Linda Ronstadt Always Regretted This Song, Despite It Being a Major Hit in 1974

Artists and audiences don’t always agree on what the definition of a “good” song is, which is how Linda Ronstadt was able to say—with a straight face—that one of her all-time biggest hits wasn’t all that great. Sure, the world disagreed multiple times with record sales, Grammy nominations, and platinum certifications. But to Ronstadt, there was something about the track that never quite sat right.

“You’re No Good” was, like most of Ronstadt’s catalogue, a cover of a song that was written and recorded by someone else first. Clint Ballard Jr. wrote the track, and Dee Dee Warwick was the first to record it. Betty Everett and The Swinging Blue Jeans also achieved recognition for their versions. But Ronstadt’s rendition from her 1974 album, Heart Like A Wheel, was by far the most commercially successful.

Ronstadt’s version topped the Billboard Hot 100 starting in early 1975. She also broke into the Top 20 in Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. “You’re No Good” was Ronstadt’s first and only No. 1 single and remains a fan favorite today. But in 1993, Ronstadt admitted her true feelings about the track to the Los Angeles Times.

Linda Ronstadt Was Never Quite Happy With “You’re No Good”

In her 1993 interview, Linda Ronstadt said that not even her record sales and accolades could convince her that her Heart Like A Wheel era was of high quality. “I could hear what it sounded like, and I didn’t think it was very good,” Ronstadt said. “I often thought the album covers were better than the records.” She added, “I was very frustrated musically.”

Ronstadt said she enjoyed the production on “You’re No Good”. But she didn’t think she performed the song very well. “It was just an afterthought,” Ronstadt said of her career-defining track. “It’s not the kind of song I got a lot of satisfaction out of singing.”

Speaking to Rock Cellar Magazine in 2013, Ronstadt described the session that produced the hit single. “I was tired. We’d been working on ‘You’re No Good’ for a long time. I was also a little tired of the song anyway. I sang it all day, and my voice was all worn out. My rhythm was a little off. I just didn’t like it, and I didn’t like my phrasing on it.”

Interestingly, Ronstadt claimed in this interview that her song never actually made it to No. 1 on Billboard’s pop chart, though the publication lists it as such on its website. In any case, “You’re No Good” is such a well-loved song, it’s almost impossible to believe Ronstadt would consider that track subpar.

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