Whitney Houston | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Whitney Houston was inarguably one of the biggest female pop stars of all time. Her accomplishments as a hitmaker were extraordinary; just to scratch the surface, she became the first artist ever to have seven consecutive singles hit number one, and her 1993 Dolly Parton cover "I Will Always Love You" became nothing less than the biggest hit single in rock history. Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop, and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity; the result was an across-the-board appeal that was matched by scant few artists of her era, and helped her become one of the first black artists to find success on MTV in Michael Jacksons wake. Like many of the original soul singers, Houston was trained in gospel before moving into secular music; over time, she developed a virtuosic singing style given over to swooping, flashy melodic embellishments. The shadow of Houstons prodigious technique still looms large over nearly every pop diva and smooth urban soul singer who has followed, and spawned a legion of imitators. Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 9, 1963; her mother was gospel/R&B; singer Cissy Houston, and her cousin was Dionne Warwick. By age 11, Houston was performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at her Baptist church; as a teenager, she began accompanying her mother in concert (as well as on the 1978 album Think It Over), and went on to back artists like Lou Rawls and Chaka Khan. Houston also pursued modeling and acting, appearing on the sitcoms Gimme a Break and Silver Spoons. Somewhat bizarrely, Houstons first recording as a featured vocalist was with Bill Laswells experimental jazz-funk ensemble Material; the ballad "Memories," from the groups 1982 album One Down, placed Houston alongside Archie Shepp. The following year, Arista president Clive Davis heard Houston singing at a nightclub and offered her a recording contract. Her first single appearance was a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, "Hold Me," which missed the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 -- but reached number five on the R&B; chart -- in 1984. Houstons debut album, Whitney Houston, was released in February 1985. Its first single, "Someone for Me," was a flop, but the second try, "You Give Good Love," became Houstons first hit, topping the R&B; chart and hitting number three on the Hot 100. Houstons next three singles -- the Grammy-winning romantic ballad "Saving All My Love for You," the brightly danceable "How Will I Know," and the inspirational "The Greatest Love of All" -- all topped the Hot 100, and a year to the month after its release, Whitney Houston hit number one on the Billboard 200. It eventually sold over 13 million copies in the U.S., making it the best-selling debut ever by a female artist. Houston cemented her superstar status on her next album, Whitney; it became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one, and sold over nine million copies in the U.S. Its first four singles -- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (another Grammy winner), "Didnt We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" -- all hit number one, an amazing, record-setting run of seven straight. In late 1988, Houston scored a Top Five hit with the non-LP single "One Moment in Time," recorded for an Olympics-themed compilation album. Houston returned with her third album, Im Your Baby Tonight, in 1990. A more R&B-oriented; record, it immediately spun off two number one hits in the title track and "All the Man That I Need." But the quality of the material was generally viewed as, overall, much weaker than her previous efforts, and following those two hits, sales of the album tapered off quickly, halting at around four million copies. Nevertheless, Houston remained so popular that she could even take a recording of "The Star Spangled Banner" (performed at the Super Bowl) into the Top 20 -- though, of course, the Gulf War had something to do with that. In retrospect, the erratic quality of Im Your Baby Tonight seemed to signal Houstons declining interest in making fully fleshed-out albums. Instead, she began to focus on an acting career, which she hadnt pursued since her teenage years; she also married singer Bobby Brown in the summer of 1992. Her first feature film, a romance with Kevin Costner called The Bodyguard, was released in late 1992; it performed well at the box office, helped by an ad campaign that seemingly centered around the climactic key change in Houstons soundtrack recording of the Dolly Parton-penned "I Will Always Love You." In fact, the ad campaign undoubtedly helped "I Will Always Love You" become the biggest singles in pop music history. It set new records for sales (nearly five million copies) and weeks at number one (14), although those were later broken by Elton Johns "Candle in the Wind 1997" and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Mens "One Sweet Day," respectively. Meanwhile, the soundtrack eventually sold an astounding 16 million copies, and also won a Grammy for Album of the Year. Once Houston had stopped raking in awards and touring the world, she prepared her next theatrical release, the female ensemble drama Waiting to Exhale. A few months before its release at the end of 1995, it was announced that she and Brown had split up; however, they called off