 "The Best of Van Morrison" was acclaimed by critics from "Goldmine" and "Q" magazine, who called it essential.In a contemporary review for "The Village Voice", Robert Christgau said although the songs are not sequenced chronologically, the album flows as a unified and "spiritually enlightened" work that also reflects the compilers "upbeat market savvy".He took note of the seven songs from Morrison's music in the 1980s, particularly "Wonderful Remark", writing that they live up to the standards of his 1970s albums "Moondance" (1970) and "Into the Music" (1979).