Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2

There was a new Number One song this week in 1986, and it’s one I liked—and still do. That’s certainly not always the case. On February 15, 1986, “How Will I Know” (video up top) by by American singer Whitney Houston. It was the third single from her debut album, Whitney Houston, and it was also her second Number One single, after 1985’s “Saving All My Love for You”, which was the subject of “Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 20”.

This song was on the radio a lot at the time, as most Number One songs are, and I also saw the video a lot at the time. I I liked a lot of Whitney’s early music, including this song, and I also liked the video. However, I never bought the song or her album, and I can’t remember where, precisely, I saw the video—possibly (probably?) in the video gay bars that were popular at the time, since I didn’t have MTV. There were, however, weekly music video shows were on broastcast TV at the time, so that’s also a possibility.

In this era, I thought Whitney’s songs were “good”, for lack of a better, more accurate word, but I can't listen to her old music without feeling sad at what happened to her. None of which is to dismiss her work in later years, before she stopped releasing albums, and I did like some of that, too. My point, really, is that I like a lot—though not all—of her music in this era when she was still a “new artist” for the pop music world.

All that aside, I liked this song at the time, and since, and both are still true. Sometimes, that’s enough.

“How Will I Know” reached Number 2 in Australia, Number One in Canada (Platinum), 19 in New Zealand (2x Platinum), 5 in the UK (Silver for physical sales), and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100”, as well as their “Adult Contemporary” and “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” charts. The song was also Number One on the Cashbox “Top 100 Singles”, “Top Black Contemporary Singles”, and “Top 12-inch Singles” charts. The song was also 3x Platinum in the USA.

The album Whitney Houston reached Number One in Australia (5x Platinum) and Canada (Diamond), 3 in New Zealand (2x Platinum), 2 on the UK’s Albums and also Dance Albums charts (4x Platinum), and it was Number One on the USA’s ”Billboard 200” chart and their “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” chart. It was certified 14x Platinum in the USA.

This series will return in two weeks, on March 1, with the next new Number One from 1986.

Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:

Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026