Whitney Houston's Top 5 Highs and Lows

April 14, 2010 — -- Word across the pond is that Whitney Houston just can't hack it.

The latest problem to plague the iconic pop singer: rotten tomato reviews of her return to Britain, where she performed last night for the first time in 11 years.

"Houston, we still have a problem" quipped British tabloid The Sun in its review of the 46-year-old diva's concert in Birmingham, adding, "It was not the performance fans were hoping for."

Houston's off-key, seemingly breathless rendition of "I Will Always Love You" was panned by British papers and concert patrons alike.

"I was waiting for the Trading Standards guys to call a halt and offer us our money back. It was a con, a rip off. It wasn't a concert," a fan told Britain's Daily Mail.

Of course, along with the lows, Houston's had herself a share of legitimate highs, like the aforementioned hit song from her box-office-ruling 1992 film debut, "The Bodyguard." (It's got to be worth something if it inspired the next Susan Boyle.)

Below, check out the singer-cum-survivor's five best and five worst moments in the music industry.

Whitney's Lows

1. Bad news Bobby. One hell after another rained down on Houston's marriage, from 1992 to 2007, to Bobby Brown. Houston spilled the details of their abusive relationship to Oprah Winfrey in 2009. "He spit on me," Houston told Winfrey, describing one of her worst fights with Brown. "He spit on me. He actually spit on me. And my daughter was coming down the stairs and she saw that."

Houston's response to him was equally appalling: ""I took the phone and I hit him over the head with it."

2. Drug downfall. In 2000, airport security guards spotted marijuana in Houston and Brown's bags at a Hawaiian airport. More damaging than the pot possession charges were the rumors they sparked about what drugs Houston might be taking.

3. 'Crack is wack.' Houston cleared up some of that mystery in a 2002 interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer. When asked about the ongoing drug rumors, Houston alluded to having used cocaine, pills and marijuana -- but drew the line at crack in what turned into an infamous rant.

"First of all, let's get one thing straight," she started. "Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack."

4. Bad news Bobby, part deux. In case there was any question that Brown brought Houston down, "Being Bobby Brown," the 2005 TV series that chronicled the couple's private life, put all doubts to rest. The Hollywood Reporter called it "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television," citing Brown's less-than-loving comments to Houston like, "bring that a** in quick. I'm going to show you what I'm going to do with it."

5. 'Hot mess' or huge mistake? Last week, In Touch magazine quoted an eyewitness who said he recently saw Houston "pull a plastic bag out, put a folded bill to her nose and discreetly snort a line from it of what to me certainly looked like cocaine. ... She's a hot mess."

But Houston claims she's fine -- it's the story that's a hot mess.

"I'm feeling great," she told People magazine April 7, after emerging from a hospital stay for an upper respiratory infection that she said was caused by allergies. "I'm just ready to move on and continue my world tour." Houston added that In Touch's report was "ridiculous" and said of similar gossip, "At this point, I just don't respond. I don't even read it."

Whitney's Highs

1. Grammy gold. Houston burst onto the music scene in a big way -- her self-titled 1985 debut album earned her four Grammy nominations, including album of the year, and one win (best female pop vocal performance for "Saving All My Love for You.") Her debut also scored spots on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Definitive 200 list.

2. This magic moment. The success of Houston's 1987 world tour, "The Moment of Truth," made her No. 8 on Forbes' list of the top ten highest-earning entertainers that year -- the magazine estimated her earnings at $44 million.

3. And everyone will always remember this song. Houston's breath-defying chorus makes it hard not to. "I Will Always Love You," the theme song to "The Bodyguard" broke records worldwide and rocketed to No. 1 on the music charts of just about every country.

4. Fans look to Houston again. After seven years away from the music scene, in August 2009, Houston dropped her seventh studio album, "I Look to You." It sold 304,000 copies in its first seven days on the market, sending Houston back to the top of the charts and giving her the best debut week of her career.

5. Road to Redemption. Houston used the success of "I Look to You" to launch her "Nothing but Love" world tour, going on now. Though some say Houston's signature voice shows the stress of her ups and downs, she's soldiered on, putting on shows in Asia, Australia and Europe despite fans and critics who've panned her performance.