Linda Ronstadt, The #24 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)

 

In 1978, Linda released the album Living in the USA, and by going to #1, Linda tied a female record set by Carole King in 1974 with three consecutive #1 albums.  Ronstadt pulled a song from the Chuck Berry catalog, "Back In The U.S.A", and took it to #16.

 

Her remake of the Miracles hit "Ooo Baby Baby" accomplished the rare feat of making all four major charts--Popular (#7), Adult Contemporary (#2), R&B (#77), and Country (#85).

 

The album shipped Double Platinum (her fifth consecutive Platinum album) and eventually sold over three million copies in the U.S. alone.  Linda took a song originally recorded by Doris Troy and made popular by the Hollies, "Just One Look", and reached #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Billboard awarded Ronstadt with three #1 awards:  Female Artist of the Year, Pop Female Singles Artist of the Year, and Pop Female Album Artist of the Year.

Linda toured to promote the album and according to the book We Gotta' Get Out of This Place:  The True, Tough Story of Women in Rock by Gerri Hershey, Ronstadt by this time was the "highest-paid woman in rock".  In 1978 alone, Ronstadt made over $12 million (the equivalent of nearly $48 million in 2020 dollars).

By 1979, Ronstadt had already achieved four multi-platinum albums, six Platinum, and eight Gold, an unprecedented feat for a female performer at the time.  Cashbox bestowed upon Linda a Special Decade Award as the top-selling female singer of the '70's.

In 1980, Ronstadt released her compilation Greatest Hits, Volume 2, which has now sold over one million copies.

As great as her success had been to this point, Linda was about to prove her worth as an all-time great by amazing the world with her versatility and ability to enjoy success in multiple genres in the decades to come.

 

In 1980, Ronstadt released the new wave album Mad Love.  She recorded a live concert for an HBO special to promote the album.  She also was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone for a record-setting sixth time.

Mad Love debuted in the top five and rose to #3, becoming her record sixth straight Platinum album.  The first single was a song Billy Steinberg wrote called "How Do I Make You", which landed at #10.  It was Steinberg's first hit as a songwriter--he would go on to write the big hits "Like A Virgin" for Madonna, "Eternal Flame" for the Bangles and "True Colors" for Cyndi Lauper.

 

Linda was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female for the album.  With guitar from Danny Kortchmar, Ronstadt released her remake of the Little Anthony & the Imperials song "Hurt So Bad" and once again achieved the most successful version of it.

 

Linda recorded the Hollies song "I Can't Let Go" with double tracking on the chorus.  It was written by Al Gorgoni and Chip Taylor, who also wrote "Wild Thing" for the Troggs.

 

That summer, Linda was awarded a spot in the Broadway musical The Pirates of Penzance with Kevin Kline.  The play was a hit for nearly two years, and led to a film version as well.  Linda was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her role in the movie and she also was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.  The Pirates of Penzance won several Tonys, including one for Best Revival. See and hear Ronstadt shine like a diamond in "Poor Wandering One".    

Ronstadt released the album Get Closer in 1982, her only album between 1975 and 1990 not to go Platinum.  "Get Closer" stopped at #29.

Linda was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, for the title song and for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, for the album.  "I Knew You When", her remake of a hit by Billy Joe Royal, was chosen as the next single.

Ronstadt promoted the album with a tour of North America.  Her concert in Dallas, Texas in November was broadcast live via satellite to NBC radio stations in the U.S.  Linda also scored a Top 10 AC hit with "Easy For You To Say".

 Meanwhile, Linda had the desire to record an album of pop standards that would bring back the Great American Songbook and she asked 62-year-old conductor Nelson Riddle to help her do so.  Ronstadt had to convince her astonished record company to release the album--it was unprecedented for a rock artist to do so.  Elektra relented, and the result was not one but three such albums.  In 1983, Linda released What's New.  The title song (#1 among adults in Canada and #5 on the AC chart in the U.S.) is phenomenal.

 

The album has now sold nearly 4 million copies.  It reached #3, kept out of the top spot only by Michael Jackson's Thriller and Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie, and remained on the Album chart for 81 weeks.  Her version of the Gershwin song "I've Got A Crush On You" is one of the reasons why.

Ronstadt received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  

 

Another of the most famous Gershwin tunes, "Someone To Watch Over Me".

In 1984, Ronstadt and Riddle performed songs from the album in concert halls throughout the U.S., Australia, and Japan, including several nights at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.

More from this phenomenal talent in Part Four!