30 Most Iconic Duets of All Time

30 Most Iconic Duets of All Time

When two voices, two melodies, and two harmonies come together, they create a symphony of connection. Duets have the power to transport us to a world where storytelling and musical chemistry collide, eliciting emotions that reverberate deep within us.

From the soaring notes of legendary pairings to the tranquil dialogue across various genres, these musical combinations become permanent gems that leave their mark on our hearts and minds.

Whether it’s the fiery energy of rock duets, the soul-stirring ballads, or the lighter exchanges of pop powerhouses, duets are a monument to the enticing power of collaboration—a musical union that leaves an everlasting mark on the tapestry of music.

1. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – Elton John and Kiki Dee

Kiki Dee, an English vocalist, and Elton John, an English guitarist, collaborated on the song “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” in 1976. It was written by John and Bernie Taupin under the pen names “Ann Orson” and “Carte Blanche,” and it was intended to be a loving parody of Motown music, including the various duets Marvin Gaye recorded with Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston.

Sue Cameron, Dusty Springfield’s companion, later stated that Dusty Springfield was unable to record the song with John & Taupin because she was ill.

John released the song in 1994 as a duet with American drag queen RuPaul. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder and reached number three on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the United States.

2. “Under Pressure” – Queen and David Bowie

David Bowie wrote and performed the song “Under Pressure” with the British rock band Queen. It was first released as a single in October 1981, and it later appeared on Queen’s 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Bowie’s third and Queen’s second number-one success. It also reached the top ten in more than ten additional countries.

Both a “monster rock track that stood out” and “an incredibly powerful and poignant pop song” have been used to describe the song on the Hot Space album. “Under Pressure” came in at number 31 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s and was selected as the second-best duet of all time in a Rolling Stone poll.

In 2021, it was ranked 429th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. From 1981 until the band’s tour-ending break in 1986, every Queen show included a live rendition of the song.

3. “Endless Love” – Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie and singer-actress Diana Ross gave the first public performance of “Endless Love,” a song they both co-wrote. This is Richie’s first single since leaving the Commodores. In this ballad, the singers declare their “endless love” for one another.

Along with Luther Vandross and R&B vocalist Mariah Carey, it was also performed by country singer Shania Twain. Kenny Rogers, a friend of Richie’s and sporadically a coworker, helped record the song. The original rendition has been recognized by Billboard as the greatest musical duet of all time.

4. “Ebony and Ivory” – Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder

Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder collaborated on the 1982 single “Ebony and Ivory” for its release. As the lead single from McCartney’s third solo album, Tug of War (1982), it was released on March 29, that year. The song’s lyrics, which were written by Paul McCartney, pair the idea of racial harmony with the black and white piano keys.

The song was among the best-selling songs in the US in 1982 and peaked at number one on both the UK and US charts. Following Wonder’s 1984 Oscar for Best Original Song dedication to Nelson Mandela, the South African Broadcasting Corporation outlawed the song during the apartheid era.

Early in 1981, McCartney and Wonder started recording “Ebony and Ivory” in Montserrat. The song foreshadowed McCartney’s 1980s collaborations with Michael Jackson and was his first release of a duet with a major artist. Despite being a huge commercial success, music reviewers have mocked the song because they believe its message is excessively emotional and unsophisticated. The song can also be found on McCartney’s All the Best! compilation from 1987 and Wonder’s The Definitive Collection on two discs from 2002. On the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Billboard ranked it as the 69th-biggest song of all time in 2013.

5. “Islands in the Stream” – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

The Bee Gees’ song “Islands in the Stream” was covered by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in the United States. It was the lead single from Rogers’ album Eyes That See in the Dark and was given the title of an Ernest Hemingway novel. It was released in August 1983.

The song was initially composed in an R&B manner for Diana Ross, but Rogers and Parton later changed it for the duet. The song was first published by The Bee Gees in a live performance in 1998 and in a studio version in 2001.

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6. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” – George Michael and Elton John

English musician Elton John and American lyricist Bernie Taupin collaborated on the song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” It debuted as a single and reached a peak position of number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. For his eighth studio album, Caribou (1974), John first recorded it.

