We don’t need a reason to honor Whitney Houston’s greatness, but as the world celebrates her 60th birthday, it seems like a perfect time to remember the ridiculous number of hits she gave us. Obviously, no one can match her vocals, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. In case you don’t already have an amazing Whitney playlist, here are the songs we love singing along with to help you get started.
There has never been a single season of American Idol, The Voice or America’s Got Talent where someone hasn’t tried to climb this vocal mountain. Some succeed, others fail miserably, but that will never stop this powerhouse ballad from being a karaoke staple.
Not only is this song so catchy it’s impossible not to sing along to, but you also can’t sit still. The joy and enthusiasm Whitney exudes literally compels you to dance.
Chaka Khan’s classic empowerment anthem was given new life on The Bodyguard soundtrack. Guys, if you ever walk into a room full of women singing this song, back out slowly and walk away.
Dolly Parton really hit it out of the park when she wrote this beautiful love song. Add in Whitney’s deeply emotional vocals and it’s a track that must be sung at the top of your lungs.
If you’re in the early stages of a relationship, there’s no better way to enjoy the honeymoon phase than with one of Whitney’s first big hits.
There’s an innocence to this song that reminds us how we fell in love with the singer/actress’ voice for the first time.
As her private life began to make headlines and her “America’s Sweetheart” image slipped, she went into an edgier mode that gave every woman a badass breakup anthem.
If you try to sing along with a duet between Whitney and Mariah Carey, good luck. Of course, the degree of vocal difficulty doesn’t stop fans from going for it. My advice is to just commit to full diva mode and have fun with it.
If you ever run into a group of emotional girlfriends on karaoke night, you will absolutely hear a tear-filled, personal version of this duet between Whitney and her best friend, CeCe Winans.
Another early classic that never gets old, but watch out for the higher register on this one, because it is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Obviously, the Waiting to Exhale star has given us countless breakup anthems, but the way her voice soars here really captures the shock of heartbreak.
If you’re in the ice cream and alcohol phase of a breakup, this is your full-throated sing-along jam. Nothing captures those feelings better than Whitney belting: “All at once, I’m drifting on a lonely sea, Wishing you’d come back to me, And that’s all that matters now.”
This hidden gem is sometimes lost in Whitney’s remarkable collection of hits, but if you want to bring down the house at karaoke night, grab a friend and go full-on scorned woman.
The end of our queen’s life was full of so much drama, we love celebrating this sweet moment between her and her daughter Bobbi Kristina. Hopefully, they’ve both found peace.