This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1987, Whitney Houston Made History on the Billboard 200
"Whitney" became the first album by a woman to debut at No. 1. Plus, remembering feats by Nelly, N*Sync & Michael Jackson.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
June 26, 1999
Red Hot Chili Peppers began their longest domination on the Alternative Songs chart, as "Scar Tissue," the fourth of their record 13 No. 1s, logged its first of 16 weeks on top.
June 27, 1987
30 years ago: Whitney Houston's second album, Whitney, launched atop the Billboard 200, becoming the first set by a woman to soar onto the chart at No. 1. It would go on to reign for 11 total weeks. But why stop there: The same week, Whitney's lead single, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," became the LP's first of four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s. The album followed Houston's self-titled first set, which led the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks in 1986.
As Chart Beat column founder Paul Grein noted in a story on page 1 of the June 27, 1987, Billboard issue, Houston became "the first artist to hit No. 1 [on the Billboard 200] with his or her first two albums since The Monkees scored with their first four releases in 1966-67." Also, at the time: "Only two other artists [had] hit No. 1 with their first two major-label albums: Elvis Presley and The Beatles."
June 28, 2008
Even though it's called the Billboard Hot 100, that doesn't mean a band named Coldplay can't be No. 1. The group's "Viva La Vida" reached the summit nine years ago today.
June 29, 2002
Nelly began a whopping 14-week command of the Billboard Hot 100, as "Hot in Herre" reached No. 1. After the song completed a seven-week reign, he replaced himself at the top for seven more weeks with "Dilemma," featuring Kelly Rowland.
June 30, 1990
New Kids on the Block-mania rolled on, as "Step By Step" began a three-week rule atop the Billboard Hot 100. The goal of the instructional song? You remember: how "to get to you, girl."
July 1, 2000
From New Kids to N*Sync: After leading the Pop Songs chart for 10 weeks with "Bye Bye Bye," N*Sync returned to the top with another boy band classic, "It's Gonna Be Me."
July 2, 1988
Michael Jackson achieved a Billboard Hot 100 first, as "Dirty Diana" reached No. 1, becoming the fifth leader on the list from his album Bad. The set remains the only album by a male artist to produce five Hot 100 No. 1s. Since, only Katy Perry's Teenage Dream (2010-11) has also yielded five toppers.