Linda Ronstadt, one of the most popular and versatile artists of the Rock & Roll era, has yet to hear from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
(No. 17 in a continuing series on artists who should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but are not)
By Phill Marder
She has been called the “Queen of Rock.“
She has been called “The First Lady Of Rock.“
She has earned 11 Grammys, two Academy Of Country Music awards, an Emmy, an American Latino Media Arts award and she has received Tony and Golden Globe nominations.
She ranked No. 1 female singles seller in 1975 and 1977.
Combining albums and singles, she is one of the highest ranking artists in the history of recorded music.
All told, she has posted 38 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top 10 on 10 different occasions, No. 2 three times and the top spot once. On the Billboard top album charts, she has 36 entries, including 10 that reached the top 10 and three that hit No. 1.
She has reached the UK top 40 with five albums and three singles, including a No. 2 single in 1989.
Between 1969 and 1994 she has had 20 singles reach the Canadian top 40, including two that peaked at No. 2 and two that reached No. 1, and nine top 20 LPs, including the “Trio” album, which hit No. 4, and “Simple Dreams,” which topped the Canadian charts.
On the Country charts, she has had solo albums and a single reach No. 1 in addition to a No. 1 collaboration with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.
She is considered the first female solo artist popular enough to pack large concert arenas.
She was named top female artist of the 70s by Cash Box magazine.
She was the first female to have three consecutive platinum albums and her “Living In The USA” became the first album to ship double platinum. In addition, her “Canciones De Mi Padre” is the best selling non-English language album in United States history.
YET SHE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO GET EVEN A NOMINATION FROM THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!
This has to be some kind of sick joke.
She is, of course, Linda Ronstadt.
Linda Ronstadt is a great singer. Pitch perfect, she lets the song be the avenue of pleasure, enhancing it not swamping it. Whitney Houston once bragged how she sang the *#$! out of “I Will Always Love You.” She did. That’s why Ronstadt’s version is so much better. She showed off the song, not how many notes she can hit.
There’s no better ballad singer than Linda Ronstadt and she has more than held her own on hard rocking material, from classic to punk. In addition, Ronstadt has been a major force in Country music and she also has recorded albums of standards, Mexican favorites, rock classics as lullabies, cajun and jazz offerings and Christmas favorites.
With that said, it’s a puzzle that Ronstadt has been ignored so far, though maybe her abandonment of Rock has a lot to do with it as she spread her wings to embrace recordings outside the world of Rock. It’s Ironic that artists who maintain the status quo are criticized for not growing musically, while those who do branch out are criticized for abandoning Rock.
Still, from 1967 when she first broke onto the scene with The Stone Poneys until 1983 when she began to branch out with Nelson Riddle, Ronstadt fairly dominated the charts with tasteful covers of everyone from Betty Everett to Billy Joe Royal. To further add to her credentials, Ronstadt sang backup on Neil Young’s two biggest hits, “Heart Of Gold” and “Old Man,” Andrew Gold’s No. 7 “Lonely Boy,” and Warren Zevon’s “Excitable Boy” and many others. And, in 1971, her touring band was Bernie Leadon, Glen Frey, Randy Meisner and Don Henley, who did fairly well as The Eagles after polishing their chops behind Ronstadt.
Perhaps Ronstadt has been shunned because she’s been outspoken on different topics. For instance, take this quote on the Ramones: “I couldn’t understand the words. I like power but it has to have some intelligence. This was so constricted I would call it hemorrhoid music.“
The Ramones are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, by the way.
“I didn’t set out to be a star, said Ronstadt. “I don’t think of myself as a star. I set out to become a singer. I would have sung no matter what. I finally learned how to sing. It’s too bad I had to do all my learning in public.”
On critics, Ronstadt has said, “I’m tired of being victimized by people who are dedicated to a snappy phrase.”
Well, I’m not dedicated to a snappy phrase. I just like music. And, obviously, I’m not alone in my admiration for Ronstadt. It’s time for those responsible for who gets nominated and who gets inducted to start studying those who are eligible. The joke has worn very, very thin.
