Whitney cover art

  Studio Album · No. 2

Whitney Songwriting Credits by Whitney Houston

1987 Arista Records 11 tracks 53 min

Produced by Narada Michael Walden, Michael Masser, Kashif, John "Jellybean" Benitez, Stevie Wonder  ·  Engineered by Jim Boyer, Dean Burt, Michael DeLugg, David Frazer, Doc Dougherty, Michael Hutchinson, Fred Law

Arista Records PopDanceR&B
0%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 0 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 0 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Whitney Houston carries a lyricist or composer credit.

0%
0 trackswritten by Whitney Houston 11 tracksoutside writers
Whitney Houston's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist0%
Composer0%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
23
Lyricists
4
Producers
4
No.1 Singles
20 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1987
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Grammy Award for Album of the Year (1988, Nominated)
Data Insight

Whitney Houston again wrote none of the 11 songs on Whitney; like her debut, it was assembled by outside writers and producers led by Narada Michael Walden and Michael Masser. The four chart-topping singles came entirely from professional songwriters: George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam wrote I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly wrote So Emotional, and Michael Masser co-wrote Didn't We Almost Have It All with Will Jennings. The album made Houston the first woman to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, all while singing material she did not write.

Whitney is the second studio album by Whitney Houston, released in June 1987 on Arista Records and produced primarily by Narada Michael Walden, alongside Michael Masser and Jellybean Johnson, a commercial consolidation of the debut's formula that became even more commercially successful, making Houston the first female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and achieving a level of commercial dominance that had not been seen for a female artist since the peak of Barbra Streisand's popularity. Houston did not write any of the original material; the album's song selection was again managed by Clive Davis and the Arista team, resulting in a set of ballads and mid-tempo R&B tracks that maximized Houston's vocal capabilities within the adult contemporary framework. 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)' debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining pop singles of 1987, a dance-pop production by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam that demonstrated Houston's commercial range beyond the pure ballad mode of the debut; 'Didn't We Almost Have It All' and 'So Emotional' also reached number one on the Hot 100. Whitney spent 11 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, winning Houston the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The album confirmed Houston as the dominant commercial voice in American pop music and one of the most commercially successful recording artists of the decade.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) #1
George MerrillShannon Rubicam George MerrillShannon Rubicam Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
2
Just the Lonely Talking Again
Sam Dees Sam Dees Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
3
Love Will Save the Day
Toni C. Toni C. John "Jellybean" Benitez Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
4
Didn't We Almost Have It All #1
Michael MasserWill Jennings Michael MasserWill Jennings Michael Masser Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
5
So Emotional #1
Billy SteinbergTom Kelly Billy SteinbergTom Kelly Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
6
Where You Are
LeMel HumesJames CalabreseDyan Humes LeMel HumesJames CalabreseDyan Humes Kashif Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
7
Love Is a Contact Sport
Preston Glass Preston Glass Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
8
You're Still My Man
Michael MasserGerry Goffin Michael MasserGerry Goffin Michael Masser Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
9
For the Love of You
O'Kelly IsleyRudolph IsleyRonald IsleyMarvin IsleyChris Jasper O'Kelly IsleyRudolph IsleyRonald IsleyMarvin IsleyChris Jasper Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
10
Where Do Broken Hearts Go #1
Frank WildhornChuck Jackson Frank WildhornChuck Jackson Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)
11
I Know Him So Well
Tim RiceBenny AnderssonBjörn Ulvaeus Tim RiceBenny AnderssonBjörn Ulvaeus Narada Michael Walden Whitney Houston (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 27 contributors

More from Whitney Houston

Frequently Asked Questions Whitney

How many songs on Whitney did Whitney Houston write?
Whitney Houston wrote none of the 11 songs on Whitney, her 1987 second album. As on her debut, the material came entirely from outside writers and producers such as Narada Michael Walden, Michael Masser, and Kashif.
Who wrote I Wanna Dance with Somebody for Whitney Houston?
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, the duo known as Boy Meets Girl, who had also written How Will I Know. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Houston a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
Who wrote So Emotional by Whitney Houston?
So Emotional was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, one of four number ones from the album Whitney.
Who wrote Didn't We Almost Have It All by Whitney Houston?
Didn't We Almost Have It All was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings. The ballad was the second single from Whitney and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
How many number one singles came from Whitney by Whitney Houston?
Whitney produced four number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Didn't We Almost Have It All, So Emotional, and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. This made Whitney Houston the first artist to score four number ones from a single album.
How many copies has Whitney by Whitney Houston sold?
Whitney has sold an estimated 20 million copies worldwide and is certified Diamond by the RIAA in the United States. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Houston the first woman to enter the chart at the top.
When did Whitney Houston release Whitney?
Whitney Houston released Whitney, her second studio album, on June 1, 1987 through Arista Records. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988.

Sources