Why is whitney houston so important

Making a few widely recognizable songs does not constitute a tribute performance at the Grammys. It was not her music I sought, but her importance to the industry. He explained to me that when Whitney Houston first started, racial issues still prevented many black singers from being aired on MTV.

Houston was one of the singers to help break the racial barrier. Professor Bradley explained that her voice was the key to her popularity, and that she could take a mediocre song and make it sound great.

When she sang a song, whether it was good or great, it captivated all. This is an incredible list considering the fame these singers have, and that many of their songs are prevalent in our society. I learned that Whitney Houston not only affected what I watch on television, but also the music I am surrounded with.

So why would it for Whitney's. And Mariah, Celine etc. It's not Mariah at all, but Whitney. SHE was the one who combined pop and gospel into one singing style. Not an opinion, a FACT. That's why Whitney's accomplishments are so important. She crossed over in such a way that allowed black female artists to experience and enjoy even bigger success.

I think the claims about Houston significance are being exaggerated. Her first album was in By that time there were quite a few African America women performers who enjoyed significant commercial success, such as Donna Summer, Dione Warwick, and Tina Turner who had a big comeback in with the multiplatinum Private Dancer.

Aretha Franklin had a platinum album in And Janet Jackson began her commercial run at about the same time. Plus there were lesser known artists like Stephanie Mills who also enjoyed commercial success in the late 70s-early 80s. Doubtlessly Houston's success had an impact, but maybe not so much as is being claimed. Beyond that she was phenomenally successful. None of those ladies reached the commercial heights Whitney did. My point is it's not about the numbers themselves, but what they stood for.

And she is the most influential singer of the past 3 decades. No one fused pop and gospel into one singing style the way she did, and it's been what every vocalist since has been drawing on. Whitney's influence is amazing as well as her record sales and she deserves to be in. Other artists were performing in these genres as well as gospel before she ever emerged.

Granted she was more commercially successful. Was she the most influential singer of the past three decades? On the one hand hugely successful artists influence what comes later. But nothing that she did was exactly new either.

The other artist I cited achieved significant commercial success using the same template. At what point does that commercial success "open doors"? To claim that these other artists achieving gold or platinum success in the years immediately preceding Whitney's emergence leaving aside successful singers throughout the preceding decades had no effect seems a bit arbitrary.

And Janet broke through commercially in after two earlier albums. They were essential contemporaries although Whitney broke through a year earlier. And there were certainly other successful singers at that time that predated her, including Streisand as I shudder to recall and even Celine Dion who first recorded in I said that by attaining the level of success she did, she opened up black artists to a wider audience and to enjoy greater commercial success.

And it's true. Whitney had the biggest selling album by a black female at that time and in fact, she still does. Not Tina, not Janet. By attaining a level of commercial success that is usually only achieved by white male rock bands at the time, anyway , this gave the industry a new "perspective" if you must about the commercial power of black female artists. By the time Janet's album started to hit its stride, Whitney's album was already certified 5x platinum and had spent several weeks at 1.

Celine Dion didn't break into the English market until And yes, of course there were other successful singers who came before her. When did I ever say different? I said Whitney's commercial success broke down barriers for black females in music, not that she was the first successful black female artist or the ONLY successful artist.

Again, it's not about the sales themselves, but what they signify. Here was a black female artist rivaling the biggest white male rock bands and solo artists at the time in terms of success, all based upon her modern diva image and fusion pop-gospel singing style, which ended up influencing every vocalist after her debut.

By no means am I saying that Whitney should be inducted due to her commercial success. Hell no. Far from it. As we can all agree, commercial success doesn't mean you're influential or musically brilliant. However, Whitney's commercial success was a result of her unique, brilliant vocal artistry and graceful diva image, both of which were extremely influential on artists following her.

The commercial success, being a result of these things, opened up black female artists to a bigger audience and success. Well the Supremes had 12 number one songs, just to cite one example. Did that rival white male rock acts?

And when you have Donna Summer and Tina Turner going multiplatinum before Houston even recorded and I forgot Diana Ross in 80 and 81 , I'm a bit unclear what those barriers supposedly were. Houston was more successful than her antecedents, but being more successful doesn't make you a trailblazer.

