Jennifer Lopez first gained notice as a dancer on the 1990s comedy skit show In Living Color. She then became a movie star after her lead role in the 1997 biographical film Selena. In 1999, she released her first album On the 6 and it kicked off with the #1 hit single 'If You Had My Love.' Jennifer Lopez has been a pop star ever since. These are her 10 biggest and best pop hits.
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'If You Had My Love' (1999)
Actress/singer Jennifer Lopez was born in the Bronx, New York, on July 24, 1969. After starting out in musical theater as a child, she made her film debut at age 16 in the little-seen My Little Girl, but her career then stalled until she was tapped to become one of the dancing 'Fly Girls' on the tel.
Jennifer Lopez experienced a big boost to her acting career in 1997 when she appeared in the title role of the film Selena, the story of the late Tejano star. As a result of playing that role, Jennifer Lopez decided to embark on a music career of her own. She recorded her first demos in Spanish, but music executive Tommy Mottola suggested that she record in English.
Jennifer Lopez blasted into the pop mainstream with her first single. 'If You Had My Love' landed at #1 on the pop singles chart with its elegant feel laced with surging strings. It was also a success in dance clubs peaking at #5 on the dance chart. The album On the 6 also made a splash on the charts peaking inside the top 10 of the album chart. The song's music video caused a stir as it centers on voyeuristic interest in Jennifer Lopez, but it also earned four MTV Video Music Awards nominations.
Reportedly producer Rodney Jerkins had played 'If You Had My Love' for Michael Jackson for release, and he briefly considered recording it because he liked the groove. However, the Jennifer Lopez version was already recorded and Michael Jackson ultimately decided the song was better suited to a female singer.
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'On the Floor' featuring Pitbull (2011)
Landing a judging position on American Idol was the first step on the path to returning Jennifer Lopez to the mainstream pop spotlight. With Pitbull along to deliver a rap, 'On the Floor' debuted inside the top 10 on the pop singles chart and peaked at #3. It also soared to #2 on the Latin Songs chart and topped the dance chart. The album Love? reached #5 on the album chart, Jennifer Lopez' best performance on that chart in six years. The song ultimately sold over eight million copies worldwide in 2011.
Jennifer Lopez believed that 'On the Floor' represented an evolution in her sound. She also thought that it did well at capturing the importance of both her singing and her dancing. 'On the Floor' earned a nomination for Latin Pop Song of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
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'Waiting For Tonight' (1999)
Jennifer Lopez took us all to the dance floor with her second hit single. It was used frequently as a celebratory anthem for the dawn of the new millennium. The music video features a Y2K dance party. The song earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording and peaked at #8 on the pop singles chart while soaring to the top of the dance chart. 'Waiting For Tonight' convinced many observers that Jennifer Lopez was on her way to being one of the top pop-dance recording artists.
'Waiting For Tonight' was first recorded in 1997 by the girl group 3rd Party and was included on their debut album Alive. The song was first presented to Jennifer Lopez by producer Ric Wake. She hated it calling it 'horrible and cheesy.' Eventually, producer Cory Rooney convinced her that it would work.
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'Dance Again' featuring Pitbull (2012)
After the massive success of 'On the Floor' in returning Jennifer Lopez to the upper reaches of the pop singles chart, she decided to collaborate once again with Pitbull and RedOne. The result is another pleasing, hot dance pop gem. Jennifer Lopez sees the song as a metaphor for her survival after going through a difficult divorce from singer Marc Anthony. Singer Enrique Iglesias co-wrote the song. 'Dance Again' peaked inside the top 20 on the US pop chart and hit #1 on the dance chart.
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'I'm Real' (2001)
'I'm Real' was a #1 pop hit for five weeks, but it also generated its fair share of controversy for Jennifer Lopez. 'I'm Real' uses a sample from Yellow Magic Orchestra's 'Firecracker.' Reportedly, Mariah Carey asked to use the sample shortly before Jennifer Lopez, but Mariah Carey's former husband arranged for the sample to be steered to the Jennifer Lopez record.
Despite the disputes, 'I'm Real' has a truly engaging light, sexy touch. In addition to reaching the top of the pop chart, it went all the way to #2 on the R&B singles chart.
