[3] According to music journalist Gillian G. Gaar, the song originated during a session when Morrison asked drummer John Densmore to lay down a 4/4 beat to which he inserted the lyrics.
[8] Critic Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic described Robby Krieger's guitar playing as "a menacing, proto-heavy metal", and on "top of that, John Densmore's relentless, almost march-rhythm drums take the song through various sections with a convincing power.
[2] During the post-Morrison appearance of the Doors on VH1 Storytellers in 2000, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots accepted the role of lead vocalist.
[13] In 2012, Ray Manzarek and Krieger recorded a live version of "Five to One" in the Sunset Strip Music Festival with Marilyn Manson on vocals.
[2] Stereogum declared "Five to One" the "best song the band ever recorded",[17] while the British daily newspaper, The Guardian, ranked it fifth on their 2015 respective list.