Today the world stopped to say goodbye to Grammy-winning pop icon Whitney Houston. Laid to rest at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, the very church where she got her start, tearful mourners watched the emotional service with hopes of saying farewell to the fallen icon. With an unparalleled career that moved over 170 million albums and landed 11 number 1 singles (7 of them consecutively) with just 6 LPs and 2 soundtracks, Miss Houston has left behind a legacy that will know no rival.
Even with such a well loved catalogue, there are a number of tunes oft-overlooked of the ‘So Emotional’ singer’s discography. In such, That Grape Juice looks to honor ‘The Voice’ by sharing our favorites from her illustrious collection. Get into them below:
‘Where You Are’ – Whitney (1987)
Lifted from Whitney’s self-titled sophomore album ‘Whitney’, ‘Where You Are’ is one of many gems on this album that helped Houston earn the title of first female artist to debut at #1 on Billboard’s album charts. Telling a story similar to that of Houston’s later hit ‘Run To You’, ‘Where’ works to narrate missing. Unlike many of her signature tunes, Nippy pauses her unparalleled belting to let her oft-praise falsetto take center stage throughout most of the song. It’s a must listen:
After We Make Love – I’m Your Baby Tonight (1990)
An almost haunting vocal performance, ‘After We Make Love’ was lifted from 1990’s ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight’. An album filled with Houston’s ventures into new jack swing and more urban/upbeat numbers, ‘After’ – like #1 hit ‘All The Man That I Need’ – was a welcomed departure back to display what made Houston a household name – the voice. Get into this criminally underrated ballad below:
‘Until You Come Back’ – My Love Is Your Love (1998)
As Houston introduced her hotly-selling 1998 album ‘My Love Is Your Love’, her foray into hip-hop/urban offerings was becoming more pronounced. Boasting grooves like ‘It’s Not Right, But It’s Ok’ and ‘HeartBreak Hotel’, Whitney aimed to please the contemporary audiences and introduce the late 90s generation to a new – and in ways – improved Whitney. However, never abandoning her longstanding fanbase, a cue to throwback Whitney certainly came in tunes like the Diane Warren written ‘You’ll Never Stand Alone’ and ‘Until You Come Back’. No background vocals – just instruments and that voice!
Lending some of her most impressive vocals from later in life, get into the soulful showing:
‘Call You Tonight’ – I Look To You (2009)
‘Call You Tonight’, lifted from 2009’s ‘I Look to You’, calls attentions to Whitney’s ‘new voice’. Deeper and sultry in tone, Houston learned a new way to soar as evidenced by the offerings of her last studio LP. Delving deeper into R&B contemporaneousness than its ‘Just Whitney’ and ‘My Love Is Your Love’ predecessors, ‘Look’ got into a new groove and showed fans a new Whitney for the 2000s. Lending her vocals to the Johnta Austin-penned/Stargate produced tune, she told a story of love at first sight. And we bet after one earful, and you’ll be in love at first listen:
*Honorable Mention*
‘Just The Lonely Talking Again’ – Whitney (1987)
‘Love Is A Contact Sport’, Taking a Chance’, ‘Unashamed’, ‘Love That Man’, ‘For the Love Of You’ (remake), and ‘Worth It’ are just few more of the countless numbers worth mentioning that we could’ve highlighted in Houston’s honor. As we remember this legend for the gift that she was, tell us some of your favorite underrated Whitney tracks!
#We love you Whitney!
![Whitney Houston's 'The Concert for a New South Africa' Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Live Album Release & New Song 'Love Is' [Stream]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/whitney-concert-live-south-africa-album-2024-stream-thatgrapejuice-houston-464x260.jpg "Whitney Houston's 'The Concert for a New South Africa' Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Live Album Release & New Song 'Love Is' [Stream].")
R.I.P. WHITNEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qr3jWrocDM
Wish that guy would STOP spamming his vids!
Someone for Me, Love Will Save the Day, Miracle, I Belong To You, You Light Up My Life, Unashamed and the Yvonne Turner (European) mix of I’m Your Baby Tonight. Let’s not forget You’re Still My Man, All At Once (these songs are twins), I’m Knockin’ and We Didn’t Know. There was also Takin’ A Chance which appeared on the Japanese release of I’m Your Baby Tonight.
Is it just me or has Mary J. Blige been noticeable silent since Whitney’s passing. She must be so down.
