Greatest Hits (Linda Ronstadt album)

Greatest Hits is Linda Ronstadt's first major compilation album, released at the end of 1976 for the holiday shopping season. It includes material from both her Capitol Records and Asylum Records output, and goes back to 1967 for The Stone Poneys' hit "Different Drum."

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by Linda Ronstadt
Released	December 1, 1976
Recorded	1967, 1970, 1973-1976
Genre	Rock, country rock, folk rock
Length	37:33
Label	Asylum
Producer	various
Linda Ronstadt chronology
Hasten Down the Wind (1976) Greatest Hits (1976) Simple Dreams (1977)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[3]
Sounds	[4]

It remains the biggest-selling album of Ronstadt's career, being certified seven times Platinum (over 7 million US copies shipped) by the Recording Industry Association of America^[5] in America alone, with 1.87 million units consumed after 1991 when SoundScan started tracking sales.^[6] It peaked at No. 6 on the main Billboard album chart and also reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, where it remained for over three years.

The album was criticized by the Rolling Stone Record Guide for being "premature," as Ronstadt continued to have record-breaking mainstream successes for many years following this release. By the time this collection came out, however, Ronstadt had already been recording hit records (as a solo artist and with the Stone Poneys) for a decade, and there were many examples of other artists releasing greatest hits albums much sooner, such as Elvis Presley.

In terms of being released while the performer was still in the midst of their career, this collection is unusual for a major artist in that it compiled works from two unrelated labels thanks to, as the sleeve states, a "special arrangement" between Asylum and Capitol; this overlap mirrors the situation in which Ronstadt briefly alternated releasing albums between Capitol and Asylum in 1973–74 in order to fulfil her contract with Capitol.^[7]

Track listing

Original release

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"You're No Good"	Clint Ballard Jr.	Heart Like a Wheel, 1974	3:44
2.	"Silver Threads and Golden Needles"	Jack Rhodes, Dick Reynolds	Don't Cry Now, 1973	2:20
3.	"Desperado"	Glenn Frey, Don Henley	Don't Cry Now	3:30
4.	"Love Is a Rose"	Neil Young	Prisoner in Disguise, 1975	2:46
5.	"That'll Be the Day"	Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty	Hasten Down the Wind, 1976	2:32
6.	"Long, Long Time"	Gary White	Silk Purse, 1970	4:21

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Different Drum" (with The Stone Poneys)	Mike Nesmith	Evergreen, Volume 2, 1967	2:45
2.	"When Will I Be Loved"	Phil Everly	Heart Like a Wheel	2:05
3.	"Love Has No Pride"	Eric Kaz, Libby Titus	Don't Cry Now	4:10
4.	"Heat Wave"	Holland–Dozier–Holland	Prisoner in Disguise	2:46
5.	"It Doesn't Matter Anymore"	Paul Anka	Heart Like a Wheel	3:26
6.	"Tracks of My Tears"	Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore, Marv Tarplin	Prisoner in Disguise	3:12

CD reissue

The CD reissue of the album was compiled with Ronstadt's second greatest hits collection and released by Rhino records in 2007 as Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2.^[8]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"You're No Good"	3:40
2.	"Silver Threads and Golden Needles"	2:20
3.	"Desperado"	3:30
4.	"Love is a Rose"	2:46
5.	"That'll Be the Day"	2:32
6.	"Long, Long Time"	4:21
7.	"Different Drum"	2:45
8.	"When Will I Be Loved"	2:05
9.	"Love Has No Pride"	4:10
10.	"Heat Wave"	2:46
11.	"It Doesn't Matter Anymore"	3:26
12.	"Tracks of My Tears"	3:12

No.	Title	Length
13.	"It's So Easy"	2:26
14.	"I Can't Let Go"	2:43
15.	"Hurt So Bad"	3:12
16.	"Blue Bayou"	3:54
17.	"How Do I Make You"	2:21
18.	"Back in the U.S.A."	3:02
19.	"Ooo Baby Baby"	3:18
20.	"Poor Poor Pitiful Me"	3:41
21.	"Tumbling Dice"	3:05
22.	"Just One Look"	3:15
23.	"Someone to Lay Down Beside Me"	3:58

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1976–1977) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 22 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10] 3 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] 18 UK Albums (OCC)[12] 24 US Billboard 200[13] 6 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[14] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1977) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[15] 29 US Billboard 200[16] 20 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[17] 8 Chart (1978) Position US Billboard 200[18] 66 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[19] 19

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20]	4× Platinum	280,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[21]	Platinum	100,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[22]	Gold	10,000*
United States (RIAA)[23]	7× Platinum	7,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

From the Liner Notes on the Original Vinyl Album.

• Peter Asher: Cabasa, Cowbell, Trombone and Shaker, Hand Claps, Wood Block, and Percussion.
• Ed Black: Guitar, Steel Guitar
• Michael Botts: Drums
• Mike Bowden: Bass
• Richard Bowden: Electric Guitar
• John Boylan: Keyboards
• Richard Burden: Guitar
• John Connor: Harmonica
• Dan Dugmore: Steel Guitar
• Kenny Edwards: Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocal
• Chris Ethridge: Bass
• Jim Fadden: Harmonica
• Don Francisco: Backing Vocals
• Andrew Gold: Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocal, Drums, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Tambourine, Piano, Arp, Congas, Hand Claps
• Jim Gordon: Saxophone
• Gib Guilbeau: Fiddle
• Ginger Holliday: Backing Vocal
• Mary Holliday: Backing Vocal
• Andy Johnson: Electric Guitar
• Mac Johnson: Trumpet
• David Kemper: Drums
• Clyde King: Backing Vocals
• Sneaky Pete Kleinow: Steel Guitar
• Danny Kortchmar: Electric Guitar
• Russ Kunkel: Drums
• Bernie Leadon: Acoustic Guitar
• Daryl Leonard: Trumpet
• David Lindley: Fiddle
• Gail Martin: Trombone
• Shirley Matthews: Backing Vocals
• Marty McCall: Backing Vocals
• Mickey McGee: Drums
• Weldon Myrick: Steel Guitar
• Spooner Oldham: Piano
• Herb Pedersen: Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocal, Banjo
• Norbert Putnam: Bass, Harpsichord
• Don Randi: Harpsichord
• Lyle Ritz: Concertmaster
• Linda Ronstadt: Vocals, Tambourine, Hand Claps, Backing Vocals
• John David Souther: Guitar
• Buddy Spicher: Fiddle
• Dennis St. John: Drums
• Nino Tempo: Saxophone
• Al Viola: Acoustic Guitar
• Waddy: Electric Guitar
• Pete Wade: Guitar
• Bob Warford: Acoustic Guitar

Producers

• Peter Asher: 1, 4, 5, 8,10,11,12
• John Boylan: 9
• John David Souther: 2,3
• Elliot F. Mazer: 6
• Nikolas Venet: 7

Release history

Release history and formats for Greatest Hits

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
North America	December 1, 1976	LP cassette	Asylum Records	[24]

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States