Billboard 200[3] and won the award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1990 Grammys.

"Sling Shot" was featured in the 1990 horror comedy film Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

Several other tracks were used as part of the soundtrack for the 1990 South Atlantic Raiders episodes of the British comedy series The Comic Strip Presents.

In a further move from his previous jazz fusion stylings, Beck adopts a more straightforward instrumental rock approach on Guitar Shop, save for two tracks ("Guitar Shop" and "Day in the House") on which drummer Terry Bozzio provides quirky spoken vocals.

Following Beck's death in 2023, guitarist Brian May described "Where Were You" as "possibly the most beautiful bit of guitar music ever recorded, probably alongside Jimi Hendrix's 'Little Wing'".