Some rock stars fall in love and produce incredible music because of it. And sometimes, their tumultuous breakups are what lead to the best music. Let’s take a look at a few somewhat underrated but still unforgettable classic rock love affairs that yielded some legendary tunes!
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Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg, released in 1969, is a well-loved orchestral pop album that was the result of the relationship between the two titular figures. Both were French entertainers involved in music and acting, and they worked so well together musically that their union seemed like it was written in the stars.
The song “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus” was the biggest hit from the record, peaking at No. 1 in the UK. After their eventual separation, both musicians continued work in music independently, but there’s something about that collaborative album that has lingered long after their romance came to an end.
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan remain two of the most prominent figures of the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s. In fact, Baez made waves for releasing an album entirely of covers of Bob Dylan songs. She is also credited with introducing her own artist to Dylan before he was well-known.
The end of their relationship was bittersweet, but it yielded quite a few great works in retrospect. The 1975 Baez album Diamonds & Rust references her relationship with Dylan. “To Ramona”, “She Belongs To Me”, and “Oh Sister”, among others, were allegedly written by Dylan about Baez.
Carly Simon and James Taylor
Singer/songwriters Carly Simon and James Taylor first tied the knot back in 1972. Though they would eventually divorce in 1983, the pair produced quite a bit of good music together back in the day. “Mockingbird” comes to mind, a 1974 cover of an Inez and Charlie Foxx tune that made it all the way to No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart. As a husband-and-wife duo, they made even more great music together. Sadly, years after their divorce, Simon divulged that she had not spoken to her ex-husband in decades.
Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull
This example of rock music love affairs was a tumultuous one, which isn’t entirely surprising. Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull were together for just a few years from 1966 to 1970. During that time, both artists were working on their music careers.
Sadly, Jagger’s womanizing habits and Faithfull’s struggle with substance abuse (and her interest in Paddy Rossmore) led to the end of the relationship. Faithfull produced albums like Loveinamist during her relationship with Jagger. The Rolling Stones’ songs “Wild Horses” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” were allegedly inspired by Faithfull.
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