# Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990

The Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 was the first headlining concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fourth studio album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989), and also contained material from her third studio album Control (1986). Jackson's record label A&M announced plans for the world tour in fall 1989, following the release of Rhythm Nation 1814. Managed by Roger Davies and Rusty Hooker, the tour was developed by musical director Chuckii Booker, choreographer Anthony Thomas, stage designer Roy Bennett, stage manager Chris Tervit, production manager Benny Collins, and Jackson herself.
The nine-month trek saw concerts in the United States, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. It began in the United States in March 1990 and continued through November 1990, when it came to a close with a return trip to Japan. Songs performed during the set list of the tour were divided evenly between Jackson's third and fourth studio albums—each concert began with "Control" (1986) and ended with "Rhythm Nation" (1989). Noting performances placed greater emphasis on theatricality over vocal prowess, the tour received numerous stellar reviews based on Jackson's showmanship, choreography, and socially conscious message, drawing some comparison to her brother Michael Jackson. The tour was a commercial success, grossing over $28.1 million in North America alone.

## Background

Due to the fact that A&M Records had chosen not to invest in promoting a concert tour for Control (1986), the Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990 became Jackson's first in support of a studio album. A&M announced plans for her global tour in the fall of 1989. She was assisted by a team of eleven musicians, back-up singers, and six dancers. Anthony Thomas was selected as chief choreographer for the tour. Thomas stated: "Janet was looking for dancers with a hybrid of street and technical training ... I'd say the cast is half and half between those two, which is what makes it so interesting. I'm not a trained dancer—and Janet is not, either. She just looks like it because she's a natural. She picks up dance steps very quickly." According to Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle: "Thomas and Jackson also collaborated on the dance sequences for Jackson's half-hour video—a telemusical her publicists call it—that accompanied the release of her 'Rhythm Nation' album in October."
Musician and record producer Chuckii Booker was hired as Jackson's musical director; his band became the tour's opening act. Booker explained that he was approached by Jackson after a recommendation from her producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In an interview, he stated: "I had known Janet for four to five years, but it was pretty much on a hi-and-goodbye basis until last September when she invited me to a 'Rhythm Nation' party in Los Angeles. I attended and told her I was very excited for her. She said, 'Yes, and I'd like you to be musical director.' I turned around, thinking she was talking to somebody else. I couldn't believe it. But then I found out she had talked to Jimmy and Terry and they had recommended me." Reporter Doug Adrianson wrote: "Because of the inevitable comparisons with brother Michael, 32, expectations for the Rhythm Nation Tour are higher than a moonwalk. To make sure the show is suitably spectacular, Jackson and musical director Chuckii Booker rehearsed with a sizable crew for two weeks at the Pensacola Civic Centre ... the same place Michael fine-tuned his Bad Tour." Her tour was managed by Roger Davies, stage designer Mark Fisher, and Benny Collins. Total production cost was an estimated $2 million.

## Promotion

On June 9, 1990, MTV aired a four-hour special entitled "Janet Jackson Saturday" featuring interviews and music videos by Jackson, as well as live coverage of her tour. The full "Rhythm Nation 1814 World Tour" concert from the second date at the Tokyo Dome in Japan was filmed and aired on Japanese television.

