Chuck Dauphin of Billboard wrote, "Nobody can deliver a song aching with sadness and loneliness quite like Emmylou Harris. When she pours her heart and soul into a lyric, you are instantly grabbed emotionally..."
Personally, I would say it's the emotional factor which may be the biggest difference between Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Certainly, I already felt that way even before reading the Billboard quote. But I think it's true. Still, though, I can't rate one as better than the other. If I could have had a choice, I would have preferred seeing Emmylou in person rather than Linda, however. But that's mostly because I think Emmylou puts more into her performances than Linda did. I'm quite sure seeing Emmylou Harris in person would be a thrill.