I LOVE “Where You Are” and “Just the Lonely Talking Again” they are two of my favorite Whitney songs in rotation on my m** player. I also love her duets with Jermaine Jackson like “Take Good Care Of My Heart”, “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” ( was sang in my wedding in 1998) and “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful” ; and “Hold Me” with Teddy Pendergrass. But “You Give Good Love” will always be my all-time Whitney favorite. I also have to mention “Miracle” and its pro-life message. Whitney left us so many gems, her music lives on.
Anne, thanks for sharing. You are not one of the fake fans, you have loved her before and during her struggles.
I am 23 years old and I grew up listening to her. Every Saturday, my mother would play her songs as my sister and I cleaned the house.
I admired her deeply and loved her from a far all through the pain. Today, I cried for her like she was my family member because she was one, at least in my mind. Whitney was incomparable, she was beautiful and she had a God given talent.
No matter what people say about her, I will forever cherish the late, great Whitney Houston. Rest in Peace my favorite singer and sister in my mind. I love you Whitney!
IMO
February 18, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Wish that guy would STOP spamming his vids!
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THIS!!!
Just the lonely talking is my favorite Whitney song of all time
Just The Lonely talking is one of my favorite Whiney songs. R.I.P Whitney
IF WE COULD JUST GET IT BACK!!! is also my all time whitney favourite, another underrated song is LIKE I NEVER LEFTft akon from the i look to you album, great song and remisent of the current happenings!! as whitney demands to be loved “like she never left”, i will defenetly continue to love her like she never left!!
I love “Things You Say”.
count on me is my fav….
If I am just naming songs that were not singles it would entail Someone for Me, Lover For Life, I Belong To You, After We Make Love, Queen Of The Night, A Song For You (Live Concert version from 92), Joy To The World, Who Could Imagine A King, I Bow Out, Love That Man, Hold On Help Is On The Way
YES “The lonely talking again” has always been one of my favs from Whitney, so beautiful, so untouchable.
And I agree “after we make love” has that haunting power. Amazing. One of my favs from the I´m your baby Tonight album
Whitney´s best albums were her first two. people is always Bodyguard this Bodyguard that, but 80´s Whitney… omg just crystal clear voice like no other. Of course the Bodyguard soundtrack is stunning. But 80´s Whitney is just like too good to be true. We´ll never have that again, I really think we won´t. Live performances from that era are just out of this f****** universe
ps: I didn´t know Billboard allowed old singles to reenter the hot100 now. I just saw I Will ALY is in the top10. Great. Next week it will be higher. This woman slays, just like Michael
Another hidden gem that gets so overlooked is “You Were Loved” from The Preacher’s Wife Soundtrack. It really reminds me of old school Whitney and the message is so relevant in this present time in regards to her and us. Also another gem from that soundtrack is “I Believe In You and Me.” For me that song is just as resonating as “I Will Always Love You” if not more. Especially when she sings it live in the movie, the tone of her voice complimented with the jazz arrangement was just…
None of these songs would be “songs you’ve never heard” if you would have bought her albums. I thought you were going to post some unreleased track that we truly never heard. SMH…
I agree woth Boopi. I was expecting tracks like Moment of Truth, Memories, Higher Love, etc.
Her duets with Jermaine: If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful, Nobody Loves Me Like You Do, Take Good Care Of My Heart. LOVE them soooo much. (Though not so fond of Shock Me).
Other ‘hidden’ gems:
Where You Are, Lover For Life, Miracle (should have been released as a single worldwide), Same Script Different Cast, Try It On My Own, Salute, Nothin’ But Love.
OH Yes also true hidden gems are Higher Love and Eternal love
I loved Until you come back. I didn’t know the words to the song when I was little but I tried to imitate her. I wasn’t even born when Whitney started her career. My faves are Until you come back, You’ll never stand alone, If you say my eyes are beautiful, I learned from the best, The greatest love of all (all time fave), Same script different cast, Miracle, Salute… There are so much of them.
My favorite is Just The Lonely Talking Again. It wasn’t one of her big hits, but it was another example of her fantastic voice combined with a great song. It is a soft, smooth R & B song that allowed her to show another aspect of her vocal style and it touches my soul whenever it hear it. If there is a video of her singing this song, please share the information.
God bless her soul, her family and true friends.
God bless us everyone.