A&M Records Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA), is an American umbrella label owned by Universal Music Group, consisting of record labels Interscope Records, Geffen Records, and A&M Records. History Interscope Geffen A&M Records was established in 1999, f ...

and

Universal Music Enterprises Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...

. The double-disc album is composed of 33 of her number-one singles on various music charts across the globe. ''Number Ones'' collects singles from her third studio album ''

Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controllin ...

'' (1986) to her tenth studio album ''

Discipline Discipline refers to rule following behavior, to regulate, order, control and authority. It may also refer to punishment. Discipline is used to create habits, routines, and automatic mechanisms such as blind obedience. It may be inflicted on ot ...

'' (2008), and was made possible as a joint venture between

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

and

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

. The album's only single " Make Me" was made available for digital download on September 22, 2009, and went on to become her nineteenth number-one single on

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

. The album was acclaimed by

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, who praised her catalogue and influence in the music industry. Jackson promoted the album with interviews and television performances, including a performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. It was further promoted with the

Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It showcased her sophomore compilation album, '' Number Ones'' and visited Asia, North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. ...

tour in 2011, which visited North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa.

Background and development

In September 2009, Janet Jackson performed "Scream" on the

2009 MTV Video Music Awards The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was ho ...

as part of a medley tribute to Michael Jackson, who

died Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

three months earlier. Following this, "Make Me" was released on Jackson's official website as an audio stream for those who joined the site's e-mail newsletter. On September 22, 2009, it was released as a digital download for purchase. Although claims were made that "Make Me" is a tribute song to her late brother,

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's single "

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album ''Off the Wall'' (1979). It was the ...

" (1979), Jackson later stated in an interview with

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...

it is not, despite the similarity of the lyrics in the song's outro. In October 2009, Universal Music Enterprises issued a press release stating "Make Me" would be included on Jackson's second greatest hits album, comprising 33 of her global number-one singles. The two-disc set spans chart-topping singles from ''

'' (1986) to ''

'' (2008) across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100,

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

, and international charts.

Release and promotion

''Number Ones'' was released on November 17, 2009, by

and

; internationally, it was released as ''The Best''. To celebrate the release of ''Number Ones'',

and

Flash Mob America Flash Mob America is an American flash mob production company based in Los Angeles founded in 2009. History After meeting at an event following the death of Michael Jackson in 2009, co-founders Staci Lawrence and Conroe Brooks decided to put ...

organized three fan gatherings in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on November 14. Kyle Anderson of MTV reported fans' gatherings in various Los Angeles locations "to dance and pay tribute to some of the veteran diva's best dance moves and songs." Jackson made an appearance at the gathering which took place at

The Grove at Farmers Market The Grove is a retail and entertainment complex in Los Angeles, located on parts of the historic Farmers Market. History The complex fills space previously occupied by an orchard and nursery, which were the last remains of a dairy farm owned ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

In the Spotlight ''In the Spotlight'' is the fifteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and bass guitar player Suzi Quatro. The seeds for the album were sown when Mike Chapman, Quatro's original producer and composer of most of her hits, approac ...

'' with Robin Roberts interviewed Jackson in a one-hour interview special that aired on November 18, 2009. A few days later, Jackson performed an eight-minute medley of six hits during the 2009 American Music Awards. It included "

", "

Miss You Much "Miss You Much" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). As with all ...

", "

What Have You Done for Me Lately "What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, ''Control'' (1986). Jackson co-wrote the song with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was released on January 13, 1986, by A&M Re ...

", " If", "Make Me", and finished with " Together Again". At the end of the performance, she received applause and a standing ovation from the audience. Jackson traveled to the United Kingdom to further promote the album. She performed "Make Me" on ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' results show on December 6, 2009. She closed the concert with a medley of her greatest hits including "Make Me", wearing half hareem-pant, half skirt concoction, jackets and high-top trainers. On February 4, 2011, Jackson embarked on her sixth concert tour to further promote ''Number Ones'', entitled Number Ones: Up Close and Personal. It visited Asia, North America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and South America. Jackson traveled to 35 different cities selected by fans, one chosen for each of her number-one hits. The tour took an organic and intimate approach, excluding the elaborate theatrics and pyrotechnics her concerts have become infamous for, focusing on her musicality and choreography. Fans were to vote on cities via her official website. She honored 20 people who performed service in their community with the "20 Under 20" contest and dedicated one hit to each city during every show. In December, Jackson announced the first date in

Wan Chai Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to th ...