The song’s live duet performances by John and George Michael in 1991 and 1992 both reached their UK peak at number one. The pair performed the song for the first time as a team in July 1985 at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.

7. “The Girl Is Mine” – Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

The song “The Girl Is Mine” was co-written by English musician Paul McCartney and American singer Michael Jackson. The song was co-written and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. For Michael Jackson’s sixth solo studio album, Thriller (1982), it served as the first single.

The song was recorded at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles from April 14 until April 16, 1982. The previous year, McCartney worked with Jackson on the songs “Say Say Say” and “The Man” on his sixth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). Despite the fact that “The Girl Is Mine” was released as a single, Jackson and McCartney never performed it live.

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8. “I Got You Babe” – Sonny and Cher

The song “I Got You Babe” was written by Sonny Bono and is performed by the American musical and entertainment duo Sonny & Cher. It was the lead song from their self-titled debut studio album from 1965. The song was certified Gold and lasted three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in August 1965. It sold over a million copies during this time. It also peaked at number one in Canada and the UK.

American singer Chrissie Hynde performed a cover of “I Got You Babe” by the British reggae-pop group UB40 in 1985. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles List and peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 list.

The song was redone by Cher in 1993 as a duet with the American cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-Head; it reached its highest point in the UK charts at number 35 and reached the top 10 in the Netherlands.

9. “Up Where We Belong” – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Will Jennings composed the song “Up Where We Belong” for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. The song was sung by Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker. Warnes came up with the concept for the song to be a duet that she would perform with Cocker after being asked to sing a song from the movie due to her earlier success on the soundtrack.

Jennings added lyrics on the struggles of life and love as well as the barriers that people want to escape, using various sections from the Nitzsche and Sainte-Marie music to create the song’s structure. To coincide with the release of the movie, it was released in July of that year.

10. “Somethin’ Stupid” – Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra

The song “Somethin’ Stupid” or “Something Stupid” was written by C. Carson Parks. In 1966, Parks and his wife Gaile Foote first released it as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 performance by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra, which peaked at number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 chart, became a huge hit all over the world.

In 2001, a cover version sung by British singer Robbie Williams and Australian actress Nicole Kidman reached its highest point on the UK Singles Chart.

11. “Don’t You Want Me” – The Human League and Philip Oakey

Philip Oakey 2014.jpg Jeffrey Pardoen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The British synth-pop group The Human League put out the song “Don’t You Want Me” in 2017. It was released on November 27, 1981, as their third studio album Dare’s fourth single. It was the top-selling single in the UK that year and the Christmas number one.

It is currently the 23rd-most successful record in the history of the UK Singles Chart with over 1,560,000 copies sold in the UK. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on July 3, 1982, and held that position for three weeks.

12. “Leather and Lace” – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley

Don Henley and Stevie Nicks performed the song “Leather and Lace” live. On October 6, 1981, Nicks’s solo first studio album Bella Donna (1981) was released as the second single.

Nicks wrote the song for Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter’s album Leather and Lace, but it was not included. Nicks’ performance of the song, a duet with Eagles singer Don Henley, peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in January 1982. It was deemed a “magical ballad” by Record World.

13. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

The song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was written in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown, by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The song first became popular in 1967 when Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell released it as a single.

Diana Ross, the former lead vocalist of the Supremes, covered the song, and it became popular once more in 1970. The song was Ross’s first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

14. “You’re the One That I Want” – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

The song “You’re the One That I Want” was performed by Olivia Newton-John, an Anglo-Australian singer, songwriter, and actress, and John Travolta, an American actor and singer, for the 1978 motion picture Grease.

Written and produced by John Farrar, it was released in 1978 as the second single from Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture. The song is one of the best-selling songs in history to date, with sales of about 4 million copies in the United States and the United Kingdom alone and estimates of more than 15 million copies sold internationally.

15. “Guilty” – Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb

The vocal duet “Guilty” was performed by Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb. Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, the three Bee Gees, wrote the song. released as a single from the same-titled 1980 album by Barbra Streisand.

On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Guilty” peaked at No. 3 and at No. 5 on the adult contemporary chart, respectively. The song peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. The RIAA awarded the track a gold certification.

