British columnist James Masterton called "Story of My Life" a "captivating" track and wrote that the song "catches the ear and the heartstrings from the moment you hear it".

[1] Upon the song's release in the United Kingdom, "Story of My Life" debuted at its peak of number nine on 30 May 2004, spending a total of seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart.

[2] In mainland Europe, the song appeared on the singles charts of Germany and the Netherlands.

[3] On 27 December 2004, the song debuted on the German Singles Chart at number 82, rising to its peak of number 70 on 24 January 2005; it spent a further four weeks on the German chart, tallying nine weeks on the listing altogether.

[4] The song was an airplay hit in the Commonwealth of Independent States, debuting within the top 300 in July 2004 and taking 13 weeks to ascend to its peak of number two in late September.