The episode received positive reviews from television critics. Many lauded the use of Starr; for instance, IGN ranked his performance in the episode, along with Paul McCartney's performance in "Lisa the Vegetarian" and George Harrison's performance in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", as the tenth best guest appearance in "The Simpsons"' history. They added that "Although none of these appearances were really large, the fact that the most popular band of all time appeared on "The Simpsons" is a large statement on the popularity and importance of the show."