Two-part harmony: The best musical couples of all time

Homme is known as the frontman, guitarists and principal songwriter Queens of the Stone Age (not to mention a member of Kyuss and Eagles of Death Metal). Dalle, meanwhile, was a founding member of late 1990s punk band The Distillers. She was formerly married to Rancid's Tim Armstrong, but following their divorce, married Homme in 2005. Though the relationship between Dalle and Homme was reportedly volatile at times, and the marriage eventually ended in divorce in late 2019, she contributed to pieces by his Queens of the Stone Age ("You Got a Killer Scene There, Man") and Eagles of Death Metal ("Weigh on My Mind").

We know Stefani has a thing for rock stars. She had a longtime relationship with No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal and is currently married to country star Blake Shelton. In between, she took up with the famed Bush frontman. Stefani and Rossdale were married from 2002-16. Though the two never made any notable music together, when Stefani joined Rossdale on stage, in 2012, for a duet of the Bush hit " Glycerine," it was pure magic. It's a shame the pair never did more of the like while together.

Houston was a pop icon, while Brown had his moments of success after leaving New Edition in the late 1980s. However, their relationship was often volatile, and essentially led to Houston's tragic spiral due to substance-abuse issues, and eventual 2012 death at age 48. Individually, the two made some of the most recognizable pop, R&B and dance hits of all time. Together, though, their most notable collaboration, "Something in Common," from 1993, was released on Brown's third studio album, Bobby, and enjoyed some modest success.

Rihanna dated the likes of mega-stars Chris Brown and Drake, but prominent American rapper A$AP Rocky appears to be the love of her life. And, certainly vice versa. They first made musical waves while performing "Cockiness (Love It)," in memorable fashion at the 2012 MTV Music Awards. He then served as Rihanna's opening act on her 2013 Diamonds World Tour. That same year, she appeared in Rocky's “Fashion Killa" video. The couple confirmed their relationship in 2021, and they've since had two children together.

The Sid and Nancy of the grunge movement? Perhaps, but both Cobain and Love were capable musicians. Also an accomplished actress, Love is perhaps has not received the due she deserved for her musical talent, which was often overshadowed by her offstage antics and demons. She and the legendary Nirvana frontman were married in 1992. However, their most notable musical moment together goes back to 1993 acoustic performances of Nirvana's "Pennyroyal Tea" and a cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." That said, they just might be the most prominent rock couple of the 1990s.

Members of the Talking Heads, drummer Frantz and his bass-playing wife Tina Weymouth tended to be overshadowed by eccentric frontman David Byrne. However, this husband-and-wife duo was talented enough to form their own band following the demise of the Talking Heads. Their Tom Tom Club project — mixing rock, new wave, pop and even some disco — enjoyed steady success for roughly four decades. Its biggest hit "Genius of Love" can be found the band's self-titled debut album from 1981. The duo is still performing today.

Before Shelton was married to the aforementioned Gwen Stefani, he and fellow country star Lambert enjoyed a four-year union from 2011-15. The two met in 2005, and Lambert provided backing vocals on Shelton's "Home," a Michael Bublé cover that went to No.1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Together, Shelton and Lambert wrote her 2012 smash "Over You," the CMA- and ACM-Award winning tune about a teenage Shelton dealing with the death of his older brother from an auto accident. It remains the defining moment of their musical relationship.

One of the most notable and dysfunctional relationships in entertainment history. Legend has long had it that Faithfull, known for her 1965 hit "As Tears Go By" (written by Jagger and Keith Richards, and a classic Rolling Stones track, as well) and her 1979 comeback album Broken English, inspired other Stones' tunes like "Wild Horses" and "Sympathy for the Devil." Faithfull also co-wrote the track "Sister Morphine," with Jagger and Richards. She recorded a version of her own, while another can be found on the Rolling Stones' iconic 1971 albums Sticky Fingers.

When it comes to exceptional singer/songwriter couples, the husband-and-wife team of the late Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are quite legendary. The duo penned classics such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," not to mention Chaka Khan's anthem of female empowerment "I'm Every Woman" (1978). The duo also enjoyed their own performance success with "Found a Cure" (1979) and 1984's "Solid." Ashford & Simpson were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.

They were staples of 1970s soft/yacht rock. "Captain" Daryl Dragon and his wife Toni Tennille made the Neil Sedaka-penned "Love Will Keep Us Together" a hit. The duo's version was more poppy than Sedaka's original, with a carefree vibe that was ideal for FM radio. While Captain & Tennille's cover won a Record of the Year Grammy Award, the couple also enjoyed mainstream success with popular singles like "Do That to Me One More Time", and "Muskrat Love." Dragon and Tennille, who also hosted their own variety show in 1976-77, divorced in 2014, after nearly 40 years of marriage. However, they remained friends, and Tennille was at Dragon's side when he passed away in 2019 from liver failure. 