No— songwriting is not a “requirement” for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many performers are in that did not write, most notably Elvis, who wrote fewer songs than Ronstadt. Rockin’ Bob, you have your facts wrong! Linda was not fired from the Aladdin. She was on tour, was booked for one show, and completed the show. Aladdin manager Timmons lied to the media and said she was fired, but if you check, you’ll find that it was actually he was fired. And by the way, Linda did not campaign that night. She performed her entire concert, then came out for an encore and took a few seconds to recommend a movie and dedicate a song, which drove a few Republicans in the audience to behave boorishly. It must have been a slow news day for this to have even been reported.
I was stunned to learn that R&R HALL OF FAME does not include an artist of LINDA RONSTADT’S rare and universally hailed ability. Her unique talent allowed her to mesmerize audiences of all ages, walks of life and people from scores of countries. Overlooking this reflects great discredit on RRHOF and will not be forgiven until that deplorable situation has been corrected.
When Dave Edmunds makes it I hope he plays “The Promised Land”.
Besides the stone pony song she never rocked.She just did covers of other peoples songs .She has a good voice but she didnt put any passion or soul into the songs.She even said in the early 1980′s she didnt like to sing rock and roll.And her attitude about the Ramones proves it.If there is a Pop hall of fame she could be in it but she sure dont ROCK
Why does known ever acknowledge Linda’s song Dreams to Dream. She should be winning awards just for that song. By far some of her best work. Just forget the fact that it was in a kids movie and just listen to it.
I now refer to the Rock Hall as “Jann Wenner’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”.
The fact that Wenner personally decided to keep the Dave Clark 5 out of their rightful place in the hall when they had fairly won the vote underscores his tendency to place his old cronies above those adored by the public at large. That travesty of justice was worsened by the fact that singer Mike Smith died before Wenner finally allowed the band to be inducted. (And has Wenner ever apologized?) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258664,00.html
That’s when I became convinced that we can expect no fairness from Jann Wenner’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame until Wenner is gone and someone who lacks a personal agenda takes over.
I won’t say that the Ramones, Patti Smith and Wenner’s other favorites should never have been inducted, but they absolutely shouldn’t have been inducted ahead of so many others who are more worthy, more loved around the world and achieved much more significant impact during their careers.
The fact that so many who achieved “commercial success” have been shut out is ridiculous. Commercial success comes when massive numbers of people support your work by laying out quantities of their hard-earned cash, and there’s no stronger vote of support than that!
I guess if there was a “Rock Magazine Hall of Fame” Rolling Stone should be left out, because it has been a commercial success.
@steve b
It is true that Ronstadt left R&R behind her to evolve her musical style. It is also true that during the years she became less involved in R&R music and explored other types of music such as Jazz standards or Mexican Folk songs, however, describing Linda Ronstadt as a soulless singer who was singing R&R just to sell commercial records is extremely unfair. You can find a lot of old interviews published at the end of the 60s – early 70s where she describes her love and interest for R&R music and she was one of the most representative and instrumental artists for the creation of Country-Rock music, in fact, her “Linda Ronstadt” album, published at the beginning of the 70s, still is one of the best Country-Rock albums ever published. I don’t deny that during the80s she dedicated more attention to the development of her voice and abandoned Rock music, but judging hastily Linda Ronstadt and forgetting the importance that this artist has had in the history of Rock and Roll music is really unfair. Perhaps you should try to discover Ronstadt a bit more before writing superficial comments like the one that you have posted.
There are so many artists that are not in the R&RHOF that should be.
For instance, Vanilla Fudge. They seem to have honored all the psychedelic music that came from the west coast and England, but not Vanilla Fudge, or the Iron Butterly. How about Blood, Sweat and Tears. What about Jack Scott. Before Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Mitch Ryder of Glen Frey, Jack Scott was the first out of the Detroit scene, and that includes Motown to become successful. Linda Ronstadt is right in their.
I find it strange that Patti Smith, Bessie Smith, Brenda Lee and Billie Holiday are in the R&RHOF, and Linda Ronstadt isn’t. Add people like Roy Buchanan, Lonnie Mack and Michael Kamen, and you begin to wonder if they’ll see their day with the Hall of Fame as well.
Perhaps they should go back to the amount of inductees they had yearly back when they started. It seems like the amount of inductees seems to dwindle yearly. They need to re-axamine their induction process.
Bruce -
Jack Scott was the second article in this series. Check it out if you haven’t already.
