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Produced during the height of the new jack swing genre, the album blends rhythm and blues with industrial music and the utilization of swing note, synthesized percussion and sample loop. Songs on the album range from mechanized dance rhythms to soft balladry. Due to its innovative production and lyrical exploration, critics have regarded the album as the pinnacle of her artistic achievement. The supporting Rhythm Nation World Tour became the world's most successful debut concert tour by a recording artist. It became her second consecutive album to hit number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified sixfold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling fourteen million copies worldwide. Its seven commercial singles all peaked within the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first and only album to achieve that feat. It has been named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and is listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. |