The Best of OMD was the group's final album release of the decade, effectively closing a chapter on their history as co-founder Paul Humphreys left the following year.

According to the band, they had no interest in releasing a hits compilation and did so in order to pay off seemingly inexplicable debts owed to Virgin Records.

"[10] Robert K. Oermann noted, "For years, OMD has been pumping out a steady stream of shimmering, shiny dance-pop singles, custom-made for those late nights spent bobbing and weaving to hypnotic rhythms.

[15] In a retrospective review, Mike DeGagne of AllMusic highlighted the band's knack for strong hooks, and described The Best of OMD as an "excellent compilation" from a group who "were responsible for some of the catchiest and brightest synth pop that the '80s had to offer".

[6] Trouser Press called the record "a concise recapitulation of the band's artistic development",[16] while Quietus writer Ian Wade dubbed it "one of the greatest singles collections ever".