5 on Billboard magazine's "Popular Albums (Over-All)" chart, trailing only the Oklahoma soundtrack and popular albums by Frank Sinatra (In the Wee Small Hours), Harry Belafonte (Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites), and Julie London (Julie Is Her Name).

[3][4] Lawrence Welk and His Sparkling Strings remained on that chart for 11 weeks[3] Music critic Matt Dennis predicted it would be Welk's best seller, noting that it the tunes were "offered with a steady beat best-suited to the average ballroom dancer," and adding, "The major musical emphasis is on strings but easy listening interludes are presented by Myron Floren on the accordion to make the entire album a fresh addition to any record collection.

"[5] Critic Al Rockwell wrote that Welk was seeking to jump into the mood-music genre, but opined that the strings were "far short" of those of groups such as Jackie Gleason and that the arrangements were "conventional at best".

[6] Critic Ed Orloff opined that Welk had come a long way since he led "The Hotsy Totsy Boys" and described the album as "Smooth Stuff.

"[7] The album received a rating of three stars in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music.