I had the pleasure of working with Linda many years ago when she appeared outdoors at Forest Hills in New York. I was part of her crew and considered myself lucky to be paid to listen to her sing. She belonged with the best then. She has one of the purest voices I have ever heard. No vocal tricks, Just pure power and gorgeous phrasing. No one sings Desperado like she can. Wake up Hall of Fame voters. Jack Fuler
I can’t believe steve b (see comments above) has ever listened to a linda ronstadt album. she has done far more than just covers of other people’s songs. and she certainly rocked, especially in concert. as far as her opinion of the ramones, it’s easy to see why she didn’t like them- compared to what she does, they are monotonous. But her opinion of the Ramones or even Led Zeppelin is irrelevant. Also irrelevant is Linda’s arrogant attitude toward her own pop/rock legacy. I think she deserves induction based on her body of work and her influence on other artists that continues to this day.
I think Linda Ronstadt’s political statement in Las Vegas is at the very heart of Rock and Roll. Surprisingly most of Dylan’s songs are about love, not politics, yet it is those politics that is what he is remembered for (Protest music) He is one of perhaps the ten greatest American artists, yet politics got him into hall of fame. You say he wrote them, yes he did but he spoke them in concert too. I heard him in Jersey with Tom Petty say to the huge crowd, something to the effect of “I am sick of seeing the same rich corporate faces get the best seats” and then said “Some of you people who work for a living come down here and take some of these empty seats!” They did. He stopped playing and refused to play until the people in the ‘nose blees’ seats came down and took front row empty seats! Lindas staement was the same Rock and Roll rebellion.She was nearly crucified.It’s one thing to go to a ‘Glen Beck concert’ which by it’s very name is a contradiction in terms. Nothing about him is musical.
Linda’s music like Dylans is at the heart of Rock and Roll, C’mon ‘Tumbling Dice”When will I be Loved” even that under appreciated ‘New Wave’ album with ‘How do I make you’ Rock in Roll. Rock in Roll is about freedom to move and freedom to have yeah fun. It is also political Rock and Roll is at the very birth of our nation man,it is really Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”
Sam – I was joking about the Glenn Beck concert…
Lynda Ronstadt, Simply she is the best. She has done it all.
The Ramones, The Clash and The Sex Pistols are in,but the band that was THE major influence on all of them, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, get the brush off every year…totally ridiculous!!!
Linda Ronstadt has always been slighted by various organizations and productions giving credit to the pioneers in women’s rock. Tons of bios on Pat Benetar, the Wilson sisters, etc. have been done trying to credit them or others as being a “groundbreaker” for 70′s women’s rock. The fact is that Ronstadt preceded all of them, and while she did mostly covers, those covers were overwhelmingly R&R covers so the argument that she didn’t “rock” is undeserved. Truth is Linda has the best, most versatile, and most powerful voice of all the 70′s rock queens. Although Benetar has tried to move into jazz and standards, she has failed miserably. Same for most all the others. Shame on the RRHOF for not inducting this amazing multi-talented pioneering rock singer. Start a petition, and I’ll gladly sign!
Linda didn’t, in fact, “abandon” rock and roll or country-rock after her Riddle and Canciones albums. Anyone who follows her career would know that she put out several pop/rock/country albums in the 90s (Winter Light, We Ran, Feels Like Home, Western Wall with Emmylou Harris) featuring songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Sinead O’Connor, to name a few notable songwriters. Further, she continued to perform many of her rock and country songs in concert during that time and into the 2000s as well. I would also hasten to add that when you have a once-in-a-lifetime voice like Ronstadt’s, there is nothing wrong with using your gift to sing other genres of music more challenging to a vocalist of her caliber. Finally, Ronstadt DID rock — on record, in concert — certainly as much as The Eagles did, and certainly more than James Taylor or Dusty Springfield (whom I adore) ever did. There is not a single reason anyone can give as to why Linda Ronstadt should not be in the RRHoF that wouldn’t apply to any other person already inducted. Induct the woman already!
Richard -
Perhaps abandonment should have been in quotation marks…Basically, I was referring to her comments which, if I remember correctly, said that basically she was bored with Rock and wanted to branch out. I also wrote that she should be commended for that and that artists are unfairly criticized for “abandoning” Rock every time they try something different.
