According to independent scholar Doyle Greene, "Loaded" was "straightforward rock and roll" that completely eschewed the avant-garde and experimental music leanings of the Velvet Underground's previous albums, while the songs "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll" distinguished the band as a "seminal proto-punk" act. "The trifecta of 'Who Loves the Sun,' 'Sweet Jane' and 'Rock & Roll' is among the best three-song openings on any rock and roll record", wrote "Paste" contributor Jeff Gonick. In Routledge's "Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century" (2014), music journalist Michael R. Ross regarded the album as "a near-perfect rock album", while Eric Klinger from "PopMatters" called it a "great" pop album.