Every music icon has that one moment where everything changes with a song that takes them from a struggling artist to a household name.
For Linda Ronstadt, that turning point came in 1967 with a song that captured the spirit of a new generation of folk-rock fans. Her voice was pure power, turning a simple breakup song into an unforgettable hit that launched her legendary career.
Yet behind the scenes of the song "Different Drum" was a surprise twist nobody saw coming. Before Ronstadt turned it into pure gold, the track was completely passed over by the producers of a famous music group, who thought it was a total flop.
Ronstadt shared her introduction into the music business with The Wall Street Journal. She explained, "I began singing folk locally on my own, sometimes backed by my cousin on guitar. A big break came in 1964, when childhood friend Bobby Kimmel asked me to join him in Los Angeles. Then Kenny Edwards joined, and we became the Stone Poneys."
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It was during her time as a vocalist with the Stone Poneys that Ronstadt first heard a song by the folk band Greenbriar Boys. The tune, "Different Drum," was written by Mike Nesmith, recorded in 1966, and included on the band's album Better Late Than Never.
Far Out Magazine quoted Ronstadt discussing "Different Drum" from the 2016 book Anatomy of a Song. She said, "Today I will break my finger trying to get that record off when it’s on. Everyone hears something in that song – a breakup, the antiwar movement, women’s lib. I hear a fear and a lack of confidence on my part.”
In an interview with NPR, Ronstadt added, "I thought it was a hit. But I wanted to record it in a folky way. So we recorded it with a guitar and a mandolin. And of course, you know, the record company didn't like it." Producers ultimately changed the tune to a more folk-heavy version, unlike the song she initially fell in love with.
However, before the Stone Poneys recorded "Different Drum," the song was first pitched to the producers of The Monkees television series by Nesmith. It was rejected.
The Monkees Producers Don Kirshner, Tommy Boyce, and Bobby Hart relied heavily on legendary songwriters such as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil to create The Monkees' sound. Therefore, the record label prioritized guaranteed chart-topping hits over internal band compositions, leaving Nesmith’s country-folk songwriting style sidelined, which is why a track like "Different Drum" ended up in the reject pile.
Songfacts shared a 1971 quote from Nesmith in which he shared further insight into the song's history. "Most of the songs I did write, they didn't want, so on the last few albums I didn't contribute much in the way of material. I took them 'Different Drum,' and they said all it needed was a hook. They asked me to change it and told me it was a stiff."
However, he changed his tune after hearing Ronstadt's version. Nesmith told Rebeat Magazine, "I sang 'Different Drum' for John Herald of the Greenbriar Boys like that. He took it home and turned it into the ballad that it became. Linda heard the ballad and made us all rich."
Mike Nesmith later recorded his own version of the song in 1972 on a solo album called And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. "Different Drum" was eventually featured in a Monkees episode, "Too Many Girls."
Linda Ronstadt's version with the Stone Poneys reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1968.
Related: Linda Ronstadt’s 1977 Classic Cover Thrilled Its Original Songwriters So Much, They Declared She Officially Owned the Song
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