In the US, it became her fourth consecutive number one single and sold over one million copies, making it Houston's first platinum single in the US; and her biggest hit in that country at the time.
Los Angeles Times's pop music critic, Robert Hilburn described the song as "a deliciously raucous tune with a bit of the synthesizer underpinning and giddy zest of Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun.'"
Jon Pareles of The New York Times gave a negative comment, writing that listening to "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "You're Still My Man," another track on the album was like "watching television while someone fiddles with color controls."
In 2006, Slant Magazine ranked the song at #88 in their 100 Greatest Dance Songs.
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" won the award for "Favorite Pop/Rock Single" at the 15th American Music Awards on January 25, 1988.