Before streaming services likeSpotifyand Apple Music took over,a single’s success was almost exclusively measured by its chart performance and its sales numbers.A song’s sales certification was, and still is, a distinct measure of success, with a platinum certification—or if they were lucky, multi-platinum—being the goal for artists of any and all genres.
Many singles have achieved platinum status, though fewer have achieved multi-platinum status. Of the best-selling singles that have achieved such a feat, very few arecover songs. It’s not often that a cover song outdoes the original, and it is extremely rare for a cover to achieve a multi-platinum sales certification,but Whitney Houston did just that.
When Houston released her recording of “I Will Always Love You,” it took the world by storm.The single reachedthe number one spoton the charts of numerous countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, and Canada. Suffice it to say, Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You” blew the original recording out of the water.
Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” Is The 6th Best-Selling Single Ever
The Song Went Platinum 11 Times
Whitney Houston released her cover of “I Will Always Love You” in 1992,nearly two decades after the original was released.The cover was released as the lead single for the soundtrack ofThe Bodyguard, a film in which Houston starred alongside Kevin Costner.The Bodyguardwas also Houston’s first soundtrack album.
When the single was released, it debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, but two weeks later it reached the number one spot, making it Houston’s tenth number one single. The song also remained at number one for 14 weeks,making it the longest-running number one single of any female solo artist(Guinness World Records).
On top of its record-breaking chart performance, “I Will Always Love You” sold a whopping 24 million units worldwide, achieving an 11-times platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.This level of success has made Houston’s single the sixth best-selling single of all time,and the number one best-selling single by a female artist.
Many People Forget “I Will Always Love You” Is Even A Cover
Original by Dolly Parton
“I Will Always Love You” was originally recorded by Dolly Parton, and released on her 1974 album,Jolene. At the time of its release, Parton’s single did enjoy some commercial success, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.At the very least, Parton inspired a number of other artists to record their own versions of the song.
When listening to Parton’s version,it can be difficult to believe this is the same song that Whitney Houston turned into the 6th best-selling single of all time.For starters, her country twang is as apparent as always, and the chorus, which is the most similar aspect to Houston’s version, still sounds relatively different, with Parton drawing out different notes than Houston.
Parton wrote the song for Peter Wagoner, her professional partner of seven years, after she decided to part ways with him.With such personal lyrics given their origin story, the emotion in Parton’s vocals is clear as day.Unfortunately, the song was likely overshadowed by her mega-hit “Jolene,” which moved the song a bit further down on the totem pole.
Houston’s Cover Definitely Deserves This Kind Of Achievement
She Gave This Song Its Lasting Legacy
Not many long-held high notes are as iconic as Whitney Houston’s in the chorus of “I Will Always Love You,“so much so that her live performances of the song have become a staple in popular music discourse. One simply cannot talk about pop music without talking about Houston, and one cannot talk about Houston without talking about this song.
Houston wasn’t the only artist who saw musical merit in Dolly Parton’s 1974 single—in fact, Linda Ronstadt recorded a cover of the song just one year later.None of the other recordings of “I Will Always Love You” held a candle to Houston’s version,however, as she took an entirely new ’90s pop ballad approach that instantly resonated worldwide.
Houston took the song to new heights with her version, turning a song that hadn’t particularly held up over time into a genuinely timeless classic.
Though Parton’s song was written directly from the heart and clearly meant a lot to her,it seems the world wanted the song to be a soulful pop ballad rather than a country one.Houston took the song to new heights with her version, turning a song that hadn’t particularly held up over time into a genuinely timeless classic.