## Critical reception

Music writer Troy Moon, who viewed the tour's dress rehearsal, called the show "spontaneous, very loose and limber. It came off as nightclub funk, more Prince than (Michael)." He also noted the emphasis on the show's dance routines, stating "[t]he singing almost comes as an afterthought." The debut concert in Miami, Florida on March 1, 1990 sold out prior to the performance. Music Critic Deborah Wilker remarked that "[Janet] does not present a serious threat to brother Michael, though she has proven beyond any doubt she is a formidable force in her own right." She reported the concert showcased the fact that "Jackson is an accomplished dancer whose choreography has set trends worldwide. The music, though extremely engaging, is secondary." She also reported on the media attention surrounding the opening concert, stating, "[t]he kick-off of this tour was a media event, with reporters and film crews from across the country on hand. In the audience was Janet's brother Jackie and mother Katherine, as well as singer Whitney Houston and producers Jam and Lewis."
Reviewing her concert at Madison Square Garden, Jon Pareles of The New York Times compared her showmanship to that of her brother Michael, and Prince. However, he states that she could not sing and dance simultaneously as well as either and suspected some of her performance was lip-synced. In her defense, he adds: "Yet in a video-era pop event like Miss Jackson's concert, old-fashioned musicianship matters less than the overall package—and Miss Jackson turns out to be an endearing performer despite all the calculation. Her songs are not just catchy, but full of worthwhile messages about independence and tolerance as well." Commenting on her performance at the Capital Centre in Landover, Richard Harrington of The Washington Post noted that the growing trend of video screen use in concert had both advantages and drawbacks, such as [l]iving up to the very expectations engendered by those incessantly played video images." In reference to her showmanship, he stated that "[s]he doesn't quite command the stage yet, but she has little problem commanding attention, thanks to her spectacular dancing and the wonderfully aggressive choreography that informs the 90-minute show." In his opinion, the most "engaging" aspects of the concert were Jackson's ballads such as "Let's Wait Awhile" and "Come Back to Me". He adds that "[a]lthough the focus was clearly on Jackson's dynamic dancing and her apparently boundless energy, she acquitted herself well on the vocal front. The singing seemed mostly note-perfect recaps of the records, and there is less range and dynamics here than in her dancing, but overall, it was effective enough."
Los Angeles Times critic Chris Willman, who reviewed her opening southern California concert at the Great Western Forum expressed: "If the dancing in Janet's tour is even more enthralling than that of brother Michael (who can still best her in pure technical proficiency), it's because she spends so much of her stage time working with six other dancers as part of a hip-hop chorus line. It represents the pinnacle of what can be done in the popping 'n' locking style-a rapid-fire mixture of rigidly jerky and gracefully fluid movements." He complimented her endurance for her 80-minute-plus show and downplayed criticism of lip-syncing by saying "[e]ven a classically trained vocalist would be hard-pressed to maintain any sort of level of volume—or, more appropriately, 'Control'—while bounding up and down stairs and whipping limbs in unnatural directions at impeccable, breakneck speed." The first international concert took place in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome on May 17, 1990. Los Angeles Times reported that "Japan became a 'Rhythm Nation' as Janet Jackson opened her tour at the Tokyo Dome, cascading thunderous waves of funk and choreography over 50,000 people ... The choreography, a cross between break-dancing and military maneuvers, sent some spectators dancing into the aisles." Jackson also performed in Osaka and Yokohama before returning to the North America and then traveled to Europe for the final leg of her tour.
Helen Metella of the Edmonton Journal praised Jackson's elaborate stage show, calling her socially conscious message of unity a "noble quest." In reference of the comparisons between her and brother Michael, Metella comments that "the 23-year-old Jackson throws herself into an orgy of non-stop dancing and extravagant theatrics that clearly express her talent and her personal philosophies. She may not have surpassed Michael yet, but she's closing in on him fast—using many of his own tricks, yet." In reviewing her performance at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Canada, Metella reports that the use of lighting and sound effects made for an excellent routine in addition to the well received vocalization of songs like "Control", "Nasty", and "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "[b]ut it was the dancing that was most electrifying ...witnessing the astonishing pace and physical commitment of Jackson during the dance numbers could and did galvanize us into action of our own, which is exactly what the show was about."

## Commercial reception

The majority of all of the tour's concert dates became instant sell-outs. The tour's dress rehearsal at the Pensacola Civic Center issued 7,600 tickets to the public as a benefit to local charity, which sold-out in less than an hour. The first international concert, which took place in Tokyo, Japan sold out the Tokyo Dome within seven minutes—a record for the fastest sellout in the history of the Dome. Lori Buttars of The Salt Lake Tribune reported: "In May, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation Tour became the fastest sell-out in Salt Palace history. Tickets for the June 18 concert were gone in a record 1 hour and 20 minutes after the box office opened." In June, 1990, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Jackson's tour had become one of the most commercially successful box office attractions for a recording artist. In addition, "of those women soloists who regularly reach the top of the record charts, only Madonna is doing similar arena business." Grossing $28.1 million in the United States alone, the tour ranked number five among the best-selling of 1990 within the US, making Jackson the only female artist to place within the top ten. The Rhythm Nation World Tour, with an attendance of over two million patrons, is the most successful debut tour by any recording artist in history, a record that still stands in 2023.

