Where Do Broken Hearts Go

Chart performance[edit]

Following the release of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", it instantly entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 47 on the week of February 27, 1988.^[10] Within four weeks of its release, it reached the top ten of the chart, finally peaking at number one on the week of April 23, 1988 on its ninth week replacing Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", setting an all-time chart record in which Houston became the first and only artist in pop music history with seven consecutive number one singles, a record Houston still holds.^[11] Houston's record was also significant in that it broke the record first set by The Beatles and later shared with The Bee Gees, each of which scored six consecutive number one hits in a row. Following the song's release, Houston wrote a congratulatory letter to Wildhorn that simply said, "Where do broken hearts go? I have no idea".^[4]


In addition, the song made her just the second artist in history to achieve four number one singles from one album after Michael Jackson had accomplished this feat with his Bad album and made her the first female artist to accomplish this goal.^[12][13] Houston is only one of five female artists to date to have four or more number one singles off a single album, with succeeding releases by Paula Abdul (Forever Your Girl, 1989-90), Janet Jackson (Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, 1989-91), Mariah Carey (Mariah Carey, 1990-91) and Katy Perry (Teenage Dream, 2010-11). Also, with seven number one singles, she had the most number one hits by a female artist in the 1980s, sharing the feat later with Madonna, who tied it with "Like a Prayer". Prior to Madonna tying it, Houston's song had also made her the solo female artist with the most number ones ever at the time, besting a record previously set by American recording artist Diana Ross, who had six.^[14]


The song topped the chart for two weeks,^[15] eventually replaced by Terence Trent D'Arby's "Wishing Well" afterwards, and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart, with six of those weeks inside the top ten altogether. It entered the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (formerly "Hot Black Singles") at number 60 on the week of March 5, 1988, peaking at number two nine weeks later, bested by Al B. Sure!'s "Nite and Day", becoming Houston's tenth consecutive R&B top five hit in a row.^[16][17] On the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart, the single peaked at number one, the issue dated April 2, 1988, and remained there for three weeks, making it her sixth No. 1 single on the chart.^[18][19] In 2020, the record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for digital sales and stream equivalent sales of 500,000 units.^[20]


It was ranked number 33 and 47, on the Billboard Top Pop and Top Black Singles year-end charts for 1988, respectively.^[21] The single also placed at number two on the Top Adult Contemporary Singles year-end chart of the same year.^[22] In Canada, the song entered RPM Top 100 Singles chart at number 76, the issue date of March 5, 1988, and peaked at number six on the chart on May 14, 1988, becoming Houston's eighth top ten hit in the country.^[23][24]


Worldwide, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was not as commercially successful as her previous singles from the album Whitney. The single debuted at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart, the week ending date of March 12, 1988, and three weeks later reached a peak of number 14 on the chart.^[25][26] In Ireland, it peaked at number two, the highest chart position of the song outside the United States.^[27] The song also reached number 48 in Australia,^[28] number 47 in the Netherlands,^[29] and number 23 in New Zealand.^[30]


In 2022, the record was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for digital sales and stream equivalent sales of 200,000 units.^[31]


The song was very popular in the Philippines, and it became one of the main focus of the 2014 indie romantic film That Thing Called Tadhana.