When I say duet I mean two artists getting together not VH-1 or Magic's definition of a duet by pretending Take That & Lulu is a duet or artists that were a combo.

I suppose the most successful was John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John but is there a real classic duet that would go in someone's list of top songs.

Is it true most duets with two very famous singers tend to fall short of the expectation for example - Michael & Janet Jackson or Kylie & Robbie, Tina Turner & Rod Stewart?

Reginald Dwight and Pauline Matthews

i guess the OP has never heard:

Kate Bush/Peter Gabriel - 'Don't Give Up'
Sonny and Cher - 'I Got You Babe'

But everyone knows - The Pogues and Kirsty McColl - 'Fairytale of New York'.

To mention but three.

If you read my opening statement I said a duet of two people not a group and a singer of course I have heard of the first two but I ask would they be on people's top songs list?

Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue.
The best thing she ever did by a country mile.


Glenn Hoddle & Chris Waddle.

you're all i need to get by - marvin gaye & tammi terrell and the remake by method man and mary j blige.

Nearly every song in the chart for the past 20 years has the words 'featuring' on it.

I don't get it. The charts are FULL of duets, the current top 40 has 12!

http://www.officialcharts.com/charts...singles-chart/

I think I'm genuinely misunderstanding what your asking, how is Olivia and John any more of a duet than Take That and Lulu? Do you mean the featured artist singing the middle-8 doesn't count?

Do you mean like 2 artists that don't normally work together rather than a double act like Peters and Lee or Rene and Renata.?

How about Bowie and Jagger with Harlem Shuffle

"I Go You Babe' is 444 on the Rolling Stone list of Top 500 songs. In terms of its lyrics, it catches the generational differences of the 60s very well. There's also a bit of tribute to Phil Spector in the sound.

'Don't Give Up' is a song which catches the spirit of Thatcher's early 80s yet it sounds just as relevant now. Also it has Kate Bush on it...what more do you want?

I take the point about groups but 'Fairytale' remains a masterpiece.

I also like Aretha and Annie's, 'Sisters are doin' it for themselves'.

People have all sorts of tastes and top songs lists. So I'm sure these songs are on some lists. Judging by the number of covers of 'I Got You Babe', it's a song that appeals to other artists.

I think a duet is really a song where there are two singers with more or less equal parts.
So really is 'duet' not defined by the music?

'Dead Ringer for Love' - Meatloaf and Cher
https://youtu.be/KSTIsZULYmY

George Michael & Aretha Franklin's " I Knew You Were Waiting" is a stupendous song which more than equals the sum of it's parts.

Ditto " Ya Mo Be There" by James Ingram & Michael McDonald

It didn't chart (promo single and soundtrack album only) but this has 2 great artists together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V1Lov1U9mU

My most favorite duet these days is "Members Only" from my newest favorite beautiful precious Billy Joe Royal and Donna Fargo.

God bless you and her always!!!

Holly

P.S. I love to watch Billy Joe there in that clip of their live performance of this song. I don't think that I have ever seen a more precious and beautiful smile.

Scream is the only Michael Jackson single I've ever bought. I'm not sure why you think Kids by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue falls below expectations. It's not my cup of tea, but it was a hit, got great reviews from critics and goes down a storm at live shows. It Takes Two bugs the life out of me. It doesn't matter who sings it. It's one of those songs I have to turn off when it comes on the TV or the radio.

^this^

Kylie and Robbie's duet is underwhelming. Robbie and Nicole Kidman is excellent though

I can't imagine a Tina Turner and Rod Stewart duet being good as they have such different voices

Lionel Richie & Diana Ross - Endless Love? Some DS members will probably say it's a boring song choice but I really love the original version.

Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson - Say Say Say is another track I think is brilliant.

How about Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart? A classic staple from the 70s.

I'm not sure about the best, but Me Against the Music by Britney and Madonna is one of the worst. Everyone was expecting a great pop song but what they got is a basic piece of crap that’s more or less forgotten nowadays.

Then again, is anyone surprised? Neither of them has released a good duet. They've always played it safe and worked with popular artists. Britney teamed up with Iggy Azalea and will.i.am, and Madonna teamed up with Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and M.I.A.

No, I definitely prefer Kids to Something Stupid.

Other duet songs I really like are:

Phil Bailey and Phil Collins - Easy Lover
Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight I Celebrate my Love

The above two are great. I also agree with those who have mentioned George Michael & Aretha, Marvin Gaye and Tammie, Elton & Kiki Dee, Aretha & Eurythmics, Sonny & Cher, Kate Bush & Peter Gabriel.

I'll also like to add Brandy & Monica's The Boy Is Mine. I know it's a group with a solo artist but Queen & David Bowie's Under Pressure is brilliant as well.

Also I know it's cheesy and camp as hell but David Bowie & Mick Jagger's Dancing In The Street.

I
Know
Him
Sooooooooooooo
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell

I like Guilty by Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPlR6CwjPB8

Motorhead and Girlschool?

Don't know why DS isn't letting me quote posts at the moment but anyway...

@SummerHeart: I was going to mention Britney and Madonna. I actually like it, but then I may be a bit biased as I'm a massive Britney fan. I do agree though that it's not one of her better known songs. It mainly seems to be remembered by the fans rather than the general public.

As mentioned above, Queen and Bowie - Under Pressure is a truly great song.