Whitney | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 2, 1987 | |||
Recorded | September 1986–February 1987 [1] | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 52:48 | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Producer |
| |||
Whitney Houston chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Whitney | ||||
|
Whitney is the second studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released on June 2, 1987, [5] by Arista Records as the follow-up to her debut album. Whitney is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. The album features five top-10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, which also became international hits. The album's first four singles—"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"—all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100, making her the first female act to achieve four number-one hits from one album.
Along with three straight number one singles from Houston's previous album, this gave the singer an unprecedented seven consecutive number-one hits, surpassing the Beatles and the Bee Gees, who each had six number-one consecutive hits. None of Houston's seven consecutive number-one singles were duets, and none were recorded with other major acts. The album Whitney also included the top-10 US hit "Love Will Save the Day".
The album and the first single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", were hits worldwide, peaking at number one in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries throughout Europe. It also became a major hit in various other countries in Asia, South America, and Africa. The album was a global success, and it debuted at number one on the US Billboard Top 200 Album Chart on June 27, 1987. This made Houston the first female artist to ever debut at number one in the United States. She additionally became the first solo Black female artist to have a number-one album in the United Kingdom. The album remained at the top for a record 11 consecutive weeks; it also spent 25 weeks at number one on the albums chart, the record for a female artist during the 1980s.
At the 30th Grammy Awards, it received three nominations including Album of the Year, with Houston winning Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". On October 28, 2020, the album was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, for sales of over 10 million copies.
The album had a more pop feel than the first album. Narada Michael Walden, who produced "How Will I Know" on the first album, produced seven of the Whitney album's eleven tracks, three of which became number ones on Billboard 's Hot 100 Singles chart in 1987 and 1988. Kashif, the producer of "You Give Good Love", contributed "Where You Are". Michael Masser, who was responsible for several hits from Whitney's debut album, contributed number 1 hit single "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and "You're Still My Man". Finally, Jellybean Benitez produced the top ten hit "Love Will Save the Day".
Date | Title | Details |
---|---|---|
May 21, 1987 (Air Date) | Top of the Pops (UK's Music Chart TV programme) |
|
August 2, 1987 | The Special Olympics Summer Games Opening Ceremonies |
|
September 11, 1987 | The 4th MTV Video Music Awards |
|
January 25, 1988 | The 15th American Music Awards |
|
March 2, 1988 | The 30th Grammy Awards |
|
Whitney produced a then-record-equalling four number one singles from one album, making it the first album by a female artist, and overall only the second album by a solo artist, to achieve this, behind Michael Jackson's Bad, which yielded five number ones. The album is one of only seven albums in music history to generate at least four number one Hot 100 hits from the same album. This feat, with the three number ones from her debut album, also gave Houston seven consecutive number one songs; a record for the most consecutive number ones by any musical act. The most consecutive #1's title was previously held by both The Beatles and the Bee Gees with six each. [8]
The first single released from the album, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", made its debut at number 38, her highest debut at the time, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the issue dated May 16, 1987, and reached the top position in six weeks later, becoming her fourth number one hit. [9] It also topped the Hot Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks. [10] The single was a massive success globally, becoming one of her signature songs. In the United Kingdom, it entered the UK Singles Chart at number 10 on May 23, 1987, and reached the number one in two weeks later, staying there for two weeks. [11] [12] According to the Official Charts Company, it sold 760,000 copies and became her best-selling single in the country at the point. The single also peaked at number one of the singles charts in Australia for five weeks, [13] Belgium for three weeks, [14] Canada for a week, [15] Germany for five weeks, [16] Italy for one week, [17] the Netherlands for four weeks, [18] New Zealand for four weeks, [19] Norway for seven weeks, [20] Sweden for six weeks, [21] and Switzerland for six weeks. [22] Thanks to its strong sales and airplay across Europe, it went to top position of European Hot 100 Singles chart and remained at the summit for eight weeks. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA on July 28, 1987, for sales of one million more in the United States [23] ―the requirement for a Gold single prior to 1989, and re-certified Platinum for the same sales on February 13, 1989. [23] In addition, it was certified Gold in the UK, Canada, and Sweden. [24] [25] [26] The single sold 4.2 million copies worldwide. [27]
The power ballad, "Didn't We Almost Have It All", was released as the album's second single in August 1987. It peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart on September 26, 1987, and stayed on the top for two weeks. [28] It also topped the Hot Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks, becoming her fifth chart-topper. [29] The single peaked at number two in Canada. [30]
The album's third and fourth singles, "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in 1988, becoming her sixth and seventh number one hits, respectively. The former became her second number one hit on Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart and was certified Gold for shipments of 500,000 copies by the RIAA on December 6, 1995. [31] The latter peaked at number one Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks.
