Writing for "Rolling Stone" in 2000, Anthony DeCurtis praised the song for its musical demonstration of "the sweet satisfactions of faith". On a triple album where "nearly every song is excellent", AllMusic picks "All Things Must Pass" as one of five standout tracks (or AMG track picks), with Richie Unterberger writing of its autumnal theme: "It's the kind of song that fits the mood in November, when the trees are getting stripped bare of their leaves, the days are getting shorter and colder, and you have to resign yourself to knowing it's going to be tougher and tougher in those regards for months, also knowing that those hardships will pass away come springtime." In his book on Harrison, subtitled "A Spiritual Biography", Gary Tillery refers to the song as "magisterial" and a "majestic title track" that "leaves even the shallowest listener contemplative". Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock places "All Things Must Pass" third on his list of Harrison's best solo songs (behind the two hit singles from "All Things Must Pass", "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life"), and comments: "The album's title track takes on more poignancy after Harrison's death 2001, but it's always been great." Writing for Rough Guides, Chris Ingham similarly describes the song as "a heart-rending piece of significant prescience which seems to take on more poignancy with every passing year".