## Opening acts

* Chuckii Booker (select venues)
* Johnny Gill (select venues)

## Set list

* "Control"
* "Nasty"
* "What Have You Done for Me Lately"
* "Let's Wait Awhile"
* "When I Think of You"
* "The Pleasure Principle"
* "T.V." (interlude)
* "State of the World"
* "Race" (interlude)
* "The Knowledge"
* "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" (instrumental interlude)
* "Black Cat"
* "Come Back to Me"
* "Alright"
* "Escapade"
* "Miss You Much"
* "Pledge" (interlude)
* "Rhythm Nation"

## Shows

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance | Revenue |
| North America ||||||
| March 1, 1990 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena | 15,082 / 15,082 | $297,870 |
| March 3, 1990 | Chapel Hill | United States | Dean Smith Center | 17,095 / 17,095 | $321,653 |
| March 4, 1990 | Charlotte | United States | Charlotte Coliseum | 20,834 / 20,834 | $398,892 |
| March 6, 1990 | Columbia | United States | Carolina Coliseum | — | — |
| March 7, 1990 | Knoxville | United States | Thompson–Boling Arena | 15,449 / 15,449 | $285,554 |
| March 9, 1990 | Louisville | United States | Freedom Hall | 17,639 / 17,639 | $332,787 |
| March 10, 1990 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverfront Coliseum | 15,312 / 15,312 | $283,272 |
| March 12, 1990 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum | 16,990 / 16,990 | $314,315 |
| March 13, 1990 | Pittsburgh | United States | Civic Arena | 15,825 / 15,825 | $287,906 |
| March 15, 1990 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | 35,741 / 35,741 | $1,053,548 |
| March 16, 1990 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | 35,741 / 35,741 | $1,053,548 |
| March 19, 1990 | Montreal | Canada | Montreal Forum | 13,000 / 13,000 | $281,888 |
| March 20, 1990 | Toronto | Canada | SkyDome | 22,625 / 22,625 | $476,627 |
| March 22, 1990 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | 34,581 / 34,581 | $765,112 |
| March 23, 1990 | Hartford | United States | Hartford Civic Center | — | — |
| March 26, 1990 | Worcester | United States | Worcester Centrum | 27,600 / 27,600 | $600,458 |
| March 27, 1990 | Worcester | United States | Worcester Centrum | 27,600 / 27,600 | $600,458 |
| March 29, 1990 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | | |
| March 31, 1990 | Hampton | United States | Hampton Coliseum | — | — |
| April 2, 1990 | Detroit | United States | Joe Louis Arena | 35,645 / 35,645 | $702,460 |
| April 3, 1990 | Detroit | United States | Joe Louis Arena | 35,645 / 35,645 | $702,460 |
| April 5, 1990 | Bloomington | United States | Met Center | — | — |
| April 6, 1990 | Bloomington | United States | Met Center | — | — |
| April 8, 1990 | Rosemont | United States | Rosemont Horizon | — | — |
| April 9, 1990 | Rosemont | United States | Rosemont Horizon | 15,703 / 15,703 | $347,063 |
| April 11, 1990 | Kansas City | United States | Kemper Arena | 14,516 / 14,516 | $283,062 |
| April 13, 1990 | Fort Worth | United States | Tarrant County Convention Center | 13,233 / 13,233 | $258,043 |
| April 15, 1990 | Houston | United States | The Summit | 27,082 / 30,000 | $506,903 |
| April 16, 1990 | Houston | United States | The Summit | 27,082 / 30,000 | $506,903 |
| April 18, 1990 | Tempe | United States | ASU Activity Center | — | — |
| April 20, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | 57,600 / 57,600 | $1,196,448 |
| April 21, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | 57,600 / 57,600 | $1,196,448 |
| April 23, 1990 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena | 13,283 / 13,283 | $264,233 |
| April 25, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | | |
| April 26, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | | |
| April 28, 1990 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 58,002 / 58,002 | $1,363,047 |
| April 29, 1990 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 58,002 / 58,002 | $1,363,047 |
| May 1, 1990 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 58,002 / 58,002 | $1,363,047 |
