Didn't We Almost Have It All

"Didn't We Almost Have It All" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney (1987). The song was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings and produced by Masser, his fifth released production for Houston, and vocally arranged by Houston herself.

Initially, Houston's cover version of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" was intended to be released as the second single from the album. However, the record label decided to release "Didn't We Almost Have It All", believing all Houston's material should be original. The song was released as the second single off the Whitney album in July 1987 by Arista Records.

"Didn't We Almost Have It All" received positive reviews from the music critics, who praised its lyrics, production, and Houston's vocal performance. It became Houston's fifth consecutive chart topper on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying there for two weeks and tying her at the time with Elvis Presley for the most consecutive number one singles at the time. It also reached the top 10 in various countries.

A live performance from her September 2, 1987 concert in Saratoga Springs, New York was used alongside her performance of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11. Subsequently, the video was used as the "official" video and aired on MTV, VH1 and BET.

At the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, it received a nomination for the Song of the Year.

The song was featured on four Houston compilations — Whitney: The Greatest Hits, Love, Whitney, The Ultimate Collection and I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston, with the former three including the single version with the latter including the full-length album version instead.

To this day, it remains one of Houston's most popular and critically acclaimed records, with many outlets including Forbes and Hits Daily Double listing the song as one of her greatest vocal recordings.