Linda Ronstadt enjoys streaming surge thanks to The Last of Us

Linda Ronstadt has had a surge in popularity after one of her songs was featured in an episode of The Last of Us.

Spotify reported a 4,900% surge in streaming for her 1970 song Long, Long Time in the US after the third episode of the videogame TV adaptation The Last of Us aired on Sunday night.

It simulcasts in the UK at 2am on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and is then repeated at 9pm.

The show has been a huge hit so far, with videogame fans judging it true to the original, while critics and viewers have praised the fleshed-out storylines and characters.

Read more: The Last of Us fans call show 'one of the most terrifying things ever made'

In the most recent episode, one such character - Bill - was given a more detailed backstory as a doomsday prepper who expected to live on his own forever when the devastating fungal pandemic hit, but ended up forming a relationship with Frank, a man caught in one of the traps he set for zombies.

Bill helped Frank to get cleaned up and as he was about to leave he found the sheet music for Long, Long Time at Bill's piano, which the pair played together marking the start of a long relationship.

The episode showed them falling in love and spending 20 years together, until Frank fell ill and asked Bill to help him die, and the pair carried out a suicide pact together.

Read more: Happy Valley trailer hints at violent showdown between Catherine and Tommy

Main characters Joel and Ellie arrived at their house to find a suicide note and the keys to their truck waiting for them, and drove away to a mixtape including the track.

Spotify tweeted: "On Sunday, January 29th, between 11PM and midnight ET, there was more than 4900% increase in U.S. streams of “Long Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt."

The revisit of Ronstadt's music mirrors similar success enjoyed by Kate Bush last year when her song Running Up That Hill was featured in hit Netflix show Stranger Things.

Ronstadt, now 76, released Long, Long Time in 1970 when it reached a position of 25 on the US Billboard chart.