Top 10 Greatest Music Duos of All Time

Top 10 Music Duos

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Two heads are better than one. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 music duos of all time. We’ll only be looking at regular collaborators, so one time duets are excluded.    

10: “Sonny & Cher”

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The husband and wife duo of Sonny and Cher Bono became one of the most iconic pop bands of the 1960s and 70s rising  to prominence with hits like “I Got You Babe.” Their upbeat and good natured approach made them easily likeable, with their stage presence and comedic antics becoming so popular that they even received their own variety show, which vaulted them to  even greater heights. Despite the eventual breakup of  both their musical partnership and marriage, they remained on good terms and went on to achieve success in their individual lives both as musicians and other efforts, with Sonny becoming a congressman and Cher an Academy winning actress.  

With a synthpop sound that took the world by storm, Tears For Fears became one of the most  memorable bands to come across the Atlantic in the 80’s. The British pairing saw early success with  their first album propelled by songs like their first hit “Mad World.” Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith found even   greater success with their album “The Hurting,” which included decade defining songs “Shout,” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”The band continued to revolutionize the new wave genre throughout the eighties, and despite breaking up in 1991, reformed in 2000 and have continued to release great new music ever since.  

#8: “The Black Keys”

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The combination of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney became one of the most important alternative rock bands as the genre has come into its own in the new millennium. The duo cut their teeth as an independent band recording their first few albums in Carney’s basement and appearing at local shows. [All the while they become massively respected by music critics and earning loyal followers with their blues and garage rock sound. While a number of their songs had found success over the years, their major commercial breakthrough came with “Tighten Up.” Finally, the band had earned the success they deserved, with their following albums being both huge commercial successes and taking home a slew of Grammys.   

#7: “The Everly Brothers”

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 Without a doubt these brothers were highly influential to not only a number of duos on this list, but countless other musicians including none other than The Beatles. Don and Phil came from a musical family, and rose to prominence in the fifties and helped to establish rock and roll as a genre. They created a perfect balance, with both playing guitar and used a close harmony consisting of thirds, with Don as a baritone  and Phil singing tenor for a majority of their songs. For their massively successful career they have received a  number of honors and were notably one of the first ten acts ever named to the rock and roll hall of fame.  

 #6: “The Carpenters”

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 This immensely talented sibling duo has produced many of the greatest soft rock songs of all time including; “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Superstar,” and “Close to You.” Both Richard and Karen were talented musicians, which showed on every track they produced, but what truly set them apart was the combination of Karen’s voice and Richard’s arrangements.  Karen’s hauntingly beautiful contralto vocals over rich and melodic   compositions could elicit a wide range of emotions, from elation to despair and everything between.  Tragically Karen died from  heart failure when she was only thirty-two, but her legacy endures as  “The Carpenters” continue to inspire countless musicians.



#5: “Hall & Oates”

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For over forty-five years Daryl Hall and John Oates have been creating amazing music, with their work in the 70s and 80s being particularly noteworthy. Their artistic merit has been recognized by both the rock and roll and songwriter’s halls of fame, all while being one of the most commercially successful bands in the world. Hall and Oates had an impressive six songs reach number one on Billboard’s Top 100, and dozens more charting. Their massive hits like “Private Eyes,” “Maneater,” and “Kiss on my List,” just scratch the surface of their amazing catalogue. 


 

#4: “OutKast”

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Comprised of Big Boi and Andre 3000, this duo was known for the revolutionary new style that they brought to hip-hop. Incorporating a number of different influences across their first three albums, they included sounds often considered unconventional in hip-hop, including funk and techno. This, along with their unique style and clever lyrics, helped set them apart and gained the band untold fans and critical praise. By the time their fourth album Stankonia was released, OutKast become massively popular with hits  like “Ms. Jackson.” They followed up their success with  the double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which went on to win Album of the Year at the Grammys. 



#3: “The White Stripes”

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 First rising to prominence during the early 2000’s the duo  of Jack and Meg White’s low fidelity sound drew from the likes of grunge blues and even  Led Zeppelin as their first two albums helped turn alternative rock into what it is today. However, the band’s real success came in a hit with the simple but completely catchy and iconic guitar line, “Seven Nation Army,” featured on their third album.  Ironically the band actually gained their widespread popularity as they were getting a divorce; yet that didn’t stop them from creating mind blowing iconic music and a number of critically acclaimed albums on their way to   becoming one of the best alt rock bands ever.    


#2: “Daft Punk”

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Know for their consistently evolving sound as much as their robot suits, Daft Punk has produced hits over the years including “One More Time,” “Get Lucky,” and “Harder, Better, Faster Stronger,” just to name a few.  album contains its own distinct sound with their French house style also drawing from multiple other genres over the years. Daft Punk is known for meticulously crafting their sound, spending months or years perfecting new releases, with their most recent, “Random Access Memories,” taking home five Grammys including album of the year. Constantly innovating and pushing their music in new directions, Daft Punk has done everything from creating an amazing film soundtrack to more recently collaborating with RnB artist, The Weeknd. 






 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:     The Righteous Brothers

   Steely Dan      Eurythmics  

 Both Iconic and important, Simon and Garfunkel become one of the most significant and musically talented groups in the countercultural movement during the 1960’s. Their folk rock featured a gentle but powerful sound and meaningful lyrics that spoke to a generation that helped to change the world, as well as audiophiles for years to come. Beginning with the hauntingly beautiful song  “The Sound of Silence,” the duo has had a number of hits that have become cultural touchstones. Despite their breakup in 1970 the band has remained popular throughout each new generation, with one of their reunions being one of the highest selling concerts of all time, and they continue to move listeners young and old to this day. 

 Do you agree with our list? Who is your favorite musical duo? For more pitch perfect top 10’s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com