Phill
I hear you, Phill. It wasn’t you specifically I was addressing since the “bored with Rock” is a common charge leveled against her. What she really said was that she was bored singing rock, specifically the same songs she’d been singing for twenty years or so. As I mentioned, with a voice like hers, who can blame her? And if one listens to her forays into other genres, one is instantly struck by the fact that she uses a completely different “voice” singing standards or mariachi than she uses when singing rock. For example, she uses a very chesty tone when singing mariachi that you never hear when she’s singing rock. One only has to listen to, say, “It’s So Easy” and follow it with the track “Verdad Armaga” (from the tropical latin album, Frenesi) to appreciate what an astonishing talent she has.
If Linda Ronstadt is not in the R&R Hall of Fame then I guess the hall of Fame means nothing. It is just a memorabilia room. Like Baseball’s with out Pete Rose.
Linda Ronstadt like Joan Baez have two of the most beautiful voices in pop or any other kind of music. They have been in the business for over 50 years and have sold millions & millions of records. They both have great taste and have been on the right side of social issues. WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF SHAME? It is obviously a political “OLD, (I mean OLD) BOYS” club. Just look at some of the trolls that are in it. It is really more of an honor to NOT be associated with the ugly aspects of rock music, and much of rock music is ugly. So that may be the reason. Linda and Joan’s music, lives and career’s have been honored with many, many awards. And many of these awards are much more prestigious than the RRHF.
Trust me Linda & Joan are not losing sleep over this ridiculous thing.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lost it’s credibility a LONG time ago. Now it is an honor NOT to be in it.
One of the other convenient “excuses” that I think gets used, though of course never in the open, to deny Linda’s place in the Hall of Fame is that, whereas so many of the female artists that are in there now often come from a blues, R&B, or gospel background, a large part of Linda’s musical background is in the country-and-western genre, most notably in how Hank Williams and Patsy Cline influenced her, along with the bluegrass influences that came out of the fringe of the folk music revival that occurred at the beginning of the 1960s. The country music genre, though it helped with the formation of rock and roll in the early 1950s, is still treated as something of a bastard child by rock historians.
The fact, however, is that, if Linda hadn’t shown the bravery to reconnect rock with its white country music roots back in the late 1960s, at a time when country music was being derided as “redneck noise”, the music world would likely be devoid of a ton of great female singers who have followed Linda’s polished but rootsy example in terms of country-rock, Americana, or “alternative country.” Whatever one thinks of her other efforts in opera, Mexican rancheras, the Great American songbook, or Latin jazz, one must take into consideration what not only her good pal Emmylou Harris, but also women like Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Tift Merritt, and many many others have said about her. The record speaks for itself.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is one man’s politics as to who may or may not enter. It is not, and probably never will be based on the quality or popularity of eligible singers. Linda can blow most other singers in almost all genres right out of sight. She IS that good!
When other female rockers such as Pat Benatar say that RONSTADT is the Queen of Rock & Roll… way does anyone think she should NOT belong in the R&RHOF???? Oh Yeah!!!! Only one bitter OLD man’s opinion matters when it comes down to inductees… not what the artists have actually done for R&R music!!!
Linda and the others who have been ‘snubbed’ are in a much more ELITE group than the inductees!!
11 Grammys 28 overall nominations.. Tony.. Golden Globe… Alma… Hell, the only thing Linda has not been nominated for or won is an Oscar!!
In Any respect RONSTADT ROCKS!!!!
honestly it doesn’t matter what the nay sayers have to say…. She was and is one of THE best female vocalists ever. Who cares if she wrote her music… she picked some of the best songs and if you see interviews with the songwriters… they wanted her to sing their songs (she was friends with most of them). it’s the public that is overly critical and most album reviewers too. people will always find something “wrong” with her/her music to justify their opinions. sucks for them bc they are missing out on some good stuff. ha!
Listen to her vocal on Long, Long Time. That alone shows what a terrific singer she was/is. She should be inducted into the R&RHOF today!
Just shows how R&R HOF nominating process is a sham
Linda Ronstadt is, and always has been, my favorite singer. I had the privledge to see her in concert in the 70′s. What you hear on an album is exactly what you hear in concert! AWESOME. It makes no difference if the Rock n Roll Hall of Shame hasn’t seen fit to recognize Linda, her music speaks for itself and will live forever.
