The compilation album was well received by many music critics.
Chuck Eddy from
Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, writing, "Laura Branigan’s voice was as titanic as any ’80s pop star’s. There was animal in her howl and opera in her high notes. Her biggest hits, collected on
The Best of Branigan, told about women heading for mental breakdowns. "
Spanish Eddie", a disco-flamenco about a night when a friend’s death leads to insanity, wasn’t a hit; it should’ve been."
Allmusic awarded the album four stars, noting that "Branigan's powerhouse voice and career are fairly represented here. Beyond the joy of hearing some of the hits - "Solitaire," "The Lucky One," and "Spanish Eddie" - you can hear how her underutilized voice can help bring songs to life. She is remarkably understated on the subtly over-the-top "Over You," while her dramatic appeal is used to its fullest on "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" and "Ti Amo." Though her career never had the type of trajectory Celine Dion did, her voice is just as strong and just as full. With cuts like the playful "Is There Anybody Here but Me?," a faithful remake of Donna Summer's "Dim All the Lights," and the pop ballad "Show Me Heaven," you can hear how her voice matured in fullness and timbre and how maturity brought her music and her talent to a new level in the latter portion of her career." In their review of "Dim All the Lights",
Billboard wrote that Branigan "boldly takes on Donna Summer's disco evergreen with festive results. The combination of Branigan's signature melodrama and the song's sweeping romance is notably strong - not to mention loads of fun." == Track listing ==