Joe Jackson did not reach acclaim as a musician until which 1982 album?

Joe Jackson reached wider acclaim with his 1982 album Night and Day.

Night and Day was the fifth studio album by English musician Joe Jackson, released on June 25, 1982. It marked a shift from the sharper new-wave and punk-influenced sound of his earlier work toward sophisticated pop shaped by jazz, Latin rhythms, piano and classic songwriting.

The album became Jackson’s major commercial breakthrough. Its best-known song, “Steppin’ Out,” was a major international hit, while “Breaking Us in Two” also reached the charts. The record’s title and style reflected Jackson’s admiration for Cole Porter and the musical atmosphere of New York City.

Jackson had already earned critical attention through albums such as Look Sharp! and I’m the Man, so Night and Day did not literally mark the beginning of all acclaim. However, it was the release that brought him his broadest mainstream recognition. A frequent mix-up is assuming the album was a jazz record; it is better described as sophisticated pop and new wave with strong jazz and Latin influences.