the split just a couple months later, and rumors about their tempestuous relationship filled the tabloids for years to come. Waiting to Exhale was released toward the end of the year, and the first single from the soundtrack, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," topped the charts; the album sold over seven million copies. For her next project, Houston decided to return to her gospel roots; the soundtrack to the 1996 film The Preachers Wife, which naturally featured Houston in the title role, was loaded with traditional and contemporary gospel songs, plus guest appearances by Houstons mother, as well as Shirley Caesar and the Georgia Mass Choir. Houston also began making headlines for what appeared to be increasing unreliability, canceling several TV and concert appearances due to illness. In 1998, Houston finally issued a new full-length album, My Love Is Your Love, her first in eight years. Houston worked with pop/smooth soul mainstays like Babyface and David Foster, but also recruited hip-hop stars like Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, and Q-Tip. The album sold even fewer copies than Im Your Baby Tonight, but it received Houstons most enthusiastic reviews in quite some time. Moreover, it produced one of her biggest R&B; chart hits (seven weeks at number one) in the trio number "Heartbreak Hotel," done with Faith Evans and Kelly Price. She also duetted with Mariah Carey on "When You Believe," a song from the animated film The Prince of Egypt. Unfortunately, Houston was also back in the tabloids in early 2000. Speculation about her personal life only grew when she was dropped from the Academy Awards telecast that March, officially because of a sore throat, but reputedly due to poor rehearsals and a generally out-of-it air. Later in the year, Arista released the two-disc compilation Greatest Hits, which actually featured one disc of hits and one of remixes and included new duets with Enrique Iglesias, George Michael, and Deborah Cox. It was also announced that Houston had signed a new deal with Arista worth $100 million, requiring six albums from the singer. The self-styled comeback album Just Whitney arrived in 2002, followed by One Wish: The Holiday Album in November of the following year. Two years later, however, her personal issues became even more public through the 2005 reality television series Being Bobby Brown. She eventually divorced her husband and went into intense rehabilitation. An album of new material was initially set for release by the end of 2007, but delays pushed it -- titled I Look to You, featuring collaborations with Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, R. Kelly, Akon, and Diane Warren -- back to September 2009. It became her first number one album since the Bodyguard soundtrack. She toured the world in 2010, and talked about beginning recording for her next album, but entered outpatient rehab in the summer of 2011 for continuing drug and alcohol problems. That fall, Houston filmed a role in a remake of the 1976 musical film Sparkle, starring alongside Jordin Sparks. In early 2012, rumors began to swirl that Simon Cowell was courting Houston for a mentor spot on The X Factor, but before anything came of it, tragedy occurred. On February 11, the day before the 2012 Grammys, Houston was found dead in her bathroom at the Beverly Hills Hilton. The cause of death was found to be accidental drowning caused by heart disease and cocaine use. The Grammy ceremony paid tribute to her life with a Jennifer Hudson performance of "I Will Always Love You." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 21 Title: Whitney Houston Released: 1985-02-14 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:19:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Give Good Love (04:36) 2 Thinking About You (05:26) 3 Someone for Me (05:01) 4 Saving All My Love for You (03:57) 5 Nobody Loves Me Like You Do (03:48) 6 How Will I Know (04:36) 7 All at Once (04:29) 8 Take Good Care of My Heart (04:21) 9 Greatest Love of All (04:58) 10 Hold Me (06:01) 11 Thinking About You (12‐inch dance remix) (07:16) 12 Someone for Me (12‐inch dance remix) (07:25) 13 How Will I Know (acappella) (04:00) 14 How Will I Know (12‐inch dance remix) (06:32) 15 Greatest Love of All (live from Radio City Music Hall, 1990) (07:06) |
| Whitney Houston : Allmusic album Review : As big a hit as it was -- and it was a multi-platinum blockbuster, spinning off several chart-toppers -- it’s not easy to think of Whitney Houston’s 1985 debut as the dawning of a new era, but it was. Arriving in the thick of MTV, when the slick sounds of yacht-soul were fading, Whitney Houston is the foundation of diva-pop, straddling clean, cheery R&B and big ballads designed with the adult contemporary audience in mind. Houston’s background lay in the former -- actually, it was even riskier, encompassing a stint with the experimental Bill Laswell outfit Material -- and her benefactor Clive Davis knew all about selling records to the masses. Appealing as this album is, Davis may never have imagined how Whitney Houston would shift tastes, pushing toward skyscraping ballads where the singer’s affectations, not the songs, were paramount -- a move that later led to hollow records, but on Whitney Houston the songs were as important as the immaculate productions. Certainly, the showstopping “Greatest Love of All” provided the blueprint for decades of divas, but it’s