List of songs recorded by Whitney Houston
recorded songs for seven studio albums Whitney Houston, Whitney, I'm Your Baby Tonight, My Love Is Your Love, Just Whitney, One Wish, I Look To You and also The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack album and The Preacher's Wife. Houston also performing at Waiting to Exhale and Sparkle soundtracks with various artists. Her self-titled debut album, Whitney Houston, was released on February 14, 1985. It peaked at number one on the United States' Billboard 200 album chart, a position it held for 14 consecutive weeks. "Hold Me" was released as the lead single; it was written by Linda Creed in collaboration with the producer, Michael Masser. The final three singles to be released from the album, "Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All", all topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This marked the first time in the chart's history that a debut album, and a debut album released by a female artist, had generated three number one singles.
Houston released her second studio album, Whitney, on April 27, 1987. The album became the first by a female artist to debut atop the US Billboard 200 album chart, a position it held for 11 weeks. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody " was released as the lead single from Whitney. The dance-pop song was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam. It was ranked at number 88 on Slant Magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Dance Songs in 2006. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody ", along with the following three singles to be released from Whitney,, all peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart; as of August 2013, Houston holds for the record for the most consecutive number one singles on the chart, with seven. Her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, was released on November 2, 1990. It was decided by her record label executive, Clive Davis at Arista Records, that Houston should grow as an artist and develop her music further by making an R&B album instead of another pop music album. Davis enlisted L.A. Reid and Babyface to compose more R&B driven songs. The title track was released as the lead single from the album, and it was written by Reid and Babyface. It topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The second single, "All the Man That I Need", is an "expression of sexual hero worship" according to Stephen Holden writing for The New York Times.
Between 1992 and 1996, Houston recorded songs which were included on three different soundtrack albums. A cover of Dolly Parton's song, "I Will Always Love You", was released as the lead single from ' soundtrack from the film of the same name in 1992. It peaked at number one on the Hot 100 for 14 weeks in 1993; Houston broke the record for the longest running number one single since the chart's inception in 1958. Houston recorded three songs for the ' soundtrack for the film of the same name, both of which were released in November 1995. "Exhale " was released as the lead single; it is an R&B ballad written by Babyface which summarizes the plot of the film. As of August 2013, "Exhale " is one of 14 songs to debut at number one on the US Hot 100 in the history of the chart. The other two songs which she recorded for the album were "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", another R&B ballad penned by Babyface, and a duet with CeCe Winans called "Count On Me", co-written by Houston. Houston recorded a full length The Preacher's Wife, both of which were released in 1996. Three singles were released to promote the film and album: "I Believe in You and Me", a cover of Annie Lennox's "Step by Step" and "My Heart Is Calling". The latter of the three draws musical inspiration from the genres of funk and gospel.
Houston released her fifth studio album, entitled Just Whitney in December 2002. The singer co-wrote the lead single, "Whatchulookinat", which was co-produced by her husband, Bobby Brown. The song is a response to how Houston considered herself to be a victim of unwanted media attention, as she sings "My following is real strong/ You got the heart to show the world what I do/ Now I'm turnin' the cameras back on you/ Same spotlights, the ones who gave me fame/ Tryin' to dirty up Whitney's name." The album's second single, "One of Those Days", is a slow R&B track with a retro feel. Houston released her first and only Christmas album in November 2003. She recorded cover versions of several traditional Christmas songs, including "The First Noel" and "Little Drummer Boy". "One Wish " was released as the sole single from the album on November 7, 2003. Her sixth studio album, I Look to You, was released in August 2009. The title track is a gospel song, written by R. Kelly, which pertains to Houston's faith in God. The album's second single, "Million Dollar Bill", is an old school R&B song which was written by Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz and Norman Harris.
