To celebrate the release of the much-hyped musical biopic, we’ve rounded up and ranked Houston’s all-time best tracks from a career that spanned decades. In ascending order, these are the greatest Whitney Houston songs of all time, ranked.
Best Whitney Houston Songs
15. “One Moment In Time”
Written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, this misty-eyed ballad reached No. 1 on the UK charts and No. 5 in the U.S. “One Moment In Time” perfectly captures the spirit of the Olympic games and the heart of an athlete. It’s been covered many times and remained in the culture for decades.
14. “So Emotional”
Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who also wrote “Like a Virgin” and “True Colors,” penned Houston’s sixth consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It’s a dance track with production that’s very much of its era. Still, it’s undeniably a banger. “So Emotional” presented a lightly saucy side of the singer, who had a thoroughly wholesome image early on.
13. “Saving All My Love For You”
An early triumph that effortlessly caught the attention of everyone with a radio, tender ballad “Saving All My Love For You” is actually a cover of a track originally recorded in the ’70s. This is definitely the version everyone remembers. The song earned Houston a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, and it was her first Billboard No. 1 in a consecutive run of seven No. 1 hits, a record that still stands.
12. “I Love the Lord”
A loose remake of a classic Christmas film, The Preacher’s Wife should have been an even greater film all around, considering the acting talents of Denzel Washington and Houston (who was terrific in every film role she played). The best part of the film is this gospel showstopper. The raw vocals here are staggering, and will hit many listeners on a spiritual level.
11. “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”
Written by Will Jennings and producer Michael Masser, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” is an epic ’80s ballad whose nostalgic production is all part of the charm when listening today. “Didn’t We Have It All” was Houston’s fifth consecutive No. 1 hit, and received a Grammy nod for Song of the Year.
10. “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”
Houston examines a cheating lover’s credit card receipts in the opening bars. It’s the most brutally sassy math equation in recorded history. Ripping, funky and empowering, “It’s Not Right” won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. It’s a signature Houston track—and yet it’s still underrated.
9. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”
The final No. 1 Billboard hit of Houston’s staggering record run, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” is a lovely power ballad whose song craft and stunning vocals shine through production that’s undeniably dated. In interviews of later years, Houston would admit she disliked the song. She recorded it at the behest of Clive Davis, the record exec who’s credited with helping the artist achieve international fame.
8. “I’m Every Woman”
Released as the second single from The Bodyguard’s soundtrack (while “I Will Always Love You” was still at No. 1 on Billboard), “I’m Every Woman” is a dance-tastic cover of a Chaka Khan classic. Houston’s version brings more of a house music sound. Both versions were critically praised commercial hits.
7. “I’m Your Baby Tonight”
Houston’s eighth (non-consecutive) No. 1 hit, like the album of the same name, took the artist’s sound in a new urban direction, new jack swing to be precise, like Janet Jackson’s Control and Michael Jackson’s Dangerous of this era. “I’m Your Baby” flat-out rips, and though critics were somewhat mixed in 1990, it would go on to become a signature song.
6. “I Have Nothing”
“I Have Nothing” is the other major power ballad from The Bodyguard, which many fans would say is just as good or even better than “I Will Always Love You.” The vocals on “I Have Nothing” are soaring and surgically precise. Released as the third single from the record-breaking soundtrack record, “I Have Nothing” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard charts.
5. “Greatest Love of All”
Other lyrics in this essential ballad (originally recorded years earlier by George Benson), from Houston’s debut album, are perhaps more well-known and oft-quoted throughout pop culture, but there’s something about the way she sings “I decided long ago to never walk in anyone’s shadow” that sticks like few phrases in songs can. Give in to its sentimentality (everyone should), and it’s easy to see why this is one of the artist’s longest-charting singles ever.
4. “How Will I Know”
There are many fans who consider this the best Houston song ever. From her debut self-titled album, “How Will I Know” is an irresistible call to the dance floor that sounds a fair amount like the later, more polished “I Wanna Dance (With Somebody Who Loves Me).” “How Will I Know” was Houston’s second No. 1 hit, making it very apparent the artist was a force to be reckoned with.
3. “I Will Always Love You”
Originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton in 1973, “I Will Always Love You” was a late addition to the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, ultimately released as the first single. It became the artist’s signature song and broke many records that still stand. Winner of a Grammy for Record of the Year, “I Will Always Love You” is the top-selling single by a female recording artist ever.
2. “The Star Spangled Banner”
At Tampa’s Super Bowl XXV, during a scary time for the U.S. (the midst of the Persian Gulf War), Whitney Houston united a nation for three glorious, goosebump-inducing minutes. This is simply the very best the National Anthem has ever sounded. Released as a single twice, “The Star Spangled Banner” also climbed the charts following 9/11. Houston donated all the proceeds to disaster relief and first responders.
1. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
Along with producer Narada Michael Walden (a protégé of Quincy Jones) Houston perfected a formula that had worked before here, in an unforgettable pop blast for all time. The recently restored music video is a splashy, funny masterpiece: Houston is so confident, vibrant and full of life. What really takes the overall joyous, brassy “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” to another dimension, something that harkens back to Motown, is that slightest splash of melancholy. Pop music has almost never—or maybe just never—been so damn good. Next, Bob Dylan ranks the most influential pop songs of all time.