The fifth single to be released off the album, "Love Will Save the Day", peaked at number nine on the Hot 100 Singles chart. [32] All five singles were top 5 Hot Black Singles hits, though none of them reached number one. [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] "I Know Him So Well" was released as the sixth and final single from the album exclusively in Australia, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. Whitney Houston covered the song "For the Love of You", originally done by the Isley Brothers. Her cover version earned a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1988 Grammy Awards
Note
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [39] |
Robert Christgau | C+ [40] |
Q | [41] |
The San Diego Union-Tribune | (favorable) [42] |
Upon the album's debut, the critical reception of Whitney was mixed. [43] [44] Most of critics admitted the commercial value of the album, but were critical because its standard pattern followed the predecessor's winning formula and the materials failed to reveal Houston's individuality. Jon Pareles of The New York Times criticized something as formulaic on the album, stating that: "Whitney plays everything safe. It uses three of the debut album's producers. [...] There are bouncy, tinkly songs aimed at teen-agers, [...] and slow tunes aimed at sentimental adults, as before. Even the album title fits in with an Arista Records custom of separating female singers—Dionne,Aretha,Carly—from their last names." He was not positive of her vocals on it, commenting "What's more unsettling is that in the two years since Whitney Houston was released, the singer hasn't gotten much more expressive. For too many songs, she takes the patched-together style of the debut album further [...] as if she were singing in a second language." He added that "For all the passionate avowals of the lyrics, Ms. Houston and her producers keep emotion at bay." [2]
Vince Aletti from Rolling Stone also gave an unfavorable review, stating "the formula is more rigorously locked in than before, and the range so tightly circumscribed that Houston's potential seems to have shrunk rather than expanded" and the record is "smug, repressive and ridiculously safe." Also, he made some sarcastic comments about the first single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", calling it "How Will I Know II", spoken at Hollywood's blockbuster sequels. [45] Robert Hilburn, in his review for Los Angeles Times , regarded the album as "another commercial blockbuster", writing that the record is "a series of highly accessible selections that will work on a variety of radio formats." However, he expressed his considerable disappointment that Whitney did precious little to define the singer's vision, adding that she had a sensational voice but didn't assert much vocal character on it. [46] Dolores Barclay of the Associated Press complimented Houston on her vocal ability: "Whitney Houston has a fine instrument and uses it well. Her voice takes us to places we know and to places we might want to forget and to places we dream about." But she, like other critics, was critical of the song material on the record, commenting "There is no depth, and not much excitement. Nor does this talented song stylist and Grammy winner take risks and try something just a little daring." [47] The St. Petersburg Times showed a favorable attitude toward her new album at large, stating "[Whitney] is, first and foremost, a product. It has been carefully designed, manufactured and packaged. As such, it's easy to be cynical about. But as products go, this is a pretty good one." They also praised her vocals: "Houston's voice sounds good, real good. [...] She's firmer, more confident." [48]
With the highly anticipated release of her second album Whitney, [49] Houston became the first female artist to debut at number one in the history of the Billboard 200 chart (formerly the "Top Pop Albums" chart). [50] It made her the fourth artist to achieve that feat overall, behind Elton John with Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Rock of the Westies , Stevie Wonder with Songs in the Key of Life and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band with Live/1975–85 . [51] On June 27, 1987, the album topped the chart and remained there for eleven consecutive weeks, the longest run among the releases that reached peak position of the year. [52] It also debuted at number fourteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (formerly the "Top Black Albums" chart) and peaked at the number two, staying on the chart for a total of seventy-five weeks. [53] The album was Houston's fastest-selling album in the United States at that time, with four million copies shipped within the first three months of its release. [54] In 2020, it was certified Diamond (10× Platinum) in the US, for shipping/ selling over 10 million copies by the Recording Industry Association of America [55] [56] The album re-entered the Billboard 200 the week of February 25, 2012, after Houston's death, at number 122. It remained in the chart for 11 more weeks making 86 weeks on the Billboard 200 to date. [57] The album has sold nearly 289,000 copies more since its reentry in 2012. It also sold 806,000 units at the BMG Music Club as of February 2003. [58]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on June 13, 1987, and remained there for six weeks. [59] This made it the first number-one album by a solo Black female artist in the UK, [60] as well as the first album to debut at number one in both the US and in the UK. It was 1987's third best-.selling album in the UK, behind Michael Jackson's Bad and U2's The Joshua Tree , and was ranked number six on list of "The Best-Selling Albums of the 1980s in UK". With 1.2 million copies sold there, it would become the biggest selling album by a female artist in the UK, a record that has since been broken. With her debut also selling over a million copies, this would make Houston the first female artist to have two albums sell over a million copies in the UK. [61] With current sales of over 2.2 million, the album was the first album by an African-American woman to sell over 2 million in the United Kingdom.
