"Didn't We Almost Have It All" is the second single from
Whitney Houston's second album Whitney, and was nominated for
Song of the Year at the 1988 Grammy Awards. The song was
written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings and was released in
August 1987. Originally, another song was to be released as the
second single, "For The Love Of You", but Arista Records
decided to release "Didn't We Almost Have It All" instead.
The single was number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 even
though there was not a video for the song. A live performance
of the song recorded during Houston's successful 1987–1988
Moment of Truth World Tour was played on MTV, VH1, and BET. The
performance is from a Saratoga Springs, New York date.
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" reached number one on the
Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, from September 26 to October
9, 1987, where the song became her fifth consecutive number
one. The song also topped both component charts, the Hot 100
Single Sales and Hot 100 Airplay, Houston's fourth song (and
fourth consecutive release) to do so.
The single stayed in the Top 40 for thirteen weeks, and
topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts for three
weeks.
Internationally, the song hit the top ten in several
markets, and reached the Top Twenty in the United Kingdom
(#14); Switzerland (#18); and Germany (#20).
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" was ranked twenty-second on
the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts (1987), and remained in
the Billboard Hot 100 for seventeen weeks. It was her fifth
number one single on the Billboard Hot 100, her fourth on the
Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales, her fourth on the Billboard Hot
100 Airplay, and her fifth on the Billboard Adult Contemporary
Charts.
The season 3 finale of
Grey's Anatomyand an episode of the eighth season of
Degrassi: The Next Generationare named after this
song.
It is widely speculated the song is about Houston's
relationship with then NFL star Randall Cunningham.
The Austrian singer Lia Weller performed the song in the
fourth season of the talent show Starmania. Although it was
generally considered one of the best performances of the
evening, she was voted off. A week later, she released the Song
on iTunes.