Just classic fan hyperbole. Yes, of course the Supremes rivaled white male rock acts! Tina's the only black female artist to go multiplatinum before Whitney, and by March of , Whitney had already caught up with her, surpassed her by May of , and had flown by her in February Private Dancer got its final certification of 5x platinum by September of By that time, Whitney's debut was already certified 8x platinum AND her sophomore release was certified 4x platinum.

It was absolutely amazing. But honestly, that's about it. She didn't write anything. I'm torn and I'm sure the nominating committee will be torn because of her death, but I just don't see her getting inducted now. Maybe years down the road, but not now. Whitney's sales in the millions will have nothing to do with her induction. Sales - sales - sales. What else? Her voice was undeniable, but what else? And again, it's NOT about the sales, but the fact that they stood for something.

THAT'S what else. You really think the hall doesn't look at sales? Private dancer was certified as 4x platinum in and 5x in You are correct about Donna Summer; she had three platinum certified albums before but no multi-platinum albums until However she did have three No.

Part of what you see with the lack of multi-platinum albums before despite very high charting position is the effect of MTV. It was an important reason why artists like Madonna, Houston and Janet Jackson blew up commercially. But a platinum album in the pre-MTV era was nothing to sneeze at. I said this before on this thread, but I do think that sometimes an artist's commercial success is so significant that you cannot overlook them.

I for one definitely take commercial success into account. I certainly don't think it should be ignored. I mean, does GNR get inducted if Appetite wasn't 18x platinum? However, as I said, post-Whitney, more black female artists were getting many multiplatinum albums. I'll consider it, but with conditions: 1.

I look at these then sales. If Commercial Success is the only thing an artist has going for them then they should not be inducted. Whitney had massive success and other things, therefore she should eventually get in. Which is why I'm careful about which artists I apply it to. They only get the tag when it's clearly true. Mariah surpassed Whitney a myriad times over. Mariah influenced more people than Whitney ever has. That's an absurd line of logic that needs to stop.

Two words: Sam Cooke. First woman to do it effectively? I'd say Darlene Love. First woman to do it effectively and commercially successfully? Aretha Franklin. That's an image, not a musical style. You can use it to a degree, but the diva image itself is not a musical aspect, which is all that matters. Her success could be easily interpreted to say "You'll have huge success if you adapt your singing to be the sappiest bland pop possible. His singles' sales success in the mid-to-late '50s was only rivaled by Elvis's and maybe Sinatra's too.

And yeah be careful with the influence tag. A good number of the artists AHND says were influenced by Whitney read like a rap sheet explaining why she shouldn't get in. You wanna make sure you influence Hall-favorable artists too again, Mariah Carey.

That in NO way was my argument. I said Whitney was the most influential female of the past 25 years because SHE is and that Mariah didn't influence her, it was the other way around. Mariah influenced more people than Whitney ever has? PROVE it. Same goes for Aretha.

Darlene was pure pop in her style. But her sweet melodic approach was pop. No one else had done that BUT her. Madonna's, her entire legend is practically based on what she did for female IMAGE in music, and she got inducted, so Making such ridiculous statements like "Mariah has influenced more people than Whitney ever has" just makes you sound more like a fanatic, especially when you don't provide any proof. And what YOU think about Whitney's music is what's irrelevant.

There's no way to objectively "measure" the "sappiness" of someone's music. The fact is Whitney Houston's unique singing style allowed her to become the most influential female singer of the past 25 years or so. Whitney was who record executives would be telling their female artists to sing and look like. Whitney changed the way ballads were sung. Whitney changed the way talented female vocalists were marketed. Her influence goes beyond changing the way people sang. And how has she surpassed, by breaking her records.

Mariah's the only artist to have a number one hit in every year of the nineties, she's had more number ones than just about everybody I'm not sure if the Beatles still have more than her or not , she's spent more weeks at number one that just about everybody I think she recently broke Elvis's record in that regard. As for Aretha Darlene's voice was soulful. She had the pop of Spector's production behind her, but her powerful voice was also very soulful.

And I'm telling you, from past experience, they don't look favorably on heavily-AC records. The Carpenters aren't in, the Association isn't, hell, Sinatra's not even in as an Early Influence yet. I still think Whitney will get in. Making such stupid statements like this are not FACT. Nor does it make it fact. See what I did there? Not the same thing. Yes, Martha Reeves and Darlene had powerful, soulful voices, so did Whitney's cousin Dionne Warwick, however, their popular singing wasn't noted for their gospel roots.

