Whitney Houston

With her crystalline mezzo-soprano and powerful gospel range, Whitney Houston dominated the '80s pop charts and was one of the best-selling artists of all time. The daughter of Cissy Houston, cousin of Dionne Warwick, and goddaughter of Aretha Franklin, Houston was responsible for some of the best in pop and R&B—“How Will I Know,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “Greatest Love of All,” “You Give Good Love,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” and “My Love Is Your Love.” Her performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1991 Super Bowl remains the anthem’s high-water mark, and her ballistic cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” threatened to upset the earth’s axis. It's these moments of musical grace which show why we will always love Whitney.