I Don't Know How to Love Him has been universally acclaimed as the high point of the "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack since the album's September 1970 release; in 2003 "The Rough Guide to Cult Pop" would assess Elliman's performance: "It's rare to hear a singer combine such power and purity of tone in one song, and none of the famous singers who have covered this ballad since have come close." The choice for the first single release went, however, to the track "Superstar" by Murray Head. When a cover of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" by Helen Reddy began moving up the charts in the
How Will I Know numbers tend to suffer from a particularly dated sound compared to her ballads, but this song still works remarkably well because of its lush melody throughout the verse, bridge and chorus." "[t]his track helps Houston prove that she knows how to interpret, with great skill, tunes that display solid craftsmanship," he added. While reviewing the "Deluxe Anniversary Edition" of the album, Mikael Wood of "Entertainment Weekly" commented on the a cappella version of the song noting, "a cappella mix of 'How Will I Know' [that] displays the singer's precision long before the advent of Auto-Tune." While reviewing "The Ultimate Collection",