| May 2, 1990 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 58,002 / 58,002 | $1,363,047 |
| May 4, 1990 | Sacramento | United States | ARCO Arena | 29,942 / 29,942 | $703,637 |
| May 5, 1990 | Sacramento | United States | ARCO Arena | 29,942 / 29,942 | $703,637 |
| Asia ||||||
| May 17, 1990 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome | — | — |
| May 18, 1990 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome | — | — |
| May 20, 1990 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall | — | — |
| May 21, 1990 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall | — | — |
| May 23, 1990 | Yokohama | Japan | Yokohama Arena | — | — |
| North America ||||||
| June 6, 1990 | Tacoma | United States | Tacoma Dome | 39,287 / 47,370 | $893,779 |
| June 7, 1990 | Tacoma | United States | Tacoma Dome | 39,287 / 47,370 | $893,779 |
| June 9, 1990 | Vancouver | Canada | BC Place | — | — |
| June 11, 1990 | Edmonton | Canada | Northlands Coliseum | — | — |
| June 12, 1990 | Calgary | Canada | Olympic Saddledome | 14,531 / 16,507 | $317,334 |
| June 15, 1990 | Denver | United States | McNichols Sports Arena | — | — |
| June 16, 1990 | Denver | United States | McNichols Sports Arena | — | — |
| June 18, 1990 | Salt Lake City | United States | Salt Palace | — | — |
| June 20, 1990 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre | 34,698 / 40,000 | $730,905 |
| June 21, 1990 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre | 34,698 / 40,000 | $730,905 |
| June 23, 1990 | Costa Mesa | United States | Pacific Amphitheatre | — | — |
| June 24, 1990 | Costa Mesa | United States | Pacific Amphitheatre | — | — |
| June 26, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | 42,848 / 42,848 | $892,188 |
| June 27, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | 42,848 / 42,848 | $892,188 |
| June 29, 1990 | Inglewood | United States | Great Western Forum | 42,848 / 42,848 | $892,188 |
| July 2, 1990 | Dallas | United States | Reunion Arena | — | — |
| July 3, 1990 | Oklahoma City | United States | Myriad Convention Center Arena | — | — |
| July 5, 1990 | Austin | United States | Frank Erwin Center | 24,974 / 26,508 | $484,477 |
| July 6, 1990 | Austin | United States | Frank Erwin Center | 24,974 / 26,508 | $484,477 |
| July 8, 1990 | New Orleans | United States | Louisiana Superdome | — | — |
| July 10, 1990 | Memphis | United States | Mid-South Coliseum | 10,488 / 10,488 | $235,980 |
| July 12, 1990 | Miami | United States | Miami Arena | 10,031 / 11,500 | $225,698 |
| July 13, 1990 | Orlando | United States | Orlando Arena | 12,842 / 12,842 | $288,945 |
| July 14, 1990 | St. Petersburg | United States | Florida Suncoast Dome | 18,833 / 18,833 | $419,647 |
| July 16, 1990 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum | 51,712 / 51,712 | $1,034,240 |
| July 17, 1990 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum | 51,712 / 51,712 | $1,034,240 |
| July 19, 1990 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum | 51,712 / 51,712 | $1,034,240 |
| July 20, 1990 | Atlanta | United States | Omni Coliseum | 51,712 / 51,712 | $1,034,240 |
| July 22, 1990 | Birmingham | United States | BJCC Coliseum | 13,354 / 13,354 | $287,111 |
| July 24, 1990 | Indianapolis | United States | Market Square Arena | 12,962 / 12,962 | $256,000 |
| July 25, 1990 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverbend Music Center | — | — |
| July 27, 1990 | Milwaukee | United States | Bradley Center | 15,491 / 15,884 | $298,860 |
| July 29, 1990 | Tinley Park | United States | World Music Theatre | — | — |
| July 30, 1990 | Tinley Park | United States | World Music Theatre | — | — |
| August 1, 1990 | Tinley Park | United States | World Music Theatre | — | — |
| August 5, 1990 | St. Louis | United States | St. Louis Arena |
| August 10, 1990 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | 44,812 / 44,812 | $1,019,473 |
| August 11, 1990 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | 44,812 / 44,812 | $1,019,473 |
