3 Eternal Pop Songs by Whitney Houston

Known as “The Voice,” Whitney Houston had a career like a bonfire. It started with a single spark and grew to be a raging, all encompassing mass of light and warmth and then, perhaps too soon, it burned out and she was gone. She was 48 years old when she passed away in 2012 by accident drowning.

Still, though, Houston provided the world some of the best music and vocal performances of all time. She was one of those artists who could sing names and numbers out of a phone book and it might earn her an award before she was done.

Here below, we wanted to example three such songs. A trio of tunes by Houston that she unleashed on the world like balls of fire that have since stood the test of time. Indeed, these are three eternal pop songs by Whitney Houston.

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“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” from Whitney (1987)

If you look up the definition of “1980s pop song” in the dictionary, chances are the tome might point you in the direction of this classic number from Whitney Houston. Bright, upbeat, effervescent, and energetic, this track is a smile-inducing wonder. The song, which won Houston a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, remains a go-to for those looking to leap from their seats and give their minds a little ear candy. It’s a song about wanting connection, but the kind that looks like cutting loose on the dace floor. On the track, Houston sings,

Clock strikes upon the hour

And the sun begins to fade

Still enough time to figure out

How to chase my blues away

I’ve done alright up ’till now

It’s the light of day that shows me how

And when the night falls, loneliness calls

Oh, I wanna dance with somebody

I wanna feel the heat with somebody

Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody

With somebody who loves me

“I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992)

This song was originally written by Dolly Parton as a professional breakup song with her business partner Porter Wagoner. That version was released on Parton’s 1974 album Jolene. Later though, Houston recorded her rendition of the song, bringing her giant voice to the lyrics and, well, making the track her own—even Parton has said so in the years after. It was Houston’s offering that helped make The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album the best-selling soundtrack of all time and the best-selling album by a female artist of all time. Houston’s version might be the best pop vocal performance ever. On the song, she sings about enduring heartfelt feelings, offering,

If I should stay

I would only be in your way

So I’ll go, but I know

I’ll think of you every step of the way

And I will always love you

I will always love you

“Greatest Love of All” from Whitney Houston (1985)

Originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest, Whitney Houston later covered the track for her 1985 self-titled debut LP. Her version, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for three weeks, showcases her passionate, swelling voice. She is a jet plane doing somersaults in the blue sky. On the big-voiced track, she sings,

I believe the children are our future

Teach them well and let them lead the way

Show them all the beauty they possess inside

Give them a sense of pride to make it easier

Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

Everybody searching for a hero

People need someone to look up to

I never found anyone who fulfill my needs

A lonely place to be

And so I learned to depend on me

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