Linda Ronstadt, one of the defining voices of 1970s American music, has never claimed to be the finest musician of her generation, and in her 2013 memoir Simple Dreams she openly named a peer she considered superior in musicianship. This matters because it reflects the candour that has long defined Ronstadt's public persona, and it highlights how she viewed her own success as rooted more in emotional honesty than technical virtuosity. Her admission also sheds light on the mutual respect between two of the era's leading female artists.

The rival in question was Bonnie Raitt, whom Ronstadt singled out as having "way more musicianship" than herself, crediting her voice as strong but insisting that skilful use of it depended on other qualities Raitt possessed in greater measure. The two singers' careers frequently intersected, including separate recordings of "Love Has No Pride" in 1972 and 1973, and years of shared stages and mutual career milestones. Despite Raitt's decades of accolades and versatile style, Ronstadt's comment was offered without rivalry or resentment, framed instead as a simple, honest assessment consistent with her long-standing reputation for speaking plainly about herself and her career.