Retrospectively, Vik Iyengar of AllMusic wrote that although Palmer became a slick pop star in the 1980s, Sneakin' Sally displays his roots as a "soul singer deeply rooted in R&B and funk".
The critic, Vik Iyengar of AllMusic, retrospectively noted that Palmer's transition to pop stardom in the 1980s did not obscure his roots as a "soul singer deeply rooted in R&B and funk".