Townshend acknowledged during the Who's concert at the Prudential Center in Newark on 19 March 2016 that this is his favorite song on the album.
[2] The energy picks up with Keith Moon's drum fills and Townshend's rhythm guitar chords before Roger Daltrey begins to sing the lyrics.
[2][4][5] That guitar solo was praised by Rolling Stone critic John Mendelsohn, as well as by the Who authors Chris Charlesworth, Steve Grantley and Alan Parker.
[2] Townshend was particularly effusive in his praise for the sound associate producer Glyn Johns was able to achieve, particularly for the acoustic guitars.
"[4] Allmusic critic Tom Maginnis calls "Bargain" one of the "explosively dynamic tracks found on the Who's seminal Who's Next album.
[9] Pete Townshend included solo recordings of "Bargain" on his albums Scoop and The Lifehouse Chronicles.