3 Legendary Songwriting Partnerships That Ended in Public Feuds

Songwriting partnerships usually have an element of passion to them, and they’re usually made up of very creative minds. Naturally, when creative interests, egos, and big emotions get involved, such partnerships can deteriorate pretty intensely. That was the case for the following three pairs of famous songwriters, each of whom ended their partnerships in flying (or raging) colors. Let’s take a look, shall we?

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John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Well, this was unavoidable. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the principal songwriters of The Beatles from the band’s inception to its tumultuous end in 1970. The pair wrote the vast majority of the band’s music together, so much so that their compositions were jointly credited as Lennon–McCartney, even if just one person wrote the bulk of a song. 

Sadly, after The Beatles came to an end, it’s clear the pair had some animosity toward one another. They wrote “diss tracks” about one another, like McCartney’s “Too Many People” (1971) and Lennon’s response, “How Do You Sleep?” (1971).

Morrissey and Johnny Marr

Morrissey and Johnny Marr wrote The Smiths’ music, using their talents for lyricism and composing to create classics like “This Charming Man” (1983), “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” (1986), and many more. Sadly, that partnership more or less came to an end in 1987 when Johnny Marr left the group, and the whole band came to an end by the end of the year. 

Since that tumultuous end, both musicians have had pretty choice words for each other in the press. Both have gone on to pursue solo careers, have firmly said they will not work together again. Morrissey, specifically, has said some pretty intense things about why he won’t reform the band.

“I feel as if I’ve worked very hard since the demise of the Smiths and the others haven’t, so why hand them attention that they haven’t earned?” Morrissey said. “We are not friends, we don’t see each other. Why on earth would we be on a stage together?”

Marr has also noted that he will not work with Morrissey because of his politics and ethics.

Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher

Families can really churn out magic when it comes to music. That was definitely the case for Oasis’ musical partnership, composed of the Gallagher brothers. Noel wrote most of the songs, worth noting, but Liam did contribute as well. Sadly, in 2009, Oasis came to an end because the tension and fighting between the brothers had reached a peak. They wouldn’t work together for years until recently, when they decided to put their differences aside and reunite the band.

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