My Tribute To Whitney Houston. [#100-#1] COMPLETED!!!

[JSparksFan]

#75.

One Wish (For Christmas).



The sole single from it's parent album, One Wish: The Holiday Album, "One Wish (For Christmas)" peaked at #20 on the US Adult Contemporary chart. I really like this song for it's lyrics which speak of wishing for unity for Christmas and since I've always considered a Christmas a holiday where togetherness is a frequently overlooked and undervalued theme, I wholly appreciate Whitney's message.

#74.

I'm Knockin'.



As is the norm with every batch, another track from I'm Your Baby Tonight falls. "I'm Knockin'" is actually a pretty decent uptempo track. I love the lyrics and how she compares love to knocking on a door. I can certainly relate though the door has yet to be opened for me.

#73.

For The Lovers.



The first song from Whitney's I Look To You record to fall, "For The Lovers" is another good uptempo jam. I adore the chorus, especially the line, So throw your hands up, for the next three minutes it's about the lovers.

#72.

Get It Back.



"Get It Back" is a pretty good track because of it's lyrics. I really love the message about trying to rekindle the magic of the dying flame that is one's relationship. Unfortunately for me, it's another one of those songs in Houston's discography that I know all too well about.

#71.

Run To You.



One of the more forgettable singles from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album, "Run To You" was a decent hit, peaking in the Top 20 in the UK and the Top 40 in the US. Granted, the song's moderate success may be attributed to the fact that by the time it was released, more than twenty million copies from it's parent album had already been sold. I like this song for Whitney's soulful vocals but there's a reason that this track is often overshadowed by the other songs on the soundtrack and that's because it just isn't as strong.

[NothingFails]

For The Lovers is excellent

Run To You of course is classic too

[BeeFan]

For The Lovers - this would rank higher at mine probably my faave from the I Look To You album

Get It Back - nice album track

Run To You - my first shock on this countdown, too low IMO ....I love it

[GoodBoyGoneBad]

For The Lovers could have been a great single!

[BeeFan]

For The Lovers could have been a great single!

[PosziMC2]

For The Lovers is one of my fav Whitney songs ever. Epic. (Even the live performances)

[Luminator]

Oh no! Run To You is the best track on the whole Bodyguard Soundtrack (actually, it's a tie with I Have Nothing imo) Its melody is sooooo beautifully written and Whitney sings it with so much passion. I'm shocked to see this THAT low.

[JSparksFan]

For The Lovers is excellent

Run To You of course is classic too

I always found it strange that "Worth It" has the words "for the lovers" in it more frequently than Whitney's actual song, "For The Lovers".

"Run To You" is great too, of course.

For The Lovers - this would rank higher at mine probably my faave from the I Look To You album

Get It Back - nice album track

Run To You - my first shock on this countdown, too low IMO ....I love it

"Run To You" is the first shocker? I thought most people would expect it to chart where it did.

For The Lovers could have been a great single!

It definitely has commercial appeal but the most hit-ready song on I Look To You ("Call You Tonight") was never released.

For The Lovers is one of my fav Whitney songs ever. Epic. (Even the live performances)

I'm surprised to see so much love for "For The Lovers"!

Oh no! Run To You is the best track on the whole Bodyguard Soundtrack (actually, it's a tie with I Have Nothing imo) Its melody is sooooo beautifully written and Whitney sings it with so much passion. I'm shocked to see this THAT low.

It's great, no doubt about it, but considering that "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing", two epic ballads, it pales in comparison.

[Play]

What do you not like about Run To You Akini?

[JSparksFan]

What do you not like about Run To You Akini?

It's not that I don't like "I Run To You", it's just that I find it average. There's nothing particularly spectacular about the track and when you think of Whitney's titanic ballads, it falls short of that standard of excellence. It's a 6/10 for me.

[JSparksFan]

#70.

Like I Never Left.



Considering that I Look To You was Whitney's comeback record, I found "Like I Never Left" to fit that theme perfectly. This mid-tempo R&B jam features vocals from Akon and I think though the two make an odd pair, the collaboration, more or less, worked.

#69.

The First Nöel.