Additionally, “Guilty” was the winner of a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The song was also included on Their Greatest Hits: The Record, a 2001 Bee Gees collection.

16. “Don’t Know Much” – Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville

The song “Don’t Know Much” was written by Tom Snow, Cynthia Weil, and Barry Mann. The song was first recorded by Mann in 1980, and it became a small US chart hit.

When Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville recorded the song as a duet in 1989, it became well-known. Their rendition was a huge hit all over the world, topping the Irish Singles Chart and charting in several other countries top 10.

17. “Opposites Attract” – Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair

“Opposites Attract” is a song by American singer Paula Abdul from her 1988 album Forever Your Girl. The author and producer was Oliver Leiber. In addition to Abdul, The Wild Pair, also known as Bruce DeShazer and Marv Gunn, supplied vocals to the song.

“Opposites Attract,” the album’s sixth and final single, was released in November 1989. It was a hit in many countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, where it peaked at number one. Lyrically, the song portrays the narrative of a couple that loves one another despite being utterly different.

18. “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” – Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera

The song “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” by Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin is available from his sixth studio album, Sound Loaded (2000). Martin and American vocalist Christina Aguilera re-recorded the song in December 2000.

The song was written and produced for the album by Desmond Child, Victoria Shaw, and Gary Burr, with additional production by Walter Afanasieff.

Columbia Records released the duo’s song as the album’s second single on January 16, 2001. It’s a power ballad and mid-tempo pop song about heartbreak and longing with flamenco and Latin influences.

19. “Say Say Say” – Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

As the first single from Paul McCartney’s 1983 album Pipes of Peace, “Say Say Say” was made available in October 1983. It was recorded during the recording of McCartney’s 1982 Tug of War album, under George Martin’s production, approximately a year before “The Girl Is Mine,” their first duet from Jackson’s album Thriller (1982), was released.

After its debut in October 1983, “Say Say Say” became Michael Jackson’s eighth top-ten hit in a year. In Australia, Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and more than 20 more nations, it entered the top 10. It was a number-one hit in numerous nations, including Canada, Norway, Sweden, and the United States (his sixth number-one song there). In the UK, it peaked at number two as well.

The song was listed by the publication Billboard as the 41st biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 2013. It came in at number nine in a Rolling Stone readers’ poll for best group effort ever.

20. “Jackson” – Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash

Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler wrote the song “Jackson” in 1963. In 1963, the Kingston Trio, Wheeler, and Flatt & Scruggs all recorded it.

It first gained popularity in 1967, with the release of two songs: a pop hit single by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood that peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 39 on the Easy Listening chart, and a country hit single by Johnny Cash and June Carter that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart.

21. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” – Aretha Franklin and George Michael

Aretha Franklin from the United States and George Michael from England collaborated on the song “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” in 1987. The song reached the top of the charts in both the US and the UK.

Franklin’s all-time top Hot 100 single, according to Billboard, is “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)”. Franklin’s biggest hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary list, which peaked at number two, was the song.

Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan wrote the song, and Narada Michael Walden is the producer. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” by Franklin and Michael won them a 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

22. “Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

The song “Empire State of Mind” is from Alicia Keys’ 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3 (2009), and features American singer and rapper Jay-Z. The piece was published on October 20, 2009. The Moments’ “Love on a Two-Way Street” is sampled in the song written by Al Shux.

It was written as a tribute to their hometown of New York City by authors Janet Sewell-Ulepic and Angela Hunter. Because the reviews were negative, they transmitted it to Jay-Z’s record label, Roc Nation, the following month. The partner at EMI Music Publishing recommended they resubmit it to Jay-Z, who preserved the “New York” singing segment but rewrote the words and recorded it.

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23. “Something Stupid” – Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman

C. Carson Parks is the author of “Somethin’ Stupid”. Parks and his wife Gaile Foote initially recorded it as Carson and Gaile in 1966. Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s 1967 rendition was a massive international smash, peaking at number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2001, a cover song performed by Australian actress Nicole Kidman and British singer Robbie Williams reached the top of the UK Singles Chart.