Songs
| Indicates single release | |
| Indicates song co-written by Houston |
| Song | Artist | Writer | Album | Year | Ref. |
| "A Song for You" | Leon Russell | 2009 | |||
| "After We Make Love" | Gerry Goffin Michael Masser | 1990 | |||
| "All at Once" | Jeffrey Osborne Michael Masser | 1985 | |||
| "All the Man That I Need" | Dean Pitchford Michael Gore | 1990 | |||
| "America the Beautiful" | Katharine Lee Bates Samuel A. Ward | 1991 | |||
| "Anymore" | Kenneth Edmonds L.A. Reid | 1990 | |||
| "Call You Tonight" | Johntá Austin Mikkel S. Eriksen Tor Erik Hermansen | 2009 | |||
| "" | Traditional | 2003 | |||
| "Celebrate" | and Jordin Sparks | R. Kelly | 2012 | ||
| "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" | and Whitney Houston | Diane Warren | and Enrique | 1999 | |
| "Count On Me" | and CeCe Winans | Kenneth Edmonds Michael Houston Whitney Houston | 1995 | ||
| "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge" | David Lasley Robbie Long | B-side to "All the Man That I Need" | 1990 | ||
| "Dear John Letter" | Dwight Reynolds Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Patrice Stewart Whitney Houston | 2002 | |||
| "Deck the Halls / Silent Night" | Traditional | 2003 | |||
| "Didn't We Almost Have It All" | Michael Masser Will Jennings | 1987 | |||
| "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | Noël Regney Gloria Shayne Baker | 1987 | |||
| "Exhale " | Kenneth Edmonds | 1995 | |||
| "Feels So Good" | Bryan Loren | B-side to "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | 1990 | ||
| "Fine" | Kamaal Fareed Raphael Saadiq Whitney Houston | 2000 | |||
| "For the Love of You" | Chris Jasper Marvin Isley O'Kelly Isley Ronald Isley | 1987 | |||
| "For the Lovers" | Claude Kelly Marcella Araica Nathaniel Hills | 2009 | |||
| "Get It Back" | Fred Jerkins III LaShawn Daniels Toni Estes Rodney Jerkins | 1998 | |||
| "" | Linda Creed Michael Masser | 1985 | |||
| "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | Hugh Martin Ralph Blane | 2003 | |||
| "He's All Over Me" | with Shirley Caesar and the Georgia Mass Choir | Alvin Darling | 1996 | ||
| "Heartbreak Hotel" | featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price | Carsten Schack Kenneth Karlin Tamara Savage | 1998 | ||
| "Higher Love" | Steve Winwood Will Jennings | 1990 | |||
| "His Eye is On the Sparrow" | Civilla D. Martin Charles H. Gabriel | 2011 | |||
| "Hold Me" | and Whitney Houston | Linda Creed Michael Masser | and Love Language | 1984 | |
| "Hold On, Help Is on the Way" | with the Georgia Mass Choir | Rev. Kenneth Paden | 1996 | ||
| "How Will I Know" | George Merrill Narada Michael Walden Shannon Rubicam | 1985 | |||
| "I Believe in You and Me" | David Wolfert Sandy Linzer | 1996 | |||
| "I Belong to You" | Derek Bramble Franne Gold | 1990 | |||
| "I Bow Out" | Diane Warren | 1998 | |||
| "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" | Diane Warren Whitney Houston | 2009 | |||
| "I Have Nothing" | David Foster Linda Thompson | 1992 | |||
| "I Go to the Rock" | with the Georgia Mass Choir | Dottie Rambo | 1996 | ||
| "I Got You" | | Aliaune Thiam Claude Kelly Giorgio Tuinfort Whitney Houston | 2009 | ||
| "I Know Him So Well" | and Cissy Houston | Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus Tim Rice | 1987 | ||
