While "September Gurls" was never a big seller, it is considered a classic song by publications such as
Rolling Stone and
Allmusic, as well as by music journalist
John M. Borack. Borack wrote: The track was rated #180 by
Rolling Stone in the magazine's top 500 songs of all time, and is described as a "
power pop classic". In another contemporary review of
Radio City,
The Sun critic Daniel Cotter described it as an "irresistible cut."
The Commercial Appeal critic Walter Dawson considered it one of the "better cuts" on the album and particularly praised
Jody Stephens' drumming.
The Sacramento Bee critic Gene Sculatti described it as being "achingly plaintive" and called it "the very essence of purest American pop, distilled of sentiments and
riffs that could only have sprung from stateside music." Jason Ankeny of Allmusic described the song as "sweetly gorgeous sound that's both familiar and novel; poignantly ragged and breathlessly reckless..." and says it "reveals a surprising tenderness, tempering its venom with achingly lovely vocals and sun-kissed harmonies". Novelist
Michael Chabon called the song "the pocket history of power pop" and claims that it is "the greatest number-one song that never charted".
Far Out rated it as the 89th most underrated song of the 1970s, saying that it "bristles with much of the same simultaneous melodic pleasantries and yet paradoxical cutting edge that the
Fab Four propagated before them." Chilton was less kind describing the song, saying: ==Covers==