In a 2013 readers' poll for Rolling Stone, "Heroes" was voted Bowie's eighth best album. Five years later, the writers of Consequence of Sound ranked "Heroes" as Bowie's fifth-greatest album, stating that "The weary 'optimism' of "Heroes" is mesmerizing. Even on its gloomiest tracks, there's this upbeat, impassioned impression that everything's okay, even just for one day." In 2020, Brian Kay of Classic Rock History ranked "Heroes", along with Low and Lodger, as Bowie's seventh greatest work, calling the trilogy a "fascinating chapter" in Bowie's life. In 2013, NME ranked the album 329th in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Based on "Heroes" appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists it as 11th most acclaimed album of 1977, the 81st most acclaimed album of the 1970s and the 253rd most acclaimed album in history. The album was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.