"[2][4] Kansas City Times critic Leland Rucker said that the song has reggae rhythms and jazz changes that resemble Steely Dan.

[5] Muncie Star critic Kim Teverbaugh noted that the song shows a newfound ability by Styx to incorporate significant horn sections into their work.

"[7] Record World said the song has "an ambitious arrangement, complete with smart tempo shifts, bright horn charts and a perky beat.

"[9] Kingston Whig-Standard critic Greg Burliuk identified "Nothing Ever Goes as Planned" as his favorite song on Paradise Theater, saying that it's "the album's most effective statement of how illusory are our dreams.

"[10] The Leaf Chronicle critic Tony Durr called it a "perfectly beautiful solid rock entry" that "keeps surprising you with its excellence," saying that "you cannot sit still, and the orchestration on the bridge and finale flattens you with horns!