In 1989, "Rolling Stone" ranked "Instant Karma!" the 79th best single of the previous 25 years. In "NME Originals: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980", David Stubbs lists the song second among Lennon's "ten solo gems" (behind "Cold Turkey"), with the comment: "'Instant Karma!' epitomises the Lennon paradox, melding hippie idealism and rock'n'roll primal energy in an exhilarating mix." Matt Melis of Consequence of Sound placed it third on his 2009 list of "Top Ten Songs by Ex-Beatles". According to the website Acclaimed Music, "Instant Karma!" has also appeared in the following critics' best-songs lists and books, among others: Dave Marsh's "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made" (1989; at number 638), "1000 Songs that Rock Your World" by Dave Thompson (2011; number 56), the "NME"s "The 100 Best Songs of the 1970s" (2012; number 77), and "Q" magazine's "The 1001 Best Songs Ever" (2003; number 193). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes the track among its "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".