How Will I Know

"How Will I Know" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It became Houston's second number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1986, spending two weeks atop the chart and also became her first chart topper on the Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles chart. It also reached top 10 positions in Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom, and top 20 positions in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.


The accompanying music video for "How Will I Know" features scenes of Houston dancing in a setting of video screens and colored partitions. The music video gave Houston exposure to the teenagers and MTV. It received two nominations at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards; Best Female Video and Best New Artist, winning the former category. The song was performed on many of her tours including Greatest Love Tour (1986) and her Nothing but Love World Tour (2009–10). "How Will I Know" is also featured as a remix on Houston's compilation album Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000), whereas the original single version is featured on The Ultimate Collection (2007) and I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston (2012).

Commercial performance[edit]

"How Will I Know" debuted at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100, on the December 7, 1985, issue.^[16] Nine weeks later, it peaked at number one on the issue dated February 15, 1986, becoming Houston's second number-one single on that chart.^[1] It displaced Houston's cousin Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For", and was displaced by Mr. Mister's "Kyrie".^[1] It stayed on the peak for two weeks.^[1] The single also debuted on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart at number 60 and later peaked at number one, a peak it maintained for one week.^[16] On the issue dated January 25, 1986, "How Will I Know" entered the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart at number 30 and later peaked at number three on the February 22, 1986, issue.^[16] It also peaked at number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.^[16] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single Gold on December 6, 1985, for shipments of 500,000 copies or more, and later Double Platinum, for an equivalent sales of 2,000,000 units.^[17] It ranked at number six on the Billboard year-end chart. In Canada, the single debuted at number 80 on the RPM Top 100 Singles chart on the issue dated December 14, 1985.^[18] It later peaked at number one on the week dated March 1, 1986, becoming Houston's first number-one single in Canada.^[19] It was later certified Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) on May 1, 1986, for shipments of 200,000 copies or more.^[20]


The single performed well in other countries. In United Kingdom, it debuted at number 36, during the week of January 25, 1986, and later peaked at a position of number five.^[21] It was also certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).^[22] According to MTV UK and Ireland, the single has sold about 280,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[23] In New Zealand, the single debuted at number 35 and later peaked at number 19.^[24] In Austria, the single reached a peak position of number 28,^[24] while reaching a peak of number 12 in the Netherlands.^[24] It also reached number two in Norway and Sweden, while charting at number 11 in Switzerland.^[24] According to AllMusic, "How Will I Know" has sold about 1.5 million copies worldwide.^[25]


In Australia, "How Will I Know" was released as the first single from the album in March 1985.^[26] It spent a single week in the Kent Music Report chart at number 97 in July 1985,^[27] before re-entering the chart in February 1986, eventually peaking at number two.^[28]