10 Incredible Music Coincidences That Will Shock You

Top-10-Most-Shocking-Coincidences-in-Music

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for times where things in the music world lined up in fascinating and unexplainable ways.

#10: ZZ Top’s Beards

ZZ Top’s signature beards have become a part of their image — and it's a look that only they could pull off. So it’s ironic that this iconic look happened due to a happy coincidence, not something the band planned. Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill grew their beards in the late 1970s during a two-year hiatus from touring. Neither had shaved for the entire break when the band reunited to record new tracks. The band does have a third member in its drummer, who isn’t rocking the signature look — but would you believe that “Beard” is his last name?

#9: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury Met Before Stardom

“Under Pressure” is a classic pairing of two giant talents that deservedly became a huge hit. Freddie Mercury and David Bowie’s vocals meld so smoothly you just assume they were old friends. Well, in one sense the two may have known each other many years before their collaboration. Back in the early 70s, before they were the celebrities they would become, sources say the future lead singer of Queen once sold a pair of boots to Ziggy Stardust himself. Bowie was making a name for himself, but at this point he wasn’t a major star. Were they moon boots, perhaps? After all, Bowie is known to be pretty out of this world!

#8: Duran Duran Members Share Name But Aren’t Related

The band may be called Duran Duran,but perhaps a suitable alternate name for them could have been Taylor Taylor Taylor. The reason it would fit? Three band members shared the same last name: bass guitarist John Taylor, guitar player Andy Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor. While this fact might have you assuming that the trio of musicians is family, believe it or not, they are entirely unrelated by blood! Maybe the Swifties should consider adopting a new favorite artist—after all, with this band, they get three Taylors for the price of one!

#7: Multiple Eleanor Rigbys

There were two coincidences on the night that John Lennon and Paul McCartney met in 1957 while attending a party held at St. Peter’s Church in Woolton. The first, of course, is that they met at all, changing the future of music forever. The second is the location of their meeting, which is very close to the grave of one Eleanor Rigby! When McCartney penned the Beatles track years later, he declared the name of the character a tribute to actress Eleanor Bron and a Bristol shop called Rigby & Evens Ltd. However, he later changed his tune, admitting that the gravestone may have played a role in naming the song—but only subliminally.

#6: Unnerving Who Album Cover

The Who’s final album before the untimely death of core member Keith Moon, “Who Are You,” was released in August of 1978. The album's cover art depicts Moon sitting backward on a chair with the message “Not to be Taken Away” written on the back of it. The phrase “Not to be Taken Away” is slightly unnerving, given the added context of knowing that Moon would pass away only a few weeks after the album came out. It’s a great photo of the band that makes for a more than suitable album cover—but the sense of creepy irony added by this fact gives it an extra, and unwanted, importance.

#5: Whitney Houston & Her Daughter’s Deaths Both Involved Bathtubs

The circumstances surrounding the death of pop superstar Whitney Houston are tragic,as are the ones surrounding the death of her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. But a sad coincidence that some people may not know is that the deaths of both Whitney and her daughter have something in common. Both Whitney’s and Bobbi Kristina’s heartbreaking early deaths involved a bathtub. While Whitney drowned by accident bathing in a hotel in 2012, 22-year-old Bobbi Kristina was also found in a tub, leading to her being in a coma for several months, eventually passing away in 2015.

#4: Music Icons Dying in Harry Nilsson’s Apartment

Singer Harry Nilsson once owned a small Mayfair flat in London that, on the surface, may have seemed unremarkable. What makes the location eerily notable, however, is its connection to music history beyond just who owned it. Indeed, what makes it more significant isn’t who lived there—but who died there. The Who’s drummer Keith Moon sadly overdosed in the rented apartment in 1978 at age 32, while singer Cass Elliot passed from a heart ailment there in 1974—also at age 32! You might be surprised that one person who did not die there is Nilsson himself, who passed away in California.

#3: Dimebag Darrell & John Lennon Shooting Similarities

Dimebag Darrell (of Pantera fame) and John Lennon (of The Beatles) are highly regarded artists in the rock world. Both artists' deaths came because of a crazed fan with a gun. This fact alone would be a similarity that would link the deaths of both artists, but it doesn’t end there. December 8th is the date of death for both Darrell and Lennon—albeit 24 years apart. However, the distance in years did little to prevent fans of the two artists from making the connection, making December 8th a dreary date for many rock fans.

#2: The Coup’s Unfortunate Album Cover

A cover for a 2001 album by hip-hop band The Coup, “Party Music,” was swiftly swapped by Elektra Records and replaced before release. The reason? The album art depicted an explosion at the World Trade Center, which wasn’t the best look in the world following the attack on September 11th. Understandably, the label pushed back the planned September release, also changing the cover. The Coup decided on the cover art in June—a couple of months before planes hit the towers. We don’t think this was an instance of prophecy, but it wouldn’t be the wildest conspiracy theory we’ve heard. While the album was called “Party Music,” it was years before Americans would even joke about the event—so partying was out of the question.

#1: 27 Club

We’re sure that being a celebrity comes with its fair share of perks, including access to some of the most exclusive clubs in town. But there’s one club that nobody should be aspiring to be a member of, no matter how high their level of celebrity is—and that’s the dreaded 27 Club. The name for the fabled club comes from the number of names in the entertainment industry who have passed away at the unfortunately young age of 27. Many notable musicians have died at this age under various tragic circumstances, such as Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Amy Winehouse.

Comment your picks below for music moments when things seemed too in sync to be a coincidence!