While Billboard ranks it as Jackson's best-performing Hot 100 hit, some critics at the time, such as those from Rolling Stone, dismissed it as a "vapid dance groove" or "banality".

Released in October 1983 as the lead single for Paul McCartney’s album Pipes of Peace , "Say Say Say" remains one of the most significant pop collaborations in history. Produced by the legendary George Martin , the track successfully blended McCartney’s melodic sensibilities with Michael Jackson’s emerging "froth-funk" energy.

Retrospective reviews, like those from Vibe, have praised it as a "falsetto fantasy" and ranked it among the greatest duets of all time.

The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks and became McCartney’s final U.S. number one hit.