"Long, Long Time" is a song written by Gary White which became a hit for Linda Ronstadt in 1970. Ronstadt included the song on her album Silk Purse. "Long, Long Time" is about a lasting love for someone who never became a lover.
Linda Ronstadt version
In 1970, Linda Ronstadt released the song as a single and on the album Silk Purse. The single spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 25, while reaching No. 15 on Canada's "RPM 100" (her first single there), No. 8 on Canada's CHUM 30 chart, and No. 20 on Billboards Easy Listening chart.
In 1971, Ronstadt was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance for her rendition of "Long, Long Time".
Chart performance
Notable cover versions
In 1976, Larry Santos released a cover of the song, which reached No. 38 on Billboards Easy Listening chart and No. 109 on Billboards "Bubbling Under the Hot 100".
In popular culture
The song is played during the third episode (which shares the name with the song) of the 2023 television series The Last of Us, serving as a motif for the relationship between characters Bill and Frank. After the episode was broadcast, Spotify announced that streams of the song increased by 4,900% over the previous week; several outlets compared it to the 2022 resurgence of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" after its use in the fourth season of Stranger Things. In the period after the episode was broadcast, the song topped three separate Billboard charts, more than 50 years after its release, placing at No. 1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales, LyricFind U.S. and LyricFind Global rankings dated February 11, 2023.