"I know it sounds funny but I'm not in it for the money..." So he gets through the first verse and the first group of background vocals come in and the room lights up and gets a little bit bigger, and by the time you get to the first full-blown chorus it's like, "Baboom!"

[1]Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh said that "..in 1974, when Carmen despaired of ever breaking through to more substantial recognition he came up with a last ditch effort called 'Hit Record (Overnight Sensation)' that painted his aspirations with perfect bluntness.

'Overnight Sensation' is the radio that leads to Carmen's street of dreams, and in it, his vision of himself as the true inheritor of the innocence of early sixties rock is justified completely.

"[3] Cash Box called it a "simply incredible rocker (possibly the best ever laid down by the group)" and said that "Eric Carmen's lead vocals are perfect and dynamic as can be, but the real delight here is the series of changes this track goes through.

[9] "Overnight Sensation" was included on the Raspberries Pop Art Live CD set from their reunion concert recording, November 26, 2004, at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio, released August 18, 2017.