Released on April 12, 1988, it is the band's second-most commercially successful studio album (trailing only 1979's Dream Police), reaching number 16 on the Billboard 200[1] and being certified platinum in sales.

"[15] Pan-European magazine Music & Media considered Lap of Luxury to be an "excellent LP", adding: "A very mature album, made with renewed enthusiasm and energy.

"[16] Ira Robbins of Rolling Stone stated: "The entire album lurches unpredictably; fortunately, Zander's superhuman vocals pull it out of the fire, transcending the inferior material and occasionally misguided arrangements.

"[12] In a retrospective review, Steve Huey of AllMusic noted: "Cheap Trick's comeback album is by no means a return to the creativity and vitality of their glory days.

Combining grandly romantic power ballads with catchy hard rockers, Lap of Luxury consistently delivers strong hooks and well-crafted songs.

"[9] Dave Swanson of Rolling Stone commented: "The album suffers from the same identity crisis the band had been experiencing throughout the decade, and the label's demand for outside assistance in songwriting was both a blessing and a curse."