From The White Stripes to Sonic Youth: The 7 greatest bands to feature a couple in the line-up
Whether it be Sonic Youth or Fleetwood Mac, there have been numerous bands over the years where the camaraderie is so strong that members can’t help from entering into a romantic relationship. Of course, on the other hand, some relationships prove to be so strong that the group is gifted a member they were always crying out for.
From the mainstream to the peripheries, boasting a relationship can be both the making and breaking of a band. Duly, it has given us many stellar artistic moments and some of the most intense breakups over the years. Thanks to this, we have some of our favourite bands, but we also know that they’ll never return.
There’s something strange about love that makes it one of the most fruitful topics and feelings known to man. It goes much deeper than a platonic relationship, allowing some truly great artists to augment each other via their romance. From love songs to more punishing pieces, the understanding shared by two people has proven time and time again that it is incredibly potent.
The most notable case is undoubtedly Fleetwood Mac. The band had been through many various lineups until Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined in 1974, giving them their second in-house couple alongside John and Christine McVie. A period of hedonism, artistic triumph and total heartbreak ensued, culminating with 1977’s Rumours, an album which ironically set the band on their path to becoming true icons.
The case of Fleetwood Mac is just one of many. So without further ado, join us as we list the seven greatest bands to feature a romantic couple in their lineup. Just a word of warning, we haven’t included Fleetwood Mac, as their story is as famous as they come.
The 7 greatest bands that featured a couple:
The White Stripes
One of the greatest bands of the garage rock revival of the 2000s, The White Stripes were operational between 1997 and 2011. Over their relatively short career, they gave fans many highlights that included ‘Seven Nation Army’, ‘Blue Orchid’ and ‘Icky Thump’. Creating a thunderous racket for just a two-piece frontman/guitarist Jack White and drummer Meg White’s connection was palpable, which was no surprise, as they married in 1996.
The pair met when in high school and became friends before entering into a relationship and eventually tying the knot. However, things didn’t last for the duo, who strangely pretended to be brother and sister in public, and they divorced in 2000. However, this clearly didn’t get in the way of the music, as their best period came post-divorce.
Siouxsie and the Banshees
At the vanguard of both the post-punk and goth movements, Siouxsie and the Banshees need no real introduction. Although they had a rotating cast of members over their original run between 1976 and 1996, the greatest came in the form of vocalist Siouxsie Sioux, guitarist John McGeoch, bassist Steven Severin and drummer Budgie.
In 1981, during the tour for Juju, Sioux and Budgie became a couple. The relationship would breathe new life into the band, and as a result, they enjoyed their most commercially successful period. Together, they also formed the outfit The Creatures on the side, reflecting just how great their creative tap was flowing. The pair married in 1991, and both were there right through until the band eventually called it a day. However, Siouxsie and Budgie announced their split in 2007, and they have not collaborated since.
Talking Heads
New York outfit Talking Heads need no real introduction, with many of their best-loved works vital in popular culture, such as ‘Psycho Killer’ and ‘Once in a Lifetime’. In short, the band would have been nothing without its rhythm section – bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz – and the former joined at the behest of the latter, as they were already a couple after meeting at the Rhode Island School of Design.
The pair were the glue that held everything together for Talking Heads, allowing bandmates David Byrne and Jerry Harrison to add their flourishes whilst providing game-changing polyrhythms directly inspired by Fela Kuti’s work. Their romantic and creative relationship is so strong that they formed Tom Tom Club in 1981, a successful side project showing everyone that Weymouth and Frantz are one of the best dynamic duos.
Paul McCartney and Wings
Perhaps the ultimate band to feature a couple is the outfit that The Beatles could have been; Paul McCartney and Wings. Notably, after the Liverpool group broke up in 1970, McCartney and his wife Linda recorded two albums together, that year’s McCartney and 1971’s timeless Ram, and due to his insistence that Linda needed to be involved in all his musical projects, the pair decided to form a real band.
They became one of the greatest acts of all time, with the partnership of Paul and Linda being one of the most powerful we’ve ever seen. From ‘Band on the Run’ to ‘Arrow Through Me’, their work speaks for itself.
Sonic Youth
In terms of alternative rock bands, it doesn’t get much more revered than New York’s Sonic Youth. Formed in 1981, vocalist and bassist Kim Gordon and guitarist and frontman Thurston Moore quickly established themselves as one of rock’s greatest power couples off the back of numerous classic albums.
The band broke up in 2011 following Gordon and Moore’s split earlier that year, and since then, they’ve all made it clear Sonic Youth can’t function properly until the pair have sorted out their differences. It means that a reformation looks highly unlikely. It might be a bummer, but at least they gave us one of the most extensive and exciting oeuvres that will never get old.
New Order
British electronic rock pioneers New Order are one of the most storied groups of their era. Formed out of the ashes of Manchester post-punks Joy Division, the band quickly became enchanted by the developments in electronic music and instruments after a trip to New York in the early 1980s, and this set them on their path to changing the world, thanks to a little single called ‘Blue Monday’, as well as many more.
In the aftermath of Joy Division’s break up due to the suicide of frontman Ian Curtis in 1980, the band rehearsed with each member taking turns on vocals before Bernard Sumner eventually assumed the role. Wanting to complete their new lineup with someone they knew well, their manager Rob Gretton suggested they hire Gillian Gilbert, drummer Stephen Morris’ partner.
The band thought this a great idea, and she joined them as keyboardist and guitarist in October 1980, giving them the edge they needed to create a sound that was arguably more pioneering than Joy Division’s and take the world by storm.
The Cramps
Psychobilly legends The Cramps are one of the most interesting bands to ever exist. Led by the indomitable frontman Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy, they drew on a wide range of influences such as Link Wray, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and B-movie imagery to create a sound unlike any other. From Fugazi to The White Stripes and even Primal Scream, many of our subsequent favourite acts were inspired by the New York heroes. Practically all of this can be attributed to the husband and wife duo Interior and Ivy.
After meeting in Sacramento, California, in 1972, when Interior and a friend picked up Ivy when she was hitchhiking, the two hit it off. Shortly after, they entered into a relationship and gradually made their way out east to the Big Apple, where they formed the band in 1976 and became one of the greatest of their era.
