Music legend John Oates is celebrating a big birthday. On April 7, 2026, the legendary guitarist and songwriter, best known as one half of the soft rock/pop duo Hall & Oates, turns 78 years old.
During his decades-long partnership with former collaborator Daryl Hall, Oates logged a whopping six No 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Rich Girl” (1977), “Kiss On My List” (1981), “Private Eyes” (1981), “I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) (1982), “Maneater” (1982), and “Out of Touch” (1984).
He also co-wrote many other Top 10 Hall & Oates songs, including "Sara Smile" and “She’s Gone.”
Hall and Oates met while in college in Philadelphia in the late 1960s and began writing and performing together. After signing with Atlantic Records, their single "Sara Smile” reached No. 4 in 1976. Their first No. 1, "Rich Girl,” came the following year.
In 2025, Oates told Vulture his initial collaborations with Hall did not go well. “When we first met, we actually tried to do something together musically, and it sounded really bad,” he said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘This is never going to work. We sound horrible together.’”
“Eventually, he came my way, I came his way, and we found this place,” Oates shared. “I don’t know how we did it. It was just through trial and error, really.”
Hall & Oates enjoyed a long and lucrative partnership. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, but they split in 2023 amid a legal dispute, per Page Six.
Oates later told People magazine he no longer felt “challenged” by performing as part of the rock duo and wanted to focus on solo work.
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John Oates revealed the song he most wants to be remembered for
Oates has been open about his decision to change his path in his late 70s. In an interview on The Load Out Music podcast, he admitted, “You need to know when to say when.”
“It’s really interesting how some classic artists are still trying to cling to their past glory," he added. “I think it’s important to age gracefully and exit gracefully in order to enter something new. I may have exited from my experience with Hall & Oates, but I’ve reinvigorated my creative life in a very cool way.”
While he recorded many No. 1 hits over his career, Oates told People that he wants to be remembered for a song that went to No. 7 nearly 50 years ago.
"I probably go back to 'She's Gone,' the song that Daryl and I did in the early '70s, because it has stood the test of time, and that's the mark of a great song," he said in 2025.
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