I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)

When Whitney Houston released I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), she had already demonstrated her vocal power with ballads that had positioned her on the music scene. However, with this track, she sought a more direct sound, something that would put her in tune with other artists of the era. The song, written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of the duo Boy Meets Girl—who had already collaborated with her on How Will I Know—was produced by Narada Michael Walden. The lyrics tell of someone yearning to find that special person to share life with and dance with forever. Although not formally credited, Houston also contributed ideas to the lyrics and was responsible for the vocal arrangement part.

The track was released on April 30, 1987, and while critics' opinions were initially divided, praising her performance but finding the arrangement somewhat similar to How Will I Know or Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Want to Have Fun, it soon became a resounding success. It topped the charts in 17 countries, including the United States, where it became her fourth consecutive number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, it led the Billboard Adult Contemporary and marked her first time at the top of the Dance/Disco Club Play, with a good reception also on the Hot Black Singles. With sales exceeding 18 million copies worldwide, it remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.

By January 2026, the song had accumulated over 1.6 billion streams on Spotify, solidifying it as her most popular track on the platform.