HBO’s “The Last Of Us” Gave Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time” The Kate Bush Bump

I did not grow up in a Linda Ronstadt home. When it came to female singers of the sixties and seventies, my family’s loyalties lay with Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Cass Elliot, and Karen Carpenter. Up until 40 hours ago, the only Linda Ronstadt song on my iTunes was her 1974 cover of “You’re No Good”. But that was 40 hours ago, aka “The Before Times.” “Before what?” some of you might be asking. Before Sunday night’s episode of The Last Of Us. In one emotional scene, Nick Offerman’s Bill plays Linda’s song “Long Long Time” on the piano for Murray Bartlett’s Frank. Linda’s version (released in 1970) is played at the end of the episode. Variety reports that, on Sunday night, “Long Long Time” was up 4,900% in Spotify streams. That’s right, Linda got the Kate Bush “Stranger Things” bump! SPOILERS GALORE for The Last Of Us ahead… Continue reading