It eventually topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks in 1986, generating three number-one singles—"Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All"—on the Billboard Hot 100, which made it both the first debut album and the first album by a solo female artist to produce three number-one singles in the United States.

[13] The album was certified diamond for shipments of 10 million units or more on March 16, 1999, and later 14× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on January 27, 2023.

[16] In 1986, at the 28th Grammy Awards, Whitney Houston received four nominations, including Album of the Year,[17] and won one, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, for "Saving All My Love for You".

[23] On June 30, 2020, after the 35th anniversary celebration in February 2020, the album re-issued as a double vinyl including the singles from Whitney Dancin' Special.

[24] After seeing Houston perform in a New York City nightclub, Clive Davis believed the singer had the potential to crossover and be the next big superstar.

[35] In a positive review for The New York Times, Stephen Holden wrote, "along with an appealing romantic innocence, [Houston] projects the commanding dignity and elegance of someone far more mature.

Lacey added, "Houston has a silky, rich, vibrant voice that moves between steely edges, or curls sensuously around the notes.

"[29] Don Shewey of Rolling Stone described her as "one of the most exciting new voices in years" and stated that: "Because she has a technically polished voice like Patti Austin's, [...] her interpretive approach is what sets her apart" and "Whitney Houston is obviously headed for stardom, and if nothing else, her album is an exciting preview of coming attractions."

"[26] Brad Wete, on a feature article to celebrate for Vibe magazine's 15th anniversary in September 2008, wrote "never before has an African-American woman earned such crossover appeal so early in her career.

[...] [Houston] had an explosive solo debut" and commented "Whitney's prodigious pop set [...] was a fresh serving of precocious talent compared to 1985's mildly flavored R&B buffet.

"[1] Allison Stewart from The Washington Post stated that the album "provided a blueprint for the pop/dance/R&B-melding careers of Mariah Carey and others, and introduced the world to "The Voice", an octave-spanning, gravity-defying melismatic marvel.

'"[33] Released on February 14, 1985, Whitney Houston debuted on the Billboard Top Albums Chart the week of March 30, 1985, at number 166.

[49] The RIAA certified it Diamond on March 16, 1999, and later 14× platinum on January 27, 2023, for shipments of 14,000,000 copies of the album in United States.

On March 31, 1987, it was certified 10× platinum for sales of over one million copies, making it the best-selling album of 1986, and later Diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association(CRIA).

[60][61] According to the Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data in 1991, as of 2009, the album sold over 1,038,000 copies in the United States.

[20] According to Consequence of Sound, the album reached a massive level of cross-over that was unprecedented at the time for a black female music artist.

[65] Billboard picked the enormous success of her debut album release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history.

"[78] He also noted that the duets with Jackson and Pendergrass had been submitted for consideration for the 27th Grammy Awards, which he said "was sufficient to make her ineligible this year for best new artist according to academy criteria.

In an interview with Orange Coast magazine, he referred to the Houston controversy, saying "I don't have a lot of respect for N.A.R.A.S., the Grammy people's ruling system, because it's so inconsistent.

"[79] In 2000, Geoff Mayfield of Billboard magazine also criticized NARAS for inconsistency with the Best New Artist rules, specifically referencing their disqualification of Houston and nomination of Watley.

[80] The label, wanting Houston to have a solid urban fanbase first, released "You Give Good Love" as the first single.

[84] With her first number one, Houston began appearing on high-profile talk shows and became the opening act for Jeffrey Osborne and Luther Vandross.

With its colorful and energetic video, the song brought the singer to the teen audience and MTV, which black artists had found tough to crack.

[89] "Take Good Care of my Heart" (as a duet with Jermaine Jackson) was also released as a radio-airplay single in Panama, becoming a success in the country, reaching No.

By August 1985, she was featured as a support act on selected dates by singers Luther Vandross and Jeffrey Osborne on individual tours.

The following summer of 1986, her album generated three US Hot 100 chart toppers; Houston embarked on The Greatest Love Tour performing shows in North America, Europe, and Japan.