Christine Sprengler argued that the film was an attempt to show "musical milestones" in the context of the times (both political and social), and, like American Graffiti and Grease, sets rock and roll as the soundtrack to the decade.

[4] Canby noted that the film may have a possibly unintentional social commentary, with the majority-white audience giving the black fist to the majority-African American performers.

[7] Canby noted that the performers seemed much different than they were during their earlier careers, with gained weight, longer and thinner hair, and Little Richard having "openly embraced androgyny".

"[8] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that it "gives us mostly the music of the late 1950s as performed 15 years later by the same artists.

"[9] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "Interspersed among the 28 songs (including Chuck Berry with his 'Johnny B. Goode,' Danny and the Juniors bubbling 'At the Hop,' and The Five Satins wailing 'In the Still of the Night,') are film clips and photographs of the persons, movies, and fads that marked the time and, seen again, bring on laughter and a wistful feeling.

"[11] Tom Zito of The Washington Post called it "the first film to view rock 'n' roll in its broad cultural perspective.