"Born Under a Bad Sign" has been recognized by several music institutions as an influential album. It has been inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame, in 1985 and 1999 respectively. The 2002 reissue received a Blues Music Award for "Historical Blues Album of the Year". In 2012, "Rolling Stone" ranked "Born Under a Bad Sign" at number 491 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The list states: "King's first album for the Stax label combines his hard, unflashy guitar playing with the sleek sound of the label's house band, Booker T. and the MG's."