In fact, from the beginning of her career, Whitney was noted for having a unique pop-soul singing style: "Ms. Houston may be a new kind of pop singer for the video era: an encyclopedic, restless virtuoso. She has absorbed the soul and pop styles of everyone from Aretha Franklin to Barbra Streisand to Diana Ross to Al Green; she can deliver a gospel rasp, a velvety coo, a floating soprano and a cheerleader's whoop.

Madonna was inducted mostly due to her influence of the female image in music. That's where her legacy lies. So what you think about her induction call is irrelevant. Darlene Love used to sing backup for Dionne and Darlene's been inducted, whereas Dionne hasn't!

And I really don't care what kind of songs will get her in the Hall. That's not my argument, nor a major concern of mine. Because Mariah didn't break 7 consecutive 1s, or most time spent atop the Billboard by a female artist. Mariah doesn't hold the records for the best-selling single by a female artist or the best-selling album by a female artist. I really could go on about Whitney's chart record achievements, but I won't, because there's no point. Plus, AC isn't a musical genre. And while it is a thready connection, you can't do all of that and not have a ton of influence too.

The power and soul of that voice comes from gospel roots. As for Martha Reeves, good grief, she drew on her southern gospel-soul roots for songs like "Honey Chile", "I'm Ready For Love", and "Dancing In The Street" isn't just a call for a block party, but for a general amnesty across barriers of all kinds, a call motivated by gospel principles. Dionne Warwick, well, yeah, I don't even consider her music to be soul at all.

In fact, from the beginning of her career, Whitney was noted for having a unique pop-soul singing style. They're plain as day. Whitney's voice WAS unique--because of its timbre, tone color, etc.

But she was not the first and only one with a hybrid pop-soul singing style. Fortunately, Whitney has a hell of a lot more in her favor than just the diva image.

But that should never be the focal point. Plain and simple. Her music is not worthy of inducting Warwick. Darlene does belong in, and thankfully she's in. Because you can't "take away" records that begin with the qualifier "first".

I said she has surpassed most of Whitney's records, because she has. More 1 singles, more weeks at number one, more commercial success during her first decade as a hitmaker than Whitney had during her first decade. Consecutive 1s means nothing because it's almost more important to look at the songs that didn't. That's important substance below the surface. The whole is what's important. In closing, I'm not saying Whitney doesn't belong in or that she won't get in and frankly, you should care about what kind of songs get her in, because if she hadn't died, she'd continue to be on the back burner for a much longer time , but you continue to act as if the case for her is bulletproof, flawless.

It simply isn't. If you can't address the issues where they are, then you're merely a rabid fan blindly waving your symbol of allegiance for an artist. I could easily point out that Mariah's influence is evident in the likes of Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Beyonce, and even Alicia Keys"- How about the fact that I've already named the people who have cited Whitney as a major influence?

Even the lead female singer from The Band Perry cited Whitney as an influence. Adam Lambert and even Adam Levine said that Whitney was an influence. Whitney's so influential she touches artists of completely different sounds and styles to hers. Once again, Mariah didn't break 7 consecutive 1s, or most time spent atop the Billboard by a female artist. Whitney, however, holds all those things, so for you to claim Mariah "surpassed her in every other facet" is incorrect, especially when Whitney holds a lot of FIRSTS.

They're not a reflection of what the industry believes is influential. Whitney and Mariah are influential because of their singing, not because they broke this record or that record. That wasn't my argument. Darlene not so much. THAT'S my point. So your point means nowt. You need to differentiate between the two. You also need to differentiate between voice and singing. They're not the same thing. Martha and Darlene have voices one would find typical of the black singer: earthy timbres, throaty bellows.

Whitney Houston had a voice of startling clarity and purity. But even with her gospel embellishments, her melodic delivery was very clean, as common in pop music. Good grief. Learn to read my posts carefully before responding. You say Mariah has surpassed most of Whitney's records and you name three. And let's not even include the amount of FIRSTS Whitney set that can never be broken, because she was the FIRST to do them first female to enter the album charts at 1, first artist to ever sell 1 million in a week etc.

So much for Mariah surpassing "most" of Whitney's records. I love your hypocrisy. You named Mariah's record of having the most 1 singles, then when I name Whitney's record of having the most consecutive 1s, then HER record suddenly mean nothing, because they're not as important as "cumulative efforts?

