Whitney Houston's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Whitney Houston.
Whitney Houston, an iconic American singer, actress, and producer, nicknamed "the Voice," is celebrated as one of the most awarded artists ever. Her success transcended genres, breaking down racial and gender barriers in pop culture. Renowned for her exceptional vocal talent and captivating live performances, she was recognized as one of the greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023. Houston's influence on music and entertainment remains profound.
1985: Billboard Number One awards
In 1985, Whitney Houston won 14 Billboard Number One awards, with the album earning Top Pop Album honors.
1986: Grammy and American Music Awards Wins
In 1986, Whitney Houston won her first Grammy Award for "Saving All My Love for You" and two American Music Awards, including Favorite Soul/R&B Song for "You Give Good Love". She also won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist.
1987: American Music Awards Wins
In 1987, Whitney Houston received five American Music Awards, including American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
1988: Ranked 17th on Forbes 40
In 1988, Whitney Houston ranked 17th on Forbes magazine's Forbes 40 list.
1991: 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' Album Success
In 1991, Whitney Houston's album 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' achieved significant success, reaching number three on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top R&B Albums chart for eight weeks. It became the best-selling R&B album of the year and spawned multiple number-one singles, earning Houston Grammy nominations and Billboard awards.
1992: The Bodyguard Soundtrack Million-Selling Week
During Christmas week of 1992, 'The Bodyguard' soundtrack sold over a million copies within a week, making it the first album in music history to achieve that feat under the Nielsen SoundScan system.
1992: Natalie Cole's Grammy Win
In 1992, Natalie Cole won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for her album, Unforgettable... with Love.
1992: The Bodyguard Soundtrack Release
In 1992, the soundtrack from Whitney Houston's film debut, "The Bodyguard", was released. It later won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and became the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.
January 1993: "I Will Always Love You" Sales Milestone
In January 1993, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" became the first single by a solo artist in US history to sell four million copies, later being certified 4x platinum by the RIAA and becoming the best-selling single in US history.
March 13, 1993: Triple Top 11 Hit
On the week of March 13, 1993, Whitney Houston became the first solo artist in history to ever have three singles in the top 11 on the Hot 100 simultaneously.
November 3, 1993: "The Bodyguard" Diamond Certification
On November 3, 1993, Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard became the first album by a female artist to be certified 10 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, which also made it the first album by a female artist to be certified Diamond.
November 1993: First Female Artist to Go Diamond
In November 1993, Whitney Houston became the first female artist to go diamond with an album after her soundtrack to The Bodyguard went ten-time platinum.
1993: Forbes Ranking as Third Highest-Earning Female Entertainer
In 1993, Whitney Houston ranked as the third highest-earning female entertainer, according to Forbes, due to her concerts, movie, and recording grosses.
1993: Mixed Reviews and Accolades for Whitney Houston's Role in "The Bodyguard"
In 1993, Whitney Houston received mixed reviews for her acting in "The Bodyguard," with some critics finding her performance lacking. However, she also earned several favorable acting nominations, including at the NAACP Image Awards and MTV Movie Awards.
1993: American Music Awards Record
In 1993, Whitney Houston set a Guinness World Record at the time for being the first artist to win more than 11 awards in one night at the American Music Awards.
January 1994: First Female Artist with Two Diamond Albums
In January 1994, Whitney Houston's debut album, Whitney Houston, became the first studio album by a woman to be certified ten-time platinum, making her the first female artist to receive two diamond albums.
1994: World Music Awards Record
In 1994, Whitney Houston continued to hold the record for the most World Music Awards won in a single year, securing five trophies at the sixth annual ceremony.
1994: Grammy Win for Album of the Year for "The Bodyguard" soundtrack
In 1994, Whitney Houston won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, making her just the second black female artist to win in the category.
1994: Grammy Win for Record of the Year
In 1994, Whitney Houston won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "I Will Always Love You." She also won a second Grammy in the best female pop vocal category, solidifying the song's and album's success.
January 1996: 'Waiting to Exhale' Soundtrack Reached #1
In January 1996, the 'Waiting to Exhale' soundtrack, featuring songs co-written and performed by Whitney Houston, reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
1996: Starred in 'The Preacher's Wife'
In 1996, Whitney Houston starred in 'The Preacher's Wife' alongside Denzel Washington, earning $10 million for the role and receiving positive reviews.
