Initially recorded and sequenced as the third track of their debut My Generation in December 1965, it was released as the B-side to "La-La-La-Lies" in November 1966.

[1] Heavily inspired by Ray Davies song "See My Friends", Townshend wrote the track with blues in mind.

The idea of "The Good's Gone" initially came from the Kinks' song "See My Friends", which was written by Ray Davies and released as a single during the summer of 1965.

[9] Bob Carruthers states that the guitar lick runs through the entire song, albeit with minor differences.

"[7] He also writes that lyrically, it's an undoubtable breakup song,[7] and also states that it presents the listener with a rather nihilistic approach to the subject.

[15] In her review of the single, Penny Valentine of Disc & Music Echo states that the song along with the A-side are "not representative of their sound now", but that she liked it.

[20] However, Dave Lifton of Ultimate Classic Rock states that it could have been left out off the album in place of an rhythm and blues cover such as "Heat Wave".

[22] Philip Martin of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writes that the song has an "adenoidal flattish droning" and called it a "minor mod anthem".

[24] However, Atkins state that his voice is "suitably malevolent" which together with bassist John Entwistle and Townshend's backing vocals gives the song "an extra dimension of emotional charge.