Dance with somebody: The ultimate Whitney Houston playlist

Whitney Houston’s single “You Give Good Love” is an essential love song. The singer stresses how she’s been yearning for the love that girls always dream of, and she finally finds it.

Whitney's second studio album, Whitney, spawned five singles, including the lead track “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” The dance-heavy single was a smash hit on the Billboard charts.

For Whitney's third album, I’m Your Baby Tonight, the title track was produced and written by Babyface and L.A. Reid. The No. 1 hit song showcased how Whitney could deliver acrobatics with her voice.

Country legend Dolly Parton had a hit with “I Will Always Love You” in the ‘70s. However, Whitney made it even more massive when she recorded it for The Bodyguard soundtrack. It’s a prime example of Whitney knowing how to bring her own essence to a cover song, while still giving an ode to the original. 

When Whitney released her third single from her debut album, it was quite a change from her previous singles. While fans were used to hearing her sing ballads, this time around, she gave a dance-heavy track that became a top-five hit on the Dance Songs chart and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.

The ‘80s showcased R&B artists venturing into pop and rock tracks. Whitney's single “So Emotional” was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who were known for penning hits for artists such as Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. “So Emotional” earned Houston her sixth consecutive No. 1 hit.

“Saving All My Love For You” was initially sung by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., and Whitney decided to put her spin on it. The song is beautifully composed but can lyrically be a bit controversial as it details having an affair with a married man. She sings, “Though I try to resist, being last on your list / But no other man's gonna do / So I'm saving all my love for you.” 

The Bodyguard soundtrack also had Whitney perform a cover of the Chaka Khan hit, “I’m Every Woman.” While the song already had massive success with Khan, Whitney's version helped push the song to international success.

In the ‘90s, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey were two of the best-selling artists, so it was quite a moment when the powerhouse divas came together for a collaboration. They recorded “When You Believe,” a lead single from The Prince of Egypt soundtrack. Whitney and Mariah trade vocals as they stress how miracles can happen if you look to a higher power.

Soulful singer George Benson initially released “Greatest Love of All” in the late ‘70s, and it saw some success. However, the song became even more popular when Whitney released her version several years later. The song is all about self-love, pride, and finding people to look up to.

Whitney’s 1999 single, “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” showcases the state of R&B during that era. Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins was in high demand for producing hit R&B records, and he delivered on Whitney’s single in which she calls out her lover for infidelity. “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” earned a Grammy win for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Whitney had such a powerful and strong voice, and it always shined the brightest on ballads. “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” is the type of song that displays her octave range.

“All the Man That I Need” was the second single from Whitney’s album I’m Your Baby Tonight. The track may be a love song with a saxophone solo from Kenny G, but it also enlists gospel elements in which a choir is added to the hook later in the song.

Although "Run to You" wasn’t a huge success like previous singles from The Bodyguard soundtrack, the song still reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The love song also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” was the fourth single released from Whitney's sophomore album. This time around, the singer was back to singing a ballad for her fans.

Whitney’s fourth album My Love Is Your Love was the singer's first studio album in eight years. The album’s title track was written and produced by Wyclef Jean, and his style helped give Whitney a different type of sound with reggae-influenced elements.

Due to Whitney playing the role of a pop star in The Bodyguard film, it was only right for her to contribute to the movie soundtrack. One of the standouts was the ballad “I Have Nothing.” The song earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

The lead single for Whitney’s fourth album was a collaboration alongside R&B darlings Faith Evans and Kelly Price. “Heartbreak Hotel” was a perfect single for all three powerhouses as they are known for singing about love, heartbreak and wearing emotions on their sleeve. The single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Love Will Save the Day” was the final single released from Whitney's sophomore album. Houston is trying to inspire listeners not to allow life’s battles to get them down. She believes that sometimes love and prayer are all one needs.

Whitney teamed up with gospel powerhouse CeCe Winans on “Count On Me,” the fourth single from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. Their bold voices complement each other tremendously as they sing about being there for their true friends.

Renowned songwriter Diane Warren was in high demand for penning some of the biggest ballads. Warren wrote the smooth Whitney ballad “I Learned from the Best,” the final single from My Love Is Your Love. It’s the type of song for Whitney fans who miss her classic ballads.

In 2009, “Million Dollar Bill” became the final single Whitney released from a studio album. The upbeat track produced by Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys brought an old-school and disco element to Whitney's sound. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Whitney starred alongside Denzel Washington in the 1996 film The Preacher’s Wife. The soundtrack’s lead single was Whitney singing a cover of The Four Tops' hit “I Believe In You and Me.” Whitney’s version became a top-five hit on the R&B charts.

As Whitney was getting more into acting roles, she starred in the film Waiting to Exhale. Once again, she contributed to the film’s soundtrack with the lead single “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).” The Babyface-produced track became Whitney’s eleventh number-one single.

“One of Those Days” is the song you press play on for a relaxing, feel-good moment. As Whitney perfectly sings, “One of those days / When the sun is shining bright / And my life is going right / And the simple things are not wasted.”