"The First Nöel" is actually my fave traditional Christmas hymn and I really enjoyed Whitney's cover of it. I love the R&B throwback vibe Whitney brings to the classic and I think she tastefully re-arranges it.

#68.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire).



The highest-ranking track from Whitney's One Wish: The Holiday Album, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" is also the longest song title in Houston's discography. Although the song's a Christmas classic, Whitney's version was the very first I'd ever heard in full and I really love Whitney's voice on the track.

#67.

You Give Good Love.



Whitney's debut single, "You Give Good Love" was a hit in the US where it peaked at #3 to become the first of many more Top 5 hits for Houston. Whitney's vocals sound so full here and though the lyrics were met with some criticism for what a few music columnists deemed to be "sexually provocative", I think the track is a very tasteful song and it merely hints as to what Whitney's capable of.

#66.

For The Love of You.



Only the first track to fall from Whitney's sophomore album, Whitney, "For The Love of You" is a soulful R&B track complete with string instruments and those signature vocals from Houston.

[phoenix98]

"One Wish (For Christmas)" = the message is...sweet...but I do believe that, just the other day, you were poking fun at the cliche-Beauty Queen Pageant response of wanting "world peace" more than anything else of course, I do enjoy the "coming together" part of the holidays, with friends and family and whatnot.

"I'm Knockin'" = hmmm...maybe I need to give this one a few more listens to hear what you hear...cause after my first few listens, I'm not impressed. it's one of my least favorite tracks on IYBT, certainly worse than several tracks that already fell ("Miracle", "Takin' A Chance", "Higher Love") I guess the whole...jazzy/R&B vibe is kinda cool. but there's no guarantee what you'll find on the other side of that door, Whitney. the ending isn't bad: "ask me what I want, peace of mind, ask me what I don't, wasting my time..."

"For The Lovers" = IIRC, there were people on UKMix rooting for this to be a single, but I'm not too impressed. it's not terrible, but there's better non-singles left on ILTY (*cough* "Call You Tonight" *cough*). granted, on first listen, I wasn't too impressed with any of the tracks on ILTY that I hadn't heard before.

"Get It Back" = it's not super catchy, but I too can appreciate the message in this one...working to rekindle the flame in a relationship, remembing the "good times", finding ways to keep the spark alive, etc. granted, in Whitney's case, she would've been better off just leaving the douche...

"Run To You" = aw, way too harsh on this one! I agree that it gets overshadowed by the other Bodyguard ballads, and rightfully so, but it's pretty damn tough to compete with "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing". looking at it on its own, "Run To You" is pretty great! No. 71 is way too low! I'm sure there's a part of you that can relate to this one too "won't you hold me in your arms, and keep me safe from harm..."

"Like I Never Left" = oh, Akon...how very 2009! (well, 2006/2007 really) still, it's not a bad duet. I honestly never thought about it the way you mention in your comments, but I suppose it does work as a metaphor for her career too.

"You Give Good Love" = *shakes head* another criminal ranking right here! this one took quite a while to grow on me, but when it finally hit me, it hit me like a truck. definitely my second favorite track on her debut (after "How Will I Know"). "now you're here like you've been before, and you know just what I need.." the way she sings ""now you're here" alone = slayyyed. <3

"For The Love Of You" = the chorus isn't bad, but this one does put me to sleep a bit it's nice that she can show restraint on some ballads (I guess this is technically more of a "mid-tempo")...but it seems that when she's too restrained...they turn out quite boring.

[BeeFan]

I kinda like Like I Never Left though I got pretty bored of Akon

You Give Good Love is nice

[JSparksFan]

"One Wish (For Christmas)" = the message is...sweet...but I do believe that, just the other day, you were poking fun at the cliche-Beauty Queen Pageant response of wanting "world peace" more than anything else of course, I do enjoy the "coming together" part of the holidays, with friends and family and whatnot.

Yeah, I'm inconsistent. You're just finding this out now, Paul?

