Sometimes, an image is all you need to awaken a range of sounds. When you see the iconic rock ‘n’ roll look of Linda Ronstadt, you don’t just see a classic rock look; you hear her voice and the iconic tracks that have stood the test of time and cemented themselves in the musical world for generations. She is called the ‘First Lady of Rock’ for a reason; it’s a name that has been well and truly earned.
To limit her to just rock ‘n’ roll would be an insult, though. There is much more to Ronstandt than just the one genre of music. In fact, what sets her apart from so many other vocalists is her ability to step into other genres and wear them like they were built around her. Whether it’s rock, pop or country, she sounds at home with every lyric.
That ability did not come from simply mimicking different styles, but from understanding what made each one resonate. Ronstadt approached every genre with a kind of respect that went beyond surface-level interpretation, finding the emotional core of a song and building her performance around it. It meant that even when she moved between vastly different sounds, there was always a consistency in the way she delivered them, grounded in feeling rather than technique alone.
It also gave her a rare kind of flexibility as a collaborator. Instead of imposing a singular identity onto every track, she was able to adapt to the artists around her, elevating their work while still leaving a clear imprint of her own voice. That balance made her an ideal creative partner, someone who could move seamlessly between projects without ever feeling out of place, no matter the setting.
Because of her adaptability as an artist, Linda Ronstadt collaborated with a wide range of people. Artists in many different genres were always happy to work with her, and they produced a huge variety of songs together. There are so many collaborations to immerse yourself in when it comes to Ronstadt’s work that it can be difficult to know where to start.
Graceland was one of Paul Simon’s more ambitious projects. After becoming obsessed with the style of African music, he began to make an album that was centred around different forms of rhythm that weren’t as popular in Western music. In doing so, he made a diverse album that was far removed from anything he had done in the past.
Despite the new direction for Simon, however, it wasn’t difficult for Ronstadt to find a place on the record. She and Simon performed a duet on the track ‘Under African Skies’, one of the biggest highlights of the record.
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