In Canada, the album topped the albums chart for eleven weeks. It remained at number one in the same weeks as it did in America. It being the third best-selling album in 1987, behind U2's The Joshua Tree and Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet . [62] [63] In addition, it peaked at number one in Germany for eleven weeks, [64] Italy for five weeks, [65] Norway for eleven weeks, [66] Netherlands for six weeks, Switzerland for eleven weeks, [67] Austria for two weeks, [68] Sweden for four weeks, [69] Australia for three weeks, [13] New Zealand for two weeks, [70] Spain, Finland, Taiwan, and so on. As a result of massive popularity across Europe, the album topped the European Hot 100 Albums chart for eight weeks in 1987. In Japan, with sales of 384,000 copies combined of LP, CD and Compact Cassette, the album became the third best-selling international album of 1987, behind Top Gun Soundtrack Album and Michael Jackson's Bad. [71] In 1988, Whitney was certified 6× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and 7× Platinum for shipments of 700,000 copies of the album by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), respectively. [24] [25] It was also certified Platinum in Germany, Netherlands and Finland, respectively, [72] [73] [74] 2× Platinum in Switzerland, Austria and Sweden, respectively. [26] [75] [76] In November 2006, Whitney was ranked number forty-seven for sales of 2.2 million, making it her biggest-selling album in the UK, on list of "100 Best Selling Albums of All Time in the UK" announced by The Official UK Charts Company. [77] The album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. [78]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Narada Michael Walden | 4:51 | |
2. | "Just the Lonely Talking Again" | Sam Dees | Walden | 5:32 |
3. | "Love Will Save the Day" | Toni C. | Jellybean | 5:21 |
4. | "Didn't We Almost Have It All" | Masser | 5:05 | |
5. | "So Emotional" | Walden | 4:36 | |
6. | "Where You Are" |
| Kashif | 4:10 |
7. | "Love Is a Contact Sport" | Preston Glass | Walden | 4:19 |
8. | "You're Still My Man" |
| Masser | 4:16 |
9. | "For the Love of You" | Walden | 5:31 | |
10. | "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | Walden | 4:37 | |
11. | "I Know Him So Well" (duet with Cissy Houston) | Walden | 4:30 |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"1 Credits from Richard Buskin. [79]
"Just the Lonely Talking Again"1
"Love Will Save the Day"2
"Didn't We Almost Have It All?"3
"So Emotional"1
"Where You Are"4
| "Love Is a Contact Sport"1
"You're Still My Man"3
"For the Love of You"1
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"1
"I Know Him So Well"1
|
1 Narada Michael Walden – producer, arranger
| 2 Jellybean Benitez – producer
|
3 Michael Masser – producer
Design
| 4 Kashif – producer
|
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [126] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [127] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
Brazil | — | 250,000 [128] |
Canada (Music Canada) [129] | 7× Platinum | 700,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [130] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [131] | Platinum | 59,053 [131] |
France (SNEP) [132] | Platinum | 300,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [133] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Greece (IFPI Greece) [134] | Gold | 50,000 [134] |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [135] | Platinum | 20,000* |
Italy (FIMI) [136] | Gold | 200,000 [137] |
Netherlands (NVPI) [138] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [139] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [134] | Platinum | 100,000 [134] |
Singapore | — | 38,000 [140] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [141] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [142] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [143] | 2× Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [144] | 7× Platinum | 2,237,603 [145] |
United States (RIAA) [146] | Diamond | 10,000,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 20,000,000 [78] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Whitney Houston (herself) | The Music Award (shared with Luther Vandross) [147] | Won |
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | The Music Award [148] | Honoree |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist [149] | Won |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Favorite Pop/Rock Single [149] | Won | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist [150] | Nominated | |
1989 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist [151] | Won |
Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist [151] | Won |
