Fans are often surprised to learn that popular chart-topping hits are actually covers of original songs released many years ago. Music icon Linda Ronstadt took the 1963 R&B classic, made it her own, and became the only female cover artist to top the charts. Billboard .
Dee Dee Warwick released her first single, "You're No Good," written by Clint Ballard Jr. The producers were Jerry Leiber и Mike Stoller , and was released on Jubilee Records. The track was a success for the singer, reaching number 117 on the charts.
Soon this song was covered by another performer, Betty Everett , on Vee-Jay Records, and her success was greater than Warwick's. The head of the record company was looking for new tracks and initially planned to perform the song for Dee Clark , but found it too negative towards women. He gave it to Everett instead, and the song reached number 51 on the chart. Billboard Hot 100.
Next year the British group Swinging Blue Jeans recorded their cover version after the drummer's girlfriend brought it to their attention. Their version reached number 97 on the charts.
It wasn't until years later that the song gained massive popularity, when Ronstadt reimagined it in 1974. "You're No Good" became a heartbreak anthem thanks to Ronstadt, with its lyrics about the singer being glad to have broken up with her ex, whom she describes as "no good.".
Before the song was officially recorded for her 1974 album Heart Like a Wheel , Ronstadt first began performing it at her concerts at the suggestion of her bandmate. Kenny Edwards. Recording "You're No Good" for the album was a last-minute decision and a "strange coincidence." The recording took place in early July, with Ronstadt and the band initially planning to make it an R&B number, close to the original. After one recording, Ronstadt vetoed it.
«"It just wasn't the right rhythm for me. I think I didn't know how to express my thoughts [to the players] properly, but it wasn't their fault, of course. They were great," she said.
After some controversy at Capitol Records, "You're No Good" became the album's lead single and topped the charts. It reached number one in Billboard Hot 100 and internationally, becoming the most successful cover version of this composition. Her album Heart Like a Wheel It also achieved double platinum status and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Despite the song's success and its emergence as a breakout rock classic, Ronstadt had her doubts about the composition. In an interview with the newspaper Los Angeles Times She said, "I thought the arrangement of 'You're No Good' was very good, but I didn't perform it very well. As a song, it was just secondary. It's not a song that I'm very satisfied with performing.".
See also: A 1967 folk-pop ballad written by a teenager has evolved into a melancholy anthem decades later.
This article was originally published by Parade on May 31, 2026, in the Entertainment section. Add Parade to your list of recommended sources by clicking here.