the only overblown moment here, with the rest of the ballads -- notably “Saving All My Love for You” and “You Give Good Love” -- burning slowly and seductively, but what really impresses some 20-plus years on are the lighter tracks, particularly the breakthrough single “How Will I Know” and the unheralded “Thinking About You,” a dance/R&B hit co-written by Kashif that remains one of Whitney’s purest pop pleasures. These joyful, rhythmic moments faded away from Houston’s later work -- and also rarely surfaced on the records of those who followed her -- but their presence on this debut turns this into a fully rounded record, the rare debut that manages to telegraph every aspect of an artists career in a mere ten songs. [The 2010 25th anniversary edition of Whitney Houston is expanded with five bonus tracks -- remixes of “Thinking About You,” “Someone for Me,” “How Will I Know,” a live version of “Greatest Love of All” from 1990, and a superfluous a cappella mix of “How Will I Know” -- and a bonus DVD containing music videos from the album, new interviews, and -- best of all -- Whitney’s star-making 1983 performance on The Merv Griffin Show.] | ||
 | Album: 2 of 21 Title: Dancin’ Special Released: 1986-11-01 Tracks: 6 Duration: 38:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 How Will I Know (dance remix) (06:34) 2 You Give Good Love (extended dance version) (04:50) 3 Thinking About You (extended dance version) (07:18) 4 Someone for Me (remix) (07:24) 5 Thinking About You (dub version) (08:09) 6 How Will I Know (instrumental version) (04:42) |
 | Album: 3 of 21 Title: Whitney Released: 1987-06-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 53:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (04:50) 2 Just the Lonely Talking Again (05:34) 3 Love Will Save the Day (05:25) 4 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (05:07) 5 So Emotional (04:37) 6 Where You Are (04:11) 7 Love Is a Contact Sport (04:19) 8 You’re Still My Man (04:18) 9 For the Love of You (05:33) 10 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 11 I Know Him So Well (04:29) |
| Whitney : Allmusic album Review : Whitney Houston became an international star with this album. It sold more than ten million copies around the world, yielded a string of number one hit singles across the board like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didnt We Almost Have It All," and "Love Will Save the Day," and established Houston as the eras top female star. She later went on to more than solidify that status, with other hit albums and a budding film career. While this is a far cry from soul, its the ultimate in polished, super-produced urban contemporary material. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 21 Title: I’m Your Baby Tonight Released: 1990-10-12 Tracks: 11 Duration: 53:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’m Your Baby Tonight (04:11) 2 My Name Is Not Susan (04:40) 3 All the Man That I Need (04:10) 4 Lover for Life (04:49) 5 Anymore (04:23) 6 Miracle (05:42) 7 I Belong to You (05:31) 8 Who Do You Love (03:56) 9 We Didn’t Know (05:31) 10 After We Make Love (05:06) 11 I’m Knockin’ (04:58) |
| I’m Your Baby Tonight : Allmusic album Review : While Houstons voice always provides some interesting listening, this is somewhat of a disappointing release, with very few memorable songs. While she attempts to make a larger foray into dance music, she fails to make the crossover impact of artists such as Mariah Carey and Taylor Dayne. The two high points she does reach on this album come in the form of ballads -- the uplifting tale of anothers love being enough to provide happiness in "All the Man That I Need" and the powerful verses surrounding a love lost through ones own devices in "Miracle." | ||
 | Album: 5 of 21 Title: The Preacher’s Wife: Original Soundtrack Album Released: 1996-11-18 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:01:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Believe in You and Me (04:01) 2 Step by Step (04:12) 3 Joy (03:16) 4 Hold on, Help Is on the Way (03:09) 5 I Go to the Rock (04:05) 6 I Love the Lord (04:57) 7 Somebody Bigger Than You and I (04:42) 8 You Were Loved (04:13) 9 My Heart Is Calling (04:15) 10 I Believe in You and Me (single version) (03:55) 11 Step by Step (remix) (04:34) 12 Who Would Imagine a King (03:31) 13 He’s All Over Me (03:53) 14 The Lord Is My Shepherd (04:24) 15 Joy to the World (04:41) |
 | Album: 6 of 21 Title: My Love Is Your Love Released: 1998-11-16 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:00:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (04:51) 2 Heartbreak Hotel (04:41) 3 My Love Is Your Love (04:20) 4 When You Believe (from The Prince of Egypt) (04:32) 5 If I Told You That (04:37) 6 In My Business (03:27) 7 I Learned From the Best (04:21) 8 Oh Yes (06:47) 9 Get It Back (04:53) 10 Until You Come Back (04:52) 11 I Bow Out (04:30) 12 You’ll Never Stand Alone (04:21) 13 I Was Made to Love Him (04:26) |
