It spent the next eight weeks rising and falling in the top 30 and remained in the top 50 for a total of 19 weeks. Over the next four weeks, the song rose up the chart, peaking at number 15 on March 5, 2000. Outside North America, 'Never Let You Go' first charted on New Zealand's RIANZ Singles Chart on February 13, 2000, debuting at number 44. In addition, the song peaked at number two on the RPM Top 30 Rock Report and number 37 on the Adult Contemporary Tracks ranking. The song spent a total of 37 weeks on the chart, making its final appearance on October 2, 2000.

The song stayed atop the chart for two more weeks before losing the number-one spot to Santana's ' Maria Maria'.

'Never Let You Go' became a number-one hit on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart, debuting at number 39 on January 24, 2000, and rising to the top position on the issue of March 27. At the end of 2000, Billboard ranked the song as the 43rd-most-successful hit of the year. The song became a top-five hit on four other Billboard charts, reaching number three on the Adult Top 40, number four on the Adult Alternative Songs and Modern Rock Tracks charts, and number five on the Mainstream Top 40. Ten weeks later, on April 1, 2000, the song reached its peak of number 14 on the Hot 100, and it stayed on the listing for 22 weeks, last charting at number 46 on June 17. On the US Billboard Hot 100, 'Never Let You Go' first at appeared at number 65 on the week dated January 22, 2000, becoming that issue's 'Hot Shot Debut'. Julie River of praised the 'beautiful chord-based hook', favorably comparing the song to lead single 'Anything'.

Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club declared that the song is a standout on Blue, calling it a 'sparkly, hitworthy single'. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the song's hook, referring to 'Never Let You Go' as the album's highlight. He continued to praise the song, calling the chorus 'easy, spirited, memorable - the stuff that hits are made of.' Elysa Gardner of Entertainment Weekly called the song 'crackling, power-pop', commenting that it is nearly as captivating as ' Semi-Charmed Life'. Billboard music reviewer and editor Chuck Taylor said that the song 'packs in the hooks a compelling opening guitar riff, a celebratory party ambience, an end-of-song spoken part that kids everywhere will be reciting ad-nauseam, and lead singer/writer/co-producer Stephan Jenkins' dead-on vocals, delivered in a pleasing falsetto at times'.

Never let you go third eye blind