Whitney Houston "You Give Good Love"

Some acts become such an ubiquitous presence on the pop culture landscape, it becomes nearly impossible to remember a time when they weren't in the public eye. Whitney Houston, arguably surpassed only by Madonna on the charts during the '80s, would fall into that category. She had actually duetted with Teddy Pendergrass in 1984 on the single "Hold Me," but the song failed to reach the Top 40, stalling at #48.

So, in April of the following year when her single, "You Give Good Love," was released to radio, it was her introduction to most radio listeners (an earlier single had failed to garner airplay). With her striking good looks and pop chart pedigree (with both mother Cissy and cousin Dionne Warwick established singers), there was already considerable interest for her self-titled debut album.

"You Give Good Love" turned the trick. The smooth, mid-tempo groove gave room for Houston to display her pristine and powerful vocal abilities. The song had actually been turned down when offered to singer Roberta Flack, but it quickly became Houston's first smash. It debuted in the US Top 40 in early June and wasted little time in reaching the Top Ten. On the R&B charts, it became a chart topper.

"You Give Good Love" would climb to #3 on the pop charts and place one rung lower at adult contemporary radio. The multi-genre success of the song would help propel Whitney Houston to the top of the album chart and it would eventually sell more than ten million copies, making it one of the most successful debuts in music history and ushering in one of the most storied careers of the '80s.

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