I was at the vegas show.The concert was billed as her doing all of her big hits.Made the trip for that reason.When she came out she said she saw a billboard promoting the big hits.Then she said that this concert isin’t that at all.I guess you should be mad the promoter.The concert was a total let down.Where the trouble happened was she said that i am deadicating this song to a great american,Michael Moore.That it was desperado.That is when the trouble happened.I was heartbroken the way all this went down.When
i go to a concert i really don’t care for messages or political reasons.Do i think she is the best female singer of all time,YES.Is this rap garbage rock n roll,no.To me there is or has been only two people that can sing any type music and that’s Linda Ronstadt and Elvis Pressley.Neither wrote their music.Does it really matter?We live in a world where someone has a hit and everything sounds the same.If she doesn’t make the RRHF then it is their lost
How many groups have a hit song and then everything else sounds the
same?The songs that Linda performed,i probably wouldn’t listen too.
She has made a lot songwriters a lot of money.Who can sing a rock song,country song,blues song and say a Motown song one after the other?What she has a gift for,is how she and Peter Asher made these
songs her songs.Do you like Bob Dylan’s version of All along the watch tower which he wrote,or Jimi Hendrix’s version? Nuff said!
Linda Ronstadt is one very beautiful, and talented singer, she has had 2 #1 hits, has sold over 50 million records, and has won a whopping 11 Grammy Awards and she is NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall O f Fame!!!!!!!!! COME ON R&R HF selection committee, give this lovely lady her due, she should be in there, COME ON!!!!!!!!!!! and how about Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, and ”Heart” Ann and Nancy Wilson? they deserve to be in there as well.
With the possible exception of Donna Summer, Linda Ronstadt was the
biggest female star in the world in the 1970′s. She deserves to be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. She has talent! She can sing all types of music with power and feeling. I listen to her even this day. I love
the period between 1974-1980. On a personal note, I met Linda before the 1980 Pirates of Penzance show in Central Park. I gave her flowers
and she gave me 3 autographs! She was very sweet and one the most beautiful women in music. I will always love Linda Ronstadt!
One more thing, not adding Linda to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame makes
them look foolish. They have added so many “One hit Wonders” you have to wonder about their credibility.
The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame? Yawn. Who really cares?
Yeah, Madonna never abandoned Rock n’ Roll. Wait a minute, she doesn’t even sing Rock n’ Roll. The HOF is a joke.
There is no doubt that Linda Ronstadt should be sitting in a place of honour in the rock and roll hall of fame. the fact that she is not just speaks to the lack of credibility that it has. Personaly I ignor anything to do with the RRHOF. I have my own hall of fame and Linda is sitting right there with all the greats
Rockism – argued by those who favor ‘rock’ over its alternatives – continues to be a common opinion on threads about artists.
As for Linda, there has been no greater popular vocalist, spanning several eras. She’s had a continuing career for, what? 45 years now… She’s an interpreter with no equal. Perfect pitch is right. She was always toughest on herself and her singing, but the quality of what she released is evident.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Lame, as Mojo Nixon calls it, can go hang and Jann Wenner – who saw fit to splash Linda’s name and her half-naked image all over his magazine in the ’70s to boost circulation – can go eff himself.
It’s a ludicrous institution to begin with; how do you quantify and ‘honor’ art, especially a rebellious American art form that became the mainstream? Even commercial considerations – sales – are not the key to induction into this heinous hall. Also: Cleveland, as opposed to, say, Memphis, or Seattle, or NYC, had only a small role in rock history, the merely lobbied for the hall and got it in much the same fashion its rock station WMMS used to win the Rolling Stone Readers’ Poll by stuffing the ballot box year in, year out.
I remember Jeff Tamarkin covering the hall extensively back in its early days; and I interviewed a real hero, Duane Eddy, who got in after the Hall’s first eight years after being on the ballot every year and someone saying ‘wait a minute’.
There is no honor or justice in this country anymore anyway, so Linda is better off without such backhanded recognition that now enshrines acts that were fads of 25-30 years ago. She had more success and a better life (because she survived and thrived and kept her art interesting) than many other stars of the 70s.
Down with the Hall of Fame and long live Linda Ronstadt.
