Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Linda Ronstadt 1970 Hit “Long Long Time” Goes Top 5 at iTunes as HBO’s “Last Of Us” Gives Song Unexpected Renaissance

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Guess what’s number 5 on iTunes today? Why it’s Linda Ronstadt’s 1970 hit, “Long Long Time.”

The song — written by Gary White — was featured on Sunday night’s episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us.” And now, like Kate Bush and Lady Gaga recently — Linda is back on the charts.

Indeed, Linda’s Greatest Hits is up to number 25. Before last night, neither of these records was on anyone’s radar.

“Long Long Time” was not a big hit in 1970. It sort of came back when it was included on Linda’s first greatest hits collection after “You’re No Good” launched a string of top 10 hits beginning in 1973. “Long Long Time,” “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and “Different Drummer” all caught up with Linda’s Peter Asher-produced smashes like “Heat Wave” and “Blue Bayou.”

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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