Whitney (CD - 1987)

Whitney Houston became an international star with this album. It sold more than ten million copies around the world, yielded a string of number one hit singles across the board like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," and "Love Will Save the Day," and established Houston as the era's top female star. She later went on to more than solidify that status, with other hit albums and a budding film career. While this is a far cry from soul, it's the ultimate in polished, super-produced urban contemporary material. ~ Ron Wynn

Whitney Houston's second album sported a flirtier, sexier album cover and a shortened title, and, somewhat improbably, it became an even bigger hit than her 1985 debut. WHITNEY featured an impressive four Number One hits ("I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," and "So Emotional") and a fifth that went Top Ten, "Love Will Save the Day." Building on what had worked so well on her first record, the dance tracks are frothier and endearingly lighter, and the ballads are bigger and more dramatic, highlighting Houston's genuinely impressive vocal talents without resorting to overly bombastic singing (as she would on later albums). On WHITNEY, the diva shows surprising humility when it comes to her voice, and that restraint helps make it her most likable and consistently appealing set. minimize