American singer Whitney Houston has released seven studio albums, three soundtrack albums, ten compilation albums, six box sets and seven extended plays. Regarded as “The Voice” and a pop culture icon, she is among the best-selling recording artists of all time, with record sales of over 220 million units worldwide. She is ranked by the RIAA as the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century and fifth highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 62 million album-equivalent units. Houston is the first black recording artist to produce three albums to go diamond by the RIAA.
In 1983, Houston signed a recording contract with Arista Records. The first release under the label was her self-titled debut album, Whitney Houston (1985). A global smash, the album peaked inside the top ten in fourteen countries and topped the charts in seven of them, including the Billboard 200 for a 14-week run a year after its release in 1986, ending the year as the top ranked album on the Billboard 200, the first occurrence for a female artist. It was the first studio album by a woman to be certified ten-times platinum by the RIAA, going on to be certified platinum 14 times. Global sales reached 25 million, making it the best-selling debut album by a solo artist and the best-selling R&B studio release by a female artist, earning Houston her first Guinness World Records. She followed her debut album with Whitney (1987), which became the first album by a woman to debut atop the Billboard 200, staying there for 11 consecutive weeks and reached number one in 14 countries.
Houston entered the 1990s with the release of I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), which became a global success selling ten million units worldwide, becoming the best-selling R&B album of 1991. Houston released her first soundtrack album, The Bodyguard (1992), for the film of the same name. It topped the charts in every other country it charted, accumulating 20 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 alone. The soundtrack broke sales records, becoming the first album to sell a million units in a single week and was certified diamond by the RIAA in 1993, marking the first time ever for a female artist, and would later be certified platinum 19 times. Global sales reached 50 million units worldwide, making it the third best-selling album of all time. Houston's second soundtrack, The Preacher's Wife (1996), for the film of the same name, went on to sell 6 million global units, becoming the best-selling gospel album ever. Houston released her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love (1998). The album would stay on the Billboard 200 for two years and topped the European Albums Chart. Global units of that album reached 10 million.
Houston entered the 2000s with her first greatest hits compilation album, Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000), which reached the top ten in various countries and topped the UK Albums Chart and sold over 10 million units worldwide. After renewing her contract with Arista for $100 million, Houston issued her fifth studio album, Just Whitney (2002), following it up with One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003) and I Look to You (2009), the latter of which was her fourth and final number one Billboard 200 album and became a global hit. Following her death in 2012, Houston's The Greatest Hits peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Since then, her estate has released four albums, including the compilation, I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston (2012), which has since become Houston's longest charting album on the Billboard 200. The live album, Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances (2014), debuted at number one on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.
Albums Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions CertificationsUS The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack: US R&B Top R&B Albums: The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack: AUSAustralian peak chart positions: Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to June 19, 1988: N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 19, 1988. Top 50 (ARIA) peaks from June 26, 1988: For Just Whitney and One Wish: For Whitney Houston Live: The Greatest Performances: "Love Will Save the Day" and "One Moment in Time" (ARIA) peaks: Top 100 (ARIA) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: "My Name Is Not Susan" (ARIA) peak: "Queen of the Night" (ARIA) peak: N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached. "Something in Common" (ARIA) peak: "Count on Me" (ARIA) peak: "Saving All My Love For You", "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All", "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and "I'm Every Woman" (ARIA) 2012 re-entries: AUTCANPeak chart positions for albums in Canada: Up to 1999: Since 2000: Just Whitney: FRAPeak chart positions for albums in France:
The Bodyguard Soundtrack: GERPeak chart positions for albums in Germany: Since 1985: Since 1996: The Bodyguard Soundtrack: NLDSWEUKUK chart peaks: Top 100 peaks: The Bodyguard Soundtrack: Note: The soundtrack was classified as a compilation for chart purposes, and thus the peak position for the soundtrack is that on the compilation chart, not the main albums chart. The soundtrack peaked at number one on its 6th week of release (January 2, 1993) and stayed the pole position for 11 non-consecutive weeks. "I Look to You" (single): Whitney Houston Released: February 14, 1985 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette, LP 1 1 1 9 1 13 2 5 1 2 US: 14× Platinum (Diamond) AUS: 5× PlatinumARIA certifications for albums: Before 1993: I'm Your Baby Tonight (album): Since 1997: The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack: My Love Is Your Love: The Ultimate Collection: AUT: Platinum CAN: Diamond The Bodyguard Soundtrack: FRA: Gold SNEP certifications for albums: Before 1992: Since 1992: The Bodyguard Soundtrack: My Love Is Your Love: Whitney: The Greatest Hits: Just Whitney: I Look