Various artists have been inspired by the song's production, aura, and opening segment, as well as the music video's "laid back" dance environment. It has been covered by artists such as Bruno Mars and 'N Sync. Britney Spears cited "That's the Way Love Goes" as the inspiration for "Touch of My Hand", appearing on Spears' fourth album "In the Zone", saying "I like to compare it to 'That's the Way Love Goes,' kind of a Janet Jackson thing." Additionally, "MuuMuse" likened the spoken word introduction of Spears' "Am I A Sinner" to a similar opening segment in Jackson's song. Spears included "That's the Way Love Goes" in a playlist for Z100's Reality Radio, commenting "This is one of my favorite songs ever. I love this girl. She has the coolest abs in the world." The whispered introduction in the "Bluelight Version" of Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire" references the opening refrain of "That's the Way Love Goes". A lyric comparable to the song's introduction was noted in Madonna's "Turn Up the Radio," with similar opening lines also used in Wynter Gordon's "Stimela" and Jennifer Lopez's "Step Into My World."