| My Love Is Your Love : Allmusic album Review : For all intents and purposes, Whitney Houston retired from being a full-fledged recording artist after her third album, 1990s Im Your Baby Tonight, choosing to be a Streisand-like celebrity who cultivated a career through movies, soundtrack contributions, and social appearances. She may have been content to continue in that direction for many years if Arista president Clive Davis didnt push her into recording My Love Is Your Love, her first album in eight years, which easily ranks among her best. Never before has Houston tried so many different sounds or tried so hard to be hip. Its one thing to work with Babyface, the standard-bearer of smooth soul in the 90s, but its quite another to hire Wyclef Jean, Lauren Hill, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, and Q-Tip -- all cutting-edge artists (albeit on the accessible side of the cutting edge), the kind who never would have been associated with Houston in the late 80s. The gambit works. There is still a fair share of David Foster-produced adult contemporary ballads, but the true news is on the up-tempo and mid-tempo dance numbers. In fact, the songs that feel the stiffest are the big production numbers; tellingly, theyre the songs that are the most reminiscent of old-school Houston. Thats not to say she can no longer belt out ballads convincingly -- in fact, the best ballads are where she restrains herself, delivering them with considerable nuance. Houston has never been quite so subtle before, nor has she ever shown this desire to branch out musically. That alone would be reason enough to rank My Love Is Your Love among her more interesting albums, but the fact that it works more often than not pushes it into the top rank of her recorded work. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 21 Title: Cissy Houston featuring Whitney Houston Released: 1999 Tracks: 14 Duration: 56:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Think It Over (05:50) 2 Somebody Should Have Told Me (04:20) 3 After You (04:31) 4 Love Dont Hurt People (02:57) 5 Warning Danger (05:50) 6 I Just Want to Be With You (04:57) 7 An Umbrella Song (02:51) 8 Sometimes (03:26) 9 I Wont Be the One (02:53) 10 Morning Much Better (03:59) 11 Love Is Holding On (03:17) 12 It Never Really Ended (02:49) 13 Love Is Something That Leads You (02:48) 14 Lifes a Party (05:50) |
 | Album: 8 of 21 Title: The Greatest Hits Released: 2000-05-15 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:35:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Give Good Love (04:11) 2 Saving All My Love for You (03:57) 3 Greatest Love of All (04:51) 4 All at Once (04:29) 5 If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful (04:20) 6 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (04:37) 7 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 8 All the Man I Need (03:57) 9 Run to You (04:24) 10 I Have Nothing (04:50) 11 I Will Always Love You (04:27) 12 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (03:25) 13 Why Does It Hurt So Bad (04:40) 14 I Believe in You and Me (03:55) 15 Heartbreak Hotel (04:06) 16 My Love Is Your Love (04:20) 17 Same Script, Different Cast (05:00) 18 Could I Have This Kiss Forever (Metro mix) (03:55) 1 Fine (03:34) 2 If I Told You That (04:33) 3 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (Thunderpuss mix) (04:16) 4 My Love Is Your Love (Jonathan Peters mix) (04:18) 5 Heartbreak Hotel (Hex Hector radio mix) (04:20) 6 I Learned From the Best (HQ2 mix) (04:23) 7 Step by Step (Junior Vasquez mix) (04:04) 8 Im Every Woman (Clivilles & Cole mix) (04:30) 9 Queen of the Night (CJ Mackintosh mix) (03:45) 10 I Will Always Love You (Hex Hector mix) (04:52) 11 Love Will Save the Day (Jellybean & David Morales mix) (05:05) 12 I’m Your Baby Tonight (Dronez mix) (05:04) 13 So Emotional (David Morales mix) (03:57) 14 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Junior Vasquez mix) (04:24) 15 How Will I Know (Junior Vasquez mix) (04:09) 16 Greatest Love of All (Junior Vasquez mix) (05:09) 17 One Moment in Time (04:45) 18 The Star Spangled Banner (live, 1991-01-27: Super Bowl XXV) (02:15) |
| The Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Although Whitney Houstons Greatest Hits is a double-disc package (and is priced as such), only the first disc actually contains original versions of Houstons hit singles; the second disc, "The Greatest Remixes", collects remixes new and old to appeal to hardcore fans. Of course, it would be impossible to fit all of Houstons 20-plus chart singles onto one disc, but that single-disc format still could have produced a fantastic and near-definitive collection. That is, if Arista hadnt made the absolutely ridiculous choice not to include "How Will I Know," "So Emotional," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," and "Im Your Baby Tonight," all of them number one hits. Granted, those songs are all present on the accompanying second disc, The Greatest Remixes, but fans who want the original versions are out of luck and will have to purchase the three different albums on which those songs first appeared. That said, the compilation does do fans a few favors; there are three new tracks, including one duet apiece with Deborah Cox and Enrique Iglesias, and there are also two hits that have never actually appeared on a Houston album: "One Moment in Time" (the 1988 Olympic theme) and "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful," a duet with Jermaine Jackson from his 1986 Precious Moments album. For the completist, Houstons Top 20 hit recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner," performed at Super Bowl XXV, is tacked on at the end of the remix disc as well. Overall, the Greatest Hits disc amply reinforces once again what a fine singles artist Houston has been for the entirety of her career. Still and all, though, its a frustrating package marred by record company greed -- not only because of the glaring omissions designed to force consumers to buy the original albums as well, but also because casual fans wont appreciate having to pay double the money for a second disc of remixes that they probably arent interested in owning. Overall, its a wasted opportunity. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 21 Title: Love, Whitney Released: 2001-12-03 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:13:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Until You Come Back (04:52) 2 I Have Nothing (04:50) 3 Why Does It Hurt So Bad (04:38) 4 You Give Good Love (04:11) 5 All the Man That I Need (03:57) 6 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 7 Just the Lonely Talking Again (05:34) 8 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (03:25) 9 Miracle (05:45) 10 For the Love of You (05:33) 11 Saving All My Love for You (03:57) 12 Run to You (04:24) 13 I Believe in You and Me (03:55) 14 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (04:37) 15 All at Once (04:29) 16 I Will Always Love You (04:27) |
| Love, Whitney : Allmusic album Review : The U.K. release Love, Whitney isnt meant to be a greatest-hits collection. Instead, as its title implies, its an assortment of big, swooping Whitney Houston love songs, with no new material, consisting entirely of tracks taken from her previous albums. What it could have been was a companion piece to her Greatest Hits, which left many people dissatisfied, especially since it included inferior, remixed versions of many of her signature songs. However, almost all of the songs on this album are also found on disc one of the greatest-hits collection. To its credit, this disc does include some lovely Whitney nuggets left off the U.K. version of her hits set, such as "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" and "Miracle," and great non-hits such as "For the Love of You." Still, Whitney fans who already own her albums and her hits package wont find anything new in this. Love, Whitney, which does provide for a pleasant listening experience, is solely intended for the most casual of fans. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 21 Title: Just Whitney… Released: 2002-12-10 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Whatchulookinat (03:34) 2 Tell Me No (03:44) 3 One of Those Days (04:13) 4 Things You Say (04:10) 5 My Love (03:27) 6 Love That Man (03:27) 7 Try It on My Own (04:40) 8 Dear John Letter (04:34) 9 Unashamed (03:38) 10 You Light Up My Life (03:42) 11 Whatchulookinat (P. Diddy remix) (04:09) |
| Just Whitney… : Allmusic album Review : The four-year wait between 2002s Just Whitney and her previous album, 1998s My Love Is Your Love, was half that between that record and its predecessor, 1990s Im Your Baby Tonight, but it felt twice the length, since Whitney Houstons career nose-dived during those four years. She retreated from the spotlight and as she cancelled concerts, scrapped albums, and pulled out of public appearances, rumors swirled that she and husband Bobby Brown were dangerously addicted to drugs. Following a disastrous performance at the September 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert, where she looked as if she had already wasted away, the chattering reached a fever pitch and she needed to restore her reputation -- hence the title of Just Whitney, an assertion that shes returning to her basics. But thats not the half of it. As her trainwreck interview with Diane Sawyer on PrimeTime Live the week prior to Just Whitneys release proved, shes arrogantly defensive about her "bad habits" and is "Unashamed" of "the life that [she] leads," as she sings on the eighth song on this odd, disarmingly brief (under 40 minutes) self-styled comeback album. Just listen to the first single, the roundly ignored "Whatchulookinat" (produced by husband Brown, who Whitney thanks for being the best producer in the world, although he only helmed this track on the album), where she plays the victim, claiming that the gossip-mongers "messing with my reputation/aint you got no education...dont even have a clue about what Im facin," coming across as if she had something to hide. Its a sentiment that runs throughout the album -- phrases like "you dont know what Im goin through" and "you criticize my actions/even though you dont stand in my shoes" pop up regularly -- and undermines an album thats otherwise a not-bad set of contemporary soul. Certainly, Whitney is in better voice than rival diva Mariah Carey (whose near simultaneously released Charmbracelet found her voice in tatters) and shes fortunate enough to have Babyface for four productions, three of which are among the highlights of the album. Though Missy Elliott produces a track here, this is nowhere near as concerned with hip production as My Love was and who can blame her? When a career is on the rocks, its best to play it safe. And thats what Just Whitney is: a measured attempt to salvage a career thats on the verge of destruction. Does it work? Well, musically, its not bad, though few songs are memorable. It would be a good standard-issue Whitney album if it wasnt for her disarming, defensive attempt to defuse every rumor hurled in her direction. Even an otherwise innocuous duet with Brown is presented like its the two of them against the world, nearly celebrating the fact that Bobbys voice is very strained these days. Worst of all, there seems to be nobody to check Whitney and prevent her from indulging in bad ideas. After all, surely somebody in the Houston camp should have realized that at this crucial time in her career, as she admits drug "habits," that covering "You Light Up My Life" might not be the smartest move to make right now. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 21 Title: One Wish: The Holiday Album Released: 2003-11-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The First Nöel (03:14) 2 The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (03:12) 3 Little Drummer Boy (04:29) 4 One Wish (for Christmas) (04:13) 5 Cantique de Nöel (O Holy Night) (03:48) 6 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (03:45) 7 Deck the Halls / Silent Night (04:29) 8 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (04:48) 9 O Come O Come Emmanuel (03:06) 10 Who Would Imagine a King (03:31) 11 Joy to the World (04:41) |
| One Wish: The Holiday Album : Allmusic album Review : Whitney Houston delivered One Wish: The Holiday Album, her first Christmas record, a year after her 2002 comeback, Just Whitney. If it seemed like that record played it safe, thats nothing compared to One Wish, which is the straightest adult contemporary record Houston had released in years. Of course, holiday records are the last place anybody would want to take a risk, since theyre designed to be nice, pleasant mood music and, apart from a rather horrid version of "Little Drummer Boy" -- which features her daughter Bobbie Kristina Brown on vocals, but thats not what sinks it: its Whitneys bewildering scat on "rump-pum-pum" that ruins the cut -- this suits the bill nicely. The clean, pristine production, heavy on synths, sounds as if it was cut in the late 80s, yet its also strangely spare, often being no more than a synth and a drum machine. Still, its a sound thats well suited for Whitney and her thoroughly predictable set of material (the title track is the only new song, then the final two songs are recycled from the soundtrack of The Preachers Wife). Ultimately, One Wish is the kind of album that may only appeal to a fan of Whitney who has already yearned for her holiday album, but for those fans, it will be satisfactory. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 21 Title: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2007-10-29 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:19:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Will Always Love You (04:27) 2 Saving All My Love for You (03:46) 3 Greatest Love of All (04:51) 4 One Moment in Time (04:45) 5 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (04:50) 6 How Will I Know (04:33) 7 So Emotional (04:32) 8 When You Believe (04:36) 9 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 10 I’m Your Baby Tonight (04:11) 11 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (04:37) 12 Run to You (04:24) 13 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (03:21) 14 If I Told You That (04:06) 15 I Have Nothing (04:50) 16 I’m Every Woman (04:46) 17 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (04:40) 18 My Love Is Your Love (03:55) |
| The Ultimate Collection : Allmusic album Review : A compilation released in various territories outside the U.S., including the U.K., The Ultimate Collection covers Whitney Houstons career through 1998s My Love Is Your Love, containing most of the notable singles she released throughout the 80s and 90s. Its a fairly straightforward set, though there are some alternate mixes in place of original versions (including "Im Your Baby Tonight"), which is not noted on the outside of the packaging. Some will find fault in the number of notable exclusions, including "Miracle," "You Give Good Love," "I Believe in You and Me," and "All the Man That I Need" -- all of which were Top Ten R&B singles in the States. But that is more an issue of space than poor track selection. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 21 Title: The Remixes Released: 2009 Tracks: 8 Duration: 29:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Million Dollar Bill (Freemasons radio mix) (03:49) 2 Million Dollar Bill (Frankie Knuckles radio mix) (03:15) 3 I Look to You (Johnny Vicious Warehouse radio mix) (04:08) 4 I Look to You (Johnny Vicious club radio mix) (03:52) 5 I Didnt Know My Own Strength (Peter Rauhofer radio edit) (03:04) 6 I Didnt Know My Own Strength (Daddys Groove Magic Island radio mix) (03:11) 7 I Look to You (Christian Dio radio mix) (04:01) 8 I Look to You (Giuseppe D. radio mix) (03:47) |
 | Album: 14 of 21 Title: I Look to You Released: 2009-08-28 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Million Dollar Bill (03:24) 2 Nothin’ but Love (03:36) 3 Call You Tonight (04:10) 4 I Look to You (04:27) 5 Like I Never Left (03:51) 6 A Song for You (04:12) 7 I Didn’t Know My Own Strength (03:41) 8 Worth It (04:40) 9 For the Lovers (04:14) 10 I Got You (04:13) 11 Salute (04:10) |