I dont know why the emphasis on Linda Ronstadt doing covers so much. She sang songs , some of which were covered by others before her, but she also did quite a few songs which were not well known before she covered them . In all instances I found her versions to be at least as good if not better than any others. The main point is she was enormously succesful , in hindsight the most successful female artist of the 1970′s, and you dont get to be that without talent; which is obvious to anybody watching videos of her in that era on You Tube
As for the Hall of Fame there are some very good people in it but why some others are not is a complete mystery …If she has never been nominated as some claim it would be worth the people who do the nominating explaining why…plenty of people evolve musically in their career and there should be no requirement to stick to a particular style for a whole career( look at Joni Mitchell and Neil Diamond)
As for those who claim she didn’t rock get real.
It is absolutely unfathomable that Linda Ronstadt has not even been nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
From Rock and Roll Hall of Fame web site:
“To be eligible for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist must have released a record, in the generally accepted sense of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction; and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence. We shall consider factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique, but musical excellence shall be the essential qualification of induction.”
If I were writing a performance appraisal of her wonderful career….
Has she demonstrated “unquestionable musical excellence” – ABSOLUTELY!
Has she had a musical influenced over other artists – ABSOLUTELY!
Is her body of work long and musically diverse – ABSOLUTELY!
Did she demonstrate superior style and technique – ABSOLUTELY!
Lastly did she demonstrate Musical EXCELLENCE – ABSOLUTELY!
Did she sell records, sell out concerts, successfully cross genres, and make a lasting positive impact on the Rock and Roll scene and on music in general – ABSOLUTELY!
I really don’t get it. Given the decline in true talent we must endure today that Linda Ronstadt is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a travesty!
Um, hello?
The singer-songwriter era’s dominance of the charts ended in 1979.
So it’s time to stop using the decades-old criticism that Linda didn’t write her own music as an excuse to diminish her significance in rock history.
Great artists who did not write all of their own music and remade older hits from other artists into new ones for themselves include Robert Plant, Elvis Presley, The Pretenders, Elton John, Donna Summer, James Taylor, The Eagles, Aretha Franklin, Cheap Trick, Pat Benatar, Heart, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Jett, Blondie, The Grateful Dead, The Doobie Brothers, etc…
Greats and supposed pop greats including Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Cher, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Madonna, and current superstars like Beyonce have not written all their own music either.
Linda Ronstadt IS Rock ‘n Roll:
“Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me”
“Can’t Let Go”
“Hurts So Bad”
“That’ll Be the Day”
“You’re No Good”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Livin’ In the USA”
“Just One Look”
“It’s So Easy”
“Heatwave”
“How Do I Make You?”
“Get Closer”
“All That You Dream”
“Mad Love”…
…the list goes on.
One more thing, as of 2011, despite Linda Ronstadt’s hitting the music charts beginning in the late 1960s, Linda is still not in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Nor is Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, or Heart.
I am in the minority I am sure but I don’t think she should be in the hall, neither should abba or any rap act. I like some of her stuff but most is horrible, just my opinion.
Hey! Linda. If I am ever single again. Will you marry me? I love your singing. I have been a fan forever. God Bless.
How can this be even possible?????
If anyone has had a stake, a mark, a contibition, to rock and rock Linda has to be that.
If ever there were a travisty of justice this has to be it!!!!!!
Nominate and ELECT NOW LINDA RONSTADT TO THE ROCK ASD ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!!
IF this is not what ROCK AND ROLL is about WHAT IS????
Let’s man-up or die…..
This can’t be the status quo…. let’s act now
Linda is a class act! She sings purely for the love of singing and her voice is pure and evocative. None of the popular young artists today come close to her innate talent or versatility in musical style or range. Whether or not she’s ever inducted into the Hall of Fame, Linda transcends any commercial recognition to acknowledge her gift of heartfelt singing and flawless interpretation.
