Plenty of genre-bending duets through the years have worked quite well, despite the initial “odd” pairings. However, the strangest duets often include a classic rock star, and they don’t get weirder than these three pairings. Let’s take a look at a couple of the strangest duets in classic rock history that actually worked out pretty well!
1. Phil Collins and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Classic rock and pop icon Phil Collins has never been one to shy away from bizarre creative choices. However, collaborating with the rap outfit Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was not what anyone was expecting. The former Genesis drummer and iconic rap group got together for the latter’s song “Home” in 2003. The band even flew to Switzerland to get Collins in the music video, and the track features samples from Collins’ “Take Me Home”.
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So, does this duet work? Honestly, it’s a surprisingly serious and reflective song. While “Home” didn’t do well in the United States, it charted decently in the UK. The group decided to make Collins an honorary member of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and lent him the name “Chrome Bone”. I miss when music was whimsical like this, honestly. The 2000s were a different time.
2. Ozzy Osbourne and Jessica Simpson
This is one of the strangest duets ever, and the fact that it’s a Christmas collaboration makes it even weirder. Some might hate it, but you can’t deny that it’s pretty memorable. Black Sabbath’s famed vocalist Ozzy Osbourne collaborated with pop star Jessica Simpson back in 2003 for the former’s The Osbourne Family Christmas Special on MTV.
In a way, this duet worked because it was too strange to look away from. We’re still not sure what they did to Ozzy’s vocal track, but it sounds absolutely insane decades later.
3. Bono and Frank Sinatra
This is definitely one of the strangest duets ever, and it was even weirder that “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” was recorded for Sinatra’s album, specifically. This duet with Bono is featured on Sinatra’s 1994 album Duets, which also features collaborations with more understandable stars like Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand. Allegedly, Sinatra said of the duet: “I don’t usually hang with men who wear earrings.”
This duet works because realistically, even if you’re not a U2 fan, you have to admit that Bono knows how to sing. It’s definitely not the worst duet out there.
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