# How Will I Know
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by the American singer [Whitney Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/whitney-houston) for her self-titled debut album *Whitney Houston* (1985), written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of the pop duo Boy Meets Girl together with producer [Narada Michael Walden](https://www.edgepedia.org/narada-michael-walden). Released as a single on November 22, 1985, it went to number one on both the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) pop and R&B charts in spring 1986, becoming the second of three consecutive chart-toppers from the album.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist / album | Whitney Houston, from her debut album *Whitney Houston* (February 14, 1985)[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_CtXKwoW4) |
| Songwriters | George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam (Boy Meets Girl), with producer, arranger, drummer and co-writer Narada Michael Walden[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_CtXKwoW4) |
| US single release | November 22, 1985[2](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/hu/releases/song-list/) |
| Peak positions | Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B chart in spring 1986; number 5 on the UK Official Singles Chart[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252) • [4](https://talkaboutpopmusic.com/2021/09/24/then-now-how-will-i-know/) |
| Sales and certification | Million-selling single in the United States; certified three-times platinum by the RIAA in 2025[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252) • [5](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/biography/) |
| Notable players | Cissy Houston (Houston's mother) on background vocals; Randy Jackson on bass[6](https://stereogum.com/2107774/the-number-ones-whitney-houstons-how-will-i-know/columns/the-number-ones) |
| Later life | Whitney x Clean Bandit remix released September 24, 2021 on RCA Records[7](https://music.apple.com/us/album/how-will-i-know-single/1585871463) |
## Writing and rejection
Songwriters George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, who recorded together as Boy Meets Girl, wrote "How Will I Know" with [Janet Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/janet-jackson) in mind, intending it as a hit for her. When they pitched the song, it was rejected. Music publishing executive Brenda Andrews of Almo Irving then played the song for Gerry Griffith, Arista Records' A&R and R&B executive, who thought it would suit one of the label's new signees, Whitney Houston[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252).
At the time Houston was a relative unknown just assembling her first album, and Merrill and Rubicam changed their minds about the song after hearing Houston sing their lyrics[8](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/houstons-early-hits-had-roots-in-the-north-bay/). Griffith convinced Arista chairman [Clive Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/clive-davis), who chose the song as one of the featured tracks for the debut album and selected Narada Michael Walden as producer[9](https://www.musicradar.com/news/boy-meets-girl-whitney-houston-songs).
## Production
Griffith asked producer Narada Michael Walden to produce the song for Houston, but Walden initially declined because he was busy producing [Aretha Franklin](https://www.edgepedia.org/aretha-franklin)'s *Who's Zooming Who* album. After much cajoling, Walden relented and listened to a tape of "How Will I Know"[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252).
**Restructuring the song.** Walden thought the chorus was strong but felt the song had no verses; Merrill and Rubicam were initially resistant to changes, but later allowed Walden to add more lyrics, and the writers themselves added more verse material during the rework[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252) • [10](https://stereogum.com/2199388/narada-michael-walden-tells-the-stories-behind-eight-great-tracks-hes-worked-on-from-mahavishnu-orchestra-to-mariah-carey/interviews/qa) • [11](https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/2020/03/interview-with-george-merrill-shannon-rubicam-boy-meets-girl.html). Walden's production credits on the released track cover arranging, drums, and co-writing, with keyboards by Preston Glass, guitar by Corrado Rustici, horn by Premik Russell Tubbs, and engineering and mixing by Mike Barbiero[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_CtXKwoW4).
Sessions took place at Walden's own Tarpan Studios in [San Rafael, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-rafael-california), with Houston's lead vocals recorded in New York[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252) • [8](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/houstons-early-hits-had-roots-in-the-north-bay/). [Cissy Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/cissy-houston), the singer's mother, sang background vocals along with Mary Canty and Yvonne Lewis, and [Randy Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-jackson), later a judge on *American Idol*, played bass[6](https://stereogum.com/2107774/the-number-ones-whitney-houstons-how-will-i-know/columns/the-number-ones) • [1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_CtXKwoW4).
## Chart success
Released as a single in November 1985[2](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/hu/releases/song-list/), the song went to number one on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts in spring 1986 and sold a million copies[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252). AllMusic's review identifies it as the fourth single from the album[3](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252). In the United Kingdom it reached number 5 on the Official Singles Chart[4](https://talkaboutpopmusic.com/2021/09/24/then-now-how-will-i-know/).
The song's arrival at the top of the Hot 100 carried a piece of chart history: it dislodged "That's What Friends Are For" by [Dionne Warwick](https://www.edgepedia.org/dionne-warwick), Houston's first cousin, and Billboard's number-one reference work records it as the third time in the rock era that an artist succeeded a blood relative at number one[12](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Billboard-Book-of-Number-One-Hits-1988--221117.pdf).
