12 of Her Best Beltable Tunes: From ‘Don’t Know Much’ to ‘Blue Bayou’

The love Linda Ronstadt has for music feels as profound as any love she’s had for a romantic partner—or perhaps even greater. “It lasts a lot longer, and you have a much more honest relationship with it,” the singer revealed in Alta Journal. Her devotion to her craft makes her ongoing battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) all the more heartbreaking, as the disease has robbed her of her ability to sing as she once did.

“My voice didn’t change. It collapsed.… I was standing on the stage in Phoenix, singing a real high note in a Burt Bacharach song … and my voice just shredded! Then I started noticing that I could sing the beginning of a note, but it wouldn’t hold,” she explained. “I try not to think too far ahead, because it scares me,” she added. “Longevity is not what I’m aspiring to here—I’ve had a long turn at the trough. But do come back for a visit.”

Linda has left her mark on various music genres, from her early folk-rock days with the Stone Poneys to her reign as a rock solo artist. She later ventured into American standards and traditional Mexican songs from her roots. She even took on Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” on both Broadway and in film, earning acclaim. In addition, she wowed country fans, collaborating in the Trio project with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton.

On her birthday this year, San Francisco declared July 15 as Linda Ronstadt Day, celebrating her as a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and 11-time Grammy winner. The city honored her for her “amazing contributions to American culture, preservation of Mexican American heritage, and advancing social justice.”

Despite worldwide fame, Kennedy Center Honors, and receiving the Legend Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Linda Ronstadt never sought accolades. Her life and career are set to be covered in an upcoming biopic starring Selena Gomez. “Most important is the work,” Ronstadt told Esquire. “I know what I did well and what I didn’t do as well. The rest is just noise in the background.”

Now, let’s delve into Linda Ronstadt’s greatest hits, which offer nothing but pure pop bliss. Turn them up and enjoy!

12. “Somewhere Out There” (1986)
This James Ingram duet, which hit No. 2, is as sublimely sweet as An American Tale—the animated film in which it appeared. The track dominated at the Grammys, winning Song of the Year, Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

11. “Hurt So Bad” (1980)
The artist’s Little Anthony and The Imperials cover hit No. 8 and features a standout guitar solo by Danny Kortchmar. “It comes right out of my voice. We were flying the same air space and trading back and forth. It was a real inspired thing; he made me sing better,” she told Rock Cellar.

10. “Don’t Know Much” (1989)
We don’t know much, but we know we love this killer duet with Aaron Neville. The duo hit No. 2 on the charts with this über-romantic ballad that won them a Grammy for their stellar performance.

9. “How Do I Make You” (1980)
The 80s were truly successful for her, as evidenced by Alvin, Simon, and Theodore rocking out to this No. 10 banger on 1980’s Chipmunk Punk.

8. “That’ll Be the Day” (1976)
“Ronstadt regularly turned covers of classic songs into her own signature creations. This 1950s Buddy Holly tune was no exception,” noted Billboard, citing her “peerless, versatile vocals” on the track, which hit No. 11 on their Hot 100 chart.

7. “Tracks of My Tears” (1975)
The singer scored big with this Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cover. “I got to live out a lot of my dreams, and I got to…sing with all these wonderful people like Emmylou and Aaron Neville and Smokey Robinson,” she once told NPR.

6. “Heat Wave” (1975)
Ronstadt rode a wave of success with this Martha and the Vandellas track, taking it to No. 5. It entered her live repertoire when her band ran out of songs one night after being called back for six encores. Pianist Andrew Gold revealed, “One of us yelled out ‘“Heat Wave” in D’ and we did it. We were awfully sloppy but the crowd really liked it. So we kept the song in our set.”

5. “Blue Bayou” (1977)
“[Roy] Orbison’s melancholy yet hopeful tale would become a defining song in Ronstadt’s career,” Pop Matters notes of her No. 3 smash. “[It] paints a vivid scene, sumptuous in every detail. Adorned with mandolin, marimba, and a steel guitar solo…several musical elements caress Ronstadt’s vocals like a soft breeze.”

4. “Ooh Baby Baby” (1978)
“I stole every lick I could off your records,” Ronstadt joked to Smokey Robinson after they duetted on “Tracks of My Tears” and this No. 7 hit at 1983’s Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever TV special.

3. “It’s So Easy” (1977)
“Ronstadt capped ‘It’s So Easy’ with a triumphant cry, kindling a blaze of emotion in just a few notes,” raves Pop Matters about this No. 5 Buddy Holly cover. Ronstadt said she added it to Simple Dreams for balance, “because we had so many ballads.”

2. “When Will I Be Loved” (1975)
No one felt cheated or mistreated listening to Ronstadt’s deft cover of this Everly Brothers song, which she took to No. 2 on the Hot 100 and to No. 1 on the country charts.

1. “You’re No Good” (1974)
Ronstadt’s take on this Dee Dee Warwick record is exponentially better than just “good.” The cover, off her breakthrough album Heart Like a Wheel, remains Ronstadt’s sole Billboard No. 1 hit.

Source: Alta Journal, Esquire, Rock Cellar, Pop Matters, Billboard, NPR