For the generation who came of age in the '80s and '90s, Whitney Houston's music was a part of the soundtrack of their lives. Cassette tapes were still all the rage (remember Columbia House?), the music video was in its awkward teen years, and MTV and MuchMusic were blaring on a television set near you. The timing couldn't have been better for the birth of a superstar. Enter Whitney Houston.
Sweeping the number one spots for months on end, no one seemed to mind watching her decidedly '80s dance moves on TV or listening to Whitney in heavy rotation on the radio, because she was just that gorgeous, and her voice was just that good. But even more, she had that 'thing', that rare likeable quality that endeared her to millions while establishing her as the wise older sister you don't want to mess with. "How will I know if he really loves me?" she sang. Whitney girl, we were all wondering the same thing, twirling around in our bedrooms and singing our hearts out into our hairbrushes, knowing you shared in our pain over our latest crush.
Whitney was the voice of an era, a voice who helped us through the mundane chores (dancing and vacuuming to 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'), and heralded the greatest moments (the 1988 Olympics to name just one) in our culture. Some of our favourite memories are tied to her hits, which still hold up after all these years. Twitter was alight as soon as news of Whitney's death broke, with celebrities and regular folks alike sharing what Whitney meant to them.
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