- [Narrator] AC/ME, one of the most successful bands in rock and roll history, their songs soundtracked a generation, capturing the spirit of an era and redefining popular music. But behind the fame, the glamor and the excess, there was a troubled relationship that threatened to end the party before it had even begun. Eddie Ledbetter managed AC/ME through their most creative period, but the band was often on the brink of implosion.

- [Ledbetter] Yeah they really got under each other's skin man, but there's a difference between, you know, a good fight and a bad one. What you could call the good fights were the ones about stuff that really mattered, changes to the line up of the band, how they would set themselves apart from other musicians, how they would reach a wider audience. They focused on the future, they were about seeing right Where is this band headed, what's happening in our industry and how are we going to respond to that? Now they also had a noble purpose, you know writing songs that would change the lives of their fans and having a positive impact on the world.

- [Narrator] A big believer in creative abrasion, Ledbetter constructed an environment where he knew sparks would fly. Adam typically wrote the lyrics and Melissa came up with the melodies, but sometimes he'd switch things up just to see what happened. It pushed them out of their comfort zone and led to a clash of ideas, but it also brought a new perspective to the songwriting process. Looking back on those glory days, the band acknowledge how effectively Ledbetter managed their relationship.

- [Adam] Eddie had his rules and he made sure we stuck to them. He liked us to challenge each other, but if an argument would be off topic or we started getting in each other's faces about something personal, he'd quickly shut things down. Course, he knew I was the brains of the operation.

- [Melissa] That's not what he told me, but anyway you never got the sense he was playing favorites. He let us scrap things out, but he'd always make decisions based on what was best for the band. If one of my songs didn't make it onto a record, he'd sit down and explain why, showing me how I could develop as an artist. He was great at taking disappointment and frustration and turning it into motivation.

- [Ledbetter] Now don't get me wrong, see, conflict can be very destructive. We've all seen bands tear themselves apart because of it, but sometimes you need a bit of discord to make a beautiful harmony, man. © 2022 Mind Tools by Emerald Works Limited.