"Don't Be Cruel" peaked at number one on the "Billboard" 200 and included five top 10 "Billboard" Hot 100 hits, with "My Prerogative" being a number-one hit. Three of the singles also reached number one on "Billboard"s Hot R&B Songs chart. "My Prerogative" was also the second-biggest single of 1989, ranking at number two on the "Billboard" Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1989. The album also spent a total of 11 non-consecutive weeks atop the "Billboard" R&B Albums chart over the course of 1988 and 1989. Internationally, it reached number one in Ireland and the top five in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.