"I'm Knockin'" = hmmm...maybe I need to give this one a few more listens to hear what you hear...cause after my first few listens, I'm not impressed. it's one of my least favorite tracks on IYBT, certainly worse than several tracks that already fell ("Miracle", "Takin' A Chance", "Higher Love") I guess the whole...jazzy/R&B vibe is kinda cool. but there's no guarantee what you'll find on the other side of that door, Whitney. the ending isn't bad: "ask me what I want, peace of mind, ask me what I don't, wasting my time..."

But if she never knocks, how will she ever find out?

"For The Lovers" = IIRC, there were people on UKMix rooting for this to be a single, but I'm not too impressed. it's not terrible, but there's better non-singles left on ILTY (*cough* "Call You Tonight" *cough*). granted, on first listen, I wasn't too impressed with any of the tracks on ILTY that I hadn't heard before.

I agree completely.

"Get It Back" = it's not super catchy, but I too can appreciate the message in this one...working to rekindle the flame in a relationship, remembing the "good times", finding ways to keep the spark alive, etc. granted, in Whitney's case, she would've been better off just leaving the douche...

The heart wants what the heart wants. Even the best of us often ignore our better judgement when it comes to love.

"Run To You" = aw, way too harsh on this one! I agree that it gets overshadowed by the other Bodyguard ballads, and rightfully so, but it's pretty damn tough to compete with "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing". looking at it on its own, "Run To You" is pretty great! No. 71 is way too low! I'm sure there's a part of you that can relate to this one too "won't you hold me in your arms, and keep me safe from harm..."

Perhaps...

"Like I Never Left" = oh, Akon...how very 2009! (well, 2006/2007 really) still, it's not a bad duet. I honestly never thought about it the way you mention in your comments, but I suppose it does work as a metaphor for her career too.

This has nothing to do with Whitney but Akon isn't too hard on the eyes, now that I think about it. As far as the song goes, it's nothing spectacular but I still really like it for the beat and the comeback theme.

"You Give Good Love" = *shakes head* another criminal ranking right here! this one took quite a while to grow on me, but when it finally hit me, it hit me like a truck. definitely my second favorite track on her debut (after "How Will I Know"). "now you're here like you've been before, and you know just what I need.." the way she sings ""now you're here" alone = slayyyed. <3

*Gets handcuffs*

You know what to do. I'm glad that you've found another Whitney track that you've really connected with. No doubt that The Voice will continue to slay you as the countdown continues.

"For The Love Of You" = the chorus isn't bad, but this one does put me to sleep a bit it's nice that she can show restraint on some ballads (I guess this is technically more of a "mid-tempo")...but it seems that when she's too restrained...they turn out quite boring.

I agree completely but I think she has just the right level of restraint on this track.

I kinda like Like I Never Left though I got pretty bored of Akon

You Give Good Love is nice

Akon's feature on the track is pretty overlookable and I'm glad you like "You Give Good Love".

[JSparksFan]

#65.

Oh Yes.



At nearly seven minutes, this Missy Elliot-penned and produced track is the longest song in Houston's discography. Despite its lengthiness, the song still manages to entertain the listener for the entire duration. The chorus is my favourite part of the R&B tune and my favourite line is, It's you that makes me smile when everything gets crazy.

#64.

I Love The Lord.



Paul, I can see you dozing already. "I Love The Lord" is a Whitney song that I'm all too familiar with as my sister's played this track to death. As do most gospel songs, this track speaks about submitting ourselves entirely to the Lord and placing our burdens and pains upon His shoulders. Whitney's vocals here are at her pitch-perfect best.

#63.

Who Do You Love.



An uptempo R&B/Pop track, "Who Do You Love" has such a strong first verse and the chorus is pretty good too. While I feel that the first half of the song greatly outshines the second half, I think the track is still pretty solid overall and it's definitely one of those Whitney tracks that I can relate to.

#62.

Salute.



One of Whitney's empowerment anthems, "Salute" speaks of dealing with a relationship gone sour. It's definitely got some uplifting lyrics which lead to a gorgeous chorus. Though it was pretty obvious that her vocals had deteriorated, this track is just one of many testaments that Whitney had a great grasp of how to use her voice to really bring a song to life.

#61.

Why Does It Hurt So Bad.



