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Tribute to Whitney Houston playlist.Needless to say, Whitney Houston has been on our collective minds lately. And while there's been much to say about the tragic, sudden way she left the world -- and the struggles she weathered during her last few years in it -- there's also been much cause to celebrate the considerable musical legacy she left behind.
As Whitney racked up hit after hit, she became known as a singles artist, capable of turning even the National Anthem into not only a spine-tingling experience, but pure pop gold. She also had a gift with movie soundtracks: such iconic songs as "I Will Always Love You" and "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" overlapped with her acting forays to create a multifaceted performance experience. But while those singles are memorable, Houston's albums also made some pretty significant dents in the pop canon, from her debut, which showcased a voice far beyond her oh-so-slight years, to her last effort, a weathered-but-not-beaten collection that still glowed with diva fire.
Whatever the format, what this spotlight really illuminates is a formidable presence and a ferocious voice that will live on in our hearts and minds long after the media circus has died down.
Whitney Houston (1985)This self-titled release launched Whitney Houston into the mainstream with a phenomenal number of hits. Everything that established this vocalist as the belter she was appears here: "You Give Good Love," "How Will I Know," "Saving All My Love for You" and "Greatest Love of All." Plus, it's insanely catchy, and it made Houston a star. [Rachel Devitt]
Whitney (1987)Houston's sophomore album cemented her pop-chart dominance with somewhat shrill offerings like "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Didn't We Almost Have It All." The beats were infectious, the songs uncomplicated, and fans found the polished, not-too-soulful tracks just right for the era. [Sarah Bardeen]
I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990)After two albums of staggering, adult-contemp-leaning ballads and slow jams, Whitney took a bigger stab at dance pop here. Seems like a natural fit, no? Yet somehow, that perfect voice and diva presence always feel a bit awkward over a steady beat, as if her high-pitched drama resists being tamed by a simpler, smaller structure. That's not to say this album doesn't have plenty of tracks that work: three of her fiercest cuts lead off ("My Name Is Not Susan"? Best. Drag anthem. Ever.), while "Anymore" gives Janet a run for her leather. Just skip perfume commercials like "Miracle." [R.D.]
Various ArtistsThe Bodyguard Soundtrack (1992)
Whitney Houston's history-making cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" gets all the attention -- and rightly so for that shivery, pitch-perfect showstopper of a song. But it's a showstopper among showstoppers on this soundtrack to Houston's acting debut, half of which is dominated by the lady herself. "I Have Nothing" will break your heart and then rebuild it for you. "I'm Every Woman" brings Chaka Khan straight into the '90s. And "Queen of the Night," a formidable catwalk strut of a tune, crowns our heroine just that. Even "Jesus Loves Me" will knock your socks off. [R.D.]
Various ArtistsThe Preacher's Wife Soundtrack (1996)
Relative to other albums and even other soundtracks in Whitney's oeuvre, The Preacher's Wife often seems unmemorable. Part of the reason may be that she was best known as a singles artist, and there isn't really a breakout single here. But rather than brand it inconsequential, what if we thought about this as a kind of crossroads wherein all Whitney's iterations and paths meet? Look at it as the intersection of her gospel roots (she soars over the Georgia Mass Choir), her adult-contemporary beginnings, her dance pop dabblings ("Step by Step") and, yes, her Bobby period (he appears on "Somebody Bigger than You and I"). [R.D.]
My Love Is Your Love (1998)Houston's first full release in almost a decade, My Love Is Your Love brought Whitney back to the mainstream and introduced her to a generation that was only peripherally aware of her. While she didn't abandon her belted ballads, musicians including Q-Tip and Wyclef Jean help update her sound. She struck gold with the single "It's Not Right But It's Okay." [R.D.]
The Greatest Hits (2007)A greatest-hits comp might be a superfluous bragging session for some artists, but when you're an artist revered for her massively successful singles and inimitable one-time performances, it's more than just a rehashed repackaging. For Whitney Houston, it's also a testament to her era as music's golden girl, reigning over the R&B and pop charts with a seemingly endless string of multiplatinum hit singles -- and a voice that knocked our collective socks off. All her great performances are here, from soundtrack fare like "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" to her groundbreaking rendition of the "The Star Spangled Banner." Also included are three new tunes, some rare duets and 14 dance-flavored remixes. [R.D. and Brolin Winning]
I Look to You (2009)Not to trivialize what she went through, but Whitney's attempt at a comeback sounded like she was built to fall from grace and redeem herself. I Look to You is neither perfect nor athletically impressive. Like her roughened voice, it is a raw and exquisitely flawed exercise in theatrical vulnerability, a mea culpa with a fab dance beat. Sometimes it falls on its face; elsewhere, it breaks your heart in deliciously dramatic ways (if "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" wasn't written with her legions of drag impersonators in mind, we'll eat our wigs). All right, Hollywood, she's ready for her biopic. [R.D.]