The late Linda McCartney's music talent — or lack thereof — can be debated for days. However, Sir Paul thought highly enough to make Linda, a former photographer, part of his post-Beatles musical career. The two recorded the album Ram (1971) — which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in the United States — together, and Linda eventually followed Paul as keyboardist for Wings. Though Paul McCartney was certainly the musical force among the two, they were also considered a prominent musical couple.

The collective talent within alternative stars Arcade Fire is pretty impressive. However, the focal point remains this husband-and-wife outfit, which has always stood out among the other band members. Butler is the multi-Grammy Award-winning band's main vocalist and principal songwriter. Like her husband, Chassagne also handles vocal and songwriting duties, and is one of the most versatile musicians on the planet. Within the confines of Arcade Fire, Chassagne plays keyboards, percussion, keytar and the hurdy-gurdy — just to name a few. 

From its beginning in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, Fleetwood Mac was a guitar-driven blues-rock band that also had a progressive vibe. When Buckingham and Nicks joined prior to its 1975 eponymous album, Fleetwood Mac became a commercial pop-rock band. Buckingham's songwriting was a big reason for the group's consistent mainstream success that followed, but also for the personal tension within the band during the late 1970s and into the '80s. Notably, the aftermath of the breakup between Buckingham and Nicks. It might have been hell for the parties involved, but made for some legendary music. Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way" and Nicks' "Silver Springs" brilliantly encapsulate those emotions.

When when Hill and McGraw were married in 1996, it truly resulted in country music royalty. One of the great musical power couples, Hill and McGraw have recorded several massively successful duets over the years. After earning Grammy Award nominations for "It's Your Love" and "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me," the couple won for their collaboration on "Let's Make Love" in the early 2000s. Then again for the single "Like We Never Loved at All." Their Soul2Soul II Tour, which began in 2006, made more than $30 million to become one of the highest-grossing tours regardless of musical genre.

Were they brother and sister? Friends? The mystery surrounding the relationship between Jack and Meg was a fun game in itself. Turns out, the two dated, married in 1996 (with Jack taking Meg's surname), then divorced in 2000. Musically, the duo was dynamic, even if Jack pretty much played everything, despite Meg building herself up into a solid, dependable indie-rock drummer. The result of their musical union was six Grammy Awards, including one each for celebrated albums Elephant (2003), Get Behind Me Satan (2005) and Icky Thump (2007).

Before country rock legend Johnny Cash became smitten with June, she had already made a name for herself as a member of the celebrated folk music Carter Family. However, before and after the two were married, the success elevated them to one of the most iconic duos in the history of musical entertainment, regardless of genre. She co-wrote "Ring of Fire," which became one of Cash's signature hits, and the two enjoyed early success with tunes like "It Ain't Me Babe" and 1967's "Jackson." The latter earned them the first of two Grammy Awards as a duo.

There are Beatles fans who still can't get the nerve up to even speak the name Yoko Ono. The Plastic Ono Band featured individual music from each, and collaborative efforts between Lennon and his devoted love interest and eventual wife. Ono co-produced Lennon's iconic Imagine (1971) album, and became a driving force in the icon's professional and personal life. Love or hate the union, onstage or off, it helped Lennon remain relevant in a post-Beatles world, right up until he was murdered in December 1980. 

Sonny Bono and wife Cher first gained notoriety as backup singers, then became one of the most popular musical duos of the 1960s and into the '70s. "I Got You Babe" remains a major part of pop culture iconography and a popular standard with karaoke sets. During the 1970s, they were prime-time television favorites with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show. The fun ended with their 1975 divorce, but Cher continues to shine as a solo artist and actress, while Bono found a second calling as a California politician until his 1998 death. 

The volatility within their personal relationship has been well chronicled, and surviving it helped make Tina Turner one of the most respected, influential and empowered female entertainers of all time. That said, when discussing the music the two made together, and only the music, it was pure magic. "River Deep – Mountain High" and "Proud Mary" might have defined the collective careers of the duo, but there were plenty more hits produced by the Hall-of-Famers. To experience the couple at their musical best and in a spirited concert setting, give a listen to 1971's Live at Carnegie Hall.

Talk about power couples — and we're not just talking about music. These moguls first collaborated on 2002's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," and struck it ridiculously big with Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" (2003), on which Jay-Z was featured and both co-wrote. All along, the pair has endured plenty of trials and tribulations. However, they made it through Jay's alleged infidelity and continue to navigate Beyoncé's domination of the entertainment world. In 2018, the couple put out Everything Is Love (2018), an album released under the Carters moniker.