"the best of jean shepard" was officially released in september 1963 on capitol records. upon its release, the album did not spawn any singles. however, songs that were previously released as singles the following year appear on the album. this includes, "the root of all evil (is a man)" and "how long does it hurt (when a heart breaks)". "allmusic" reviewed the record, giving four out of five stars. music critic dan cooper called "the best of jean shepard" a, "a good compilation of her first wave of hits ("a dear john letter," "a satisfied mind"), this is also the lp that shows up most often in used record bins."