Whitney Houston

Thanks to MTV ubiquity an incredibly commanding voice, Houston became one of the most successful female recording artists of all time, redefining the image of a female soul icon and inspiring singers ranging from Mariah Carey to Rihanna. Several years into her career, however, releases became more infrequent as her personal life became more troubled, and though she appeared to have gotten back on track by the end of the 2000s, she was no longer a trend-setter.

Photo by Patrick Demarchelier