1977 Country Rock Anthem Dubbed an 'Afterthought' Became a Chart-Dominating Hit
In 1977, a country rock anthem dubbed an "afterthought" by its singer defied expectations and surged its way up the charts, proving that even the most unassuming tracks can become a defining hit of their era.
Linda Ronstadt's "It's So Easy" peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1977. The song would remain a chart mainstay for 18 weeks.
The Buddy Holly cover took just around two months to reach its peak chart position. It hailed from her LP Simple Dreams, her eighth studio album.
The watershed record contained some of Ronstadt's best-known hits, including her covers of the Rolling Stones' "Tumblin' Dice" and Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou." However, including the Holly song was reportedly a last-minute decision to provide her a standout concert moment.
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Ronstadt told Pop Matters in 2017 that the song was "an afterthought that we threw in."
"We needed an up-tempo song because we had so many ballads. The songs like ‘Maybe I'm Right' didn't go over in those arenas. Anything with nuance or subtlety got lost. I did ‘Sorrow Lives Here' as an encore because I loved it so much and I wanted to sing it every night. If I'd put it in the middle of the show, I probably would have emptied the place!"
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The song did even better than Ronstadt's first Holly cover, "That'll Be the Day" from her LP Hasten Down the Wind. Her version peaked at No. 11 in 1976.
The singer explained that the appeal of "It's So Easy" came from its roots. "It's Texarkana," she said. "It's that area of the country (Texas / Arkansas). I grew up listening to that [she hails from Arkansas]. It's kind of country, it's kind of rock ‘n' roll, it's kind of blues. It's a little bit of all those things."
The LP catapulted Ronstadt into the spotlight as one of the most commanding women in late-'70s music. She soon graced the covers of Rolling Stone, People, Time, and Circus, cementing her status as a cultural force in the industry.
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Buddy Holly and the Crickets recorded "It's So Easy" in 1958. It was the final release by the Crickets when Holly was still in the band.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 4:12 AM.