The Crickets' version is a bouncing rock-and-roll number led by Buddy Holly's springy guitar and light backing vocals. A simple joy repeated over and over: “it's so easy to fall in love.” It missed the charts, though, and was buried as the final single released while Holly was in the band.
In Linda's version, the voice steps forward and “so easy to fall in love” becomes a confident statement. A thicker 1970s arrangement carries the song 19 years into the future, turning it into a Top Five Billboard Hot 100 hit.