The album received generally favorable reviews from publications, including The Village Voice, Melody Maker, and Rolling Stone.

In 1999, The Heat Is On was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with shipments of two million copies.

[1] The group utilized many acoustic and electric instruments during its recording, including guitar, piano, and the ARP synthesizer, which was programmed by engineers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff.

[4] Side one's closer, "Hope You Feel Better Love (Part 1 & 2)", contrasts both of the styles, as it contains melodic verses and a forceful chorus and is blessed with another Ernie solo that underlines the sheer genius of his guitar work to a driving, mid-tempo groove.

"[7] Village Voice reviewer Robert Christgau described the music as a "well-nigh flawless" example of the Isley's style, although he found Ronald's vocal persona as "unctuous" as before.

[8] In 2001, the album was reissued on compact disc by Epic Records with a live bonus cut of "Fight the Power".

[1] It was also made available that same year in 8-track cartridge and cassette formats, while Epic issued an LP release for distribution in the Netherlands.

[1] It became the Isley Brothers' first album to hit number one on the chart, which had been considered a rare feat for a black band at the time (the only other black bands who scored a number-one album on the pop charts were their funk contemporaries The Ohio Players and Earth, Wind & Fire).

[14] On August 17, 1999, The Heat Is On was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following shipments in excess of two million copies in the United States.