| "I Learned from the Best" | Diane Warren | 1998 | |||
| "I Look to You" | R. Kelly | 2009 | |||
| "I Look to You" | and R. Kelly | R. Kelly | 2012 | ||
| "I Love the Lord" | with the Georgia Mass Choir | Richard Smallwood | 1996 | ||
| "I Was Made to Love Him" | Henry Cosby Lula Mae Hardaway Sylvia Moy Stevie Wonder | 1998 | |||
| "I Wanna Dance with Somebody " | George Merrill Shannon Rubicam | 1987 | |||
| "I Will Always Love You" | Dolly Parton | 1992 | |||
| "If I Told You That" | Fred Jerkins III LaShawn Daniels Toni Estes Rodney Jerkins | 1998 | |||
| "If I Told You That" | and George Michael | Fred Jerkins III LaShawn Daniels Toni Estes Rodney Jerkins | 2000 | ||
| "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Buck Ram Kim Gannon Walter Kent | 2003 | |||
| "Impossible" | and Brandy Norwood | Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein II | 1997 | ||
| "I'm Every Woman" | Nickolas Ashford Valerie Simpson | 1992 | |||
| "I'm Knockin | Benjamin Winans Rhett Lawrence Ricky Minor | 1990 | |||
| "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | Kenneth Edmonds L.A. Reid | 1990 | |||
| "In My Business" | featuring Missy Elliott | Kelvin "K.B." Bradshaw Lloyd "Spec" Turner Missy Elliott | 1998 | ||
| "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" | and Whitney Houston | Albert Hammond Diane Warren | 1989 | ||
| "It'll Be Okay" | featuring Whitney Hoston | 2007 | |||
| "It's Not Right but It's Okay" | Fred Jerkins III Isaac Phillips LaShawn Daniels Toni Estes Rodney Jerkins | 1998 | |||
| "It's Possible" | and Brandy Norwood | Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein II | 1997 | ||
| "Jesus Loves Me" | Anna Bartlett Warner | 1992 | |||
| "Joy" | with the Georgia Mass Choir | Kirk Franklin | 1996 | ||
| "Joy to the World" | Isaac Watts | 1996 | |||
| "Just the Lonely Talking Again" | Sam Dees | 1987 | |||
| "Like I Never Left" | featuring Akon | Aliaune Thiam Claude Kelly Giorgio Tuinfort Whitney Houston | 2009 | ||
| "" | featuring Bobbi Kristina Brown | Harry Simeone Henry Onorati Katherine Davis | 2003 | ||
| "Love is a Contact Sport" | Preston Glass | 1987 | |||
| "Love That Man" | Bill Lee Balewa Muhammad Calvin Gaines Eritza Laues Kenneth Edmonds Rob Fusari | 2002 | |||
| "Love Will Save the Day" | Antoinette Colandreo | 1987 | |||
| "Lover for Life" | Sam Dees | 1990 | |||
| "Million Dollar Bill" | Alicia Keys Kasseem Dean Norman Harris | 2009 | |||
| "Moment Of Truth" | Jan Buckingham David Paul Bryant | 1987 | |||
| "My Name Is Not Susan" | Eric Foster White | 1990 | |||
| "Miracle" | Kenneth Edmonds L.A. Reid | 1990 | |||
| "My Heart Is Calling" | Kenneth Edmonds | 1996 | |||
| "My Love" | featuring Bobby Brown | Greg Charley Gordon Chambers Ted Bishop | 2002 | ||
| "My Love Is Your Love" | Jerry Duplessis Wyclef Jean | 1998 | |||
| "Never Give Up" | Jermaine Dupri Bryan-Michael Cox Johntá Austin | 2012 | |||
| "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" | and Jermaine Jackson | James P. Dunne Pamela Phillips | 1985 | ||
| "Nothin' But Love" | Fernando Garibay Franne Gold Kasia Livingston Nathaniel Hills | 2009 | |||
| "O come, O come, Emmanuel" | Hugh Martin Ralph Blane | 2003 | |||
