[2] Released on February 17, 2004, "I Don't Wanna Know" spent eight consecutive weeks at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind the Usher singles "Yeah!"

"[7][8] Vibe wrote that "Winans adds a simple stuttering beat that prevents the song from devolving into murky, saccharine Muzak.

This is the secret of Winan's magic; the soft touch of the synthesizers and his gentle piano playing blend with the signature sound of the kick and snare – hard, unadorned, punching through the music's gauzy elegiac texture.

[14] Outside North America, the song reached number one on the Eurochart Hot 100,[15] topping the charts of Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The song has also been covered by Dega, a Kompa artist, featuring a rap verse from Wyclef Jean and a small section from T-Vice in the album Ba Li Gazzz in 2004.