Get Behind Me Satan received positive reviews from music critics; review aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalized score of 81 out of 100 based on 38 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". AllMusic's Heather Phares gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, praising the experimentation but noting that "As eclectic as Get Behind Me Satan is, it isn't perfect: the energy dips a little in the middle, [...] "it takes awhile to unravel and appreciate." Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone was similarly positive in his review and wrote, "Get Behind Me Satan could be a rock & roll remake, starring Jack and Meg as the doomed lovers. Satan, you got served." NME<nowiki/>'s Alex Needham deemed it a "very brave record" and called the White Stripes "the real, strange, artistic deal. It'll be a long time before Jack and Meg sell their souls." Spins Chuck Klosterman praised "Blue Orchid" but criticized the experimentation and themes, likening the album to "an art film that ignores narrative".

At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in 2006, Get Behind Me Satan won for Best Alternative Album and was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("My Doorbell"). Also in 2006, the album was included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery; it was removed the next year. It was voted the sixth best album of the year in the 2006 Village Voice Pazz & Jop critic poll, with "My Doorbell" being voted as the year's ninth best single. Rolling Stone also ranked it the third best album of the year in 2006.

Commercially, Get Behind Me Satan entered the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart at number three, and entered the top ten of seven other territories. It sold over 920,000 copies in the United States, receiving a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Music Canada (MC) for its respective sales in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Track listing

Notes

  • The Japanese release of Get Behind Me Satan features "Who's a Big Baby?" and "Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer" as bonus tracks.