Allmusic editor Andy Kellman called Classic Moments "an all-covers affair with a few pleasant surprises. While it won't shock fans to hear LaBelle in great form, some of the material the singer takes on couldn't have been all that expected. Soul classics like "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" (hindered by a rather plain arrangement) and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (sounding entirely modern, even with the disco zaps and galactic keyboard effects) are natural picks, but a few other songs make this more than an average covers album, which are often spat out like contractual obligations [...] The set's not spotless, but it's more than a stopgap release and will please LaBelle's followers."[1]People wrote that "with her range and power, LaBelle can make any song her own [...] Not everything works, including her duet with Elton John on “Your Song,” and the disc could use more uptempo cuts like the funky “You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else.” Still, there are more than enough memorable moments."[2]
