Whitney: The Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on May 15, 2000, by Arista Records. Anticipation over a greatest hits album from Houston arose as far as 1995, when Billboard first announced the album's release. However, it was continuously postponed as Houston focused on film projects, before deciding to record several new tracks for the belated collection in 1998. The effort was quickly expanded into her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love, released in November 1998 to widespread success, which effectively postponed Whitney: The Greatest Hits again.

A two-disc collection, Whitney: The Greatest Hits comprises Houston's ballads on its first disc, titled Cool Down, while replacing most of the original versions of her up-tempo hits with corresponding dance remixes on the second disc, titled Throw Down. Therefore, numerous publications rejected the compilation's classification as a greatest hits album, despite its title and marketing. Whitney: The Greatest Hits also includes four previously unreleased tracks—"Same Script, Different Cast", a duet with Deborah Cox; "Could I Have This Kiss Forever", a duet with Enrique Iglesias; "If I Told You That", a duet with George Michael; and "Fine"—all of which were released as singles to varying levels of success.

Whitney: The Greatest Hits was met with mixed responses from music critics, who praised Houston for her expansive catalog and career longevity, but criticized the album's inclusion of remixes rather than original versions for a majority of Houston's hits; the new tracks elicited polarity among reviewers. A commercial success, Whitney: The Greatest Hits debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 158,000 units, and reached the top 10 in 20 additional countries. By February 2012, it had sold over 10 million copies worldwide. That June, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the compilation quintuple platinum for double-disc shipments of 2.5 million units in the US.

Although Houston did not promote Whitney: The Greatest Hits as extensively as her previous albums, she embarked on a four-date concert residency from June to November 2000. Furthermore, the compilation was accompanied by the simultaneously released video collection of the same title. In January 2011, Legacy Recordings reissued the album as a part of their Essential album series, retitling it The Essential Whitney Houston. Following Houston's death on February 11, 2012, Whitney: The Greatest Hits registered a significant resurgence of sales, attaining a new peak of number two on the Billboard 200, and new top-10 peaks—either in its original format, or as The Essential Whitney Houston—in numerous countries worldwide.

Background and development

In November 1995, Houston's song "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"—the lead single from the soundtrack for the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, starring Houston in a leading role—became the third song in history to debut atop the US Billboard Hot 100. It became Houston's 11th and final number-one single on the chart; with 11 singles, Houston is sixth among artists with most Billboard Hot 100 number-ones of all time, as of 2023. Furthermore, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" contributed to Houston becoming the best-selling physical singles female artist in the history of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That August, Billboard had disclosed Houston's first greatest hits album would be released on October 10, which ultimately did not come to fruition. The publication referred to the "long-promised" album again in July 1996, announcing it for that fall. After the release was postponed again, speculation on its timing continued into 1997, with Houston commenting: "Oh, Clive is on my case about this greatest hits album. He's like, Whitney, we have to do a greatest hits album, I mean you're far long overdue."

Intent on releasing the highly anticipated collection, Houston began recording new material, originally intended for a greatest hits album which would include several new tracks, in August 1998. However, she and Clive Davis soon decided to reconstruct the project into Houston's fourth studio album, titled My Love Is Your Love, her first such effort in eight years. Houston finished recording My Love Is Your Love within six weeks; it was released on November 17. Despite her immense commercial success during the extensive promotional cycle for My Love Is Your Love, Houston's "erratic" behavior overshadowed her professional endeavors, as she became notorious for numerous live performance cancellations and alleged drug use.

New material

In addition to Houston's prior hits, including all of her 11 US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles—either in their original or remixed forms—Whitney: The Greatest Hits included two newly recorded songs and two re-recordings. Shep Crawford-written and produced "Same Script, Different Cast" is a duet with Deborah Cox, which sees Houston portraying a former lover of Cox's current partner, and warning Cox of his deceitful and disregarding demeanor. The harp string and piano-driven ballad is built upon a sample of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Für Elise", and is infused with "dramatic" key changes. A multitude of critics have compared the song to Brandy and Monica's 1998 duet "The Boy Is Mine". Raphael Saadiq and Q-Tip wrote and produced "Fine", a "sultry, soulful" track arranged with "languid retro-funk" guitars. The song was originally recorded for Iglesias' English-language debut Enrique (1999), and was subsequently re-recorded—and remixed by Brian Rawling and Mark Taylor—for inclusion on Whitney: The Greatest Hits. Rodney Jerkins, who produced the original version, reprised his role for the re-recording. In an interview for MTV News at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards (2000), Jerkins revealed that Michael Jackson was the initial choice for the duet but could not schedule recording with Houston.

"Same Script, Different Cast" and "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" appear at the end the album's first disc, titled Cool Down, which comprises R&B, pop and, to a lesser extent, gospel ballads.

Marketing

Title and packaging

Despite its title and being marketed as such, Whitney: The Greatest Hits is not a greatest hits album.

Upon its release, Whitney: The Greatest Hits was met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Steve Huey from AllMusic expressed dissatisfaction with the inclusion of remixes instead of the original versions on Throw Down, writing that Whitney: The Greatest Hits "amply reinforces once again what a fine singles artist Houston has been for the entirety of her career. Still and all, though, it's a frustrating package marred by record company greed". while Jane Stevenson from Canoe.com labeled it "a greatest hits package that makes good listening sense". Writing for Ebony, Lynn Norment stated that the album "reminds listeners of the enormous talent this artist demonstrated on 'You Give Good Love', how she has grown, and the fact she has a long career road ahead", and highlighted its previously unreleased duets. Christine Galera of Orlando Sentinel commended Houston's vocal performances on Whitney: The Greatest Hits and praised "Same Script, Different Cast", but criticized the album's length and the inclusion of "mellow" singles from Waiting to Exhale.

