Whitney: The Greatest Hits

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. David LaChapelle photographed the album's cover artwork and booklet imagery. The cover depicts Houston standing on a ladder and smiling as she holds a drill in order to hang her certified records on the wall. In the US, the album was released on May 16, 2000, by Arista Records. Its release was preceded by the limited-edition four-record vinyl box set Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes on April 25; the set included eight previously unreleased extended dance remixes of Houston's prior singles, some of which appeared on the North American edition second disc of Whitney: The Greatest Hits. Internationally, the compilation was released on May 15 in most countries. international editions replaced most of them with corresponding original versions. A video album of the same title was released simultaneously with Whitney: The Greatest Hits worldwide, comprising 23 of Houston's music videos, as well as select live performances, interviews with Houston and Davis, and behind-the-scenes footage. The DVD was noted for its interactive features, which saw Houston introducing its segments and providing commentary; it was one of the first video albums ever to incorporate interactive components. In contrast to Houston's previous releases, Whitney: The Greatest Hits was not promoted with televised performances and appearances. However, Houston did perform a 20-minute medley at Arista's 25th anniversary celebration in Los Angeles on April 10, 2000; the concert aired on NBC on May 15. and performed an additional show at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas on November 10, with then-husband Bobby Brown as the opening act. Singles The selection and order of singles from Whitney: The Greatest Hits substantially differed depending on region. In France, "I Learned from the Best"—the fifth and final single from My Love Is Your Love—was released ahead of Whitney: The Greatest Hits, on April 18, 2000, peaking at number 44. In the US, "Same Script, Different Cast" and "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" were both released as lead singles from Whitney: The Greatest Hits—the former was serviced to urban contemporary radio on May 2, while the latter was serviced to adult contemporary, rhythmic contemporary and contemporary hit radios two weeks later. "Same Script, Different Cast" peaked at number 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Houston's lowest-peaking lead single at the time, While "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" peaked only at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100, Furthermore, the song attained top 10 positions in 13 additional countries, including Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. In Europe, "If I Told You That" was released as the lead single from Whitney: The Greatest Hits on May 29, 2000; in the US, it was released as an airplay-only fourth and final single on January 30, 2001. It reached the summit in Croatia, Iceland, and Poland, and the top 10 in the Czech Republic, Italy, and the UK. peaking at number 51 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In Sweden, it was released as the third and final single on December 11, peaking at number 50. The music video for "Fine" was Houston's second consecutive to be directed by Bray. In select European countries, "Heartbreak Hotel"—originally the second single from My Love Is Your Love—was released as the third and final single from Whitney: The Greatest Hits on December 18, 2000, peaking at number 25 in the UK. ==Critical reception==

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." ==Commercial performance==

In the US, Whitney: The Greatest Hits sold 158,000 units within its first week, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200, 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. Internationally, the compilation attained new peaks within the top 10 in Argentina, Australia, and France, while its reissue The Essential Whitney Houston reached the summit in Poland and South Korea, and the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, and the UK. ==Track listing==

;North American edition ;International edition Notes • signifies an additional producer • signifies a co-producer ==Personnel==