I'm only going by what YOU said. So you're wrong. It's not up for debate. Mariah has had to keep on reinventing herself?

Mariah started out as a pop-soul artist. Where's the reinventing, except for that ONE time? It was in response to what someone had said about her career and influence.

So in fact, this whole thing has never been about Whitney's case for induction, just me responding to what people have been stating about her.

You're ALSO the same person who has been discrediting records when it's convenient. So much for ME being a rabid fan blindly waving my flag of allegiance. Btw, when people discuss artists achieving multiplatinum status, it bears noting that this designation was first created in As the industry grew, other awards were developed.

Rather the label would have to pay fee and apply for certification; if it didn't the record would not be certified regardless of sales. It wasn't until more recently that there has been an effort to track sales independently, and even then it's always estimated. So I think one of the reasons you don't see multiplatinum designated albums pre despite high chart position is that the designation did not exist.

I think this explains why some records that had major sales pre only have a platinum designation. Anyway, something to keep in mind. But you also have to remember that the label also has to provide accounting of shipments for a record to get a new certification.

If they can't, well Whitney matched the Supremes doing it solo. And in the 70s, its certification was gold. So if Carole had the biggest-selling album by a female at that time, and not Aretha, Diana or Donna, then it just proves my point seeing as Whitney was the one who overtook her. Soul was never the way-dominant style of music at any time. It's always had to compete with teen idol pop, British rock, psychedelia, prog, etc.

Those songs were pop-soul because the voices made them that way. I'm sorry I had to point that out to you. Highest-selling debuts are often a matter of luck, and also mean squat. Look at Milli Vanilli and their debut. That's also why the Best New Artist Grammy means nothing to me. So you can't tout that record and then say "It's just the masses. Take your pick. Over half those names you've cited have absolutely no evidence of Whitney's influence in their singing. Britney Spears? It's evident that her major influence is Madonna.

Rhianna has no gospel in her pop voice. Same with P! They may have liked her, but she was no influence on them. Also, "One Sweet Day" holds the record. It was a duet, sure, but full credit goes to both artists on the record. And no, I wasn't being a hypocrite. I was hauling out equally meaningless statistics to show you that yours were meaningless.

I'm glad you got that point. My point with the diva image is that it shouldn't have mattered for Madonna, and the fact that it did then doesn't mean they should do it now. They did once, they shouldn't do it again. YOU first said that the way she evolved the diva image was extremely important. I'm saying it's not, they made a mistake when they did it for Madge, and they shouldn't do it again. AC isn't a genre, but Easy Listening is and the AC format which also has its own major chart in the Billboard publications is the result of evolution of the Easy Listening genre.

That's who Whitney's target audience was. Much like Josh Groban and Michael Buble today. Mariah started out with a lot of similarly AC-targeted songs. Something like "Heartbreaker" would have been unimaginable from Mariah back then.

The fact that she keeps appealing to the fickle teenage young crowd is evidence of her reinventions. Some subtle, some drastic. I agree with you there. But this whole forum is primarily about the Hall Of Fame. You post here, it's generally assumed that's the point you're driving towards. As I said in a previous post, "Whitney's so influential she touches artists of completely different sounds and styles to hers.

They weren't even in the conversation at that time until YOU brought it up. Her impeccable intonation -- just one of the reasons her "Star-Spangled Banner" has become iconic -- instilled a "trust" in her listeners.

When every note is perfectly in tune, as they were in a classic Houston performance, we relaxed and gave in to the sheer beauty of music. Beyond the gift of her instrument, Houston's musicianship comprised an uncanny way of handling the material she was given with such expertise and attention to detail that the songs became hers and hers alone.

Jackson: 'We feel such awesome pain' Her sense of musical balance allowed her "crowd" the cadences of a song's key passages with "just enough" sonic information before landing coyly in the next structural part of the song.

Although her work grew more melismatic as her career progressed, she never overused this technique like some of her myriad imitators. She mostly executed them in clever twists at the ends of phrases or tossed them off with stunning ease between plainly rendered melodic statements.

This allowed many of us to sing along with her at full voice, by ourselves, in the car. Surely, we've all done this.

Through musical economy and powerful execution, Houston could shape the emotional contour of a song whether in long concert-versions or on a four-minute record. What charisma she had. In addition to being Franklin's goddaughter, she was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and the cousin of s pop diva Dionne Warwick.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan , Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added. Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit.

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.

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