By the summer of 1986, Whitney Houston had conquered the world with her debut album’s string of ballad hits, and Arista boss Clive Davis wanted something more upbeat for her follow-up. He tapped songwriters George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam—fresh off “How Will I Know”—to craft a dance-pop anthem that let Houston’s powerhouse voice shine in a lighter, more playful context. Prior to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” Merrill and Rubicam had offered their song “Waiting for a Star to Fall” to Houston, but she and her team passed on it, so they decided to release it themselves under their duo name, Boy Meets Girl.