Description
Linda Ronstadt – Heart Like A Wheel – Vinyl Record
“Heart Like a Wheel” is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974 by Capitol Records, and it remains one of the most pivotal and defining records of her career—and of 1970s American music. The album not only solidified Ronstadt’s status as a premier vocalist but also helped shape the California country-rock sound, blending folk, country, rock, and pop into a seamless and emotionally resonant body of work. It was her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, and it marked the true breakthrough that launched her into superstardom.
From a historical and cultural standpoint, Heart Like a Wheel emerged during a time when the lines between genres were being redrawn. Linda Ronstadt, with her crystalline voice, impeccable taste in song selection, and deep emotional intelligence, became a torchbearer for a new kind of mainstream American music—one rooted in traditional forms like country and folk, but delivered with the accessibility and polish of pop. The album features covers of songs by Hank Williams, Little Feat, and The Everly Brothers, among others, reinterpreted with a modern sensibility that made them resonate with a broader audience.
The emotional and sonic centerpiece of the album is arguably the title track, “Heart Like a Wheel”, written by Canadian songwriter Anna McGarrigle. The song is a melancholic meditation on heartbreak and longing, and Ronstadt’s rendition is hauntingly beautiful—her voice floats effortlessly over sparse instrumentation, capturing both vulnerability and strength in a way that few singers could.
But the album is perhaps best remembered for its massive hit “You’re No Good,” a reinterpretation of a 1963 Betty Everett tune. Ronstadt’s version, with its funky bassline, slinky groove, and powerhouse vocal performance, climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remains one of her signature songs. It showed her ability to take a classic song and transform it completely, making it her own while respecting its roots.
Other standout tracks include “When Will I Be Loved,” originally by The Everly Brothers, which Ronstadt turned into a bright, harmony-laden country-rock anthem that also became a Top 10 hit. “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” a Paul Anka-penned song made famous by Buddy Holly, is given a bittersweet reading that draws out its emotional nuance. Meanwhile, “Faithless Love”, written by her longtime collaborator J.D. Souther, is one of the album’s most tender and beautifully sung ballads, highlighting her gift for infusing heartbreak with grace.
The album’s production, handled by Peter Asher (formerly of the British duo Peter and Gordon), was key to its crossover success. Asher crafted a polished yet organic sound that let Ronstadt’s voice remain front and center while blending elements of country instrumentation—pedal steel guitar, acoustic picking—with the smoothness of ’70s pop-rock. His work on this album set the stage for his long-term role in Ronstadt’s career and for producing a wave of successful albums in this hybrid style.
Heart Like a Wheel received critical acclaim upon release and earned Ronstadt her first Grammy Award, winning Best Country Vocal Performance, Female for “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You).” More importantly, it established her as a powerful, era-defining artist—not just a voice, but a tastemaker and interpreter of songs who could traverse genres with ease and emotional authenticity.
In the broader context of music history, Heart Like a Wheel is often cited as one of the albums that helped bring country-rock into the mainstream. It also helped pave the way for other female artists—such as Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt—to gain wider recognition in a male-dominated industry by fusing tradition with modern style. Ronstadt’s ability to reinterpret songs across genre lines without losing their essence made her one of the most versatile vocalists of her time, and this album is the crown jewel of that legacy.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
You’re No Good
It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
Faithless Love
Dark End Of The Street
Heart Like A Wheel
When Will I Be Loved
Willing
I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You)
Keep Me From Blowing Away
You Can Close Your Eyes