In a positive review for The Guardian, Caroline Sullivan favored Throw Down over its counterpart Cool Down, Reviewing the video edition of Whitney: The Greatest Hits, Heather Phares praised the selection of music videos and live performances. In his review of The Essential Whitney Houston, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the reissue "plays much like The Greatest Hits; even if it has a handful of songs not on the 2000 collection, it covers the same territory equally well and equally entertainingly." and at number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, both dated June 3, 2000. It registered Houston's highest solo effort debut since her second studio album Whitney (1987). Whitney: The Greatest Hits descended to number nine on the Billboard 200, and number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, in its second week. On June 20, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting double-disc shipments of one million units in the US. Regardless, the album's domestic commercial performance was deemed underwhelming by Arista executives. Several factors were credited with contributing to the "uncharacteristically meager sales", including release timing, single selection, and replacement of Davis with L.A. Reid as the chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Arista. In Canada, Whitney: The Greatest Hits debuted at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart dated June 3, 2000, Across Europe, the compilation peaked within the top 10 in 13 additional countries, and at number two on the European Top 100 Albums. The compilation was also a commercial success across Oceania, debuting at numbers eight and nine in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. After a full tracking week, Whitney: The Greatest Hits ascended to its new peak at number two with 175,000 units. The album remained at the position the following week, with steady sales of 174,000 copies; that week, Houston became the first female artist ever to have three albums simultaneously within Billboard 200's top 10. On June 21, Whitney: The Greatest Hits was certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, signifying double-disc shipments of 2.5 million units in the country.

;International edition

Notes

  • signifies an additional producer
  • signifies a co-producer

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Whitney: The Greatest Hits.

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! scope="row"| European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)

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! scope="row"| Greek International Albums (IFPI)

| 4

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! scope="row"| Malaysian Albums (RIM)

| 8

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| 13

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| 5

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! scope="row"| US Music Video Sales (Billboard)

| 1

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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2012 weekly chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position

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! scope="row"| Argentine Albums (CAPIF)

| 9

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! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)

| 32

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! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

| 46

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| 16

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! scope="row"| South African Albums (RISA)

| 3

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Monthly charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ 2000 monthly chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position

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! scope="row"| South Korean Albums (RIAK)

| 14

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Year-end charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2000 year-end chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)

| 63

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! scope="row"| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)

| 31

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! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

| 18

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! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)

| 10

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! scope="row"| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)

| 92

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! scope="row"| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)

| 19

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! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)

| 32

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!scope="row"| European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)

| 9

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! scope="row"| Finnish International Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)

| 105

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! scope="row"| French Compilation Albums (SNEP)

| 2

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! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

| 35

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! scope="row"| Italian Albums (FIMI)

| 21

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! scope="row"| Japanese Albums (Oricon)

| 52

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! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)

| 24

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! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 9

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! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| 81

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! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)

| 121

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! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 111

|}

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2004 year-end chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 179

|}

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2006 year-end chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 152

|}

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2012 year-end chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)

| 27

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! scope="row"| US Billboard 200

| 18

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2012 year-end chart performance for The Essential Whitney Houston

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)

| 37

|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2019 year-end chart performance for The Essential Whitney Houston

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

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! scope="row"| Polish Albums (ZPAV)

| 83

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Decade-end charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2000s decade-end chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

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! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 49

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Centurial charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 21st century chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

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! scope="row" | UK Female Albums (OCC)

| 22

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All-time charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"

|+ All-time chart performance for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Chart

! scope="col"| Position

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! scope="row"| Irish Female Albums (OCC)

| 24

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! scope="row"| UK Female Albums (OCC)

| 29

|}

Certifications

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Release history

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release dates and formats for Whitney: The Greatest Hits

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label(s)

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! scope="row"| Germany

| rowspan="2"| May 15, 2000

| Double CD

| BMG

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! scope="row"| United States

| May 16, 2000

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! scope="row"| Japan

| rowspan="2"| May 20, 2000

| Double CD

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! scope="row" rowspan="2"| France

| May 21, 2000

| Double CD

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! scope="row"| Japan

| July 7, 2000

| DVD

|

|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release dates and formats for The Essential Whitney Houston

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label(s)

! scope="col"|

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! scope="row"| Australia

| rowspan="2"| January 10, 2011

| rowspan="7"| Double CD

| rowspan="7"|

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! scope="row"| United Kingdom

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! scope="row"| Poland

| rowspan="2"| January 14, 2011

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! scope="row"| Taiwan

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! scope="row"| Canada

| January 18, 2011

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! scope="row"| France

| February 14, 2011

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! scope="row"| Germany

| January 6, 2012

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See also

  • Whitney Houston albums discography
  • Whitney Houston singles discography
  • Whitney Houston videography
  • List of best-selling albums by women
  • List of UK Albums Chart number ones of 2000
  • List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2000
  • List of best-selling albums of the 2000s in the United Kingdom
  • List of number-one albums of 2019 (Poland)

References

Notes

Citations

  • Whitney: The Greatest Hits at Discogs
  • Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes at Discogs
  • The Essential Whitney Houston at Discogs