Where Do Broken Hearts Go
Encyclopedia
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is the fourth single from Whitney Houston
's second album, Whitney
. The ballad was released in February 1988. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn
and Chuck Jackson
. Wildhorn approached Jackson about the opportunity to write for Whitney Houston. He gave him the title, and Wildhorn completed the music and lyrics for the song.
Initially, Houston did not want to record the song, feeling there was no special message to convey. However, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis
believed the song would go to number one if she recorded it, so she agreed. The single became Houston's seventh consecutive number one single in the United States.
chart, the issue date of February 27, 1988. Within four weeks of its release, the single reached top ten on the chart, and finally peaked at number one in nine weeks of chart debut, the issue dated April 23, 1988, making Houston the only artist in pop history with seven consecutive No. 1 hits. In addition, she became the first female artist to achieve four number-one singles from one album, Whitney. To date, only five albums by women including Houston's, have yielded four Hot 100 number-one hits; Paula Abdul
's Forever Your Girl
in 1988, Janet Jackson
's Rhythm Nation 1814
in 1989, Mariah Carey
's self-titled debut
in 1990 and Katy Perry
's Teenage Dream
in 2010. Houston also holds the title for the most number one hits (7) by a female artist in the 1980s, shared only by Madonna
. The song stayed on the top for two weeks and spent eighteen weeks on the chart. It entered the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart (formerly "Hot Black Singles") at number sixty, the issue date of March 5, 1988 and nine weeks later reached a peak of number two, becoming Houston's ninth R&B top five hit. 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. It was ranked number thirty-three and forty-seven, 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 seventy-six, 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 thirty on the UK Singles Chart
, the week ending date of March 12, 1988, and three weeks later reached a peak of number fourteen 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 forty-eight in Australia, number twenty-four in Italy, number forty-seven in the Netherlands, and number twenty-three in New Zealand.
(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.
The video was moderately controversial since the ambiguous ethnic background of Houston's love interest highlighted the racial sensitivites that accompanied Houston's success during the 1980s. The singer had been criticized for "selling out" and "acting white". A mostly-black audience jeered when "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was nominated for an award at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards.
on The X Factor 2009
. The song has also been covered by Tracy Miller, a Broadway theatrical actress-singer, who performed the song at a "Frank Wildhorn & Friends" concert. This song was also covered by American Idol 10
contestant Pia Toscano
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's second album, Whitney
Whitney (album)
Whitney is the second studio album by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston, released in the United States on June 2, 1987 by Arista Records as the follow-up to her best selling debut album, Whitney Houston. The album met the expectations of many people and was sensationally popular after its...
. The ballad was released in February 1988. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn is an American composer known for both his musicals and popular songs. He is most known for his musical Jekyll & Hyde, which ran four years on Broadway, and for writing the #1 International Hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" for Whitney Houston.-Early years:Wildhorn was born in...
and Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
. Wildhorn approached Jackson about the opportunity to write for Whitney Houston. He gave him the title, and Wildhorn completed the music and lyrics for the song.
Initially, Houston did not want to record the song, feeling there was no special message to convey. However, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
believed the song would go to number one if she recorded it, so she agreed. The single became Houston's seventh consecutive number one single in the United States.
Chart performance
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go," released off Whitney as the fourth single in February 1988, debuted at number forty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 SinglesBillboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, the issue date of February 27, 1988. Within four weeks of its release, the single reached top ten on the chart, and finally peaked at number one in nine weeks of chart debut, the issue dated April 23, 1988, making Houston the only artist in pop history with seven consecutive No. 1 hits. In addition, she became the first female artist to achieve four number-one singles from one album, Whitney. To date, only five albums by women including Houston's, have yielded four Hot 100 number-one hits; Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
's Forever Your Girl
Forever Your Girl
Forever Your Girl is the debut album from singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 13, 1988 and took 64 weeks from its release to hit number one on the Billboard 200 album sales chart, the longest an album has been on the market before hitting number one. The album was eventually certified seven...
in 1988, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's Rhythm Nation 1814
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on September 19, 1989, by A&M Records. Despite demands from label executives for material similar to her previous album, Control , she insisted on creating a concept album addressing...
in 1989, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's self-titled debut
Mariah Carey (album)
Mariah Carey is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 12, 1990 by Columbia Records. The album contains a range of contemporary genres, and the songs are a mix of slow ballads and dance tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with...
in 1990 and Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
's Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry album)
Teenage Dream is the third studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. The album's inspiration came from dance, pop, and rock by 1980s artists, including ABBA and The Cardigans. Perry worked with several writers and producers on...
in 2010. Houston also holds the title for the most number one hits (7) by a female artist in the 1980s, shared only by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. The song stayed on the top for two weeks and spent eighteen weeks on the chart. It entered the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart (formerly "Hot Black Singles") at number sixty, the issue date of March 5, 1988 and nine weeks later reached a peak of number two, becoming Houston's ninth R&B top five hit. 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. It was ranked number thirty-three and forty-seven, 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
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
chart at number seventy-six, 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 thirty on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the week ending date of March 12, 1988, and three weeks later reached a peak of number fourteen 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 forty-eight in Australia, number twenty-four in Italy, number forty-seven in the Netherlands, and number twenty-three in New Zealand.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
(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.
The video was moderately controversial since the ambiguous ethnic background of Houston's love interest highlighted the racial sensitivites that accompanied Houston's success during the 1980s. The singer had been criticized for "selling out" and "acting white". A mostly-black audience jeered when "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was nominated for an award at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards.
Covers
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" has been covered by punk rock group Me First & The Gimme Gimmes on their 2003 album, Take a Break and more recently by Joe McElderryJoe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
on The X Factor 2009
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
. The song has also been covered by Tracy Miller, a Broadway theatrical actress-singer, who performed the song at a "Frank Wildhorn & Friends" concert. This song was also covered by American Idol 10
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
contestant Pia Toscano
Pia Toscano
Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...
Chart positions
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... ) |
48 |
| Canada (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
6 |
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
2 |
| Italy (Musica e Dischi) | 24 |
| Spain (AFYVE) | 32 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S Billboard Hot 100 | 33 |
| U.S Black Singles | 47 |
| U.S Adult Contemporary Singles | 2 |
| U.S Pop Singles | 33 |
Chart procession and succession
See also
- Hot 100 number-one hits of 1988 (United States)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1988 (U.S.)
External links
- Where Do Broken Hearts Go at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...