The Billboard Music Awards, based on Billboard magazine's year-end charts, was not held before 1990. Nominated categories were those of which were ranked in Top 5 on the year-end charts. This is based on general numbers of nomination at the Billboard Music Awards.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Pop Artist of the Year [152] | Nominated |
Top Pop Albums Artist [153] | Nominated | ||
Top Pop Singles Artist [153] | Nominated | ||
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Top Pop Single [154] | Nominated | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Pop Album Artist – Female [155] | Won | |
Top Pop Singles Artist – Female [155] | Nominated | ||
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Top Hot Crossover Single [156] | Nominated | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Hot Crossover Artist [156] | Nominated | |
Top Adult Contemporary Artist [157] | Nominated | ||
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Black Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Top Pop Singles Artist | Nominated | ||
Top Pop Album Artist – Female | Nominated | ||
Top Pop Singles Artist – Female | Won | ||
Whitney | Top Black Album | Nominated | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Black Album Artist | Nominated | |
"So Emotional" (Remix) | Top Dance Club Play Single | Nominated | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Dance Club Play Artist | Nominated | |
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | Top Adult Contemporary Single | Nominated | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Top Adult Contemporary Artist | Nominated | |
Top Hot Crossover Artist | Nominated |
BRAVO is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. Since 1957, the magazine has distributed its "Bravo Otto" awards based on the readers' vote in different categories each year.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Female Singer – Silver Otto Award [158] [159] | Won |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Best International Solo Artist [160] | Nominated |
1989 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Best International Female Artist [161] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Best Female Vocalist, Rock/Pop [162] | Won |
Whitney | Best Album, Rock/Pop [162] | Won | |
"So Emotional" | Best Single, Rock/Pop [162] | Won | |
Whitney Houston (herself) | Best Female Vocalist, R&B/Dance [162] | Won | |
Whitney | Best Album, R&B/Dance [162] | Won | |
"So Emotional" | Best Single, R&B/Dance [162] | Won | |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Best Music Video [162] | Won |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney | Album of the Year [163] | Nominated |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female [164] | Won | |
"For the Love of You" | Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female [165] | Nominated | |
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" | Song of the Year (the songwriters: Michael Masser, Will Jennings) [166] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Whitney | Outstanding Female Recording Artist [167] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Favorite Female Musical Performer [168] | Won |
1989 | Whitney Houston (herself) | Favorite Female Musical Performer [169] | Won |
Year | Date | Title | Format(s) | Award Description(s) | Result(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | July 28 | Whitney | Album | Gold [170] | Won |
Whitney | Album | Platinum [170] | Won | ||
Whitney | Album | 2× Multi-Platinum [170] | Won | ||
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Single | Gold [170] | Won | ||
August 4 | Whitney | Album | 3× Multi-Platinum [170] | Won | |
September 30 | Whitney | Album | 4× Multi-Platinum [170] | Won | |
November 20 | Whitney | Album | 5× Multi-Platinum [170] | Won | |
1988 | April 18 | Whitney | Album | 6× Multi-Platinum [170] | Won |
1989 | February 13 | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Single | Platinum [170] | Won |
1993 | June 23 | Whitney | Album | 7× Multi-Platinum [171] | Won |
1994 | November 29 | Whitney | Album | 8× Multi-Platinum [171] | Won |
1995 | November 29 | Whitney | Album | 9× Multi-Platinum [172] | Won |
December 6 | "So Emotional" | Single | Gold [172] | Won | |
2020 | October 28 | Whitney | Album | Diamond (10× platinum) [56] | Won |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Whitney | Album of the Year, Female [173] | Won |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Best Music Video [174] | Nominated | |
1989 | "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single, Female | Nominated |
Categories in which Houston was ranked 1 were excluded. See above awards list for her number 1-ranked-categories.
