Whitney Houston 2006—present
When Houston's self-titled 1985 debut album was released in February, it initially sold modestly and failed to make in impact. The plan was to first appeal to a black audience, hence the release of the lead single “You Give Good Love,” which peaked at #3 on the U.S. .Billboard Hot 100 while going #1 on the R&B Charts. With the song's success, the album began climbing the charts. The follow-up singles, “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” and “Greatest Love of All” all peaked at number one on the pop singles chart and all would help establish a cross-over base. By 1986, a year after its initial release, Whitney Houston topped the Billboard 200 album chart and stayed there for 14 consecutive weeks . It became an international success, selling over thirteen million copies in the United States alone —making it the best-selling debut album by a female artist. To date, the album has sold approximately 25 million copies worldwide. The album received mainly positive reviews. Many praised the new voice with Rollingstone calling her one of the most exciting new voices in years The same year, Houston launched her first headlining tour called The Greatest Love Tour. Because of her duet Hold Me in 1984, Houston was ineligible for 'Best New Artist' at the 1986 Grammys. Many felt it was unfair because she the award was hers to lose. . However, she did win her first Grammy award for ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female’ for “Saving All My Love for You”. At the same award show, Houston performed her Grammy-winning hit; the performance won Houston her first and only Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Houston also won two American Music Awards for ‘Favorite Soul/ R&B Video’ and ‘Favorite Soul/ R&B Single’ for “Saving All My Love” and “You Give Good Love” respectively; and a MTV Video Music Award for ‘Best Female Video of the Year’ (“How Will I Know”). Houston's grand entrance into the music industry was listed as one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years according to USA Today.
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