The song is noted for its unique guitar timbre which can be heard on other Isley Brother tracks such as "Voyage to Atlantis", as well as marking Ron Isley's growing transition into singing more ballads compared to the band's earlier funk approach.

Since the 1990s, it has been sampled in numerous other songs, predominantly in the R&B and hip hop genres.

Most famously, it was used in "It Was a Good Day" by California-based rapper Ice Cube.

Ernie Isley's playing on this track is heavily influenced by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, whose first recording session was actually with the Isley Brothers in 1964 with the track "Testify".

Written, composed and arranged by The Isley BrothersCo-produced by The Isley Brothers, Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff[6] "Footsteps in the Dark" remains popular into the 21st century as a sample used in other songs, often edited to change its speed or pitch.