The song has been covered and sampled numerous times, including by Tupac Shakur in the posthumous 1998 hit "Do for Love".

When it was released to R&B radio, TK Records did their best to hide Caldwell's racial identity, hoping not to alienate their predominantly African American audience.

Canadian electronic pop group released a version on their album 2016 Big Black Coat.

The track was covered by Trinidadian soca music artist Michael Boothman in 1984, with vocals by Charmaine Forde.

Phyllis Hyman, American singer, songwriter, and actress released her version on her 1986 album "Living All Alone".

Dorothy Moore American Blues,R&B,And Gospel Singer released a version of "What You Won't Do For Love" on her 1992 album, "Stay Close To Home" on Malaco Records English pop duo Go West recorded a version on their third studio album, Indian Summer (1992), and released it as a single on January 4, 1993.

[33] The vocal group Boyz II Men released a cover of the song on their 2004 album Throwback, Vol.

In 2024, L-Side and Makoto remixed the song for the release of What You Won't Do For Love which also features Frank H. Carter III.

The song plays over the ending of the Black-ish episode "Love, Boat" to both punctuate a romantic scene as well as make reference to an earlier line in the episode where Dre recalls the time he comforted his mother after she learned Bobby Caldwell was white.