Whitney (album)

Lore & Background

Following the massive success of her self-titled debut, Whitney Houston began recording her sophomore album in December 1986 at Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California, with producer Narada Michael Walden. One of the first songs recorded was a rendition of The Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You," which marked the first time Houston multi-tracked her own vocals in harmony parts. Walden later presented her with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," a dance song written by the same writers as her previous hit "How Will I Know." Houston added her own ad-libs and lyrics, and performed an early version on tour to prepare fans for the album.

The album featured contributions from producers Michael Masser, Kashif, and John "Jellybean" Benitez, with guest musicians including Kenny G, Roy Ayers, and Premik Russell Tubbs. Clive Davis, seeking to maintain Houston's momentum, initially planned a September 1986 release but delayed it due to the continued success of her debut. Davis turned down a duet offer from Michael Jackson for his album Bad, fearing it might detract from promotion of the sophomore album. Houston recorded several tracks with Walden, including "So Emotional," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (which she initially did not want to record), and a duet with her mother Cissy Houston, "I Know Him So Well."

Reader's Guide

Whitney solidified Whitney Houston's status as a global pop superstar and broke multiple chart records. In the United States, it became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and spent eleven weeks atop the chart, marking the first time since Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life that an album lingered atop the chart after its debut. Combined with her debut's 14 weeks at number one, Houston set a 1980s chart record for a woman with 25 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. The album also became the first by a solo black female artist to top the albums chart in the United Kingdom.

The album spawned five top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with the first four—"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"—all peaking at number one. This broke Houston's own record, making her the first female artist to score four number one singles from one album. Combined with three straight number ones from her debut, Houston earned an all-time record of seven consecutive number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, a record she still holds. The album won several industry awards, including a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards. In October 2020, the album was certified diamond by the RIAA, making Houston the first black artist to score three diamond albums in the United States.

Did You Know?

• Whitney was the first album by a female artist in Billboard 200 history to debut at number one.
• The album's first four singles all peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Houston the first female artist to score four number one singles from one album.