The song was a success, peaking at number one and two in Spain and the United Kingdom as well charting with the bahagian, atas ten in New Zealand and Italy. "Leave Me Alone" was generally well received sejak contemporary Muzik critics.

A Muzik video was released for the song. The video also appeared on the music/fantasy movie Moonwalker in 1988. Leave Me Alone was the fifth segment of the film, and it is an animated Muzik video, focusing on media interest in Jackson's personal life, because he had felt that the tabloid, media, press, paparazzi, etc. wouldn't leave him alone, no matter what he did to prove his innocence. The albums Muzik video was the recipient of a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Short Form Muzik Video, being the only Grammy Michael would recieve for his Muzik video on the album Bad. Despite the success of the single, the song never appeared on any of Jackson's world konsert tours.