3 of the Most Iconic Songwriting Duos To Define the ‘70s

Between The Beatles and Bob Dylan, the ’60s is often considered to be the best decade for songwriting. The ’60s lyrics were political, satirical, heartfelt, and refined to the point where they inspired revolutions and romance. In short, it was difficult to follow up and it was the responsibility of the ’70s musicians to do it.

Despite what you believe to be the “better” decade of songwriting, the ’70s still unarguably has some contenders that sit close to the ’60s greats. As a matter of fact, you might even go so far as to say they are better. Nonetheless, these three songwriting duos from the ’70s proved they could carry their weight and some more.

Elton John & Bernie Taupin

John and Taupin go together like peanut butter and jelly. The pairing is thanks to Liberty Records, who believed Taupin’s poetry would go great with John’s superfluous and colorful music and personality. Well, it did, as the two wrote a total of 276 songs together with some of them being John’s greatest hits.

Some of the songs included in their shared catalog include “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “I’m Still Standing.” Out of their 276 songs, nine of them have been No. 1 hits, 29 of them have been Top 10 hits, and 30 of them have been Top 40 hits. Due to their work, both John and Taupin have become members of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Robert Plant & Jimmy Page

This one comes as an absolute no-brainer, as Led Zeppelin is always in contention for being the best rock band of all time. In some way, the band is a product of The Beatles and the Rolling Stones but wields its own aggressive ideals and violent sounds. The main people we have to thank for that are the band’s two leaders, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

Since officially founding Led Zeppelin in 1968, the pair have criminally never had any No. 1 hits. However, they remain one of the highest-selling bands of all time. Plant and Page’s impact should not be measured by chart appearances or record sales. Rather, it is marked by the taboo and conspicuous world they created with their polarizing and mystical lyrics.

Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter

Despite knowing each other since 1961, the poetic profoundness of Garcia and Hunter didn’t acquire the praise it deserved until the ’70s. The music created by the two was something avant-garde for the times, but their lyrics were some of the finest musical literature to come from the decade. It is songs such as “Dark Star” and “Sugar Magnolia” that articulate this pair’s deep-seated understanding of poetry.

Before Garcia’s passing in 1995, he and Hunter wrote approximately 450 songs together. Numerous of the songs appeared on the charts and scored the band a Lifetime Achievement Award. Though, like Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead’s glory isn’t measured by statistics. Instead, it can be seen through their mass-following and sprawling appeal.

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