Retrospectively, "Hunky Dory" has received critical acclaim and is regarded as one of Bowie's best works. Many reviewers have praised the songwriting, with a writer for "Blender" calling the songs some of the best Bowie has ever written. Others, including Bryan Wawzenek of "Ultimate Classic Rock", have commended the wide array of genres present in the songs and their ability to blend together throughout. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: "On the surface, [having] such a wide range of styles and sounds would make an album incoherent, but Bowie's improved songwriting and determined sense of style instead made "Hunky Dory" a touchstone for reinterpreting pop's traditions into fresh, postmodern pop music". Similarly, Greg Kot of the "Chicago Tribune" described the album as "the first taste of Bowie's multifaceted genius". Douglas Wolk of "Pitchfork" reviewed the album's remaster for the 2015 box set "Five Years 1969–1973" and gave it a 10-out-of-10 rating, believing the songs to be "scattered but splendid" and finding Bowie's songwriting a "huge leap" from his previous works. Another "Pitchfork" writer, Ryan Schrieber, stated: "The album is by no means his most cohesive release, but it remains one of his most charming, and unquestionably, one of his best." Following Bowie's death in 2016, Rob Sheffield of "Rolling Stone" listed it as one of Bowie's essential albums, writing, ""Hunky Dory" was the album where he staked his claim as the most altered ego in rock &amp; roll."