These Are The Celebrities Behind Some Of The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time
When you stop to think about it, it's actually pretty impressive when a musician writes a song that resonates with millions of people. This ability to connect with an audience is because musicians write about relatable things. That's why all the greatest love songs have a real-life love story behind them. That way any average Joe can feel the love, pain, and joy in the song.
A song can be about falling in love, staying in love, or ending love. One woman was even the inspiration behind the music of three different artists. I think we're thankful for the relationships that these celebrities inspired because we got some of the greatest love songs of all time from it.
Only A Supermodel Could Steal Billy Joel's Heart
Everyone in the 1980s would give their left arm to be with supermodel Christie Brinkley, but it was musician Billy Joel that eventually nabbed her. After they married, he released the classic song "Uptown Girl."
In a live Q&A, Joel said that when he started hanging around Brinkley's "uptown" friends, he took inspiration, added a Frankie Valli pitch, and created the masterpiece.
Axl Rose Wrote 'Sweet Child O' Mine' As A Poem To His Girlfriend
Before Axl Rose started dating Erin Everly, Guns N' Roses wasn't exactly known for power rock ballads. One day, Rose was trying to write a poem for Everly but couldn't think of what to say.
While he was writing, Slash began playing a riff on his guitar. Rose loved the riff and quickly wrote "Sweet Child O' Mine" to it. The band didn't want to record it because it was too "sappy," but Rose insisted it would be a hit if they did. He was definitely right.
Toto Didn't Want To Admit 'Rosanna' Was About Rosanna Arquette
It took years to admit, but David Paich from the band Toto finally confirmed that their song "Rosanna" is about Rosanna Arquette. According to Paich, while they were working on the song, Arquette was in the studio. Paich had a huge crush on her, and when she left the studio, he instinctively finished the line with her name.
John Legend Made Women Around The World Cry With His Ballad For His Wife
"All Of Me" was released in 2013 and quickly became the go-to song for a couple's first dance at their wedding that year. Legend wrote the song about his wife, model Chrissy Teigen.
Legend told Billboard that the song was about having someone who knows you so well that they can push you to be better every day. I'm not crying. You're crying.
Pattie Boyd Inspired Dozens Of Songs
Boyd inspired multiple songs during her relationship with The Beatles guitar player George Harrison, such as "Something" and "I Need You." She also inspired Eric Clapton's "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" after the two had an affair.
But it doesn't end there. She also had a quick affair with Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones, and was the muse behind "Mystifies Me" and "Breathes On Me." Damn, Pattie.
Mick Jagger Wouldn't Admit That 'Brown Sugar' Was About An Interracial Relationship
When the Rolling Stones released "Brown Sugar" in 1971, it got a lot of attention because it was about Mick Jagger's real-life interracial relationship with Marsha Hunt. The two kept their relationship secret for years because of the backlash and even had a child together.
Linda McCartney Is The Muse Behind Some Of Your Favorite Beatles Songs
When Paul McCartney first married his wife Linda, many thought it wouldn't last. But the two proved everyone wrong, and Paul wrote enough songs to fill an entire album about their love.
Linda is the inspiration behind songs like "Two of Us," "Bluebird," "Long Haired Lady," and "Maybe I'm Amazed."
Candle In The Wind Was Written As A Tribute To Two Ladies
Muses don't always have to be romantic. Elton John wrote his emotional ballad "Candle In The Wind" in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died a decade earlier.
John then rewrote the song for Princess Diana and even played the ballad at her funeral.
Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' Is About... Barbara Streisand?
So no one in Aerosmith ever dated Streisand or wrote a song about her, but famous songwriter Diane Warren did. Warren was watching an interview with Josh Brolin talking about his love for Streisand, and she became inspired to write "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." So Steven Tyler is technically singing about a Barbara. Weird.
Neil Diamond Can't Decide If 'Sweet Caroline' Is About Caroline Kennedy
The classic song that you're guaranteed to hear at least once at your local pub's karaoke night was written by Neil Diamond about a young Caroline Kennedy. It's kind of weird that Kennedy was only 11 when Diamond wrote the song but everyone accepted it.
