In the week of Friendship Day, we remember those dear companions who are with us in so many moments of life and, certainly, share with us the soundtracks of unforgettable moments, right?
With that in mind, Wikimetal decided to create a TOP 11 list of great rock and metal friendships that worked out very well, and others, somewhat controversial, that didn't have such happy endings.
11) Phil Anselmo and Dimebag:
Pantera bandmates had turbulent times in their relationship, which continued to be reinforced even after Dimebag's tragic death. Phil's decision to leave Pantera, not answering calls, and statements like "Dimebag deserved to be physically beaten," and being blamed by Vinnie Paul for inciting hatred towards his brother, which encouraged his murder in 2004. Despite this, in 2014, Rolling Stone published an article by Phil remembering the death of his former bandmate, and stating that he "thinks about Dimebag every day."
10) George Harrison and Eric Clapton:
Two of the greatest guitarists of all time seemed to have an admirable friendship, until model Pattie Boyd changed the artists' relationship forever. Boyd, who claims to be the inspiration behind the classic "Something," written by George, married the Beatle in 1966, and they separated after infidelities on both sides in 1974. In the meantime, Eric Clapton, a friend of George's, fell in love with Pattie and tried to seduce her several times during their marriage. Without success, he decided on a plan B and married her sister, Patricia. After Boyd and Harrison's marriage, Clapton and the model began dating and married in 1979, in a turbulent and abusive relationship that resulted in Clapton having children with mistresses while still married to Pattie. Despite the soap opera-like situation, George was a friend of the couple at the time and said he was Eric's "step-stepmother."
9) Joey and Johnny Ramone
This time, more than just best friends, brothers Joey and Johnny Ramone were involved with the same woman, Linda , who was accused by fans of being responsible for breaking up the band, being nicknamed "Yoko Ramone," comparing her to Yoko Ono and the rumor that the artist broke up the Beatles. Linda dated Joey for three years when she was only 19 years old, and later fell in love with Johnny, whom she married in 1984 and remained together until the artist's death in 2004. Despite rumors that the band's breakup and the feud between the brothers were the fault of Johnny's widow, she clarified in an interview that her intention was always the opposite, and that fans "like negativity."
8) Steve Tyler and Joe Perry:
Aerosmith vocalist and guitarist have been friends for over 50 years in one of the most famous rock bands in history. This duo, which has already yielded great results, continues to provide incredible moments of their friendship to the public, such as Tyler's refusal to kiss Perry at a show, which earned a comical caption on the vocalist's Instagram. The frontman has also stated that the band will probably never break up again, after all, they have already broken up five times, but affirms that Joe will always come back to him.
7) Roger Waters and David Gilmour:
Pink Floyd members remain deeply indebted to this day due to their differences, which, according to drummer Nick Mason , stem from Waters' disrespect for Gilmour, believing that songwriting is what truly matters in a band. Another point of contention between the artists is Waters' departure in 1985, when Gilmour decided to continue with Pink Floyd even without him.
6) Robert Plant and Jimmy Page:
The relationship between these icons seems to be similar to that of brothers; they love each other but often disagree on major topics, leading to estrangement. Page has publicly criticized Plant for not accepting a possible Led Zeppelin , which he stated "isn't a jukebox." Despite this, the frontman declared last year that he loves his former bandmate, and that they don't see each other much, but that he would like to relive the incredible moments they spent together.
5) Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury
Together, Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury were part of one of the most important groups in music history: Queen . And what seems to have been just as significant was the great friendship between the drummer and the legendary frontman . In a recent interview with the BBC , Roger states that Freddie was his closest friend, and that the artists “literally lived in each other’s pockets and clothes.” The drummer also states that if Mercury were alive today, he would believe they would be doing things together, regardless of what they were.
4) John Lennon and Paul McCartney:
After disagreements throughout the Beatles , the peak of the feud between Lennon and McCartney, which changed music forever, led to the band's breakup. Their love-hate relationship continued after the split, with Lennon calling McCartney's first album "rubbish" but defending his former bandmate as an underrated and innovative bassist. John and Yoko Ono also attacked him and Linda McCartney around the time the Beatles broke up, stating that their marriage wouldn't last two years.
3) Axl Rose and Slash:
The complicated relationship between the Guns N' Roses is nothing new, considering that Slash went 19 years without speaking to Axl after leaving the band. Nowadays, Guns N' Roses is back on the road around the world, and Slash declared upon the band's return that making peace with the vocalist was his priority, and that from time to time, he gets emotional looking to the side and seeing his bandmate there with him again.
2) Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield:
The metal legends were bandmates in Metallica in the 1980s; however, their friendship was interrupted when Mustaine was fired from the band due to his drug abuse and inappropriate behavior. Contrary to what many thought about the relationship between Mustaine and Hetfield over the years, in 2019, the Megadeth revealed in an interview that he was very happy to receive a message from his "old brother," James, who stood by him during his treatment and recovery.
1) Brian May and Tony Iommi:
Two of the greatest guitarists from the greatest bands in music history are still great friends today. May and Iommi seem to have a friendship desired by everyone, especially among musicians, considering that one of the duo's favorite pastimes is showing off unreleased creations, receiving advice from each other, and playing together. Strangely and unfortunately, a collaboration between the two legends has never been heard by the public; however, recently, May encouraged fans by stating that perhaps the sound of this historic friendship could be heard by the public one day .