The No. 1 Hit That Left Linda Ronstadt Truly Unsatisfied, Claiming It Had “Terrible” Vocals

Linda Ronstadt is one of the most iconic figures of the ’70s country music scene. When talking about ’70s country musicians, Ronstadt’s name is thrown in with the greats such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Waylon Jennings. Ronstadt’s name would not be associated with that decorated company if it wasn’t for her several hit songs, and only her No. 1 hit, “You’re No Good.”

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Even though Linda Ronstadt was a major success and had her fair share of hit songs, she only ever had one No. 1 hit. That No. 1 hit was a cover of Dee Dee Warwick’s iconic 1963 single, “You’re No Good.” Despite being a No. 1 hit, Ronstadt strongly dislikes her cover of the 1963 tune. Matter of fact, she has blatantly criticized her vocals on the single.

How a Rushed Recording Left Linda Ronstadt Unsatisfied

Even though Linda Ronstadt wasn’t the biggest fan of her only No. 1 hit, the world undeniably was. Following the single’s 1974 release, Ronstadt’s cover of “You’re No Good” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Furthermore, the song also scored Ronstadt international success as it charted high in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Regardless of the chart history, Linda Ronstadt’s ambition and taste seemingly got in the way of enjoying the song’s success. Ronstadt decided to record a cover of the song after her bassist, Kenny Edwards, suggested she do so. After she agreed to the idea, she and the band rushed to record and release the song. A decision that Linda Ronstadt would ultimately go on to regret.

Concering her dislike of the song, Ronstadt stated, “It’s a live vocal, and it’s a terrible vocal.” “I was so tired. It was about getting the phrasing — I just felt like I had rushed the timing, and didn’t just lay back in the groove,” added Ronstadt per Mix Online.

Linda Ronstadt’s relationship with her hit song is far from an original phenomenon. Other artists to hate some of their biggest hits include Billy Joel, Robert Plant, Kurt Cobain, Madonna, and so many more. That being so, Ronstadt is just another musician whose creative disposition is aimed at achieving greatness. To achieve that greatness, artists must criticize even their most popular songs and grow from there. This is seemingly what Linda Ronstadt did and continues to do.

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