"Survival of the Sickest" peaked at numbers 6 and 22 on both the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Alternative Songs charts respectively.

The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Wayne Isham, features two girls going backstage to a Saliva concert.

It was featured in the video game NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup[1] and was the official theme song for WWE's Unforgiven 2004 pay per view.

"[2] Entertainment Weekly writer Sean Richardson called the track a "retro party anthem" that pays "rollicking tribute" to '80s hair metal.

[3] Bram Teitelman of Billboard praised the song for being a "high-octane, well-oiled rocker" that continues the band's penchant to craft "solid rock tracks", concluding that "Modern rock is coming to the party as well, ensuring that the song's chances for survival at radio are good.