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'Love Don't Cost a Thing' (2000)
'Love Don't Cost a Thing' feels strongly influenced by the hits of Destiny's Child. It became the first Jennifer Lopez single to top the pop radio airplay chart. The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also landed in the top 10 of the dance club chart and went to #1 in a number of countries around the world including Canada, Italy, and Spain.
The song expresses frustration with the materialistic desires of a lover. Some observers wondered if it was aimed at Jennifer Lopez' then boyfriend Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs. Their relationship ended shortly after the release of the song. The accompanying music video earned two nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards.
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'Jenny From the Block' featuring Styles P and Jadakiss (2002)
Jennifer Lopez insists here that she has not been spoiled by money and success. The record created strong divisions among pop fans and critics. Some insisted the song was simply silly while others applauded it as a strong statement about self. 'Jenny From the Block' landed at #3 on the pop singles chart. The song includes multiple samples from songs such as the 20th Century Steel Band's 'Heaven and Hell Is on Earth,' Boogie Down Productions' 'South Bronx,' and The Beatnuts' 'Watch Out Now.'
The accompanying music video features Jennifer Lopez in multiple steamy scenes with her then-boyfriend Ben Affleck. It received criticism from a number of observers. Ben Affleck claimed the clip nearly ruined his film career, and Jennifer Lopez tried to have it blocked from being shown on VH1 and MTV after she began dating Marc Anthony.
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'All I Have' featuring LL Cool J (2003)
Jennifer Lopez brought LL Cool J his first #1 pop hit with 'All I Have.' It became her fourth chart-topping hit. The song speaks about moving on after breaking up, and there is a relaxed, charming elegance here that sounds timeless. The song samples 'Very Special' by R&B singer Debra Laws, sister of jazz flute player Hubert Laws. The singer filed a lawsuit against Sony Music Entertainment for 'misappropriating her voice.' Jennifer Lopez initially did not want 'All I Have' released as a single because she believed it was revisiting old territory like on her song 'I'm Real.'
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'Get Right' (2005)
This song is largely built around a looped horn sample from James Brown's classic 'Soul Power.' It only reached #12 on the US pop chart, but it went to #1 in many European countries including the UK. The video is notable for featuring Jennifer Lopez in a wide number of roles and earned four MTV Video Music Award nominations. Many observers saw 'Get Right' as an advancement in the singer's style with its incorporation of influences from jazz and funk.
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'Booty' featuring Iggy Azalea (2014)
Jennifer initially didn't want to record a song with the title 'Booty.' However, after she played it for her kids, and they liked it, she gave a green light to the song. Rapper Iggy Azalea was a the peak of her rising career when she was asked to participate in recording 'Booty.' The song missed hitting the top 10 on the US pop music chart, but it went all the way to #1 on the dance chart. It was certified platinum, and the album A.K.A. was a top 10 hit.
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See AllAbout Jennifer Lopez
Actress/singer Jennifer Lopez was born in the Bronx, New York, on July 24, 1969. After starting out in musical theater as a child, she made her film debut at age 16 in the little-seen My Little Girl, but her career then stalled until she was tapped to become one of the dancing 'Fly Girls' on the television sketch comedy series In Living Color. A recurring role on the TV drama Second Chances followed before Lopez was thrust into the limelight co-starring with Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson in the 1995 feature film Money Train. Smaller roles in pictures including My Family/Mi Familia, Jack, and Blood and Wine followed before she landed the title role in 1997's Selena, portraying the slain Tejano singer. Co-starring opposite George Clooney in 1998's acclaimed Out of Sight, Lopez (part of a Puerto Rican family) became the highest-paid Latina actress in Hollywood history; the following summer, she returned to her musical roots with her debut pop album, On the 6, scoring a major hit with the infectious single 'If You Had My Love.'