| I Look to You : Allmusic album Review : Its only been seven years between Just Whitney and 2009s I Look to You, not even Houstons longest time between albums, but it feels much, much longer, her glory days obscured in hazy memories of lost luster chiefly deriving from a bad marriage with Bobby Brown, chronicled in an embarrassing reality show for Bravo in 2004. I Look to You attempts to wash this all away with something of a return to roots -- a celebration of Houstons deep disco beginnings, tempered with a few skyscraping ballads designed to showcase her soaring voice. Houstons rocky decade isnt ignored, but it isnt explored, either: songs allude to Whitneys strength, her willpower as a survivor struggling through some unnamed struggle -- enough for listeners to fill in the blanks, either with their own experience or their imaginings of Houstons life. More than the songs, Whitneys voice tells the tale of her lost decade. The highs are diminished, the sweetness sanded away, leaving her a thick, knotty powerful growl that has an emotional pull not quite like a ravaged latter-day Billie Holiday, but not all that far removed, either; at the very least, Whitney can still sing, knowing when to wring emotion out of a phrase, knowing when not to push for the glory notes that she can no longer hit. This diminished skill set actually serves the showboating showstoppers well, turning them into something that operates on a human scale, injecting them with something approximating warmth, something that the songs quite deliberately avoid. Also, there just arent that many of them on I Look to You, either. Most of the album splits the difference between burnished neo-disco and modern soul, aware of fashion but not pandering to them. Which isnt to say that these songs are necessarily age-appropriate, either: theyre suspended in time and fashion, tinged with nostalgia but not quite taking into account that Houston isnt now (and never really was) a creature of the clubs. What she undoubtedly is, is a pro -- she sells these subdued glitzy productions, she makes boring songs interesting, she remains a forceful, tangible presence. With this admirable, if not quite successful, un-comeback out of the way, maybe she can pull away from the spotlight and settle into the serious business of finding songs to suit her new voice. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 21 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 2010 Tracks: 36 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Have Nothing (?) 2 Didnt We Almost Have It All (?) 3 Saving All My Love For You (?) 4 All The Man That I Need (?) 5 I Will Always Love You (?) 6 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (?) 7 Im Every Woman (?) 8 Could I Have This Kiss Forever (?) 9 Million Dollar Bill (?) 10 If I Told You That Featuring (?) 11 Heartbreak Hotel (?) 12 Love That Man (?) 13 I Didnt Know My Own Strength (?) 14 I Learned From The Best (?) 15 Greatest Love Of All (?) 16 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (?) 17 Whatchulookinat (?) 18 My Love Is Your Love (?) 1 Queen Of The Night (CJ Mackintosh Mix) (?) 2 Run To You (?) 3 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (?) 4 You Give Good Love (?) 5 All At Once (?) 6 Count On Me (?) 7 I Look To You (?) 8 Try It On My Own (?) 9 One Of Those Days (?) 10 Nothing But Love (?) 11 I Believe In You And Me (?) 12 One Moment In Time (?) 13 Its Not Right But Its Okay (?) 14 How Will I Know (?) 15 Im Your Baby Tonight (?) 16 So Emotional (?) 17 Step By Step (?) 18 If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful (?) |
 | Album: 16 of 21 Title: The Essential Whitney Houston Released: 2010 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:36:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Saving All My Love for You (03:57) 2 Greatest Love of All (04:51) 3 One Moment in Time (04:45) 4 I Have Nothing (04:50) 5 I Will Always Love You (04:27) 6 Run to You (04:24) 7 You Give Good Love (04:11) 8 All at Once (04:29) 9 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 10 If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful (04:20) 11 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (04:37) 12 All the Man That I Need (03:57) 13 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (03:25) 14 Count on Me (04:27) 15 I Believe in You and Me (03:55) 16 I Learned From the Best (04:21) 17 Same Script, Different Cast (05:00) 18 Could I Have This Kiss Forever (Metro mix) (03:55) 1 If I Told You That (04:33) 2 Fine (03:34) 3 My Love Is Your Love (04:20) 4 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (04:51) 5 Heartbreak Hotel (04:35) 6 Step by Step (04:12) 7 Queen of the Night (CJ Mackintosh mix) (03:45) 8 I’m Every Woman (04:46) 9 Love Will Save the Day (05:21) 10 I’m Your Baby Tonight (04:59) 11 So Emotional (04:32) 12 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (04:50) 13 How Will I Know (04:33) 14 I Will Always Love You (Hex Hector mix) (04:52) 15 Greatest Love of All (Club 69 mix) (04:44) 16 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (Thunderpuss mix) (04:16) 17 I’m Your Baby Tonight (Dronez mix) (05:04) |
 | Album: 17 of 21 Title: The Unreleased Mixes Released: 2011-06-11 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:19:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 How Will I Know (Junior Vasquez club mix) (07:35) 2 Greatest Love of All (Club 69 mix) (11:51) 3 Im Every Woman (Clivilles & Cole Every Womans House club mix) (10:14) 4 Greatest Love of All (Junior Vasquez club mix) (12:26) 5 Love Will Save the Day (Jellybean & David Morales 1987 Classic Underground mix) (07:30) 6 I Will Always Love You (Hex Hector club mix) (09:50) 7 So Emotional (David Morales Emotional club mix) (11:18) 8 Im Your Baby Tonight (Dronez mix) (08:31) |
