'The Last of Us' turns Linda Ronstadt track instant hit

HBO’s top show, The Last of Us latest episode, pushed Linda Ronstadt’s Long Long Time up on the streaming charts.

According to Variety, following the episode, the 1970s track experienced a staggering rise in streaming numbers, increasing by a margin of 4900%.

The song played on two occasions in the episode between the scene of survivors Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) and later in scenes with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

The executive producer and director Craig Mazin decided to include the song at the suggestion of his friend Seth Rudetsky.

Speaking with Variety, the director said, “I knew that song needed to hit certain things about longing and aching and endlessly unrequited love,” he said. “I could not find the right song for the life of me.

I was trying and trying, and then I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of Sirius XM on Broadway and a savant. I told him, ‘Here’s all the things I need,’ and two seconds later: ‘Linda Ronstadt, “Long, Long Time.”’ I was like, there it is. That’s it!”

Penned by Gary White and featured on Ronstadt’s Silk Purse album. The single remained for 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 25.

Moreover, Ronstadt also bagged a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance in 1971.