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(#1) Linda McCartney
- b. 1941 - d. 1998
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(#2) Pattie Boyd
- b. 1944
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(#3) Françoise Hardy
- b. 1962
Françoise Hardy was able to capture the attention of the most illustrious and hard-working musicians around in the 1960s. Her most notable suitor was Bob Dylan, who once refused to come out on stage until she showed up at his concert. He had written a song about Hardy without ever meeting her, and he needed to be introduced to her in person.
She also managed to turn the heads of rockers like Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Brian Jones, and John Lennon. She had a magnetic voice, and her own music (generally French) would help to solidify her own personal fame. She slipped into a coma in 2016, only to awake from it two years later and release an album. She's proven to be even tougher than the rock legends she inspired.
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(#4) Marianne Faithfull
- b. 1946
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(#5) Bebe Buell
- b. 1953
During the 1970s, Bebe Buell was known as a rock muse to the likes of Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger, inspiring some of their top hits. Other rock stars she dated or inspired included Iggy Pop, Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, Todd Rundgren, and Elvis Costello.
Buell was the basis for the character Penny Lane in the film Almost Famous, and she is the mother of actress Liv Tyler. -
(#6) Marilyn Monroe
- b. 1926 - d. 1962
The iconic actress was the subject of many songs and featured or mentioned in dozens more. The blonde bombshell is the subject of Elton John's beautiful ballad "Candle in the Wind," while the actress is mentioned in the songs "Celluloid Heroes" by the Kinks, "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" by Rihanna, and "Vogue" by Madonna, just to name a few. While her time in the spotlight was tragically short, Monroe's influence will be felt for decades.
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(#7) Rosanna Arquette
- b. 1959
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(#8) Edie Sedgwick
- b. 1943 - d. 1971
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(#9) Anita Pallenberg
- b. 1942 - d. 2017
It's been speculated for years that "Angie" by The Rolling Stones is actually about an Anita. Anita Pallenberg was a long-time muse of lead guitarist Keith Richards, and she cause quite a rift in the band. She had her fair share of drug abuse problems, and was known to not only keep up with Richards, but to exceed him at times. This statement looms large considering Richards is famous for his immoderate drug use.
At one point it was even rumored she was sleeping with Mick Jagger, while still in a relationship with Richards. She also managed to heavily influence the band's music and clothing style.
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(#10) Jerry Hall
- b. 1956
The former wife of Mick Jagger and current wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch has admitted that "there is no job as fun as being a rock muse." And she should know. The hit Rolling Stones' song "Miss You" is about the former supermodel, who left Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry to be with Jagger. The duo would go on to become rock n' roll royalty before their split in 1999.
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(#11) Caroline Kennedy
- b. 1957
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(#12) Yoko Ono
- b. 1933
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(#13) Elle Macpherson
- b. 1964
Though many people believe Billy Joel's song "Uptown Girl" was about his future wife Christie Brinkley, they might be wrong. According to authors Michael Heatley and Frank Hopkinson, the song was actually inspired by another supermodel: Elle Macpherson. The story goes that Joel was on vacation in the Caribbean when he stumbled upon three lovely ladies together – Macpherson, Brinkley, and Whitney Houston. He started to date Macpherson first and wrote the song "Uptown Girls" (which eventually dropped the "s") about them. In an odd twist, Joel then went on to marry Brinkley.
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(#14) Anna Gordy Gaye
- b. 1922 - d. 2014
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(#15) Courtney Love
- b. 1964
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(#16) Drew Barrymore
- b. 1974
The Hollywood mainstay has been the muse for many a musician since her teen years. During her 35-year career, Barrymore as inspired many artists due to her kind nature and free spirit. Some of the songs border on silly, such as “Drew Barrymore Watches Saturday Morning Cartoons” by Brother Mynor featuring Ojmacoj, or pure pop such as “Drew Barrymore” by Bryce Vine, while other tunes are downright delicious to the ears, such as “Drew Barrymore” by SZA. But no matter which song you prefer, there is no doubting Barrymore's muse status.
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(#17) Taylor Swift
- b. 1989
For good or for bad, Taylor Swift has become the focus for many a musician. Be it an ex who wants to share his side of the story, a foe with a diss track, or a touching tribute to the songstress, Swift is just as much muse as musician.
While many tunes are either rumored or hinted to be about Swift, there are a few songs that are confirmed by the artist to be about the "Bad Blood" crooner. The band Pentatonix tweeted to Tay that the song "Rose Gold" was a loving tribute to the singer-songwriter, while Justin Bieber retweeted a confirmation that he was shading Swift in "All Bad." And in Kanye West's "Famous," the rapper credits his stunt at the MTV Music Video Awards for her good fortune.
Former boyfriends/musicians that were rumored to have written songs about the pop star include Harry Styles, Owl City's Adam Young, Calvin Harris John Mayer, and Joe Jonas, while Katy Perry and Kacey Musgaves have their own take on the songstress.
No matter which way you cut it, Swift is a mighty musical muse.
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(#18) Gwyneth Paltrow
- b. 1972
When an actress marries a musician, you can expect a few tunes to be written about said screen siren. Such is the case with Paltrow and ex-husband Chris Martin. Before the "conscious uncoupling" of the duo, Martin penned a few songs for his Oscar-winning muse, including "Swallowed in The Sea," "Magic," and "Fix You."
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(#19) Amber Rose
- b. 1983
Like it or not, model Amber Rose was a muse for Kanye West for a while. The couple was together for two years, and though popular opinion differs on Rose herself, no one questions that she inspired West during their time together, specifically on his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. GQ magazine even referred to her as a "teen stripper turned megalomaniac muse."
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About This Tool
Music is the art without borders and barriers in the world. People like to listen to all kinds of popular music which are from different countries, and everyone has their own different perceptions about music. Love is the power and inspiration of their creations for many famous musicians. Like John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, the achievements of these rock stars should be attributed to the lady behind them.
The random tool generates 19 items, including the greatest muses in the music world, they were people who helped create some of the best songs to ever be produced. You could check the information here. Welcome to share your thoughts with us.
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