Editing Whitney Houston (section)

== Legacy and cultural impact ==
{{Further|Cultural impact of Whitney Houston}}[[File:Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 9.JPEG|thumb|left|upright=.8|Houston performing "[[Where Do Broken Hearts Go]]" during her HBO-televised concert "[[Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston|Welcome Home Heroes]]"]]
Houston has been regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a [[cultural icon]].<ref name=":20">{{Cite web |date=February 15, 2012 |title=Whitney Houston's death hits her native New Jersey hard |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/14/us/new-jersey-whitney-houston/index.html |access-date=July 6, 2021 |publisher=CNN |first=Greg |last=Botelho}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mervis |first=Scott |date=February 14, 2012 |title=Remembering Whitney Houston's concerts in Pittsburgh |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2012/02/14/Remembering-Whitney-Houston-s-concerts-in-Pittsburgh/stories/201202141368 |access-date=April 9, 2025 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |quote=she was heralded as one of the finest singers who ever lived by some people who know talent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 21, 2012 |title=Whitney: Cultural icon of our era |url=https://www.herald.co.zw/whitney-cultural-icon-of-our-era/ |access-date=July 6, 2021 |website=The Herald |first=Charles |last=Simon-Aaron}}</ref> She is also recognized as one of the most influential R&B artists in history.<ref name=":8">{{Cite magazine|date=September 3, 2021|title=The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time|url=https://www.billboard.com/photos/6737387/best-r-and-b-singers-of-all-time/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{cite magazine|url = http://photos.essence.com/galleries/50_most_influential_black_musicians#811963 | title = 50 Most Influential RnB Stars | magazine= [[Essence (magazine)|Essence]] | date = June 21, 2011 | access-date = July 1, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628203900/http://photos.essence.com/galleries/50_most_influential_black_musicians#811963 | archive-date = June 28, 2011 }}</ref> During the 1980s, [[MTV]] was coming into its own and received criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists. With [[Michael Jackson]] breaking down the color barrier for black men, Houston did the same for black women. She became the first black woman to receive heavy rotation on the network following the success of the "[[How Will I Know]]" video.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |date=2023-02-22 |title=Whitney Houston's 1985 MTV Debut Broke Barriers for Black Artists — Here's the Story of 'How Will I Know' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/whitney-houston-1985-mtv-debut-114702351.html|first1=Maura |last1=Johnston|first2=Jeff |last2=Gage |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Yahoo Life |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How Whitney Houston changed MTV - Macleans.ca |url=https://macleans.ca/culture/how-whitney-houston-changed-mtv/amp/ |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=macleans.ca|date=February 12, 2012 }}</ref> Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' said that Houston "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing".<ref>Holden, Stephen. [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/16/arts/review-pop-diana-ross-flirts-with-a-willing-audience.html "Review/Pop; Diana Ross Flirts With a Willing Audience"]. ''The New York Times''. June 16, 1989.</ref> Ann Powers of the ''Los Angeles Times'' referred to Houston as a "national treasure".<ref name="latimesblogs.latimes.com" />

''[[The Independent]]''{{'}}s music critic Andy Gill also wrote about Houston's influence on modern R&B and singing competitions, comparing it to Michael Jackson's, stating that "Jackson was a hugely talented icon, certainly, but he will be as well remembered (probably more so) for his presentational skills, his dazzling dance moves, as for his musical innovations. Whitney, on the other hand, just sang and the ripples from her voice continue to dominate the pop landscape." Gill said that there "are few, if any, Jackson imitators on today's TV talent shows, but every other contestant is a Whitney wannabe, desperately attempting to emulate that wondrous combination of vocal effects&nbsp;– the flowing melisma, the soaring mezzo-soprano confidence, the tremulous fluttering that carried the ends of lines into realms of higher yearning".<ref name=":3">{{cite news|last=Gill|first=Any|date=February 17, 2012|title=Whitney Houston, the greatest voice of her generation|work=[[The Independent]]|publisher=Independent Print|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/whitney-houston-greatest-voice-her-generation-6988653.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726184700/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/whitney-houston-greatest-voice-her-generation-6988653.html|archive-date=July 26, 2021|access-date=February 20, 2012}}</ref> 

According to Linda Lister in ''Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars'', she has been called the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Queen of Pop]]" for her influence during the 1990s, commercially rivaling Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.<ref name="diva">"If Ella Fitzgerald is the queen of jazz, Billie Holiday first lady of the blues and Aretha Franklin the queen of soul, then who is the queen of pop? In the 1990s, it would seem to be a three-way tie between Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Certainly all three have their devotees and detractors, but their presence has been inescapable." in {{cite news |last1=Lister |first1=Linda |year=2001 |title=Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars |newspaper=Popular Music and Society |page=1 |volume=25 |issue=3/4 |issn=0300-7766}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' stated that Houston "redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey to [[Rihanna]]".<ref name=":2">{{cite magazine|last=Macnie|first=Jim|year=2001|title=Whitney Houston Biography|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/whitney-houston/biography|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=October 16, 2010}}</ref> In 2013, ABC named Houston the greatest woman in music.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Matt |date=2014-01-01 |title=ABC names Whitney Houston 'Greatest Woman in Music' during 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' |url=https://cartermatt.com/102437/abc-names-whitney-houston-greatest-woman-in-music-during-new-years-rockin-eve/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=CarterMatt |language=en-US}}</ref> Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to ''USA Today'' in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics.<ref name="Gundersen" /> Many major publications including the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], [[Fox News]], [[NBC News]] and ''[[The Independent]]'' dubbed Houston the “greatest singer of her generation”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whitney Houston |url=https://rockhall.com/inductees/whitney-houston/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Questions remain a decade after Whitney Houston's untimely death: 'No one will ever know' {{!}} Fox News |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/questions-remain-decade-whitney-houston-untimely-death-no-one-ever-know.amp |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=www.foxnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Whitney Houston biopic shows why it was absurd to think she didn't make 'Black music.' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/whitney-houston-biopic-review-black-music-women-artists-lizzo-doja-cat-rcna62775 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008231945/https://www.nbcnews.com/think/amp/rcna62775 |archive-date=October 8, 2024 |access-date=2025-01-18 |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Whitney Houston, the greatest voice of her generation |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/whitney-houston-the-greatest-voice-of-her-generation-6988653.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709232606/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/whitney-houston-the-greatest-voice-of-her-generation-6988653.html |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |access-date=2025-01-18 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB |url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite his opposition to music, [[Osama Bin Laden]] was reportedly fond of Whitney Houston. According to poet and activist Kola Boof, bin Laden wanted to make her one of his wives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kenneally |first=Tim |date=February 14, 2012 |title=Whitney Houston and Osama Bin Laden: The Little-Known Connection |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS360594553620120214 |access-date=November 16, 2022 |website=Reuters.com}}</ref>