But then he took it all back in 2014 and said the song was actually about his then-wife Marcia Murphey, but he needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody. I guess we'll never truly know.
The Second Most Recorded Song In History Is About A Random Brazilian Woman
This song from 1964 was inspired by a woman, Helô Pinheiro, who was only 17 when she lived in Ipanema region of Rio de Janeiro. She would walk down Montenegro Street and pass a bar where the two composers sat.
Pinheiro has truly become The Girl From Ipanema in real life. She even won a legal dispute against the composers to use the title for a store name because they bestowed the name on her.
Cyndi Lauper Used Memories From Her Relationship To Write 'Time After Time'
Wolff was Lauper's boyfriend and manager in the early stage of her career who inspired many of the anecdotes in her ballad, "Time After Time." Lauper explained that she wrote the song by piecing many memories with Wolff together. Now, "Time After Time" is used as a classic song to end your high school prom.
André 3000 Wrote 'Ms. Jackson' About His Girlfriend's Mom
In a weird twist, Andre 3000 from Outkast didn't write a song for his girlfriend Erykah Badu, but for her mother.
When He and Badu broke up, Andre wrote the song to apologize to Badu's mother for the pain he caused her daughter and how difficult the entire situation was.
Gwen Stefani's Relationship With No Doubt's Bass Player Turned Her Into A Songwriter
Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal were both members of the ska group No Doubt when they were together. Stefani said that when they were dating, all she cared about was him.
After they broke up, she started writing songs about her feelings and realized she was really good at it. "Don't Speak" was one of the many songs that came from her realization and we're all thankful for it.
Van Morrison's Eternal Love Song Was About His Now Ex-Wife
Van Morrison is known for his memorable soft voice, and it lent itself perfectly to the song "Crazy Love." He wrote it just after marrying his wife, Janet "Planet" Rigsbee. The song has been a favorite at weddings for more than forty years, but sadly Morrison and Risgbee divorced in 1973.
Robin Thicke's 'Get Her Back' Did Not Get Paula Patton Back
When Thicke hit it big with "Blurred Lines" in 2013, he couldn't resist the newfound fame and the ladies that came along with it. His wife, Paula Patton, had stood by his side for years but finally left him. Like most men, he only realized his mistake until after she was gone.
The next album Thicke released was named "Paula" and featured the love song "Get Her Back." Spoiler: I didn't get her back.
Phil Collins Tried To Rekindle His Marriage With This Classic Ballad
When Phil Collin's marriage with his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, ended, he was apparently left in pieces. Collins wrote "Against All Odds" in the hope that, "when she hears this, it's all going to be OK."
Well, it didn't work, because they never got back together and Bertorelli just recently sued her ex-husband for ruining her reputation. Take a look at them now.
Janis Joplin Was The Inspiration Behind A Not-So-Romantic Love Song
This definitely doesn't count as a love song, but the story behind it is too juicy to pass up. Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" described, in rather vivid detail, his brief intimate encounter with Janis Joplin at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.
But the song isn't very romantic. It's quite graphic and includes lines like "I don't even think of you that often." Well, often enough to write a full song, at least.
Paul Simon Left His Wife For Carrie Fisher And It Inspired His Hit Song
The title doesn't sound very romantic, but it kind of is? When Simon left his wife Peggy Harper for Carrie Fisher in 1976, he wrote the song '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover' about leaving for something better.
Simon and Fisher married in 1983 and were divorced within a year, then back together, then broke up again. So maybe Simon was a little too inspired by the song.
The Real Delilah Rejected The Plain White T's Frontman
The 2005 bop "Hey There Delilah" was written after the lead singer of the Plain White T's got denied by a girl, Delilah DiCrescenzo. DiCrescenzo is a steeplechase and cross country runner who refused a date invitation.
Less than a week after being rejected, Tom Higgenson wrote the song that would become the band's only #1 hit. The band didn't forget her and invited her as their guest to the Grammys when their song was nominated.
