Leading the rockstar lifestyle seems fraught with drama and the temptation and opportunity to burn through relationships at warp speed. Some of these couples are no longer together, but when they were, they seemed like an unstoppable force of love and awesomeness!
Keith Richards & Anita Pallenberg
Although Pallenberg wasn’t a musician herself, she was pretty much the archetypal rocker chick, heavily influencing the style of the Rolling Stones. She and Richards were together through constant press and sometimes law-enforcement attention, non-stop partying and massive quantities of drugs, and some of the Rolling Stones most prolific albums (Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street).
John Lennon & Yoko Ono
After meeting at an art gallery in 1966, John divorced his then-wife Cynthia to be with Yoko as much as possible. Claims that she broke up the Beatles have been hurled at her for years, though some believe the band really started falling apart after the 1967 death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein and the split was inevitable. Yoko & John separated between 1973 and 1975, and after they got back together she gave birth to their son Sean. John took the next 5 years off from making music to spend time with his family, before releasing Double Fantasy as his come-back in 1980, just weeks before he was killed.
Bob Dylan & Joan Baez
Already a celebrated singer herself, Baez helped Dylan kickstart his career by sharing her spotlight with him. He famously treated her callously and then dumped her on a shared 1965 European tour, during which he refused to invite her to join him onstage.
Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon
This creative power couple shifted the boundaries of alternative rock with their band Sonic Youth. They were in love and making music for 23 years before they split.
Paul & Linda McCartney
It’s been said that in their 29 years of marriage, Paul and Linda spent only 10 days apart. They were together until her death in 1998.
Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham
They used their imploding love affair well as creative fuel, as they chronicled their breakup in painful detail on Fleetwood Mac’s classic 1977 LP Rumours.
June Carter & Johnny Cash
One of the greatest musical love stories, June & Johnny met while on tour together in 1956, though he was married at the time. She married someone else shortly thereafter, but they reconnected in 1968 and their love lasted four decades. They died months apart from each other in 2003.
Ah, love! It’s often messy business, but sometimes it’s so beautiful! Who is your favorite rock n’ roll couple?
