Whitney Houston the female recording artist in history to receive three RIAA Diamond albums.

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Whitney Elizabeth Houston

(August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012)

American singer, mother, mentor, actress, film producer, and philanthropist. Known as “the Voice”

Whitney Houston’s grace and groundbreaking Unparalleled Legacy. She is The first female recording artist in history to receive three RIAA Diamond albums.

Whitney is one of the most awarded entertainers of all time and among the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 220 million records worldwide. The release of the “Whitney” album made her become the first female recording artist to enter the US charts at Number 1. She is the only artist to have had 7 consecutive No. 1 hits in the US charts Houston is known for her crossover appeal on popular music charts that influenced the breaking down of racial barriers, the recording industry, and popular culture, as well as her powerful, soulful vocal performances, the popularization of using gospel singing techniques in pop music, and film production. In 2023, she was ranked second on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest singers of all time. Houston had 11 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the chart. She also enhanced her popularity by entering the film industry. Whitney Houston has become the first Black artist in history to receive three RIAA Diamond albums.

Her accolades include:

  • Eight Grammy Awards
  • 22 American Music Awards
  • Two Emmy Awards
  • 30 Guinness World Records

Houston’s inductions include:

  • Grammy Hall of Fame (twice)
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame
  • BET Walk of Fame
  • Soul Train Hall of Fame
  • Georgia Music Hall of Fame
  • New Jersey Hall of Fame
  • National Recording Registry at the Library of Congres

Whitney Houston’s musical legacy is marked by several unparalleled iconic albums and awards:

Singles along with their RIAA certifications:

  1. “Saving All My Love for You” – Gold
  2. “How Will I Know” – Platinum
  3. “Greatest Love of All” – Gold
  4. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – Platinum
  5. “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” – Gold
  6. “So Emotional” – Gold
  7. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” – Gold
  8. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” – Gold
  9. “All the Man That I Need” – Gold
  10. “I Will Always Love You” – 8x Platinum
  11. “I’m Every Woman” – Gold
  12. “I Have Nothing” – Gold
  13. “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” – Platinum
  14. “I Believe in You and Me” – Gold
  15. “Heartbreak Hotel” – Gold
  16. “My Love Is Your Love” – Platinum
  17. “It’s Not Right but It’s Okay” – Gold
  18. “I Learned from the Best” – Gold
  19. “Look to You” – Gold
  20. “Love Will Save the Day” by Whitney Houston is certified Gold by the RIAA.
  21. “My Name Is Not Susan” by Whitney Houston is certified Gold by the RIAA.
  22. “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Whitney Houston is certified 4X Platinum by the RIAA.

These certifications represent various levels of sales success in the United States, with Gold indicating 500,000 units sold, Platinum indicating 1,000,000 units sold, and each additional “x” indicating an additional million units sold.

Albums and Certifications:

  • “Whitney Houston” (1985) – Achieved RIAA Diamond Certification
  • “Whitney” (1987) – Earned RIAA Diamond Certification
  • “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album” (1992) – Attained RIAA Diamond Certification
  • “The Preacher’s Wife Soundtrack” (1996) – Pending RIAA Diamond Certification

Awards and Honors:

  • Oscar: Whitney Houston won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “When You Believe” from the animated film “The Prince of Egypt,” which she performed with Mariah Carey.
  • Emmy: In 1986, Whitney Houston received an Emmy Award for her memorable performance of “Saving All My Love for You” during the 28th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
  • Golden Globe: Whitney Houston clinched a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “Run to You” from the movie “The Bodyguard” in 1993.
  • People’s Choice Awards: Throughout her illustrious career, Houston secured several People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Female Musical Performer in 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2000.
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee 2020

Grammy Awards:

  1. Album of the Year for “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album” (1994)
  2. Record of the Year for “I Will Always Love You” (1994)
  3. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “I Will Always Love You” (1994)
  4. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (1988)
  5. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” (2000)
  6. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “I Will Always Love You” (1994)
  7. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Saving All My Love for You” (1986)
  8. Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Hold Me” (with Teddy Pendergrass) (1986)
  9. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Higher Love” (with Kygo) (2020)
  10. Best Music Video, Short Form for “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” (2000)

American Music Awards:

  1. Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist (1986, 1988, 1993, 1994)
  2. Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist (1987, 1988, 1994)
  3. Favorite Pop/Rock Album for “Whitney Houston” (1986)
  4. Favorite Soul/R&B Album for “Whitney Houston” (1986)
  5. Special Award of Merit (1994)
  6. Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist (1991, 1993)
  7. Award for International Artist of The Year to Whitney Houston at the American Music Awards 2009.

Billboard Music Awards throughout her career. Here’s the list:

  1. Top Pop Singles Artist (1993)
  2. Hot 100 Singles Female Artist of the Year (1993)
  3. Hot 100 Singles Female Artist of the Year (1994)
  4. Top R&B Album Artist – Female (1994)
  5. Top Hot 100 Singles Artist – Female (1994)
  6. Artist of the Year (1994)
  7. Top Selling Album of the Year (1994) – “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album”
  8. Top Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year – Female (1996)
  9. Top R&B Artist of the Year – Female (1996)
  10. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (1997)
  11. Female Artist of the Decade (1990s)

Guinness World Records. Some of her notable achievements include:

  1. Most awarded female artist of all time: Whitney Houston holds the record for being the most awarded female artist in history, with over 400 recognized awards, including Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and many others.
  2. Only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits: Houston became the first artist to achieve seven consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, starting with “Saving All My Love for You” in 1985 and ending with “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” in 1988.
  3. First female artist with three RIAA Diamond-certified albums: Houston made history by becoming the first female recording artist with three albums certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), recognizing sales of over 10 million copies each.
  4. Best-selling soundtrack album of all time: The soundtrack album for the movie “The Bodyguard,” featuring Whitney Houston’s iconic rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” is recognized as the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, with sales exceeding 45 million copies worldwide.

School Named After Her:

The Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, located in East Orange, New Jersey, stands as a testament to Whitney Houston’s enduring influence. Dedicated to nurturing students’ artistic talents, the school embodies Houston’s passion for creativity and performance.