| "Oh Yes" | Kelvin "K.B." Bradshaw Lloyd "Spec" Turner Missy Elliott | 1998 | |||
| "One Moment in Time" | Albert Hammond John Bettis | 1988 | |||
| "One of Those Days" | Chris Jasper Dwight Reynolds Ernie Isley Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Marvin Isley O'Kelly Isley, Jr. Patrice Stewart Ronald Isley Rudolph Isley Whitney Houston | 2002 | |||
| "One Wish " | Mel Tormé Robert Wells | 2003 | |||
| "Queen of the Night" | Daryl Simmons Kenneth Edmonds L.A. Reid Whitney Houston | 1992 | |||
| "Run to You" | Allan Rich Jud Freidman | 1992 | |||
| "Salute" | R. Kelly | 2009 | |||
| "Same Script, Different Cast" | and Deborah Cox | Montell Jordan Shae Jones Shep Crawford Stacey Daniels | 2000 | ||
| "Saving All My Love for You" | Gerry Goffin Michael Masser | 1985 | |||
| "Shock me" | and Jermaine Jackson | 1985 | |||
| "So Emotional" | Billy Steinberg Tom Kelly | 1987 | |||
| "Someone for Me" | Freddie Washington Raymond Jones | 1985 | |||
| "Somebody Bigger Than You and I" | featuring Bobby Brown, Faith Evans, Johnny Gill, Monica and Ralph Tresvant | Hy Heath Johnny Lange Sonny Burke | 1996 | ||
| "Step by Step" | Annie Lennox | 1996 | |||
| "Takin' a Chance" | Benjamin Winans Keith Thomas Whitney Houston | 1990 | |||
| "Take Good Care of My Heart" | and Jermaine Jackson | Peter McCann Steve Dorff | 1985 | ||
| "Take Me To Your Heart | 1984 | ||||
| "Tell Me No" | Annie Roboff Holly Lamar Kandi Burruss Kenneth Edmonds | 2002 | |||
| "There's Music In You" | Richard Rodgers Oscar Hammerstein II | 1997 | |||
| "" | Mel Tormé Robert Wells | 2003 | |||
| "" | Traditional | 2003 | |||
| "" | Francis Scott Key | 1991 | |||
| "Things You Say" | Charlene Keys Charlie Bereal Kenny Bereal Missy Elliott | 2002 | |||
| "Thinking About You" | Kashif Saleem La Forrest Cope | 1985 | |||
| "True Voice" | Keith Barnhart Dwight Batteau Jr. Charles Morrow Jeffrey Southworth | 1994 | |||
| "Try It on My Own" | Aleese Simmons Carole Bayer Sager Jason Edmonds Kenneth Edmonds Nathan Walton | 2002 | |||
| "Unashamed" | Darius Good Luke Paterna Stephanie Salzman Troy Taylor | 2002 | |||
| "Until You Come Back" | Daryl Simmons Kenneth Edmonds | 1998 | |||
| "We Didn't Know" | and Stevie Wonder | Stevie Wonder | 1990 | ||
| "Whatchulookinat" | Andre Lewis Balewa Muhammad Christopher Stain Deborah Harry Harry Palmer Jesse West Lawrence Parker Tammie Harris Whitney Houston | 2002 | |||
| "When You Believe" | and Whitney Houston | Stephen Schwartz | , #1's and The Prince of Egypt | 1998 | |
| "Where You Are" | Dyan Humes James Calabrese LeMel Humes | 1987 | |||
| "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | Chuck Jackson Frank Wildhorn | 1987 | |||
| "Who Do You Love" | Hubert Eaves III Luther Vandross | 1990 | |||
| "Who Would Imagine a King" | Hallerin Hilton Hill Mervyn Warren | 1996 | |||
| "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" | Kenneth Edmonds | 1995 | |||
| "Worth It" | Johntá Austin Eric Hudson | 2009 | |||
| "You Give Good Love" | La Forrest Cope | 1985 | |||
| "You Light Up My Life" | Kenneth Edmonds Rickey Minor | 2002 | |||
| "You Were Loved" | Diane Warren | 1996 | |||
| "You're Still My Man" | Gerry Goffin Michael Masser | 1987 | |||
| "You'll Never Stand Alone" | Diane Warren | 1998 |