Album of the Day

By the time of SIMPLE DREAMS, Linda Ronstadt had few peers as an interpreter of rock, country and pop. Her unerring ear for material and incandescent vocals made her one of the decade's most successful performers – that 1977 Asylum release includes a pair of songs from early rock 'n' roll greats Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison that became Top 10 singles (“It's So Easy” and “Blue Bayou”), more recent rockers from The Rolling Stones (“Tumbling Dice”) and Warren Zevon (“Poor Poor Pitiful Me”), and a country hit recorded with Dolly Parton (“I Never Will Marry”). Add the talents of some of L.A.'s best session players, and SIMPLE DREAMS couldn't miss – it became Ronstadt's fifth consecutive platinum LP, and spent weeks at No.1, knocking Fleetwood Mac's RUMOURS out of the top slot. Today is Linda's birthday, and we salute the singer with one of her very best albums.