The first of three tracks Whitney contributed to the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack album, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is one of those songs that just build and built 'til Whitney reaches a stunning climax. The song was a moderate hit in the US and Canada peaking at #26 and #45, respectively.

[NothingFails]

You Give Good Love is soooooo low. Always thought it was a fantastic r&b single for her that while a huge US hit (#3) never quite got its due in Europe where it was pretty much swept under the rug.

"For The Love Of You" is pleasant, though about rightly positioned since she did far superior midtempos.

Why Does It Hurt So Bad is my fave from the second batch, I remember how Whitney practically killed it when she performed that song on the 1996 MTV Movie Awards.

[Tiger]

#71.

Run To You.

#69.

The First Nöel.

#67.

You Give Good Love.


Run To You

[PosziMC2]

Oh Yes is epic!

[BeeFan]

Oh Yes, Salute, Why Does It Hurt So Bad are all good, but there are no highlights in the last batch IMO

[GoodBoyGoneBad]

Salute is a great closing track... never thought this would have be not just the final track of I Look To You, but the final track of her discography...

[JSparksFan]

You Give Good Love is soooooo low. Always thought it was a fantastic r&b single for her that while a huge US hit (#3) never quite got its due in Europe where it was pretty much swept under the rug.

"For The Love Of You" is pleasant, though about rightly positioned since she did far superior midtempos.

Why Does It Hurt So Bad is my fave from the second batch, I remember how Whitney practically killed it when she performed that song on the 1996 MTV Movie Awards.

Yes, that was a stunning performance indeed!

#71.

Run To You.

#69.

The First Nöel.

#67.

You Give Good Love.

Run To You

Aw, you didn't like any from the second batch?

Oh Yes is epic!

It's very good, yes, but epic is being a tad bit too generous.

Oh Yes, Salute, Why Does It Hurt So Bad are all good, but there are no highlights in the last batch IMO

Hmm...Well, seeing as we're still in the bottom half of the countdown, that doesn't really raise a red flag. Hopefully you'll find a highlight in this upcoming batch.

Salute is a great closing track... never thought this would have be not just the final track of I Look To You, but the final track of her discography...

In retrospect, I guess it was an apt song to close out the album and regrettably...her career.

[JSparksFan]

#60.

Million Dollar Bill.



Released as the lead international single from Houston's final album, I Look To You, "Million Dollar Bill" is a feel-good, uptempo, disco-influenced R&B jam. The song was a pretty sizable hit in the UK where it peaked at #5 though the single would fail to replicate the same success in other territories. Admittedly, I didn't really like the song much initially as radio here overplayed it. It has definitely grown on me since it's release though.

#59.

Just The Lonely Talking Again.



Were I a song, I'd hate to be the song that had to follow up "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" as this track did on Whitney's sophomore record. A soulful, R&B ballad, the song holds it's own on an album full of classics. This is just one of many testaments as to Whitney's unparalleled skills as a balladeer.

#58.

I Know Him So Well.



A duet with her mother, Cissy Houston, "I Know Him So Well" is another great moment on Whitney. Two soulful voices combined on one track makes for a pretty enjoyable song and when one of those voices is Houston's, you know you're in for a treat. Love Whitney's soaring vocals on the chorus.

#57.

Joy To The World.



"Joy To The World" first appeared on the soundtrack album, The Preacher's Wife though it would also be featured in Whitney's Christmas compilation, One Wish: The Holiday Album. Whitney's massive vocals are a force to be reckoned with by themselves but the aid of the Georgia Mass Choir makes this one heck of a Christmas cover! It's her best Christmas cover by a country mile.

#56.

You Were Loved.



Penned by the legendary Diane Warren, "You Were Loved" is a song I fondly remember hearing on the radio as a very young boy. The entire song is a lyrical masterpiece but the chorus is especially poignant.

[PosziMC2]

Million Dollar Bill >>>>

Joy To The World >>>>

I Know Him So Well >>>

[NothingFails]

Million Dollar Bill deserved to be a major smash.

I Know Him So Well is okay, but I prefer the original by Elaine Paige

[Tiger]

#60.

Million Dollar Bill.

That's OK...