Comeback No.1...

Los Angeles Times: Whitney Houston caps comeback with No. 1 album

Whitney Houston debuted at the top of the Billboard charts with her comeback album 'I Look To You'. Despite a much-publicized misstep last week on "Good Morning America," the songstress still sold over 304,000 copies of her first studio disc in seven years. Houston beat back a challenge from teen singing sensation Miley Cyrus, whose new EP, "The Time of Our Lives," moved 153,000 units exclusively at Wal-Mart.

While the reviews for "I Look to You" were mixed, this ringing endorsement from the public could be just the boost that Houston needs to get back in the Grammy game. The album was released on the last day of Grammy eligibility so that it will be most fresh on voters' minds when they check off their nomination ballots in October.

Houston has won six Grammys, including the recording academy's two highest honors — best record ("I Will Always Love You") and album ("The Bodyguard") of the year (1993). That soundtrack spent 20 weeks at No. 1 while the single reigned supreme for 14 weeks. That was Houston's last time at the top of the album charts.


Houston first came to fame with a self-titled debut disc in 1985 that went to No. 1 and won her a Grammy for best pop vocal performance and contended for the top prize of album of the year (Phil Collins won for "No Jacket Required"). And she earned an Emmy for her performance of "Saving All My Love For You" on that Grammycast. Her single "The Greatest Love of All" lost record of the year the following year to "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood.

Houston won another pop vocal Grammy in 1987 for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," off her second album, "Whitney," which also went to the top of the charts. That disc also competed for album of the year but lost to U2 for "The Joshua Tree."

Her third studio album, 1990's "I'm Your Baby Tonight," did not net her any Grammys and did not go to No. 1. Three years later, her top-selling rendition of the Dolly Parton tune "I Will Always Love You" also won her a third pop vocal Grammy.

Houston's fourth studio album, "My Love Is Your Love," included the track "It's Not Right but It's Okay," which won her a sixth Grammy, completing her current collection, for R&B vocal performance in 1999. Her last mainstream album, "Just Whitney," was released in 2002 but did not contend at the Grammys. Neither did her 2003 holiday album, "One Wish."