Top 10 Duets From The 1980's - Part 1

Today's music duets usually feature somebody like Jay Z or Ja Rule coming in and rapping a quick line or two. Or maybe somebody like Mariah Carey or Rhiannon come in and sing the chorus. Those aren't duets in my mind. A FULL BLOWN duet is when both singing parties sing equally and have the same effect. The 1980's had several great duets. These are 10-6.

10.) "Yah Mo B There" by Michael McDonald and James Ingram




I love underrated songs like this and this is very underrated. James Ingram had some awesome ballads in the 80's ("Just Once", "One Hundred Ways", and "I Don't Have The Heart") and Michael McDonald speaks for himself. I never knew there was a video for this song and its hard to tell what is going on other than the trailer driving around, people nearly drowning at the end, and the freeze frame of James Ingram at the end.


9.) "This Is It" by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald



This song is actually from 1979 but its close enough in my mind. This song is a bit dark and has a classic Michael McDonald line ("you said that maybe its overrrrrr..."). I also like Kenny Loggins gravelly voice when he gets fired up singing "stand up and fight" at the 1:11 mark. The rapper Nas sampled the "always survived" line for his Illicit CD and I bought that CD for that reason alone....pathetic I know.

8.) "Can't We Try" by Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard



I will be the first to admit that this is one of the biggest cheesy songs you will ever hear but god DAMN if I have to turn this up when it comes on my IPOD. I just love this guy's voice...the way he enunciates simple words like "heart at the 1:10 mark. His voice literally drips with emotion. One of my top 10 musical moments of all time occurs in this song when he sings the "no matter what" line (2:18 and 2:33)...gives me chills every time and I wish I could make my voice as gravelly as he does there.

Dan Hill has another big song called "Sometimes When We Touch" which you can hear as Matthew McConoughy's character's cell phone ring in the movie "Tropic Thunder"

7.) "If I Close My Eyes Forever" by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne



Switching gears now to a little more serious song. I was not a Lita Ford fan though I did I like that "Kiss Me Deadly" song she had. I remember this song more for the video scaring me and Ozzy's voice scaring me more. Those side profiles of him in the above video freaked me out. Great song though especially when the drums kick in at the 2:19-2:20 mark.


6.) "All My Life" by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville

I am a sucker for this song for three reasons. 1.) I love Aaron Neville super high voice. 2.) It was my wedding song (and I was married in 2005) and 3.) Aaron ROCKS the sh*t out of that high note at the 2:56 mark. The version here is from the Tonight Show. Aaron Neville is jacked and you can't beat the cutoff leather vest he's wearing.