"Slave to the Rhythm" is one of the most successful of all Grace Jones' albums in terms of commercial performance. It performed best in German-speaking countries and the Netherlands, where it secured top 10 placings. It also reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart in November 1985. The album remains the second highest-charting album of Jones' on the US "Billboard" 200 (after "Nightclubbing") and her only entry on the Canadian Albums Chart. In 1986 "Billboard" magazine reported that the album had sold 150,000 copies in the US and 1 million worldwide.