[3][4] AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the box set a rating of 4.5 out of 5 and said "as always, the extended mixes and dubs are something that appeals to a particular taste -- those who prefer the pop end of the Beat's equation won't find them compelling -- but their rangy, elastic reworkings underline the adventure and excitement at the core of the Beat.

[5] Ray Sidman for Goldmine gave it a 4/5, saying that "there are a few songs in the bunch that are subpar or worse, as would be expected of any performer, but overall, The English Beat built a solid New Wave oeuvre".

[9] Reviewing for Rolling Stone magazine, Jody Rosen gave the box set 4.5/5 and said that it "features the band's three great studio albums, plus terrific bonus tracks and dub versions, and a slew of live recordings in which the Beat unleash their dance-floor fury and their Thatcher-era protest politics.

"[12] Stephen Deusner for Paste magazine gave the box set 9.1/10 and concluded that the live tracks are the "most compelling, if only because it takes them out of the relatively hermetic environment of the studio and puts them in front of an audience.

The Complete Beat argues that the band made solid albums as full statements, but this handful of tracks—especially “Tears of a Clown” and “Get-A-Job/Stand Down Margaret”—show them in their natural setting.