Song #308: "It Doesn't Matter Anymore"--Linda Ronstadt (1974)

It spent nearly a year on the charts, Linda Ronstadt's great album, "Heart Like A Wheel", from 1974, containing hits like "When Will I Be Loved" and "You're No Good", both of which became Ronstadt staples.

But also on the album is this song, written by Paul Anka and originally performed by Buddy Holly. His version released just after New Year's 1959, and less than a month before Holly perished on "The Day The Music Died", February 3, 1959 in the plane crash that took his life, and also that of Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Bopper, whose real name was J.P. Richardson, was on the plane because he had the flu, and someone gave up their seat so Richardson wouldn't have to stay back and take the tour bus.

The man was Waylon Jennings.

Back to Ronstadt. This song created its own success, with fans finding her remake on the B-side of "When Will I Be Loved", like my brother and I did, ending up on several charts by the Fall of 1975.

We have lots of Linda to come in our Top 500 countdown, and she had a knack of recording "cover" songs, as they are known, and truly making them her own. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is one of several.