Year | Category | Work | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Top Pop Artists of the Year [152] | total five charted albums & singles | 3 |
Top Black Artists of the Year [152] | total five charted albums & singles | 9 | |
Top Pop Albums [175] | Whitney | 23 | |
Top Pop Albums Artists [153] | two charted albums | 3 | |
Top Pop Singles [154] | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | 4 | |
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" | 22 | ||
Top Pop Singles Artists – Female [155] | three charted singles | 2 | |
Top Black Albums [176] | Whitney | 20 | |
Top Black Album Artists [176] | two charted albums | 10 | |
Top Black Singles [177] | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) | 24 | |
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" | 38 | ||
Top Black Singles Artists [177] | three charted singles | 14 | |
Top Dance Sales 12-inch Singles [178] | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Remix) | 24 | |
Top Dance Club Play Singles [178] | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Remix) | 14 | |
Top Adult Contemporary Singles [179] | "Didn't We Almost Have It All" | 7 | |
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | 9 | ||
Top Adult Contemporary Artists [157] | three charted singles | 4 | |
Top Hot Crossover Singles [156] | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | 4 | |
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" | 16 | ||
Top Hot Crossover Artists [156] | three charted singles | 3 | |
Top Pop Compact Disks [156] | Whitney | 7 | |
1988 | Top Pop Artists of the Year | total six charted albums & singles | 7 |
Top Black Artists of the Year | total six charted albums & singles | 5 | |
Top Pop Albums | Whitney | 12 | |
Top Pop Album Artists | two charted albums | 11 | |
Top Pop Album Artists – Female | two charted albums | 3 | |
Top Pop Singles | "So Emotional" | 6 | |
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | 33 | ||
"One Moment in Time" | 89 | ||
Top Pop Singles Artists | four charted singles | 4 | |
Top Black Albums | Whitney | 5 | |
Top Black Album Artists | two charted albums | 5 | |
Top Black Singles | "So Emotional" | 46 | |
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | 47 | ||
"Love Will Save the Day" | 74 | ||
Top Dance Club Play Singles | "So Emotional" (Remix) | 4 | |
Top Dance Club Play Artists | two charted singles | 2 | |
Top Adult Contemporary Singles | "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | 2 | |
"One Moment in Time" | 50 | ||
Top Adult Contemporary Artists | four charted singles | 3 | |
Top Hot Crossover Artists | four charted singles | 3 |
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, and film producer. Known as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded entertainers and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 220 million records worldwide. Houston's crossover appeal on popular music charts and her performances influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers, as well as popular culture. Known for her vocal delivery and live concerts, Houston was ranked second by Rolling Stone on its 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Her life and career have been the subject of multiple documentaries and television specials.
Whitney Houston is the debut studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released on February 14, 1985, by Arista Records. Whitney Houston initially had a slow commercial response, but began getting more popular in mid-1985. It eventually topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks in 1986, generating three number-one singles—"Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All"—on the Billboard Hot 100, which made it both the first debut album and the first album by a solo female artist to produce three number-one singles in the United States.
I'm Your Baby Tonight is the third studio album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on November 6, 1990, by Arista Records. The album is one of the best-selling female albums of all time and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. The album is one of the best-selling female albums of all time, selling over 10 million copies worldwide. It was Houston's first studio album in eight years, following I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990) although she had participated on three movie soundtracks during that period. Musically, My Love Is Your Love is a hip hop and R&B album that is composed of elements of pop, gospel and dance music, produced by musicians such as Whitney Houston herself, Rodney Jerkins, Soulshock & Karlin, Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, David Foster, Lauryn Hill, and Babyface.
Boy Meets Girl is an American pop-music duo consisting of keyboardist and vocalist George Merrill and singer Shannon Rubicam. They are perhaps best known for their hit song "Waiting for a Star to Fall" from 1988 and for writing two of Whitney Houston's number one hits: "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody ".
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her self-titled debut studio album. It was released on November 22, 1985, by Arista Records as the album's third single. Written and composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, it was originally intended for pop singer Janet Jackson, who passed on it. Houston then recorded the song with altered lyrics and production from Narada Michael Walden.
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney (1987). It was released as the lead single from the album on April 28, 1987, by Arista Records. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously collaborated with Houston on "How Will I Know". At the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, marking Houston's second win in the category.
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney (1987). The song was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings and produced by Masser. Initially, Houston's cover version of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" was intended to be released as the second single from the album. However, the record label decided to release "Didn't We Almost Have It All", believing all Houston's material should be original. The song was released in July 1987 by Arista Records.
"So Emotional" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released as the third single from her second studio album Whitney (1987) on October 12, 1987 by Arista Records. The song was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and produced by Narada Michael Walden.
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney (1987). It was released as the fourth single from the album in February 1988. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn and Chuck Jackson and produced by Narada Michael Walden. A pop ballad set in the key of D major, the record is about someone seeking for a former lover to return after a breakup. Upon its release, the song received mixed reviews from critics.
"Love Will Save the Day" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston from her second diamond studio album Whitney (1987). The song was released in May 1988 by Arista Records as the album's fifth single. The song did not have a music video but was still successful, climbing into the US top ten. Written by Toni C and produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez, it is one of the uptempo singles on the album that also includes "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "So Emotional".
