[9] It was one of the videos to be aired on MTV's first day of broadcasting, on 1 August 1981.

[10] Upon its release as a single, Cash Box selected "Looking for Clues" as one of their feature picks in November 1980.

They commented, "Palmer's been around awhile, but musically, he continues to shift gears and develop as an artist.

He has created an immensely infectious little electronic boogie, half pop, half funk, to support his high, multi-tracked vocals, with a neat vibe break.

"[11] In a retrospective review of Clues, Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic described the song as "a clever slice of new wave pop that surprises the listener with an unexpected xylophone solo".