Chemistry. It can happen in unexplainable ways in romance and in rock music as evidenced by the 11 stalwart groups comprised of (at least for a little while) a husband and wife.
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Truly, some of the greatest bands and most memorable acts of all time spring from wedded bliss. Maybe it’s sex appeal, maybe it’s the joy of knowing one another so well, maybe it’s something numinous and forever unexplainable. But whatever it is, music has benefited from two such close people making songs together.
Let’s check out the most impactful below.
1. Tedeschi Trucks Band
One of the most exciting blues rock bands of today, this Jacksonville, Florida-born group is the product of husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. The band’s debut LP earned a 2012 Grammy for Best Blues Album. Prior, the two had been touring together in two separate projects, but then they decided to make it easier and combine the two efforts. The band’s 2018 album, Live from the Fox Oakland, also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album.
2. The White Stripes
One of the most significant rock bands of the 2000s, the Detroit-born duo, the White Stripes, was comprised of husband and wife team, Jack and Meg White. The two married in 1996 but divorced in 2000 before becoming famous. The lineup included Jack on guitar and vocals and Meg on drums. The band, which is soon to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is known globally for tracks like “Seven Nation Army.” But while the group broke up in 2011, the members remain close. In a recent online kerfuffle with a critic, Jack even came to the defense of Meg and her iconic drumming style. It’s all in the family.
[RELATED: Jack White Responds to Troll With Poetic Ode to Drummer Meg White]
3. Tom Tom Club
Formed by husband and wife Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, both in the band Talking Heads at the time, the 1981 new wave group even got to perform a song during the legendary Stop Making Sense concert film. Since those days, Frantz and Weymouth are still together and have been critical of their former frontman David Byrne. Either way, the Tom Tom Club was significant. Part rock part disco. It was all lovely.
4. Ike & Tina Turner
From 1960 to 1976, Ike & Tina Turner performed hits—”Come Together” and “Proud Mary,” to name a few. The group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, was comprised of the husband and wife team. However, in 1978 the two divorced after money, domestic violence, and drug issues plagued the couple. But when the two were clicking, they were soul stirrers in the music world.
[RELATED: The 20 Best Tina Turner Quotes]
5. Sonny & Cher
Performing around the same time as Ike & Tina, the duo of Sonny & Cher was known for songs like “I Got You Babe.” They were flower power incarnate. The two also hosted television shows like The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Cher later became a well-known actress and solo pop star and Bono, before he died in a skiing accident, was elected U.S. Representative in California. Sonny and Cher divorced in 1975. But their legend lives on.
6. Fleetwood Mac
While Fleetwood Mac was a British blues rock band first formed around 1967, the group lost some members along the way and ended up replacing them in 1975 with guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who were in a romantic relationship (but not married). Also in the band were John McVie and his wife Christine. It gets messier after that, with Mick Fleetwood going through a divorce and engaging in an affair with Nicks. Those issues aside, the band produced beautiful music, a blend of pop and rock, and divinity.
7. Shovels & Rope
The South Carolina-born folk group is comprised of husband and wife duo Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. The two, who were solo performers originally, brought their talents together for their brand of hopeful, dark songs. They have nine studio albums together, including their latest, Manticore, in 2022.
8. The Cramps
Formed in 1976, this indie rock band included husband and wife duo singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy. Though the members rotated, those two remained throughout the history of the band, which halted in 2009. Known for promulgating the “psychobilly” genre, they walked the line between punk, psychedelic, and rockabilly. The Cramps enjoyed a resurgence recently thanks to the Netflix show Wednesday.
9. Captain & Tennille
Ever heard of the song “Muskrat Love”? Well, if so, you have Captain Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille to thank. The group, known for hits in the 1970s, boasts five gold or platinum albums and hits like “Muskrat Love.” They also had a variety show on ABC from 1976-77, The Captain & Tennille Show. The couple wed in 1974 and divorced after 39 years of marriage in 2014.
Photo by Hullabaloo Archive/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