"One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston and written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in South Korea. It was released by Arista Records on August 27, 1988, as the first single from the compilation album, 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in Time, the soundtrack for the games. The song was Houston's third number one in the UK Singles Chart, and reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was later included on the second disc of her first greatest hits Whitney: The Greatest Hits and also on The Ultimate Collection and on the second disc of I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston.
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston from her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990). Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, in Australia and most European countries it was released as the album's lead single by Arista Records on September 28, 1990; in the United States, the release date was October 2. Following the release of her second studio album Whitney (1987), Houston became the first woman ever to debut atop the Billboard 200; despite this, critics deemed it safe and formulaic. Additionally, she was booed at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards and accused of being "not black enough"; Houston decided she needed to change her sound if she wanted to recapture black audiences.
The albums discography of American singer, actress and producer Whitney Houston consists of seven studio albums, eight compilations, three soundtracks, five box sets and six extended plays. Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 220 million records sold worldwide. In 1986, Houston's self-titled debut album spent fourteen weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, earned three number one singles in a row on the Billboard Hot 100 including "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All" and was 1986's top album of the year, giving Houston the distinction of the first female artist to earn that honor. The album became the first studio album by a female artist to be certified over ten-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in January 1994, and went on to be certified fourteen-times platinum, tying with Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time, as the highest-certified debut album by a female artist in history. It sold 25 million copies worldwide and earn a Guinness World Record as the best-selling R&B studio album by a female artist in the United States. Houston's second album, Whitney, was released in 1987 and became the first album by a female artist to debut at the top of the Billboard 200. It also became the first female album to spend its first ten weeks at number one, eventually staying there for eleven consecutive weeks. The album spawned four number one singles in a row including "I Wanna Dance with Somebody ", which helped Houston become the only artist to produce a record seven consecutive number-one hits. The album was certified Diamond by the RIAA for sales of ten million equivalent album sales and topped the charts in other countries, eventually selling in excess of 20 million copies worldwide. Houston earned a third consecutive top ten album on the Billboard 200 with the release of I'm Your Baby Tonight in 1990. The album helped Houston become the first female artist to earn multiple number one singles off three or more albums.
"Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, Back in the High Life (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. The background vocals were performed by Chaka Khan, who also appeared in the music video.
"It's Not Right but It's Okay" is the third single from American singer Whitney Houston's fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, Isaac Phillips, Toni Estes and produced by Rodney Jerkins, who went by the nickname Darkchild. The song examines a woman confronting her lover about his infidelity. Houston won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for this song. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "It's Not Right but It's Okay" at number 638 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". In 2019, Billboard listed it as one of the Greatest Songs of 1999. In 2022, the Thunderpuss club mix was listed in the list of the 200 greatest dance songs of all time on Rolling Stone. The single reached number one in Spain and the top five in Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
"My Love Is Your Love" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. It was written and produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis for Houston's fourth studio album of the same name (1998). Released on May 31, 1999, as the album's fourth single, it received positive reviews and was successful worldwide, hitting the top 10 in 23 international markets. The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two in the United Kingdom, and number one in New Zealand and Poland. It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the US Hot Soul Singles chart that year, the first R&B chart top-ten hit for Arista Records. The song was written and recorded to be the main theme of the 1977 film The Greatest, a biopic of the boxer Muhammad Ali, and is performed during the opening credits.
American singer Whitney Houston, known as "The Voice", released 57 singles as a leading artist and 4 as a featured artist. Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 220 million records sold worldwide. In the United States, Houston amassed 11 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, all of whom have been certified either gold, platinum, multi-platinum or diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and was one of a selected group of artists to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades. She is currently ranked in seventh place of the artists with the most number one singles in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. Prior to the introduction of digital singles, Houston sold 16.5 million physical singles in the country, the most ever by a female recording artist. In October 2012, the Official Charts Company claimed Houston was the fourth biggest-selling female singles artist of all time with a sales total of 8.5 million singles in that country.
Between the months of September 1986 and February 1987 Whitney was recorded at Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California and various studios in New York, New York
Her album is a state-of-the-art sample of 1987 dance music.
On her first two records, a battery of producers and writers dolled up the young thoroughbred and spoon-fed her generic pop-R&B.
Despite sales being huge, however, the album received something of a mixed response from the press.
"Whitney" was released June 2, 1987 to decidedly mixed reviews.
The theme song is also a leader: the big ballad "I Will Always Love You" occupies the first place for three weeks in the United States and in Brazil, she has sold 250,000 copies with each of her three previous albums.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)