1997: American Music Awards for 'Waiting to Exhale' Soundtrack
In 1997, Whitney Houston won two American Music Awards for the 'Waiting to Exhale' soundtrack, including Top Soundtrack and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.
February 1998: Quincy Jones Award
In February 1998, Whitney Houston received the Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements in the field of entertainment at the 12th Soul Train Music Awards.
1998: Dove Awards for Gospel Album
In 1998, Whitney Houston received two Dove Awards for her gospel album, including Best Traditional Gospel Recorded Song for "I Go to the Rock".
August 1999: 'My Love Is Your Love' topped the European chart
In August 1999, the album 'My Love Is Your Love' topped the European Top 100 Albums chart, marking a significant achievement in Whitney Houston's international career.
November 1999: RIAA Century Award
In November 1999, Whitney Houston was named the top-selling R&B female artist of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America.
1999: Best-Selling Female R&B Artist of the 20th Century
In 1999, Whitney Houston was certified as the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century by the RIAA.
February 2000: Grammy Award for "It's Not Right but It's Okay"
In February 2000, Whitney Houston won her sixth and final competitive Grammy for "It's Not Right but It's Okay" in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category.
August 2001: Record Deal
In August 2001, Whitney Houston signed a $100 million contract with Arista/BMG to release six new albums, earning royalties on top of it.
2001: BET Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2001, Whitney Houston became the first artist to receive the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, marking a significant milestone in her career.
May 2003: VH1's Greatest Women of the Video Era
In May 2003, Whitney Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era".
April 2004: "The Princess Diaries 2" Success
In April 2004, "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement", Whitney Houston's second film as producer, was released and earned $134 million in the box office.
2004: Billboard's Musical Milestones
In 2004, Billboard picked the success of Whitney Houston's first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history.
2007: Musical Milestone Recognition
In 2007, USA Today considered Whitney Houston's entrance into the music industry as one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, noting she paved the way for Mariah Carey's vocal style.
2008: Billboard's Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Whitney Houston at number nine on their list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, celebrating the US singles chart's 50th anniversary.
2008: Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers
In 2008, Rolling Stone placed Whitney Houston 34th on their "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list, recognizing her influence on singers from Mariah Carey to Rihanna.
August 2009: "I Look To You" Album Release
In August 2009, Whitney Houston released her album "I Look to You", which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 305,000 copies sold.
2009: Release of "I Look to You" album
In 2009, after divorcing Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 with her final album, "I Look to You".
January 2010: NAACP Image Award and BET Honors
In January 2010, Whitney Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, winning Best Music Video for "I Look to You", and received the Entertainers Award at the BET Honors.
November 2010: Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists
In November 2010, Billboard ranked Whitney Houston at number three on its "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list, highlighting her success on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
2013: Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame
In 2013, Whitney Houston was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
August 2014: Inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame
In August 2014, Whitney Houston was inducted into the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class.
2015: Billboard's Greatest R&B Artists
In 2015, Billboard placed Whitney Houston at number nine (second among female artists) on their list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time".
January 2020: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In January 2020, nearly eight years after her death, Whitney Houston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after her first nomination.
March 2020: "I Will Always Love You" Added to National Recording Registry
In March 2020, Whitney Houston's 1992 single "I Will Always Love You" was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance.
October 2020: Third Diamond-Certified Album
In October 2020, Whitney Houston became the first black recording artist in history to have three diamond-certified albums when her sophomore album, Whitney (1987), was certified diamond.
October 2022: Essence's Greatest R&B Solo Artists
In October 2022, Essence magazine ranked Whitney Houston at number one on its list of the 10 greatest R&B solo artists of all time.
May 2023: Brits Billion Award
In May 2023, Whitney Houston was one of the first of 13 artists to be given the Brits Billion Award by the BPI for reaching 1 billion career streams in the United Kingdom.
October 2023: Posthumous Earnings
In October 2023, Whitney Houston was listed among the top 10 highest-earning posthumous celebrities on Forbes, earning $30 million and winning a Guinness World Records entry.
2023: Rolling Stone's Top Singers List
In 2023, Rolling Stone placed Whitney Houston at second place on its top singers list, behind just Aretha Franklin.
2023: Ranked Among Greatest Singers of All Time
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Whitney Houston second on their list of the greatest singers of all time, highlighting her powerful and tender soprano voice.
2025: Best-Selling Artists in the United States
As of 2025, Whitney Houston was ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the United States by the RIAA, with 61 million certified albums.
