The Greatest Love of All is a song written by Michael Masser (music) and Linda Creed (lyrics) in 1976 for The Greatest, the Muhammad Ali biopic. It was first recorded in 1977 by George Benson for the film’s soundtrack The Greatest, and is a smooth jazz / R&B / soul ballad. The Benson version became a hit, reaching number 2 on the US R&B chart and helping Arista Records score its first top-ten on that chart. Benson also recorded several live versions, including a duet with Luciano Pavarotti in 2001. The song was later popularized by Whitney Houston, who recorded a version titled Greatest Love of All for her 1985 debut album Whitney Houston; released as a single in 1986, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and achieved chart success worldwide. The song has been covered by many artists and is celebrated for its message of self-worth and inner strength, though there was a 1987 plagiarism suit by Gordon Lightfoot that was settled out of court.
