"Bar-ba-sol" was the third official single released from American Idol

American Idol

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

 season 7

American Idol (season 7)

The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...

 winner David Cook

David Cook (singer)

David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...

's major label debut studio album, David Cook

David Cook (album)

David Cook is the first major-label album from seventh season American Idol winner David Cook. The album was released on November 18, 2008 in the United States, was certified platinum and has sold over one million copies in the United States. It has produced two top twenty singles, "Light On" and...

. It was released as a double A-side single with "Come Back to Me

Come Back to Me (David Cook song)

"Come Back to Me" is the third official single to be released from American Idol season 7 winner David Cook's major label debut studio album, David Cook. It was released with "Bar-ba-sol" as a joint double-A single...

".

Release

"Bar-ba-sol" was confirmed as a second single when Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

 ran a piece on February 27, 2009 saying that "Bar-ba-sol" would be released in March 2009 in conjunction with "Come Back to Me

Come Back to Me (David Cook song)

"Come Back to Me" is the third official single to be released from American Idol season 7 winner David Cook's major label debut studio album, David Cook. It was released with "Bar-ba-sol" as a joint double-A single...

". "Bar-ba-sol" has not charted.

Reception

Reception of "Bar-ba-sol" was generally positive.

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

s Leah Greenblatt called "Bar-ba-sol" one of the more notable anthems on the album.

Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...

 called "Bar-ba-sol" the hardest-rocking (and best) song of the album.

Blender

Blender (magazine)

Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....

 magazine's Chuck Eddy

Chuck Eddy

Chuck Eddy is an American music journalist.He was born in Detroit, Michigan. After starting his journalism career with The Village Voice and Creem, where he published one of the first national interviews with the Beastie Boys in the mid-1980s, Eddy then wrote for Rolling Stone, Spin,...

, despite giving the full album a negative review, wrote that the "power-chorded "Bar-ba-Sol," ... is the only place Cook flexes any muscle"

Newsday

Newsday

Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...

 magazine's Glenn Gamboa wrote that "He stretches boundaries creatively with the metallic, grinding "Bar-Ba-Sol" - part Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

 fist-pumper, part Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...

slither."