"This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)" failed to place on any of the three US singles charts or the UK's official singles chart, then just a top 50. It was Harrison's first single to miss the "Billboard" Hot 100, where all his previous releases had charted no lower than number 36, and the first single by a former Beatle not to chart at all in the United States. Rodriguez attributes its lack of success mainly to the fact that Apple was "on fumes" by this point and the company's promotion for the single was nonexistent. By the time the single appeared in Britain, Harrison's involvement with Apple was officially over, following his signing with A&M-distributed Dark Horse Records in January 1976. Spizer writes: "It was a sad end and [a far cry from the success of Apple's first release, 'Hey Jude'."