24. “Mockingbird” – Carly Simon and James Taylor

In 1963, Inez and Charlie Foxx created and performed “Mockingbird,” a song based on the lullaby “Hush, Little Baby,” in their home studio. The original song was written by Inez Foxx and her brother Charlie, who switched the lyrics on a syllable basis. Sue Records (Symbol Records) released it, and it became a huge hit for them. It peaked at number two on the US Top Black Singles / Rhythm & Blues list and number seven on the US popular music singles chart in the late summer of 1963.

25. “Something’s Gotta Give” – LeAnn Rimes and Brian McKnight

LeAnn Rimes 2009.jpg Yahoo! Blog, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Writing, producing, and directing the 2003 American romantic comedy-drama Something’s Gotta Give was Nancy Meyers. Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton play successful 60- and 50-year-olds who fall in love in their later years despite being complete opposites. The movie also stars Keanu Reeves and Amanda Peet, in addition to Frances McDormand, Paul Michael Glaser, Jon Favreau, and KaDee Strickland, all of whom have key supporting roles.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and it was a box office hit, taking in $266 million globally. Nicholson received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his work, and Keaton received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and took home the prize.

26. “The Prayer” – Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion

Both Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Canadian vocalist Celine Dion perform “The Prayer” live. It was written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa, and Tony Renis.

For the 1998 film Quest for Camelot, Dion and Bocelli both recorded solo versions of “The Prayer” in English and Italian. Dion and Bocelli later cooperated on a song that was released as a promotional single in March 1999 on their respective studio albums These Are Special Times (1998) and Sogno (1999).

The Golden Globe-winning song “The Prayer” was also nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1999 and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the Grammy Awards in 2000.

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27. “Don’t Give Up” – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

The English rock artist Peter Gabriel penned the song “Don’t Give Up” and recorded it with Kate Bush for his fifth solo studio album, So (1986). The album’s second and fifth singles were released as singles in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

In 1986, it spent eleven weeks and peaked at number nine on the UK Top 75 list. The song was performed as part of Paula Cole’s Gabriel’s Secret World Live tour. The duet was featured on a 1994 DVD release of a 1993 performance in Italy. Ane Brun appears on Gabriel’s eighth studio album, New Blood (2011), which has only orchestral accompaniment.

28. “Whenever I Call You Friend” – Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks

Kenny Loggins and Melissa Manchester wrote “Whenever I Call You a ‘Friend,'” which he recorded for his 1978 album Nightwatch. When it was released as a single, “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend'” peaked at #5 in the autumn of 1978.

Stevie Nicks is mentioned as a contributor on the album track, but she isn’t on the single, making “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend'” Loggins’s first substantial solo triumph. Stevie Nicks and I performed a duet on the song.

Because Nicks was unable to participate, the Dutch pop charts TV show TopPop recruited Dutch singer Kimm Hekker to fill in as Loggins’ duet partner.

29. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway

Feel Like Makin’ Love, Roberta Flack’s sixth album overall and fifth solo album if you count her 1972 duet album with Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, is released in 1975. Flack produced the single for the first time as Rubina Flake.

Following the release of the single, which included the album’s title track, in June 1974, Atlantic Records signed Flack to a new five-year contract, reportedly the most valuable agreement ever made by a female recording artist. The Feel Like Makin’ Love album supposedly obtained enough advance orders from retail locations by September 1974 to achieve gold status when it was released in November 1974.

30. “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” – Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett

Epic Records released the album’s lead single, the duet ballad “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, on July 20, 1987. Quincy Jones and Jackson co-produced the song, which Jackson also co-wrote. Jackson’s intended duet partners declined to sing, so Jones and Jackson opted to replace Garrett at the last minute.

Garrett, Jones’ protégé who co-wrote “Man in the Mirror,” another song on Bad, had no idea she’d be singing it before the recording session. After Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further” in 1984, it was her first commercially successful single.

Duets have woven themselves through the history of music like a symphony of overlapping melodies. These seamless unions transcend geographies, genres, and epochs, leaving an indelible imprint on our collective memory. They serve as a reminder of the power and beauty that may be achieved when two voices join to produce a sound that is larger than the sum of its parts. Because of the particular enchantment that occurs when voices mix in perfect harmony, duets will always be a perpetual source of intrigue, inspiration, and resonance.