Lopez didn't waste time perfecting a sophomore effort, the appropriately titled J.Lo, which was issued in early 2001. The following year, Lopez released J to tha L-O!: The Remixes and This Is Me...Then, which spawned another hit single, 'Jenny from the Block.' Although her high-profile romance with Ben Affleck created more headlines than her recording career, her follow-up, 2005's Rebirth -- released just after she married singer Marc Anthony -- was anticipated enough to debut at number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. The Spanish-language album Como Ama una Mujer followed in 2007, peaking at number ten on the Billboard 200 chart while remaining at the top of the Latin chart for seven consecutive weeks. In October of that same year, Lopez put out a more 'traditional' pop album, Brave, followed by an accompanying tour. Love?, another pop album, was released in April 2011, a few months after Lopez debuted alongside Randy Jackson and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler as one of the judges on American Idol.
Love? proved Lopez's biggest hit in years, no doubt benefiting from her role as an American Idol judge. Lopez lasted two seasons with American Idol, departing after the 2012 season. Just as the news of her departure arrived, so too did news of her divorce from Marc Anthony. Her first hits collection, Dance Again...The Hits, appeared in July 2012 and entered the Billboard album charts at number 20.
Lopez returned to American Idol for its 13th season in January 2014. During the season, she started to tease her new album, releasing its first single, 'I Luh Ya Papi,' in March; it peaked at 77 on the Hot 100 and seven on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Upon the conclusion of Idol, she released her eighth album, A.K.A., which was also her first record for the Capitol label; it appeared in June of 2014. The following year, she voiced a character in the animated feature film Home, and also contributed the single 'Feel the Light' to the film's soundtrack. In January 2016, Lopez kicked off an extended live concert residency at the AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
Several months later, she marked her return to Epic Records after a six-year absence from the label with the release of the single 'Ain't Your Mama.' Lopez also premiered the song with a live performance on the final episode and series finale of season 15 of American Idol. In July 2017, she released 'Ni Tú Ni Yo,' the lead single from her forthcoming Spanish-language LP, which was executive produced by ex-husband Marc Anthony. A second single, 'Amor, Amor, Amor,' featuring Wisin followed that November. Spanish single 'El Anillo' arrived in 2018, as did a bilingual single titled 'Dinero,' featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. ~ Jason Ankeny
Lopez didn't waste time perfecting a sophomore effort, the appropriately titled J.Lo, which was issued in early 2001. The following year, Lopez released J to tha L-O!: The Remixes and This Is Me...Then, which spawned another hit single, 'Jenny from the Block.' Although her high-profile romance with Ben Affleck created more headlines than her recording career, her follow-up, 2005's Rebirth -- released just after she married singer Marc Anthony -- was anticipated enough to debut at number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. The Spanish-language album Como Ama una Mujer followed in 2007, peaking at number ten on the Billboard 200 chart while remaining at the top of the Latin chart for seven consecutive weeks. In October of that same year, Lopez put out a more 'traditional' pop album, Brave, followed by an accompanying tour. Love?, another pop album, was released in April 2011, a few months after Lopez debuted alongside Randy Jackson and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler as one of the judges on American Idol.
Love? proved Lopez's biggest hit in years, no doubt benefiting from her role as an American Idol judge. Lopez lasted two seasons with American Idol, departing after the 2012 season. Just as the news of her departure arrived, so too did news of her divorce from Marc Anthony. Her first hits collection, Dance Again...The Hits, appeared in July 2012 and entered the Billboard album charts at number 20.
Lopez returned to American Idol for its 13th season in January 2014. During the season, she started to tease her new album, releasing its first single, 'I Luh Ya Papi,' in March; it peaked at 77 on the Hot 100 and seven on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Upon the conclusion of Idol, she released her eighth album, A.K.A., which was also her first record for the Capitol label; it appeared in June of 2014. The following year, she voiced a character in the animated feature film Home, and also contributed the single 'Feel the Light' to the film's soundtrack. In January 2016, Lopez kicked off an extended live concert residency at the AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
Several months later, she marked her return to Epic Records after a six-year absence from the label with the release of the single 'Ain't Your Mama.' Lopez also premiered the song with a live performance on the final episode and series finale of season 15 of American Idol. In July 2017, she released 'Ni Tú Ni Yo,' the lead single from her forthcoming Spanish-language LP, which was executive produced by ex-husband Marc Anthony. A second single, 'Amor, Amor, Amor,' featuring Wisin followed that November. Spanish single 'El Anillo' arrived in 2018, as did a bilingual single titled 'Dinero,' featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. ~ Jason Ankeny
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