Where Do Broken Hearts Go

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"Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" cover
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album Whitney
Released March 1988
Format CD single
Cassette single
7" single
Genre Pop/Soul/R&B
Length 4:38
Label Arista Records
Writer(s) Frank Wildhorn
Chuck Jackson
Producer(s) Narada Michael Walden
Chart positions
  • #1 (USA)
  • #14 (UK)
  • #48 (Australia)
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"So Emotional"
1987
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
1988
"Love Will Save The Day"
1988

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is the fourth single from Whitney Houston's second album, Whitney. The single was released in March 1988.

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was written by Frank Wildhorn and Chuck Jackson. Originally, Houston had been against the entire recording, not liking the song, feeling it was too ordinary and there was no special message to convey. However, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis told Houston the song would go straight to number one if she recorded it, so she agreed.

The song was covered by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their album Take a Break.

[edit] Chart information

At this point in her career, Houston had achieved a record six consecutive number-one singles (tied with The Beatles and The Bee Gees), so there was pressure on her to deliver a record-breaking seventh number-one single [citation needed]. "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in fact became a record seventh consecutive number one, holding down the top spot for two weeks, from April 23 to May 6, 1988. The song also topped both component charts, the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales and Hot 100 Airplay and remained in the top forty for thirteen weeks.

On other Billboard charts, the song fared well, reaching number one for three weeks on the Adult Contemporary charts and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.

Internationally, the single, like Houston's previous two releases, did not fare well in many countries excluding the United States. The song reached only fourteen in the United Kingdom, and forty-eight in Australia.

[edit] Music video

The music video (directed by Peter Israelson) for this song features Houston breaking up with a boyfriend, reflecting on happy memories of the couple, and asking herself "Where do broken hearts go?"

[edit] Charts

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was ranked thirty-third on The Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Charts (1988), and stayed in the chart for seventeen weeks.

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was Houston's seventh number-one single on The Billboard Hot 100, her sixth on The Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales, her fifth on The Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, and her sixth on The Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts.

Chart (1988) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 2
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 1
UK Singles Chart 14
Australian Singles Chart 48
Preceded by
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" by Billy Ocean
Billboard Hot 100 number one single
April 23, 1988
Succeeded by
"Wishing Well" by Terence Trent D'Arby