 | Album: 18 of 21 Title: All Time Best Released: 2011-08-26 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:19:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Will Always Love You (04:27) 2 Saving All My Love for You (03:46) 3 Greatest Love of All (04:51) 4 One Moment in Time (04:45) 5 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (04:50) 6 How Will I Know (04:33) 7 So Emotional (04:32) 8 When You Believe (04:36) 9 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 10 I’m Your Baby Tonight (04:11) 11 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (04:37) 12 Run to You (04:24) 13 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (03:21) 14 If I Told You That (04:06) 15 I Have Nothing (04:50) 16 I’m Every Woman (04:39) 17 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (04:40) 18 My Love Is Your Love (03:55) |
 | Album: 19 of 21 Title: I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston Released: 2012-11-13 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:22:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Give Good Love (04:36) 2 Saving All My Love for You (03:57) 3 How Will I Know (04:33) 4 Greatest Love of All (04:51) 5 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (04:50) 6 Didn’t We Almost Have It All (05:07) 7 So Emotional (04:37) 8 Where Do Broken Hearts Go (04:37) 9 I’m Your Baby Tonight (04:59) 10 All the Man That I Need (04:11) 11 I Will Always Love You (04:32) 12 I’m Every Woman (04:46) 13 I Have Nothing (04:50) 14 Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (03:25) 15 I Believe in You and Me (03:55) 16 My Love Is Your Love (04:05) 17 I Look to You (03:39) 18 Never Give Up (04:01) 1 Love Will Save the Day (05:22) 2 One Moment in Time (04:45) 3 It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be (04:51) 4 My Name Is Not Susan (04:38) 5 I Belong to You (05:30) 6 Run to You (04:25) 7 Queen of the Night (03:09) 8 Count on Me (04:27) 9 Step by Step (04:13) 10 It’s Not Right but It’s Okay (04:51) 11 I Learned From the Best (03:57) 12 If I Told You That (04:37) 13 Heartbreak Hotel (04:41) 14 Million Dollar Bill (03:24) |
| I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston : Allmusic album Review : It was inevitable that Whitney Houston would be subjected to a greatest-hits album after her untimely spring 2012 death, and I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston is the first of these, an 18-track collection containing two new songs -- a duet version of "I Look to You" with R. Kelly vocals, and the unreleased, Jermaine Dupri-written "Never Give Up," which isnt bad -- but concentrates on her big hits, emphasizing the oversized show-stopping ballads just slightly. Which isnt to say the fun stuff is missing -- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "So Emotional," "Im Your Baby Tonight," and "How Will I Know" are all here -- but this downplays such confections in favor of seduction and drama. As Houston had more hits in this vein, this is certainly representative, but for fans looking for her effervescent early singles, theyd be better off with other collections. But for those who love the diva, I Will Always Love You captures her in all her glory. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 21 Title: Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances Released: 2014-11-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:19:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Home (The Merv Griffin Show) (04:39) 2 You Give Good Love (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson) (04:15) 3 How Will I Know (The Brit Awards) (04:00) 4 One Moment in Time (The 31st Annual Grammy® Awards) (05:33) 5 Greatest Love of All (Thats What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th Anniversary Concert) (06:50) 6 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Thats What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th Anniversary Concert) (04:27) 7 The Star Spangled Banner (Super Bowl XXV) (02:14) 8 All The Man That I Need (Welcome Home Heroes) (05:07) 9 Im Your Baby Tonight (Welcome Home Heroes) (04:28) 10 A Song For You (Welcome Home Heroes) (06:03) 11 Medley: I Loves You, Porgy / And I Am Telling You Im Not Going / I Have Nothing (The 21st Annual American Music Awards) (10:00) 12 Im Every Woman (The Concert for a New South Africa) (03:55) 13 I Will Always Love You (The Concert for a New South Africa) (05:59) 14 My Love Is Your Love (Late Show with David Letterman) (03:46) 15 I Believe in You and Me (The 16th Annual World Music Awards) (03:45) 16 I Didnt Know My Own Strength (The Oprah Winfrey Show Season Premiere Part II) (04:35) |
 | Album: 21 of 21 Title: I Wish You Love: More from The Bodyguard Released: 2017-11-17 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:12:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Will Always Love You (alternate mix) (05:03) 2 I Have Nothing (Film version) (04:56) 3 Im Every Woman (Clivilles & Cole House mix I edit) (05:42) 4 Run to You (Film version) (04:18) 5 Queen of the Night (Film version) (03:15) 6 Jesus Loves Me (Film version) (01:07) 7 Jesus Loves Me (a cappella version) (04:52) 8 I Will Always Love You (Film version) (04:34) 9 I Have Nothing (live from Brunei) (06:52) 10 Run to You (live from The Bodyguard Tour) (04:46) 11 Jesus Loves Me / Hes Got the Whole World in His Hands (live from The Bodyguard Tour) (10:38) 12 Queen of the Night (live from The Bodyguard Tour) (05:32) 13 I Will Always Love You (live from The Bodyguard Tour) (06:15) 14 Im Every Woman (live from The Bodyguard Tour) (05:07) |