Who would be at the top of your list of favorite musical duos? Throughout the history of music, fans have experienced their fair share of romances that have produced amazing songs. There have been many different famous musical husband and wife duos who have captured the hearts and imaginations of music lovers across the globe, and there is something about their relationship that always makes the music even more special.
With musically good songs and great musical duets, there is a huge list to choose from. Without further ado, here are ten of the best music duos who were also married couples at the time of their fame.
1. John Lennon and Yoko Ono – The King And Queen Of Music Duos
john Lennon was probably the most famous man on the planet for decades, and when he married Yoko Ono they became a musical power couple of the highest order. Moving away from his Beatles roots, Lennon started to make different, interesting music with Ono very much in his mind as his muse and collaborator.
Beatles fans weren’t always the biggest fans of the marriage, but there is no doubting that they were musical royalty. Their collaboration resulted in seven albums and fourteen singles but the song that immortalized their relationship – The Ballad of John and Yoko – was sung by The Beatles.
2. Paul and Linda McCartney
Can you mention one of the Beatles’ power couples and ignore the other? Although Paul and Linda McCartney only ever produced one album as a duo (Ram), they enjoyed great success as the backbone of Wings.
Linda was not known for her musical skills but she steadied the McCartney ship which had been left reeling after the breakup of The Beatles and the loss of the Lennon/McCartney friendship and songwriting relationship.
3. Beyoncé and Jay Z
It’s fair to say that Beyoncé and Jay Z are the reigning king and queen of the music industry. There has never been a musical power couple quite like them! Releasing hit after hit after hit and amassing a net worth over more than a billion dollars, Bey and Jay show absolutely no signs of slowing.
Also having amazingly successful careers as solo artists, some of their biggest hits have come as a duo including 03 Bonnie & Clyde, Crazy In Love and Deja Vu. Many couples include a Jay Z and Beyoncé song in the wedding DJ guide for their reception music.
4. Johnny Cash and June Carter
One of the greatest country music duos of all time, the music of Johnny Cash and June Carter is still beloved today. The pair got married only a week after getting engaged, with Cash having fallen head over heels for the beautiful singer!
Some of their greatest hit collaborations include It Ain’t Me Babe and Jackson. Their love story featured heavily in the biopic Walk the Line where Cash and Carter were portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.
5. Sonny and Cher
When you think about 60s music made by duos, you automatically go to Sonny and Cher! The two love birds had major success as a couple with smash hits like I Got You Babe, before parting ways after many years of marriage.
Sonny Bono tragically died in the late 90s in a skiing accident, but Cher is still going at the unbelievable age of 73, filling stadiums all over the world and keeping her music and the music of Sonny alive and well.
6. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Two absolute legends of their genre, you might want to think of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as the Beyoncé and Jay Z of country music! They work on both solo and duet projects regularly, giving their fans everything that they want in terms of amazing music and amazing chemistry.
Their Soul2Soul duet tour has been consistently selling out in various forms for the past fifteen years, so you can tell that people are still hungry to see this particular married couple perform.
7. Jack White and Meg White
In a common awkward mistake, many people often assume that the members of The White Stripes were siblings rather than spouses! In fact, they were married for years, even though they divorced in 2000 before the band had even reached the heights of its success.
In a fitting and quirky gesture, Jack actually took Meg’s surname after marriage rather than following normal tradition.
8. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown
Whitney and Bobby were married in 1992, and their relationship sadly lead to a lot of substance abuse that would ultimately contribute to the soul diva’s untimely death.
Fourteen years of marriage was lived out in the tabloids, but they still found time to frequently collaborate both on stage and in the studio.
9. Ike and Tina Turner
They may have been responsible for some of the most iconic songs of all time, but the marriage between Ike and Tina Turner was not one of love. She blasted out classics like Proud Mary on stage, but offstage Tina was living with an abusive and controlling husband.
Thankfully, the legend managed to get away and start fresh, and she is still going strong to this day with her solo career eclipsing that of the duo.
10. ABBA – Two Music Duos for the Price of One
Some would argue that this Swedish band are the greatest pop band ever and are responsible for arguably the world’s favorite pop song – Dancing Queen. ABBA was two married couples. Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
Both marriages ended in divorce in 1980 and 1981 respectively and the band split in 1983. They produced eight studio albums, two live albums and forty-four singles and their music is the basis of the musical and movies Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Andersson and Ulvaeus are a prodigious writing talent and are making music again with new releases due in 2020.
Generations of Amazing Musical Marriages
So there you have it, just a few of the many iconic husband and wife partnerships that have graced the music industry over the years. It really does prove that romance can spark amazing and unique creativity for artists. Which of these music duos is your favorite or are they missing from this list?
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