| August 13, 1990 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | 44,812 / 44,812 | $1,019,473 |
| August 14, 1990 | Greensboro | United States | Greensboro Coliseum | — | — |
| August 16, 1990 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum | — | — |
| August 17, 1990 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum | — | — |
| August 19, 1990 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum | — | — |
| August 21, 1990 | Ottawa | Canada | Lansdowne Park | 8,013 / 12,000 | $188,044 |
| August 22, 1990 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 32,832 / 32,832 | $746,928 |
| August 23, 1990 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 32,832 / 32,832 | $746,928 |
| August 25, 1990 | Albany | United States | Knickerbocker Arena | 13,200 / 13,200 | $254,623 |
| August 27, 1990 | Providence | United States | Providence Civic Center | 10,709 / 11,805 | $243,630 |
| August 28, 1990 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 12,827 / 15,029 | $291,814 |
| August 30, 1990 | East Rutherford | United States | Brendan Byrne Arena | 15,686 / 15,686 | $317,168 |
| Europe ||||||
| October 4, 1990 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ahoy Sportpaleis | 37,602 / 37,602 | $806,458 |
| October 5, 1990 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ahoy Sportpaleis | 37,602 / 37,602 | $806,458 |
| October 6, 1990 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ahoy Sportpaleis | 37,602 / 37,602 | $806,458 |
| October 8, 1990 | Berlin | Germany | Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle | 8,965 / 8,965 | $132,079 |
| October 12, 1990 | Stockholm | Sweden | Stockholm Globe Arena | — | — |
| October 14, 1990 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy | 16,782 / 16,782 | $217,093 |
| October 15, 1990 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | — | — |
| October 16, 1990 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle | — | — |
| October 18, 1990 | Frankfurt | Germany | Festhalle Frankfurt | — | — |
| October 21, 1990 | London | England | Wembley Arena | — | — |
| October 22, 1990 | London | England | Wembley Arena | — | — |
| October 24, 1990 | Dortmund | Germany | Westfalenhalle | — | — |
| October 26, 1990 | Birmingham | England | NEC Arena | — | — |
| October 27, 1990 | Birmingham | England | NEC Arena | — | — |
| October 28, 1990 | London | England | Wembley Arena | — | — |
| October 29, 1990 | London | England | Wembley Arena | — | — |
| Asia ||||||
| November 3, 1990 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall | — | — |
| November 4, 1990 | Osaka | Japan | Osaka-jō Hall | — | — |
| November 6, 1990 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome | — | — |
| November 7, 1990 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome | — | — |
| November 9, 1990 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Coliseum | — | — |
| November 10, 1990 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Coliseum | — | — |
| November 11, 1990 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Coliseum | — | — |
| November 14, 1990 | Nagoya | Japan | Nagoya Rainbow Hall | — | — |
| November 15, 1990 | Nagoya | Japan | Nagoya Rainbow Hall | — | — |
| November 16, 1990 | Yokohama | Japan | Yokohama Arena | — | — |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 1,044,858 / 1,044,858 | $21,800,000 USD |

## Cancelled shows

List of cancelled concerts, showing date, city, country and venue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| August 2, 1990 | Lexington | United States | Rupp Arena |
| August 5, 1990 | Ames | United States | Hilton Coliseum |
| September 2, 1990 | Toronto | Canada | CNE Grandstand |
| September 3, 1990 | Burgettstown | United States | Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater |
| September 4, 1990 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum |
| October 11, 1990 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Valby-Hallen |