Continuing my look at the albums of 1977…

I’ve been considering a Linda Ronstadt deep dive for awhile now, and I’m finally ready to commit. Something about her eighth studio album, Simple Dreams, charmed me enough to send me back through the rest of her catalog. Stay tuned for the details in future weeks.

In the meantime, I’ll sing the praises of this album, the best-seller of Ronstadt’s career and, at the time, the second best-selling album by any woman (after Carole King’s Tapestry). It even knocked Rumours from the #1 spot after 29 straight weeks.

This is a modest record to have found so much success — its ten tracks are made up of covers and traditional ballads. It’s a testament to Ronstadt’s presence, and her voice, that she turned this simple collection of tunes into a phenomenon.

Two of those tunes became signature songs for Ronstadt, belonging to her even more than the famous men who originated them: Buddy Holly’s ‘It’s So Easy’ and Roy Orbison’s ‘Blue Bayou.’ I can’t believe I hadn’t featured ‘Blue Bayou’ before today. This song, and particularly this version, is an all-time favorite.

Those two tracks reached the top five at the same time, making Ronstadt the only artist to achieve that feat since The Beatles.

Other highlights include covers of Warren Zevon’s ‘Poor Poor Pitiful Me’ and ‘Carmelita,’ and of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Tumbling Dice.’ She sings the traditional country ballad ‘I Never Will Marry’ backed by no less an icon than Dally Parton. Its an eclectic mix of topics and tones, and she navigates all of it flawlessly.

Simple Dreams is a great album, but I suspect it’s not the only great album in Ronstadt’s discography. I look forward to discovering the rest, and sharing my thoughts here once I do.