Whitney Houston’s musical legacy continues to reach the upper echelons of the Billboard charts.
Her recently released gospel compilation, “I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. It marks only her second-ever entry on the chart. Her first, the soundtrack to the film “The Preacher’s Wife,” debuted at No. 1 in 1996.
“I Go to the Rock’' features 14 tracks — six previously unreleased live and studio faith-based tracks, alongside popular songs recorded for soundtracks to the movies “The Bodyguard,” “The Preachers Wife” and “Sparkle.” Three of the songs were recorded when Houston was just 17 years old.
“You heard the innocence of her voice,” the late singer’s sister-in-law and estate manager Pat Houston told the Associated Press. “You could see where she started and how she ended up with all her hits throughout her career. Any song is a great song of Whitney Houston’s. You heard her gospel roots all wrapped up in her music.”
Houston, who died in 2012 at the age of 48, is recognized as one of the greatest singers of her generation. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone ranked her second — only to Aretha Franklin — on their controversial list of the 200 greatest singers of all time.
Throughout her recording career, the Newark, New Jersey, native scored 11 No. 1 Hot 100 singles, and four chart-topping albums on the Billboard 200.
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