Whitney Houston‘s “I Have Nothing” is one of the greatest breakup songs of all time — and at least 1 billion people agree.
Earlier this month, the music video for the powerhouse ballad — the third single from the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, Houston’s 1992 film debut — reached 1 billion views on YouTube. Released as a single after the successes of “I Will Always Love You” and “I’m Every Woman,” “I Have Nothing” peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 4. Meanwhile, the Bodyguard soundtrack spent 20 weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and is also the highest RIAA-certified soundtrack of all time.
This is Houston’s second music video from The Bodyguard to join YouTube’s Billion Views Club: With more than 1.8 billion views so far, the video for her blockbuster cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” could be on track to surpass 2 billion views in the coming months.
The modern-day success of “I Have Nothing” appears to have happened organically: The song isn’t currently trending on social media and hasn’t been revived by a current TV show or film. The ballad is a masterclass in vocals, and its enduring success speaks to Houston’s timeless legacy.
Fans of the late legend are celebrating the song’s accomplishment online. “Congratulations Whitney! Still making history!” one commenter wrote on the r/whitneyhouston subreddit announcing the milestone. “Im sure 675 million of these streams were me,” another said in response to a post by Facebook fan page For The Love of Whitney.
Join the ranks and watch the iconic “I Have Nothing” music video below.
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