Steve Leggett of
AllMusic calls
Sleepless in Seattle: The Birth of Grunge "a nice set from a fascinating era." The
Louisville Eccentric Observer claimed "what's here is empirical, historical documentation that a movement had been afoot long before
Kurt Cobain's sad, snarling blue eyes looked through you." Tim Perlich
NOW was critical of
Sleepless in Seattle's the track selection and said "a Seattle grunge comp without
Mudhoney's Touch Me I'm Sick is one you don't need."
Seattle Weekly criticized the aesthetics of the liner notes but warmly received the music, saying "the whole thing flows like a prized mixtape." ==Track listing==