Lynne began to write the album in response to criticisms from his father, a classical music lover, who said that Electric Light Orchestra's repertoire "had no tune".

"[2][verification needed] The cover, designed by John Kehe, is a mirrored still frame of Dorothy's ruby slippers from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz.

Not that it could ever have the same impact or be as distinctive, but it had its feet planted in so many richly melodic and varied musical traditions, yet made it all work in a rock context, that it did recall the Beatles classic.

"[5] Ken Barnes of Rolling Stone also noted that "The Electric Light Orchestra has sometimes swamped itself in grandiose conceptions, and Eldorado (A Symphony) sounds like a prime opportunity to do it again.

"[8] Chuck Hicks of PopMatters wrote in his retrospective review that "Eldorado (named for the mythical, gilded king of a golden kingdom) struck a responsive chord, breaking through like sunlight on the buried desires of the discouraged and disillusioned ’70s audience.

He continued that "Eldorado was the first of many successful ELO albums that had in mind “the mission of the sacred heart”, a shimmering, purlined call to hold on tight to our dreams.