The lyric “It is the greatest love of...” is completed by “all” in “The Greatest Love of All.”
The song was written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and first recorded by George Benson for the 1977 film The Greatest. Whitney Houston recorded the better-known version for her 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston.
Houston’s version became a major international success and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s message centers on self-worth, inner strength, and the importance of encouraging young people. Its large vocal arrangement and rising final section helped establish Houston as a major pop vocalist.
A common mix-up is treating Houston’s recording as the original. George Benson’s earlier version came first, but Houston’s 1985 interpretation is the version most associated with the lyric and its global popularity.