''Heart Like a Wheel'' (1974) is Linda Ronstadt's fifth solo album release and the last-ever of her studio projects for Capitol Records, released in 1974. In fulfillment of her contract, Ronstadt owed Capitol one more album and, as such, brought in producer Peter Asher, who worked with her on ''Don't Cry Now'', and multi-instrumentalist and arranger Andrew Gold. Asher and Gold have been credited over the years as being a collaborative part of the album's artistic success. This album has never been out of print in over 35 years.

The result — a more refined and streamlined mix of Country and Rock than her previous releases, with less of a Folk influence — proved to be Ronstadt's commercial breakthrough, the album that many critics later said would standardize the musical formula for her subsequent albums in the 1970s. Released in late 1974, ''Heart Like a Wheel'' became the first of her three No. 1 peaks on the ''Billboard'' album chart, reaching the perch for the week ending Feb. 15, 1975, right alongside the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, "You're No Good." Ronstadt was featured for the first time on the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in its March 27, 1975, issue. The B-side of the single for "You're No Good," a cover of Hank Williams's "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)," peaked at No. 2 on ''Billboards Hot Country Songs chart. The recording features harmony vocals by Emmylou Harris.

The follow-up single release, a cover of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved," spent two weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in late June 1975. It also became Ronstadt's first #1 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. The B-side of "When Will I Be Loved," a melancholy cover of a Buddy Holly & the Crickets song, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", subsequently climbed the Pop, Adult Contemporary and Country charts.

''Heart Like a Wheel'' spent 51 weeks on the album chart. Based on her performance on the singles and album charts, ''Billboard'' magazine named Ronstadt the top female pop artist of the year. The album was certified Gold in January 1975 by the Recording Industry Association of America and belatedly both Platinum and Double-Platinum in 1991.

Ronstadt won her first of a record 10 Grammy Awards in early 1976 for Best Country Vocal Performance Female for "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)." She was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female (losing to Janis Ian for "At Seventeen"), and the album was nominated for Album Of The Year (losing to Paul Simon's ''Still Crazy After All These Years'').

In 2005 ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked ''Heart Like a Wheel'' at #164 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

There have been numerous subsequent covers of "You're No Good" by artists including Van Halen, the Swinging Blue Jeans, Aswad, Reba McEntire and Wilson Phillips. Likewise, "When Will I Be Loved" has been recorded by the Little River Band, Dave Kelly, Rockpile, Vince Gill and Silk, among others. "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" has been recorded by Don McLean, Martin Simpson, Vince Gill, Daniel O'Donnell, Danny Gatton, Suzy Bogguss and Eva Cassidy, among others. In 2005, the Corrs included a cover of the Anna McGarrigle-penned title track, "Heart Like a Wheel," on their album ''Home''.

"Willin'" was featured in the film ''The Abyss''. - Wikipedia