Whitney Houston’s Five Best Songs

In 2012, the world lost one of the greatest vocalists of all time, Whitney Houston. The decade before Houston’s death, she was on a downward spiral thanks to drugs. However, her unfortunate death reminded the world that nobody sings like Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston had so many hits that it’s a very hard task of choosing her best songs. When one sees this list, they need to understand that “best” doesn’t necessarily mean “biggest.” If it did, “I Will Always Love You” would certainly be at the top of that list.

Without further ado, here is a list of Whitney Houston’s best songs.

5. “I Will Always Love You” (1992)

“I Will Always Love You” was the first single from the mega-successful soundtrack for the movie The Bodyguard. According to Songfacts, it was the longest-running No. 1 hit at 14 weeks until Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men spent 16 weeks at No. 1 with “One Sweet Day.” However, “One Sweet Day” is barely recognized these days, while “I Will Always Love You” is still considered one of the biggest hits in music history.

“I Will Always Love You” is certainly Houston’s most appealing song, but it isn’t her best. Her vocal performance is powerful and moving, but it doesn’t stand up to other songs that are higher on this list.

4. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” (1988)

The fourth release from Whitney Houston’s second album Whitney was also the fourth No. 1 hit from that album. It was released in February of 1988 and hit No. 1 a couple months later. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” would be the seventh No. 1 hit in a row for Houston.

Houston’s charming vocals combine with Frank Wildhorn and Chuck Jackson’s simple (but heartfelt) lyrics to give us one of the best ballads of the 1980s. It wasn’t the typical Whitney Houston ballad at the time and would become the ultimate breakup song of the late 1980s.

3. “My Love Is Your Love” (1999)

The title track from Houston’s 1998 studio album didn’t get much notice at first. Then, the song was remixed and magic happened. The bouncy beat, Houston’s unmatched vocals, and the identifiable lyrics about everlasting love helped the song reach No. 4 in the fall of 1999.

According to Songfacts, “My Love Is Your Love” was written by Jerry Duplessis, who also wrote songs for The Fugees’ 1996 hit album The Score.

2. “How Will I Know” (1986)

Whitney Houston was primarily known as a ballads artist in 1985 with the release of her worldwide smash debut album Whitney Houston. However, “How Will I Know,” which hit No. 1 in early 1986, proved that Houston could groove with the best of them.

“How Will I Know” combines Whitney’s exceptional vocals with the current disco sound that was popular in the mid-1980s in order to become one of the most memorable songs of Houston’s career. According to Metro Lyrics, the song was written by Narada Michael Walden, George Robert Merrill, and Shannon Rubican — a team that would have a huge similar sounding hit in 1988 called “Waiting for a Star to Fall” by Boy Meets Girl.

1. “Greatest Love of All” (1986)

The follow-up hit to “How Will I Know” is perhaps one of the most inspirational records ever made. “Greatest Love of All” was originally performed by George Benson, but it failed to make an impact. The song was given a slightly more pop update from the slower and less instrumental album version when released as a single during the spring of 1986.

It didn’t matter that Whitney Houston didn’t write “Greatest Love of All” or that it was meant to be a hit for someone else. Whitney Houston made this song all her own when singing at the top of her lungs about self-love and self-reliance. After its release in 1986, the song would be performed at many graduation ceremonies for years to come.

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