to You: GER: Platinum NLD: Platinum SWE: 2× PlatinumIFPI Sweden certifications for albums and singles: From 1987 to 1998: Since 2000: My Love Is Your Love, Whitney: The Greatest Hits and "Could I Have This Kiss Forever": The Ultimate Collection: I Look to You: UK: 4× Platinum Whitney Released: June 1, 1987 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette, LP 1 2 1 1 1 6 1 1 1 1 US: Diamond AUS: 3× Platinum AUT: 2× Platinum CAN: 7× Platinum FRA: Platinum GER: Platinum NLD: Platinum SWE: 2× Platinum UK: 7× Platinum I'm Your Baby Tonight Released: November 6, 1990 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette, LP 3 1 10 2 12 9 3 4 3 4 US: 4× Platinum AUS: Platinum AUT: Platinum CAN: Platinum FRA: Platinum GER: Platinum NLD: Platinum SWE: Platinum UK: Platinum My Love Is Your Love Released: November 17, 1998 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette, LP 13 7 42 1 13 2 2 1 7 4 US: 4× Platinum AUS: Gold AUT: Platinum CAN: 2× Platinum FRA: 2× Platinum NLD: Platinum SWE: 2× Platinum UK: 3× Platinum Just Whitney Released: December 10, 2002 Label: Arista Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download 9 3 114 33 85 25 16 70 ― 76 US: Platinum FRA: Gold One Wish: The Holiday Album Released: November 18, 2003 Label: Arista Formats: CD, digital download 49 14 — — — — — — — ― US: Gold I Look to You Released: August 31, 2009 Label: Arista Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download 1 1 16 3 1 3 1 1 2 3 US: Platinum AUT: Gold CAN: Platinum FRA: Gold GER: Gold SWE: Gold UK: Gold "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Soundtracks Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications Sales US US R&B AUS AUT CAN FRA GER NLD SWE UK The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album Released: November 17, 1992 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette, LP 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 US: 19× Platinum (Diamond) AUS: 5× Platinum AUT: 4× Platinum CAN: Diamond FRA: Diamond GER: 3× Platinum NLD: Platinum SWE: Platinum UK: 7× Platinum World: 50,000,000 US: 13,450,000In the US sales of The Bodyguard Soundtrack, 1,310,000 copies sold from BMG Music Clubs was added to 12,140,000 from Nielsen SoundScan as of October 2014. SoundScan data: BMG Music Club sales: AUS: 346,000 GER: 1,700,000 SWE: 343,000 UK: 2,255,000 The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album Released: November 27, 1996 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette 3 1 34 8 33 2 9 1 1 35 US: 3× Platinum AUS: Gold CAN: Platinum SWE: Gold UK: Silver World: 6,000,000 US: 2,491,000 I Wanna Dance with Somebody (The Movie: Whitney New, Classic and Reimagined) Released: December 16, 2022 Label: RCA Formats: Digital download, streaming — — 83 — — — — — — —
Compilation albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications Sales US US R&B AUS AUT CAN FRA GER NLD SWE UK Whitney: The Greatest Hits Released: May 16, 2000 Label: Arista Formats: CD, cassette 2 3 3 3 4 9 2 2 4 1 US: 5× Platinum AUS: 2× Platinum CAN: Platinum FRA: 2× Gold GER: Platinum NLD: Platinum SWE: Platinum UK: 5× Platinum World: 10,000,000 UK: 1,770,000 Love, Whitney Released: November 20, 2001 Label: Arista Format: CD — ― — 42 — 167 — 24 12 22 Artist Collection: WhitneyHouston Released: October 4, 2004 Label: Sony BMG Europe / Arista Formats: CD, CD+DVD — — — — — — — — — — The Ultimate Collection Released: October 29, 2007 Label: Sony Music / Arista Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download — — 3 1 15 52 3 — 10 3 AUS: 2× Platinum GER: 2× Platinum SWE: Gold UK: 6× Platinum World: 6,000,000 The Essential Whitney Houston Released: January 10, 2011 Label: Sony Music / Arista Formats: CD, digital download ― ― 7 26 3 51 20 — ― 7 UK: Silver All Time Best - Reclam Musik Edition Released: August 28, 2011 Label: Arista / Sony Formats: CD — — — — — — 76 — — — I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston Released: November 13, 2012 Label: RCA Formats: CD, vinyl, digital download 14 2 74 ― 94 99 ― 61 ― 13 UK: 2x Platinum US: Gold Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- Released: December 21, 2022 Label: Sony Music Japan International Formats: CD+DVD — — — — — — — — — — I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston Released: March 24, 2023 Label: Arista / Legacy Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digitaldownload, streaming — — — ― — — ― — ― — WH1TNEY Released: August 7, 2026 Label: Arista / Legacy Formats: Vinyl, streaming 148 44 — ― — — ― — ― — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications US US R&BAUS FRA NLD UK VH1 Divas 1999 Released: November 2, 1999 Label: Arista Formats: Cassette, CD 90 78 — 42 41 —US: Gold Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances Released: November 10, 2014 Label: Sony Music Entertainment Formats: CD, CD+DVD, CD+DVD 2×LP, digital download 19 2 119 123 63 66 The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) Released: November 8, 2024 Label: Sony Music Entertainment Formats: CD, 2×LP, digital download — — — 184 — —
Reissues Title Album details Peak chart positions US US R&B I Wish You Love: More from The Bodyguard Released: November 17, 2017 Label: Legacy Recordings Formats: CD, digital download, 2× limited vinyl 165 22
Box sets Title Album details Note(s) Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes Released: April 25, 2000 / June 6, 2006 Label: Arista (#07822-14652-1) Formats: 4× vinyl, digital download A limited-edition four 12-inch vinyl box set, containing eight full club versions of selected remixes found on the American release of Whitney: The Greatest Hits. In summer of 2006, it was released digitally, re-titled Dance Vault Mixes: The Unreleased Mixes (Special Collector's Box Set). Love Whitney Released: December 4, 2001 Label: BMG Taiwan / Arista (#74321-91027-2) Format: CD Taiwanese limited edition box set for the album Love, Whitney, the 16-track CD plus a 40-page color discography/lyric booklet, packaged in a unique 6" × 5" picture box. The Collection: Whitney Houston Released: September 29, 2009 Label: Sony Legacy / Arista