# Linda Ronstadt was told the song was ‘too corny’. In 1974, it became the title track of her first number-one album

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/linda-ronstadt-was-told-the-song-was-too-corny-in-1974-it-became-the-title-track-of-her-first-number-one-album/
- Published: 2026-10-24T19:44:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:11:27+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/linda-ronstadt-was-told-the-song-was-too-corny-in-1974-it-became-the-title-track-of-her-first-number-one-album/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Music, World

## Key points

- Ronstadt trusted her instinct about “Heart Like a Wheel”.
- The song became the title track of her first US number-one album.
- The album’s lead single was “You’re No Good”.

## Summary

Linda Ronstadt championed Anna McGarrigle’s “Heart Like a Wheel” after others dismissed it as too corny or lacking commercial appeal. The song became the title track of Ronstadt’s 1974 album, which reached number one in the United States and helped establish her as a leading country-rock singer.

Ronstadt recalled first hearing it from Jerry Jeff Walker in a taxi and feeling drawn to its emotional quality, though she could not place it neatly in a genre. Producer Peter Asher understood her attachment, and a strong audience response during rehearsals for a Carnegie Hall appearance reinforced her decision to perform it. The album’s lead single was a cover of Betty Everett’s “You’re No Good”, and the record won a Grammy.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.