I just saw the list of nnominees for the 2012 class for the rock and roll hall of fame what is wrong with you people??????? what do you have AGAINST Linda Ronstadt!!!!!!!!!!! she was the first woman artist to have 3 straight albums in a row go PLATINUM!!!!!!! if she’s been passed over because of her male flings or her weight, then that’s a real lame excuse if I have heard one. she has a beautiful voice, and has sold so mant records that it is unreal, in addition she has won a unbeleivable 11 Grammys, COME ON!!!!!!! sHE DESERVES INDUCTION!!!!!!!!! I would like to know also what about Pat Benatar? what is wrong with her? I am however delighted that ”Heart” is being considered, as well as Joan”I love rock and roll” Jettshe should have been inducted a LONG, LONG TIME AGO. she has accomplised so much over time, not only with the Runaways, but also with the Blackhearts. PLEASE INDUCT HER!!!!! and ”Heart” and please think about Ms. Ronstadt and Ms. Benatar next time.
Linda Ronstadt,
I love you. We all love you. I know you will be inducted into the R&RHoF in time. We all know you will be inducted. You ARE a living legend. God only knows where you are able to draw so much passion and feeling to put into your voice and pressence, but it is a pleasure to witness.
linda ronstadt has the best singing voice i have ever heard. i had the pleasure to see her perform live, in 1978, at the forest oaks tennis stadium, in queens, n.y. and she sounded just as good, as if, she were in a recording studio. i was only 18 then, and i am still as big a fan now, at 51. it’s a total injustice..that she is not in the rock n roll hall of fame!
Of course anyone who has listened to her 70′s albums knows that Linda absolutely belongs in the RRHOF. But I am not sure whether she really wants to be in it.
I don’t think she has ever forgiven Rolling Stone for the infamous “red slip” photo that they published against her objections. It was hugely popular with her male fans, but it made her look semi-slutty and even in the mid-90′s she was still pissed off over it.
So I think the problem is that RS worries that if it gave her the award, she might just tell them to shove it.
So never mind. We all know that she belongs there.
As with many of the others here posting their support for Linda being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I agree with their wishes and think it’s utterly stupid that she hasn’t been nominated. It’s criminal that she’s not in but the Eagles are in, the band which she essentially put together at the start of the 70s andd then went out on their own.
To me, Linda was and is the female equivalent of Elvis. No other female performer ever came close to being that. Linda didn’t have the same kind of set up as Elvis, in that she didn’t have music publishing houses which would’ve allowed her access to songs written especially for her on a constant basis. Songwriting, she wrote a little here and there but possibly never encouraged by management to write more than what she did, or possibly never believed in herself as a songwriter. She played a little guitar but never on record, which if she had probably doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, certainly not to the snoots of the R&RHoF.
Not having music publishing companies or writing a lot of songs didn’t mean she didn’t get a chance to record and release a song the world hadn’t heard before. The world probably never would’ve heard “Different Drum” if Linda hadn’t recorded the song, despite the fact another act had already recorded the song. And Linda saw the potential for “Long Long Time” even though her record company at the time (Capitol) rejected the song as being too country. Linda’s “Long Long Time” remains a pop gem that’s as fresh now as it was then, four decades after she recorded it. She should be very proud of that song.
So, she was left with doing quite a few covers. My attitude towards that though is, so what? Her choices for what songs she did do were always interesting. She made some very smart choices, had a knack for remaking an old hit into a new hit, spotlighted new, up and coming songwriters – sometimes giving them more of the spotlight than what they might’ve gotten on their own. She probably did more for the Buddy Holly songwriting catalogue than Paul McCartney’s acquisition of the same. The majority of Buddy’s music wasn’t even available for purchase at the time Linda recorded her versions of “That’ll Be The Day” and “It’s So Easy.”
And as for being an influence, there’s no doubt that she has influenced other artists, especially other female artists. Maybe the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame has a sexist problem with that, in that maybe they can’t find any testosteroned male rockers who will admit to having been influenced by Linda?
The fact is Linda meets all of the R&RHoF’s requirements to be nominated for a vote by the hall members, and to be inducted, and then some. Whatever the reasons for their refusal to consider her are unknown but whatever the reasons are, they are unacceptible. And as a fan of hers and a few other acts who are eligible but who likewise have never been nominated, until she (and the others) are nominated and inducted, I have no interest in parting with my money to visit the R&RHoF. As it is, given the old grudges held by Jann Wenner and his crowd, I’d rather see it demolished as it’s nothing but a bad joke.
If Blondie is in the Hall of Fame; Linda should ABSOLUTELY be in!
She ruled!