The 40 Greatest Hits Of Janet, Jimmy And Terry

James "Jimmy Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis Receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star — Ron Galella, Ltd.

When looking at the decades-spanning musical relationship of Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it’s almost impossible to think of what pop music would’ve sounded like without them from the mid-80s to mid-2000s — it was a whopping 20-year run of nonstop hits!

Of course, that all began when the trio came together for the first time on Janet’s magnum opus third album, Control, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this week.

At a time when Janet was in dire need of an identity and sound outside of her hit-making brothers in The Jackson 5, most notably the late King Of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, Jimmy and Terry were also in need of a young solo star who could take them to the next level from their prior work with S.O.S. Band, Klymaxx and Detroit singer Cherrelle. What resulted once they finally came together should be the subject of a forthcoming documentary if we’re lucky, literally giving us jam after jam, year after year and decade to decade with serenading ease.

On this monumental anniversary, we salute all three equally for giving us a generation of love anthems and, well, the hits about heartbreak as well. As we await for their legacy to hopefully continue following a decade-long hiatus, we’re looking back on the greatest hits in hopes of sparking some nostalgia over to hopefully get our legendary trio in the booth again.

Jimmy, Terry, Janet — Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty! — we’re ready when you are.

Keep scrolling to get a old school lesson on why Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will forever be the perfect pop music trio:

1. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” (1986)

2. “Nasty” (1986)

3. “When I Think Of You” (1986)

4. “Control” (1986)

5. “Let’s Wait Awhile” (1987)

6. “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” [1987]

7. “Miss You Much” (1989)

8. “Rhythm Nation” (1989)

9. “Escapade” (1990)

10. “Alright” (1990)

11. “Come Back To Me” (1990)

12. “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” [1990]

13. “State Of The World” (1991)

14. “That’s The Way Love Goes” (1993)

15. “If” (1993)

16. “Again” (1993)

17. “Because Of Love” (1994)

18. “Any Time, Any Place” (1994)

19. “Throb” (1994)

20. “You Want This” (1994)

21. “What’ll I Do” (1995)

22. “Whoops Now” (1995)

23. “Runaway” (1995)

24. “The Best Things In Life Are Free” (with Luther Vandross) [1995]

25. “Twenty Foreplay” (1995)

26. “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” (1997)

27. “Together Again” (1997)

28. “I Get Lonely” (1998)

29. “Every Time” (1998)

30. “Go Deep” (1998)

31. “You” (1998)

32. “Doesn’t Really Matter” (2000)

33. “All For You” (2001)

34. “Someone To Call My Lover” (2001)

35. “Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)” [feat. Missy Elliott] (2001)