You know we’re list whores at PopWatch, which is why we’re loving retroCrush’s 25 Greatest Duets of All Time. (In fact, we’d want to be alone with it, if the video links still worked.) You’ve got everything from Jenna Fischer and John C. Reilly ("Let’s Duet") to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ("Summertime"). Well done.
Which other tracks would’ve made your personal list? Off the top of my head, I could never deny Reba McEntire and Linda Davis ("Does He Love You," below), Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton ("We’ve Got Tonight"), and David Frizzell and Shelly West ("You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma").
I love cheesy duets, so I am going to go with “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny and Dolly, “Don’t Fight It” by Kenny Loggins and Steve Perry and “Endless Love” by Lionel Rithie and Diana Ross.
The best duets seem to be either romantic or homicidal. For the former, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris did some wonderful work. For the latter, Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue’s “Where the Wild Roses Grow” can’t be beat.
(Richard and Linda Thompson fall somewhere in the middle, with “Dimming of the Day” being probably their greatest song together.)
There’s some terrific stuff on the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss record, too.
Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton: Sign Language
Don’t Fight it- Loggins and Perry
Never Surrender- Loggins and Felder
Whenever I Call You Friend- Loggins and Nicks
Stumbilin In- Quatro and Norman
If I Close My Eyes Forever- Ford and Osborne
Old Black Magic-Prima and Smith
I Got You Babe- Sonny and Cher and Hynde and UB 40
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart- Dee and John
Suddenly- Richards and John
House of Love-Grant and Gill
Anything by Hall and Oates
I forgot all about this song. Thanks! It is so delightfully cheesy and the hair, dear God, the hair!
Some rock & roll duets:
- “Dancing in the Streets” – Mick Jagger and David Bowie
- “Runaway Train” – Elton John and Eric Clapton
- “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” – Elton John and John Lennon
- “Easy Lover” – Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey
- “Under Pressure” – David Bowie and Queen
I liked Reba w/ Vince Gill and the new one with Kelly Clarkson … but the only other song I could think of off the top of my head was “Kids” with Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue.
Oh, I love the Cher/Peter Cetera duet…can’t remember the name. And also the Martina McBride/Joe Cocker “Chances Are”.
Cher/Cetera song is called “After All” and it is one of the best!
I have a three way tie for the best of all time: Little Drummer Boy, Bing Crosby and David Bowie or Long Tall Texan, Randy Newman and Lyle Lovett or Over and Over, Nelly and Tim McGraw. But Guilty by Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb sure comes close……
Don Henley & Trisha Yearwood: “Walkaway Joe”
Don Henley and Patty Smyth: “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough”
Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle: “You and I”
John Denver & Emmylou Harris:”Wild Montana Skies”
Aaron Neville & Trisha Yearwood:”I Fall to Pieces”
Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown: “Don’t Go Out With Him”
Barbara Mandrell & Lee Greenwood: “To Me”
Good call on the orkcin’ duets, Eric. I just remembered what is probably the rickingest duet of ‘em all – INXS doing “Good Times” with Jimmy Barnes.
Another odd one – Joni Mitchell and peter Gabriel, “My Secret Place.” it’s almost eerie – they’re finishing each other’s lines, and their timbres are so perfectly matched that sometimes you can’t tell when the switchoff comes.
And of course Serge Gainsbourg did all those great duets with Brigitte Bardot. “Bonnie & Clyde” was probably the best of them; and there’s a great cover of that by Luna, with guest vocals by Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab.
orkcin’ = rockin’
dorkin’ = me, just now
Whenever I Call You Friend – Kenny Loggins and Melissa Manchester
Guilty – Barbara Streisand and Barry Gibb (the greatest duet of all time!)
1. Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”
2. Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
“Enough is Enough ( No More Tears)
3. Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
” Somewhere Out There”
4. Olivia Newton John and John Travolta ” You are the One that I Want”
5. Olivia Newton John and John Travolta “Summer Nights”
Those would have to be my top 5..