, Hong Kong. In April, Jackson extended the tour's North American and European legs into the fall due to massive sellouts. She also extended the tour into Australia, Africa, and South America. The show's intimate aura was praised among critics, many commending Jackson's showmanship in contrast to her more recent contemporaries. The majority of the tour had completely sold out. The tour achieved several attendance records, and grossed US$60 million in total.

Singles

" Make Me" was released as the lead and only single from the album on September 22, 2009, being the only new song included on the album. The song was presented as an

audio stream Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

to those who joined her official mailing list in September, and was later released for digital download. The song failed to chart on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but peaked at number 71 on the

and became her nineteenth

number-one single on the chart dated December 22, 2009. Thus Jackson became the first artist to earn number-one singles on Dance Club Songs across four decades, from the 1980s to the 2010s. "Make Me" also entered the top fifty in Italy, the top twenty in Japan and the top seventy-five in the United Kingdom.

Critical reception

''Number Ones'' received universal acclaim from

. Sal Cinquemani of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' gave the album four-and-a-half stars, commenting "that the songs on Janet Jackson's first-ever comprehensive hits collection, ''Number Ones'', have been sequenced in chronological order only magnifies the impact she had on late-'80s and early-'90s pop, when she helped define the sound of

Top 40 radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

along with the likes of

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

, and her brother Michael." He also commented on the commercial decline of her recent work, stating " t just as ''Number Oness sequencing highlights Janet's impressive early years, it also underscores her startlingly abrupt decline...and the "hits" from her last three albums are a mere footnote here." Andy Kellman of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

remarked: "Say what you want about Janet peaking with Jam & Lewis during the latter half of the '80s—to be fair, the argument is valid—but she did rack up a career's worth of solid hits during the years that followed. Even if they were not as sonically innovative and lacked the same amount of pop appeal of the ''Control''/''Rhythm Nation''-era singles, they clearly made a significant impact and have aged well." Val Christopher of Rockstar Weekly commented, "A look back at Jackson's storied career provides more than ample reason for her being one of the world's most recognizable people. ''Number Ones'' opens with a string of Jackson's best and most memorable tracks. 'What Have You Done For Me Lately', 'Nasty', 'Control', 'Miss You Much' and perhaps her finest single, 'Rhythm Nation'."

Accolades

Commercial performance

''Number Ones'' debuted at number 22 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 80,748 units (40,374 in pure sales) in its first week. It has since sold 546,000 units, including 273,000 in pure sales, in the United States. ''The Best'' performed similarly internationally, peaking at number 20 in Japan and number 28 in the United Kingdom. It was certified gold by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI) for sales in excess of 100,000.

Track listings

;Notes * signifies a co-producer * signifies a

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

Personnel

* Darrell "Delite" Allamby – composer * Melanie Andrews – composer * Johnta Austin – composer *

Michael Bivins New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 198 ...

– composer * Charles Bobbit – composer * Dewey Bunnell – composer *

LaShawn Daniels LaShawn Ameen Daniels (December 28, 1977 – September 3, 2019) was an American songwriter, vocal producer and arranger known for his songwriting credits on songs by artists such as Brandy, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Michael Jacks ...

– composer * John William Davis – composer *

Ronnie DeVoe Ronald Boyd DeVoe Jr. (born November 17, 1967), is an American singer, rapper, and actor known as one of the members of the R&B/ pop group New Edition, and the R&B/ hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Career De ...

– composer *

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

– composer * Dernst Emile – composer * Wayne Garfield – composer *

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

– composer *

Jimmy Jam Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

– composer/producer *

Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

– composer * Terry Lewis – composer *

Mauro Malavasi Mauro Malavasi (born 21 March 1957) is an Italian pianist, songwriter and producer. He was an important figure in Italian disco with his business partner Jacques Fred Petrus and went on to write and produce hits with various Italian musicians. He ...

– composer *

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

– composer *

Monte Moir Monte Moir (born September 10, 1958) is an American songwriter, producer and musician best known as the keyboardist of Morris Day's band The Time and songwriter of many notable American artists. Biography Monte Moir is the original and current ...

– composer * Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin – composer * Antoinette Roberson – composer * David Romani – composer * Trevor Smith – composer * John Starks – composer *

Ralph Tresvant Ralph Edward Tresvant (born May 16, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer, best known as the lead singer of R&B group New Edition. As a solo artist, Tresvant released the album ''Ralph Tresvant'' (1990). In 2008, he ...

– composer *

Fred Wesley Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s. Biography Wesley was born the son of a high school teacher and big band lead ...

– composer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

''Number Ones'' video page at janetjackson.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Number Ones (Janet Jackson Album) 2009 greatest hits albums Compilation albums of number-one songs Interscope Records compilation albums Universal Music Group compilation albums Albums produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins Janet Jackson compilation albums