Outside Europe, it peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States, number two on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada, number 11 in Australia and number 14 in New Zealand. The song was not released in the United States until 1992, when Rozalla was signed to Epic Records after a sought-after bidding war. It performed extremely well on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, climbing to number one. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the track was a top 40 Hit, reaching number 37. Critical reception Barry Walters from The Advocate complimented the song as "fabulous". AllMusic editor William Cooper described it as a "catchy, cathartic rave anthem that managed to cross over to the Top 40 pop charts." Larry Flick from Billboard deemed it "bright and invigorating", and "imbued with anthemic U.S. house vibes and lush Euro-disco execution". He also viewed it as a "brain-embedding anthem", and complimented the singer's "crystalline voice." Amy Linden from Entertainment Weekly called it "soaring". She stated that Rozalla "radiates independence" and "seizes the mystical, richly textured, techno-house reins and rides, stating her case with total clarity and power, injecting heart and depth into a genre that is often soulless." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report noted that "one of the most electrifying tracks around is far from new to audiences around the world. Just think of a country and chances are good that this has been #1 there. Following some lengthy delays on the official U.S. release, here it is ready to explode at Top 40." Davydd Chong from Music Weeks RM Dance Update called it both "pulsating" and "anthemic". Another editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "moodily started then scampering and raving jangly Italo style cheerful galloper". In an retrospective review, Pop Rescue wrote that "Everybody's Free" "really showcases Rozalla’s vocal range", declaring it as "brilliant". Mark Coleman from Rolling Stone felt "it's unforgettable once it gets under your skin. There's a subtle African rhythmic influence bubbling under the raving synth lines, and Rozalla pulls a bittersweet melody out of the hedonistic chorus." Another editor, Al Weisel described it as an "ecstatic" single. Anita Naik from Smash Hits viewed it as an "ear-splitting rave number". The magazine's Marc Andrews felt it "contained one of the most memorable spazz drum "sequences" in recent history". Jonathan Bernstein from Spin wrote, "Lumbered with the misnomer "Queen of