On 30 April 1984, The Blue Nile released their debut studio album “A Walk Across the Rooftops” featuring “Stay" and “Tinseltown in the Rain". NME placed A Walk Across the Rooftops at number 28 in its critics' list of albums of the year in 1984, while the single "Tinseltown in the Rain" placed at number 27 in the equivalent singles list.
In 1989 Record Mirror placed A Walk Across the Rooftops at number 74 in its critics' list of the best albums of the 1980s. The Guardian included A Walk Across the Rooftops in their 2007 feature 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die, saying, "This stunning debut album was an 80s high-water mark ... The arrangements meld electro and contemporary classical influences into a rich and satisfyingly yearning whole." The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It was voted number 407 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).