With the recent death of singing sensation Whitney Houston, it only seemed fitting to reflect on some of her best songs throughout her career. This singer, known for herstrong soulful voice, left a lasting impact on the music industry and her fans. I found myself listening to Whitney songs nonstop for hours on end, trying to pick a handful of my favorites, and these are the five hits I finally decided upon.
1. “I Will Always Love You”
Whitney, I will always love you for making this song famous. Though Dolly Parton originally performed the song, Whitney’s rendition brings out a soulful sound that captured the hearts of people all around the world. Suitably, a recording of this song played in the sanctuary at the end of Whitney’s funeral.
2. “I Look to You”
This touching ballad uplifts broken spirits with lyrics like, “And when all my strengths are gone, in you I hear a song.” Released in 2009, “I Look to You” signified Whitney’s road to recovery from her drug addiction and abusive marriage. In an interview with Oprah in 2009, Whitney described this song as the essence of her final studio album.
3. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
“Don’t you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don’t you wanna dance” along with Whitney’s hit song, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”? You can’t help but rock out to this song in the privacy of your dorm room or crank the volume up while driving around in your car. In 1988, this sensation took the prize of “Favorite Pop/Rock Single” at the American Music Awards.
4. “One Moment in Time”
Power ballads don’t get much better than this one. Just watch the inspirational music video for this song. It will certainly make you want to compete in the Olympics or at least go watch the games!
5. “I Have Nothing”
“I Have Nothing” is a powerful love song on The Bodyguard soundtrack. If you’re in a particularly sappy mood, you’ll probably find yourself playing this song on a loop. You can’t help but admire Whitney’s emotion-laden voice as she sings, “You see through, right to the heart of me. You break down my walls with the strength of your love.”