Rise to stardom

Whitney's second album, Whitney, was released in June 1987. Although some think of it as a copy of her first album, many enjoyed it. It ranked number one on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, making her the first female ever to debut at number one in the US. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," hit number one on the US Hot 100, making her the first female to have four number-ones on one album. As well as making her the first person to have seven consecutive number one singles, surpassing the Bee Gees and the Beatles for six consecutive number one hits. She won another Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal with "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988. Almost like her previous album, it sold over 20 million copies worldwide. In October 2020, Whitney was certified diamond (10 million+) by the RIAA, which makes her the first black artist to have three certified diamond albums in the U.S.

Her third album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, didn't sell as much as her first two, but was successful nonetheless. It reached number three on the Billboard 200, and was certified 4x platinum and sold 10 million copies worldwide. "All the Man That I Need," and the title track charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Miracle" peaked at number nine, "My Name Is Not Susan" peaked in the top twenty, and "I Belong to You" reached the top ten and received a Grammy nomination. At Super Bowl XXV in 1991, she performed the National Anthem, which garnered praise and criticism. Some think she was singing to a backing track, and some believe she sung live. Eventually, a commercial single and video of the performance reached the Top 200 on the US Hot 100.