**Aftermath for the writers.** The song was Houston's first uptempo hit and established Merrill and Rubicam as sought-after songwriters[13](https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/george-merrill-shannon-rubicam-boy-meets-girl-2023/). Davis soon asked them for material for Houston's second album, which produced "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", again produced by Walden; that song and "How Will I Know" also share video director Brian Grant and choreographer [Arlene Phillips](https://www.edgepedia.org/arlene-phillips)[14](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/once-we-had-that-chorus-its-like-everything-came-from-that-some-songs-you-agonise-over-but-this-was-not-one-of-them-boy-meets-girl-on-how-having-one-song-rejected-led-to-them-writing-whitney-houstons-biggest-80s-hit) • [15](https://lovewhitney.whitneyhouston.com/).
## Later releases and covers
The song has appeared on Houston's compilations, including *Whitney: The Greatest Hits* (in remix form), *The Ultimate Collection* (2009), *I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston* (2012), and the *Whitney Houston* 35th Anniversary Edition (2020)[2](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/hu/releases/song-list/). In 2021, Houston's estate and RCA released a new version pairing her original vocal with the British group [Clean Bandit](https://www.edgepedia.org/clean-bandit), credited to Whitney Houston x Clean Bandit; the track listing describes it as blending her voice with the group's sonics from Grace, a classically-trained cellist, Jack, a producer and multi-instrumentalist, and Luke, a drummer and remixer[7](https://music.apple.com/us/album/how-will-i-know-single/1585871463) • [16](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/en-ca/track/how-will-i-know-whitney-clean-bandit/).
The song has also been sampled by other artists: the British group M.O's "How Will I Know / Perfect Strangers", performed in [BBC Radio 1](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-radio-1)'s Live Lounge in 2016, samples Houston's original[17](https://www.whosampled.com/M.O/How-Will-I-Know-Perfect-Strangers/). In June 2025 the RIAA certified the original single three-times platinum in the United States, reflecting combined physical sales, downloads, and on-demand audio and video streams[5](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/biography/).
## References
1. [How Will I Know (audio), official Whitney Houston channel, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z_CtXKwoW4)
2. [Song List, Whitney Houston Official Site](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/hu/releases/song-list/)
3. [How Will I Know – Whitney Houston, AllMusic (review by Ed Hogan)](https://www.allmusic.com/song/how-will-i-know-mt0063156252)
4. [Then & Now: 'How Will I Know?', Talk About Pop Music](https://talkaboutpopmusic.com/2021/09/24/then-now-how-will-i-know/)
5. [Biography, Whitney Houston Official Site](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/biography/)
6. [The Number Ones: Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know", Stereogum](https://stereogum.com/2107774/the-number-ones-whitney-houstons-how-will-i-know/columns/the-number-ones)
7. [How Will I Know – Single, Whitney Houston & Clean Bandit, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/how-will-i-know-single/1585871463)
8. [Whitney Houston's Early Hits Had Roots In The North Bay, CBS San Francisco](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/houstons-early-hits-had-roots-in-the-north-bay/)
9. [Boy Meets Girl on writing hits for Whitney Houston, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/news/boy-meets-girl-whitney-houston-songs)
10. [Narada Michael Walden Tells The Stories Behind Eight Great Tracks, Stereogum](https://stereogum.com/2199388/narada-michael-walden-tells-the-stories-behind-eight-great-tracks-hes-worked-on-from-mahavishnu-orchestra-to-mariah-carey/interviews/qa)
11. [Interview with George Merrill & Shannon Rubicam of Boy Meets Girl, Rediscover the 80s](https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/2020/03/interview-with-george-merrill-shannon-rubicam-boy-meets-girl.html)
12. [The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (WHITNEY entry), WorldRadioHistory](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Billboard-Book-of-Number-One-Hits-1988--221117.pdf)
13. [George Merrill & Shannon Rubicam: Interview, Songwriter Universe](https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/george-merrill-shannon-rubicam-boy-meets-girl-2023/)
14. [Boy Meets Girl on how having one song rejected led to them writing Whitney Houston's biggest '80s hit, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/once-we-had-that-chorus-its-like-everything-came-from-that-some-songs-you-agonise-over-but-this-was-not-one-of-them-boy-meets-girl-on-how-having-one-song-rejected-led-to-them-writing-whitney-houstons-biggest-80s-hit)
15. [For The Love Of Whitney, Whitney Houston Official Site](https://lovewhitney.whitneyhouston.com/)
16. [How Will I Know (Whitney x Clean Bandit), Whitney Houston Official Site](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/en-ca/track/how-will-i-know-whitney-clean-bandit/)
17. [How Will I Know / Perfect Strangers by M.O, WhoSampled](https://www.whosampled.com/M.O/How-Will-I-Know-Perfect-Strangers/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Production and songwriter credit lists › Songs recorded by lists › Songs recorded by Western rock, pop, and R&B solo performers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license