Released on March 5, 1971, by Reprise Records in the United States and Track Records in the United Kingdom, the album was successful on the record charts in both countries and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1998. Critics responded favorably to the album, viewing it as an impressive tribute to Hendrix. Several of the songs on "The Cry of Love" were later featured on other efforts to recreate the album Hendrix had been working on, including "Voodoo Soup" in 1995 and "First Rays of the New Rising Sun" in 1997.