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Whitney: The Greatest Hits. • Ashford & Simpson – songwriting (disc 2: track 8) • Babyface – executive production (disc 1: tracks 12 and 13), production (disc 1: tracks 12 and 13; disc 2: tracks 9 and 12), songwriting (disc 1: tracks 12 and 13; disc 2: tracks 9 and 12) • John Bettis – songwriting (disc 2: track 17) • Gerry Brown – orchestra engineering (disc 2: track 1) • Toni C. – songwriting (disc 2: track 11) • Anne "Auntie Mae" Catalino – engineering (disc 1: track 17) • John Clayton Jr. – arrangement (disc 2: track 18) • Diana Clemente – project coordination (video) • Clivillés and Cole – additional production (disc 2: track 8) • Tony Coluccio – additional production (disc 2: track 4) • Deborah Cox – backing vocals (disc 1: track 17), lead vocals (disc 1: track 17) • Shep Crawford – backing vocals (disc 1: track 17), instrumentation (disc 1: track 17), production (disc 1: track 17), songwriting (disc 1: track 17), string arrangement (disc 1: track 17), vocal arrangement (disc 1: track 17) • Linda Creed – songwriting (disc 1: track 3; disc 2: track 16) • Ricky Crespo – additional programming (disc 2: track 8) • LaShawn Daniels – songwriting (disc 2: tracks 2 and 3) • Stacey Daniels – songwriting (disc 1: track 17) • Dave Darlington – mixing (disc 2: track 12) • Clive Davis – album production, executive production (all tracks) • Tony Dawsey – mastering (disc 1) • DJ Quik – mixing (disc 2: track 1) • Jon Douglas – mixing (disc 2: track 2) • Jerry Duplessis – production (disc 1: track 16; disc 2: track 4), songwriting (disc 1: track 16; disc 2: track 4) • Peter Edge – A&R • Nir Erelbaum – engineering assistance (disc 2: track 13) • Toni Estes – songwriting (disc 2: tracks 2 and 3) • Faith Evans – vocals (disc 1: track 15; disc 2: track 5) • Dan Fenster – menu design (video) • Raul Flores – engineering assistance (disc 2: track 12) • The Florida Orchestra – orchestra (disc 2: track 18) • Roxanna Floyd – makeup • David Foster – arrangement (disc 1: tracks 10, 11 and 18; disc 2: tracks 6 and 10), production (disc 1: tracks 9–11 and 18; disc 2: tracks 6 and 10), songwriting (disc 1: track 10) • Jud Friedman – songwriting (disc 1: track 9) • Gerry Goffin – songwriting (disc 1: track 2) • Michael Gore – songwriting (disc 1: track 8) • Hosh Gureli – A&R • Albert Hammond – songwriting (disc 2: track 17) • Hex Hector – additional production (disc 2: tracks 5, 6 and 10) • Whitney Houston – album production, executive production (disc 1: tracks 9–11 and 14–17; disc 2: track 1), production (disc 1: track 14; disc 2: track 9), songwriting (disc 2: tracks 1, 3 and 9), vocal arrangement (disc 1: tracks 6–11 and 14–17; disc 2: tracks 1, 3–7, 10, 12–14, 17 and 18), vocals (all tracks) • Enrique Iglesias – vocals (disc 1: track 18) • Chuck Jackson – songwriting (disc 1: track 7) • Jermaine Jackson – production (disc 1: track 5), vocals (disc 1: track 5) • Wyclef Jean – production (disc 1: track 16; disc 2: track 4), songwriting (disc 1: track 16; disc 2: track 4) • Jellybean – production (disc 2: track 11) • Will Jennings – songwriting (disc 1: track 6) • Fred Jerkins III – songwriting (disc 2: tracks 2 and 3) • Rodney Jerkins – instrumentation (disc 2: track 2), production (disc 2: tracks 2 and 3), songwriting (disc 2: tracks 2 and 3) • Shae Jones – backing vocals (disc 1: track 17), songwriting (disc 1: track 17) • Montell Jordan – songwriting (disc 1: track 17) • Frederick Jorio – programming (disc 2: track 16) • Kashif – arrangement (disc 1: track 1), production (disc 1: track 1) • Tom Keane – production (disc 1: track 5) • Tom Kelly – songwriting (disc 2: track 13) • Francis Scott Key – songwriting (disc 2: track 18) • David LaChapelle – photography • LaLa – songwriting (disc 1: track 1) • Ellin LaVar – hair • Annie Lennox – songwriting (disc 2: track 7) • Tom Leone – production (video) • Ken Levy – creative direction (video) • Amy Linden – liner notes • Jahja Ling – conducting (disc 2: track 18) • Sandy Linzer – songwriting (disc 1: track 14) • Stephen Lipson – production (disc 2: track 7) • CJ Mackintosh – additional production (disc 2: track 9) • Joe Mardin – string arrangement (disc 1: track 17) • Michael Masser – production (disc 1: tracks 2–4 and 6; disc 2: track 16), songwriting (disc 1: tracks 2–4 and 6; disc 2: track 16) • Al McDowell – bass (disc 2: track 12), guitar (disc 2: track 12) • George Merrill – songwriting (disc 2: tracks 14 and 15) • George Michael – additional production (disc 2: track 2), vocals (disc 2: track 2) • P. Dennis Mitchell – mix engineering (disc 2: track 7) • Peter Mokran – mixing (disc 1: track 17) • David Morales – additional production (disc 2: tracks 11 and 13) • Erick Morillo – additional production (disc 2: track 12) • Joe Moskowitz – keyboards (disc 2: track 13), programming (disc 2: tracks 7 and 14) • Keith Naftaly – A&R • José Nuñez – additional production (disc 2: track 12) • Jeffrey Osborne – songwriting (disc 1: track 4) • Dolly Parton – songwriting (disc 1: track 11; disc 2: track 10) • Jonathan Peters – additional production (disc 2: track 4) • Isaac Phillips – songwriting (disc 2: track 3) • Dean Pitchford – songwriting (disc 1: track 8) • Kelly Price – vocal arrangement (disc 1: track 17), vocals (disc 1: track 15; disc 2: track 5) • Q-Tip – production (disc 2: track 1), songwriting (disc 2: track 1) • Mac Quayle – additional production (disc 2: track 6), engineering (disc 2: tracks 5 and 10), keyboards (disc 2: tracks 5 and 10), programming (disc 2: tracks 5 and 10) • Brian Rawling – additional production (disc 1: track 18), mixing (disc 1: track 18) • L.A. Reid – production (disc 2: tracks 9 and 12), songwriting (disc 2: tracks 9 and 12) • Allan Rich – songwriting (disc 1: track 9) • Danny Romero – engineering (disc 2: track 1) • Harry Romero – additional production (disc 2: track 12) • Shannon Rubicam – songwriting (disc 2: tracks 14 and 15) • Raphael Saadiq – orchestra arrangement (disc 2: track 1), production (disc 2: track 1), songwriting (disc 2: track 1) • Tom Salta – programming (disc 2: track 15) • Tamara Savage – songwriting (disc 1: track 15; disc 2: track 5) • Jamie Seyberth – tracking (disc 1: track 17) • Daryl Simmons – production (disc 2: track 9), songwriting (disc 2: track 9) • Dexter Simmons – engineering (disc 2: track 2) • Soulshock and Karlin – arrangement (disc 1: track 15; disc 2: track 5), production (disc 1: track 15; disc 2: track 5), songwriting (disc 1: track 15; disc 2: track 5) • The South Central Chamber Orchestra – orchestra (disc 2: track 1) • Jeff Stabenau – executive production (video) • Jason Stasium – engineering (disc 2: track 1) • Rachel Stein – production management • Billy Steinberg – songwriting (disc 2: track 13) • Christopher Stern – art direction • David Sussman – engineering (disc 2: track 13) • Ren Swan – mix engineering (disc 2: track 2) • Mark Taylor – additional production (disc 1: track 18), mixing (disc 1: track 18) • Thunderpuss – additional production (disc 2: track 3) • Linda Thompson – songwriting (disc 1: track 10) • Satoshi Tomiie – keyboards (disc 2: track 13) • Lenny Underwood – keyboards (disc 2: track 12) • Junior Vasquez – additional production (disc 2: tracks 7 and 14–16) • Charles Veal Jr. – orchestra arrangement (disc 2: track 1), orchestra conducting (disc 2: track 1) • Narada Michael Walden – production (disc 1: tracks 7 and 8; disc 2: tracks 8, 13–15 and 17), songwriting (disc 2: track 15) • Diane Warren – songwriting (disc 1: track 18; disc 2: track 6) • Mervyn Warren – production (disc 1: track 14) • Frank Wildhorn – songwriting (disc 1: track 7) • Elliot Willensky – songwriting (disc 1: track 5) • Jay Williams – guitar (disc 1: track 17) • Patti Wilson – styling • David Wolfert – songwriting (disc 1: track 14) • Leon Zervos – mastering (disc 2) ==Charts==

Weekly charts Monthly charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts Centurial charts All-time charts ==Certifications==