Whitney Houston earns double-digit new RIAA certifications, including platinum plaques for “Count On … More
More than a decade after her passing, Whitney Houston continues to collect new awards and certifications for the music she left behind. People in the United States have not stopped listening to the legendary vocalist, and as more time passes, she racks up more honors.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently handed down double-digit new certifications to Houston’s catalog, as both singles and one of the bestselling albums of all time added to their totals. Among that group, two of the late superstar’s tracks became platinum wins for the first time, decades after their release.
“Count on Me” and “Run to You” Go Platinum
Both “Count On Me,” a collaboration with CeCe Winans, and “Run to You” are newly platinum songs by Houston. That means they have officially moved one million equivalent units throughout the years, between both sales and streaming activity.
“Run to You” was named a gold win after it hit half a million units in March 2019. “Count On Me” had to wait much longer to double its sum and move from gold to platinum status. The duet with Winans was certified gold in 1996, so it took almost 30 years for it to shift another half-million copies.
The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale’s Smashes
“Run to You” served as the fourth official single from The Bodyguard soundtrack. It followed top 10 smashes “I Will Always Love You,” “I’m Every Woman,” and “I Have Nothing,” becoming the last charting tune from that collection. Just a few years later, Houston was promoting the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, which produced several other huge wins, including “Count On Me.” Both were chart wins, but it’s taken decades for them to become platinum successes.
Whitney Houston’s Other New RIAA Certifications
Eight other songs by Houston earned new certifications from the RIAA at the same time as “Run to You” and “Count On Me.” “I Will Always Love You” advanced to 11-times platinum after becoming a diamond smash in 2022. Houston is likely headed for another diamond win, as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” is now up to 8-times platinum, meaning it has moved eight million equivalent units.
Other beloved songs from the superstar increased their totals, including “I Have Nothing” (4-times platinum), “Higher Love” with Kygo and “How Will I Know” (both 3-times platinum), and “Saving All My Love for You,” “My Love Is Your Love,” and “Heartbreak Hotel,” which all surged from platinum to double platinum.
