1972 Song, From the Fan-Voted Best Guitar Duo of All Time, Became a Southern Rock Masterpiece

Guitar Worldjust asked readers to settle one of classic rock’s oldest debates: “Who’s the best guitar duo of all time?” Answers ranged from Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing of Judas Priest to Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead. But the clear winner (so far) is a couple of wildly gifted Florida boys: Duane Allman and Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers Band.

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Pioneers of rock’s twin-lead harmony, Allman and Betts were two of the most influential guitarists of their generation. Individually, they were masters. But together, they were masterful, creating a musical chinwag that helped define Southern rock. Few songs better showcase the pair’s brilliant chemistry than the 1972 Southern rock masterpiece “Blue Sky.”

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An upbeat, country-tinged jam, “Blue Sky” was written solely by Betts but features some joyful dual-lead guitar work. Betts penned the song about his then-girlfriend, Sandy Wabegijig, whose Native Canadianlast name translates to “clear blue sky.”

“[‘Blue Sky’] is a cool song,” Betts once told USA Today. “I wrote that for … a girl whose last name was Wabegijig, which means ‘clear blue sky.’ … And I thought, this would be a better song if I just sang it to the sky instead of to a woman. That was a very good move that could have made or broken that song. It made it more universal.”

However, what began as an ode to love and sunny skies now carries heavy emotional significance as a bittersweet elegy following thetragic death of Duane Allman in a motorcycle crash in 1971.

Released in 1972 on the band’s third studio album,Eat a Peach, “Blue Sky” was recorded right before Allman died. Featuring some of his final studio guitar work, the song is a showcase for the duo’s contrasting yet complementary soloing styles and their seamless trade-offs. It’s intertwining masterwork that has guitar enthusiasts and classic rock fans still obsessing over them half a century later.

Following Guitar World’s poll, posted Tuesday, Aug. 4, fans repeatedly cited the duo, posting comments like, “Seriously? How is this even a question … smh. It’s Duane and Dickey,” and, “Easy … Duane Allman and Dicky Betts.” The two were actually one of the only duos to spark several agreement threads and replies.

Other duos repeatedly mentioned included the guitar gods mentioned above, as well as Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, Don Felder and Joe Walsh of the Eagles, and ScottGorham and Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy. But the readers’ choice ultimately came down to the electric chemistry between Allman and Betts.

The pair’s seamless guitar work is heard throughout The Allman Brothers Band’s catalog. Still, the purest example has to be “Blue Sky,” with other songs like “Whipping Post” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” further cementing their legacy as one of rock’s greatest guitar duos.

Related: 1969 Searing Anthem Written With Burnt Matches Became a Southern Rock Masterpiece

Following Allman’s death, Betts kept the band alive.

In 1973, The Allman Brothers Band released “Ramblin’ Man,” a Southern rock anthem written and sung by Betts, and released on Brothers and Sisters. That song became the band’s first and only single to reach No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. And even though Allman was around for the genesis of the song in 1971, fans still point to “Blue Sky” as the defining document of the Duane-Betts partnership.

Despite never being released as a single, “Blue Sky” transcended eras to amass more than 90 million streams on digital platforms. It’s a testament to the effortless guitar exchanges between Allman and Betts on the song, and if the thoughts and opinions of Guitar World’s readers are any indication, no duo has ever matched their magic.

Related: 1967 Debut That Bombed on Release Became the ‘Best American Classic Rock Album of All Time’