1986 · Behind the Songs
The sunniest single from Control — and Janet’s first No. 1.
For all its themes of independence and control, the Control album had a secret weapon: pure, uncomplicated joy. “When I Think of You” — released as the third single in 1986 — was the sunniest thing Janet Jackson had ever recorded: a fizzy, effervescent love song that sounded like happiness itself. It became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it proved that the new Janet could do light as brilliantly as she did fierce.
The record is a marvel of 1980s pop craft. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis built it on a bouncing, irresistible groove — bright synths, a skipping beat, and a melody that seems to lift off the ground. Janet sings it with a smile you can hear, her voice light and playful, utterly unlike the ice-queen precision of “Nasty.” Where that single had been about boundaries, this one was about surrender — the giddy, helpless kind, when just thinking of someone makes the whole day better.
The single’s success was a milestone: Janet Jackson’s first chart-topper, arriving just months after she’d reinvented herself. It showed the range of the Control project — this wasn’t a one-note statement of independence but a full portrait of a young woman: strong, funny, vulnerable, and joyful by turns. The accompanying video, with its playful choreography, reinforced the point: control didn’t have to mean severity.
Listen for the lightness — the way Janet lets the melody carry her, the way the production sparkles without ever feeling heavy. “When I Think of You” is a reminder that the Control era wasn’t just about taking charge; it was about the freedom that comes after. Having demanded respect and set boundaries, Janet could finally just be happy — and she invited the whole world to be happy with her, all the way to No. 1.