The Greatest Love Of All by Whitney Houston

Album: Whitney Houston (1985)

Charted: 8 1

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

"The Greatest Love Of All" was written by songwriters Linda Creed and Michael Masser. Creed was recovering from breast cancer when they wrote the song in 1977. Originally recorded by George Benson, his version went to #24 in the US. In 1985, the song was revived by Whitney Houston, and on May 17, 1986, it went to #1 for the first of three weeks.

Creed didn't live to see it top the chart; cancer claimed her life on April 10, 1986. She was later inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on the strength of this song and the many hits she co-wrote for The Spinners, The Stylistics, and other acts on the Philadelphia International label. Phil Hurtt, who also wrote for the label, told Songfacts, "There are thousands of ways to say 'I Love You,' and the difficulty is trying to find a nuance, a new way to say what's been said thousands of times, and Linda Creed is someone who was able to do that."
Masser and Creed wrote this for the 1977 film biography of Muhammad Ali, The Greatest. The song first appeared on the film's soundtrack recorded by George Benson. Ali played himself in the movie, essentially recreating his defining moments intercut with clips of his actual fights. Ali was the heavyweight champ at the time of the film's release.
The lyric is quite sincere. Linda Creed drew inspiration from her family; she married Stephen Lee Epstein in 1972 and had their first daughter in 1976 (they had another in 1980). Lines like "I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way" express her hopeful spirit. Her songs almost always expressed her true self; an exception is "Ghetto Child," one of the hits she wrote for The Spinners.
Houston's version was originally the B-side of "You Give Good Love" but the amount of airplay it received persuaded Arista to release it as a single.
This wasn't the only song originally recorded by George Benson to become a big hit for another artist. In 1987, the Hawaiian teenager Glenn Medeiros scored with "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You," first recorded by Benson in 1985. That song was also co-written by Michael Masser.
Katy Perry often sings "The Greatest Love Of All" at concerts. She belted it out in Pittsburgh at the Vote For Freedom Rally in support of presidential candidate Kamala Harris on November 4, 2024, the day before the election. It wasn't her best performance. TV host John Oliver quipped, "You can't take away her dignity because she surrendered it willingly." It's probably just a coincidence, but Harris lost the election to Donald Trump by a wider margin than most polls anticipated.

Comments: 12

Martha from EndicottI would like to know the original song Greatest love of all
Cristina Bingham from California Sadly I just discovered people at Jonestown in Guyana South America were singing this song the night before their mass suicide/mass murder the following day. See It. https://youtu.be/Qm7k2Eq-vD0
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1977 {September 23rd} George Benson performed "The Greatest Love of All" on the NBC-TV late-night musical variety program, 'The Midnight Special', he was also that night's guest host...
At the time the song was at position #27 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, two weeks later it would peak at #24 {for 1 week} and it spent fourteen weeks on the Top 100...
And on September 4th, 1977 it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Float On" by the Floaters...
Between 1975 and 1998 the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native had twenty five records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, ten made the Top 10 with one* reaching #1, "Turn Your Love Around", for one week in 1982...
George Benson will celebrate his 77th birthday come next March 22nd, 2020...
* He just missed having two more #1 records when two of his records peaked at #2, the above "The Greatest Love of All" and his covered version of "On Broadway", it spent two weeks at #2 in 1978, the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams...
John Hudson from Flint,miI recall George Benson talking about the guy who wrote this song. He said a guy who just got his butt kicked in a club he was playing at, limped up to the stage and gave him the lyrics and the tune on cassette to the greatest love of all and asked George to listen to it. Just wonder if anyone else heard that story…
Esskayess from Dallas, TxThis song sounded good at first, but after seemingly endless replays on every station it got very, very grating. 'The children are our future?' Well, duhhhhhh!
I just hope her child was taught a few things other than the repeated acts of a fool that ultimately killed her and silenced one of the greatest singing voices ever. Why are so many famous people so stupid?
Sara from Silver Spring, MdGeorge Benson also had a hit with this song too. His version features guitar by Lee Ritenour rather than Benson's usual jazz guitar.
Jeff from Austin, TxI think Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate's version of this song is the best.
Guy from Woodinville, Wa"No matter what they take from me,
they can't take away my dignity." No, Whitney. Only you can do that, as you've proved so thoroughly. How sad. So inspirational to so pitiful.
Pat from New York City, NyBateman in the movie American Psycho has a meaningful insight about Whitney Houston. An instrumental of this song is played while he is talking, performed by an orchestra.
Tony from Topeka, KsDespite the message in the lyrics, I think this is one of the most depressing songs of all time.
David from Nyc, NyIt's a testament to Whitney's unrivalled interpretive ability that this song has become an audition standard. Whitney is the gold standard of vocalists, and so many would-be singers have attempted this song after her on shows such as American Idol, Star Search, Showtime at the Apollo--in fact, it's one of the most performed songs. This is including several celebrities, before they were stars:

Celine Dion performed this song on a French television show in the 1980s, before she achieved her stated goal of rivalling Whitney's US fame.

Christina Aguilera performed the song on Star Search in 1988, but didn't win.

Singer Monica was discovered by her record label after performing this song.

Spice Girl Scary Spice used this song to audition for the group.

Singer Brandy performed this song for Arsenio Hall before she hit it big.

It's so common as an audition song that it's been parodied as such on TV, including Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In Season One, the Cordelia character sang in an audition.
Molly from Midway, KyThis was sung by a student during the gradution scene in Say Anything...

see more comments

More Songfacts:

My Name IsEminem

Eminem sampled a song by Labi Siffre on "My Name Is." Siffre, a gay activist, made Em take out some gay humor in the lyric before allowing it.

London CallingThe Clash

"London Calling" by The Clash was written amid widespread fears that the Thames River was going to flood the city.

Love Won't WaitGary Barlow

Madonna wrote a song called "Love Won't Wait" that she didn't want, but became a UK #1 hit for Gary Barlow.

RhiannonFleetwood Mac

"Rhiannon" is a Welch goddess. Stevie Nicks wrote the song, and it was a huge influence on her image, inspiring her flowing shawls and black outfits she began wearing on stage.

All The Young DudesMott the Hoople

All The Young Dudes "carry the news" because it was intended for a David Bowie concept album where Ziggy Stardust spreads the news in a world with electricity.

Shut Up And DanceWalk the Moon

Walk The Moon vocalist Nicholas Petricca got the idea for "Shut Up and Dance" when he and his girlfriend were taking forever to get drinks at a Los Angeles club bar. Petricca was getting frustrated, so his girlfriend told him to "shut up and dance with me!'"