Return of Saturn - Reception

Reception

The album received 16 "generally favorable reviews" from music critics, as Metacritic gave it a 68 out of 100. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne characterized the album as filled with "smoother, layered mid-tempo ballads as creamily textured as extra-thick napoleon pastries", but stated that Stefani's lyrics were too much of a throwback to the alternative rock scene of the early 1990s and contrasted with the boom of teen pop. Robert Christgau, writing for The Village Voice, described the emotions Stefani expressed as shallow, and the NME stated that her preoccupation with Rossdale was distracting and weakened the intense, Madonna-like character she had established on Tragic Kingdom. Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, however, gave it four and a half stars, calling it "a terrific, layered record that exceeds any expectations set by Tragic Kingdom". Barry Walters from Rolling Stone referred to it as "a superstar follow-up that not only betters its predecessor but also radically departs from it." The publication included the album in its list of the top fifty albums of the year, describing it as "a record that charges ahead like gangbusters while biting its nails." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine commented that although the album did not have any successful singles, Return of Saturn was "a solid album and proof of a healthy, genre-breaking future for No Doubt."

In the United States the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, behind 'N Sync's No Strings Attached, and sold 202,000 copies in its first week. The Recording Industry Association of America certified Return of Saturn platinum in May 2000, and the album went on to sell 1.4 million copies. The album was successful in the modern rock market and its first two singles, "New" and "Ex-Girlfriend" reached the top ten of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was less successful in the mainstream market, and "Simple Kind of Life" was the only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number thirty-eight. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Foo Fighters' There Is Nothing Left to Lose. In Canada it peaked at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart. The Canadian Recording Industry Association awarded Return of Saturn a platinum certification in June 2000, denoting sales in excess of 100,000 copies.