NDTV recognized "Smelly Cat" as one of Friends' 20 funniest moments, citing its music video as their favorite rendition. E! considers "Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat" to be among Friends' 25 most quotable moments. Classic FM ranked "Smelly Cat" Phoebe's best song, with writer Sofia Rizzi calling it "a post-modern work of art" that remains "an anthem for fans of the show today." Metro's Hanna Flint declared the song "arguably one of the most memorable songs in the history of television." Marie Claire believes "Smelly Cat" has grown to be nearly as ubiquitous as "Happy Birthday" and Christmas carols, calling it "everyone's favourite Friends song" and concluding, "Despite belting out dozens of ditties during the 10 season run of Friends, the musical talent of Phoebe Buffay will always be remembered through the lyrical genius that is Smelly Cat." In 2016, Comedy Central crowned the song "one of the most iconic tunes of the 90s", calling it a "timeless" track because fans can recall its lyrics 21 years later.
