3 Great Rock Duets That Almost Didn’t Happen

Rock history is full of classic songs that became hits accidentally. Music legends may seem visionary, but the vision isn’t always so clear. There’s an enormous amount of improbable luck involved between a song’s infancy and its status as a classic. Luckily, these rock duets survived, but they almost didn’t happen.

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“Close My Eyes Forever” by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne

The highest-charting single of Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career happened by chance. Sharon Osbourne also managed Lite Ford at the time and, according to Ozzy, his duet with Ford “kinda half got written.” After the session, Ozzy returned to England and didn’t think about the song again until his wife called and said Ford wanted to finish it with him. Sharon asked Ozzy to fly back to Los Angeles to record “Close My Eyes Forever”. “What song?” he said.

The back-and-forth between England and the U.S. happened multiple times as the two completed the recording and eventually filmed a music video. “Close My Eyes Forever” reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, as glam metal was nearing its zenith.

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty

Stevie Nicks’ debut solo album, Bella Donna, features two classic duets: “Leather And Lace” with Don Henley, and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty. On the Petty duet, she’s backed by most of the Heartbreakers, including guitarist and co-writer Mike Campbell. (Donald “Duck” Dunn played bass instead of Ron Blair.) Campbell had written the music on the same four-track recorder he used to demo “Refugee” and “Here Comes My Girl.” And it was supposed to be another Heartbreakers tune.

Petty and the Heartbreakers first recorded a version with Jimmy Iovine, who also produced Nicks’ debut. Iovine played it for Nicks, and she eventually recorded her vocal over the existing backing track. But there’s a parallel universe where “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” ends up on a Tom Petty album instead. Not a bad alternative, but thankfully, this banger exists as is.

“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie

The burden in “Under Pressure” mirrors the song’s difficult creation. In dueling verses, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury express their anxieties from differing angles. Bowie sings with the resignation of a realist, while Mercury clings to hope. Yet, John Deacon’s bass line grounds both singers and the song’s various movements. The same iconic bass line Deacon forgot when the musicians left the studio to eat pizza. Roger Taylor remembered the part, but more obstacles remained.

Two strong-willed artists argued over the song’s direction. Brian May said he chose to back down and let Bowie pursue his vision for the track. Finally, everything coalesced, similar to  Bowie and Mercury’s final lines together. Lyrically, Bowie opens his mind to Mercury’s hopefulness, while Mercury recognizes the dire reality of the situation. “This is our last dance,” they sing. The pressure mounts until Deacon returns with his bass line, like a release valve.

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