Internationally, "That's the Way Love Goes" reached number one in Australia, Canada, Hungary, New Zealand, Europe's Hot 100 Singles, and the United Kingdom's R&B chart. The song peaked at number two in the United Kingdom (Jackson's highest-charting single in the country), within the top five in Finland and the Netherlands; and the top ten in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden. It is the biggest selling single by a female artist in South Africa, spending nine weeks at number one and certified four times platinum. The single was certified platinum in Australia and silver in the United Kingdom.