Where Do Broken Hearts Go

1988 single by Whitney Houston
the similarly titled song by One Direction

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney (1987). It was released as the fourth single from the album on February 25, 1988. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn and Chuck Jackson and produced by Narada Michael Walden. A pop ballad set in the key of D major, the record is about someone seeking for a former lover to return after a breakup. Upon its release, the song received mixed reviews from critics. The song helped Houston to set an all time chart record on the Billboard Hot 100, in which it became Houston's seventh consecutive number one single on the chart, beating the record of six, previously held by The Beatles and The Bee Gees. as of 2024, the record still holds. It also made Houston just the second artist to land four number one singles off one album after Michael Jackson had set the record with his Bad album and made her the first female artist to do so. Both the song and the song's music video, directed by Peter Israelson, received some negative reaction from some members of Houston's core black audience who accused the singer of "selling out". Houston would later perform the song in full on her Moment of Truth World Tour, while in later tours such as the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour and The Bodyguard World Tour, portions of the song was included in a "Love Medley" segment, usually near the end of the medley.

By September 1986, Whitney Houston had quickly risen to superstardom following the release of her self titled debut album, Whitney Houston, which had spawned four consecutive top ten singles, the latter three having gone to number one in a row on the Billboard Hot 100, having sold more copies than any album released by an African American female artist at the time. That month, while Houston was on her first headlining world tour, The Greatest Love World Tour, Arista head Clive Davis began preparing songs for Houston's sophomore release. Following the global crossover success of "How Will I Know" produced by Narada Michael Walden, Davis handpicked him to be the primary producer of the second album. During the summer, Houston began recording with Walden with material Davis had previewed for the singer in demo recordings, including "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Though Davis wanted Houston to have a younger, accessible sound, Davis agreed to continue the previous album's use of ballads. Composer and lyricist Frank Wildhorn, who later conceived the Broadway musical, Jekyll & Hyde, had wanted to write a song for Houston after hearing her duet with Teddy Pendergrass, "Hold Me", a couple of years earlier. He and songwriter Chuck Jackson were eventually hired by Davis to compose a ballad for the singer. According to Wildhorn, Jackson, known for writing hit songs such as "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" and "I've Got Love on My Mind" for Natalie Cole, called him on the phone and gave him the title. From there, he said, he "sat there at the piano and in about 40 minutes, 90% of the sketch of the song was done". Afterwards, he called Jackson back and told him to come over his house because "I think we've got something" and the duo finished the song later that night.</blockquote>

Along with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Didn't We Almost Have It All", it was one of the earliest songs presented for Houston's sophomore effort. Prior to her recording the song, other singers, such as Smokey Robinson, offered to record it but Wildhorn and Jackson refused, holding out hope for Houston to record it. When Houston eventually listened to a demo record of the ballad, the singer flatly turned it down, thinking the song "had no depth to it". Years later, in a 2000 interview, Houston admitted, "I didn't even wanna do '[Where Do] Broken Hearts [Go]', I hated the song, I didn't wanna sing it". Houston said she eventually found "some meaning in [the song] that I could relate to" when she entered the studio with Walden producing the session. Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described it as a ballad "that raises questions without making you care about the answers." People Magazine said that songs like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" "have some substance". Pop Rescue noted it as a "classic big 80s power ballad", adding it as "the perfect ending to a school disco."

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. 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. 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". 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. The song topped the chart for two weeks, 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. 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. 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. It was ranked number 33 and 47, on the Billboard Top Pop and Top Black Singles year end charts for 1988, respectively. The single also placed at number two on the Top Adult Contemporary Singles year end chart of the same year. 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. 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. In Ireland, it peaked at number two, the highest chart position of the song outside the United States. The song also reached number 48 in Australia, number 47 in the Netherlands, and number 23 in New Zealand. In 2022, the record was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for digital sales and stream equivalent sales of 200,000 units. 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.

The music video (directed by Peter Israelson) features Houston breaking up with a boyfriend and reflecting on happy memories; asking herself the title question, "where do broken hearts go?" At the conclusion of the music video, the couple reunites. Houston is depicted in various "glamour girl" shots throughout the video; Arista executives reportedly joked at the time, "there's her screen test", referring to rumors about Houston's Hollywood ambitions. In 2002, Israelson told Liquid Assets, a British TV documentary series focused on the net worth of celebrities, that Houston's performance in the video's 1940s themed train station scene (filmed at Newark Penn Station) convinced Kevin Costner of her acting abilities for The Bodyguard. The video was moderately controversial since the ambiguous ethnic background of Houston's love interest (reportedly Houston's then real life love interest, New York restaurateur Brad Johnson) highlighted the racial sensitivities that accompanied Houston's success during the 1980s. The singer had been criticized for "selling out" and "acting white". Some members of the audience at the Soul Train Music Awards jeered at Houston's name when "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was nominated for an award at the 1989 ceremony. The video has been currently viewed more than 68 million times on YouTube.

Houston first performed "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" at Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival on May 15, 1987. The performance was broadcast later in the US, as well as on various European TV channels. Houston sang the song at the 15th American Music Awards, held on January 25, 1988. She lip synced to the album version of the song on the UK BBC1 TV show Wogan, which was hosted by Terry Wogan in 1988. "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was one of the songs performed on Houston's set list during Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Celebration concert, televised live worldwide via BBC, at Wembley Stadium in London on June 11, 1988. In the US, the edit version of the concert was broadcast later on Fox TV network. Aside from the several live televised performances, the song was included on the set lists on Houston's four tours, usually serving as part of a love song medley along with her other ballad hits. During her Moment of Truth World Tour (1987–88), the performance of the song was a little different to the album version. She started the song to usual tempo and was completed the song in an extended coda vamp, used her chest voice and head voice appropriately. On her Feels So Right Japan Tour in 1990 and I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour in 1991, Houston performed the song as the final part of a love song medley with "All at Once," "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and "A House Is Not a Home." She sang the additional lyrics such as "take me in your arms" and "say that you love me" extemporaneously at the end of the song. During I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour, Houston performed the love song medley with the song at Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston concert, dedicated to the US troops, their families in honor of those returning from the Gulf War, which was broadcast live via HBO on March 31, 1991. Similarly, during The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–94), "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was used as the fourth part of a love song medley, which included "Nobody Loves Like You Do" and "All the Man That I Need." In 1998, on Houston's 10 dates European Tour, she also delivered a performance of the song as the final part of a love song medley.