I Have Nothing

Commercial performance[edit]

"I Have Nothing" was released as the third single from The Bodyguard Soundtrack in February 1993. The single debuted at number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, the issue date of February 27, 1993, when her two songs, "I Will Always Love You" and "I'm Every Woman" still placed within the top ten.^[23] Remarkably, for the weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ending March 13 and 20, Houston had three songs inside the top 11, making her the first artist to achieve the trifecta on the same week since 1991, when the Hot 100 using Broadcast Data System and SoundScan data.^[24][25] On the Hot 100 Airplay chart, Houston equaled the feat with the aforementioned tracks on the February 27 and March 6 issues.^[24][26] The song peaked at number four on the Hot 100 on the April 3 issue, becoming Houston's 14th top five hit, spending 20 weeks on the chart.^[27] The single entered the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart at number 37 on the February 27 issue and peaked at number four on the chart in the April 10 issue.^[28][29] The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart the issue dated May 1, 1993, and remained there for two weeks, becoming her tenth number-one song on the chart.^[30] It placed at number thirty and thirty-two on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts respectively.^[31] On the Cash Box pop singles charts, the song peaked at number one each on the week of April 10, 1993.^[32] On Cash Box's R&B chart, it peaked at number two behind Silk's "Freak Me" on the week of April 24 of 1993.^[33] The single was certified Gold for shipments of 500,000 copies or more by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 1, 1993.^[34] On March 11, 2019, it was certified platinum for shipments of 1 million copies or more by the Recording Industry Association of America and then, two years later, on what would've been Houston's 58th birthday, the song was certified double-platinum for sales of 2 million copies or more.^[34]


In Canada, the song debuted at number 50 on the RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks chart on March 13, 1993,^[35] and four weeks later reached the top ten.^[36] In its eighth week of release, on May 1, 1993, the single topped the chart and spent three weeks at the summit, staying on the chart for 18 weeks.^[37][38] The song entered the RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks chart at number 20 in the same week of its top 100 debut.^[39] Within five weeks, it hit the pole position of the chart on April 17, 1993, and stayed on the top for six weeks.^[40][41]


Worldwide, the song was a success but not as big as two previous singles from its parent soundtrack. In the United Kingdom, the single debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart on April 24, 1993, and the following week peaked at number three on the chart, making it Houston's ninth UK top five hit.^[42][43] According to The Official Charts Company, the single sold 220,000 copies in the country.^[44] It peaked at number four in Ireland,^[45] number 16 in Belgium,^[46] and number 20 in New Zealand.^[47] The song also reached a peak of number 28 in Australia,^[48] number 50 in France,^[49] number 39 in Germany,^[50] number 22 in the Netherlands,^[51] and number 39 in Switzerland.^[52]