5 Romantic ’80s Duets That Dominated the Charts

The male-female duet has long been a part of the pop music scene. But perhaps no era featured this type of song quite like the 1980s. It helped that many popular films of the era required just such a duet to deliver the romantic vibes.

Videos by American Songwriter

Many of these songs scaled the heights of the pop charts. Let’s take a look at five of these memorable, he-said, she-said classics.

“Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (1981)

Pairing the megastar Ross with Richie at the height of his balladeer powers seemed like a no-brainer. The duo gelled perfectly with a song whose cultural impact far outlived the movie of the same title that featured it. Richie wrote the track, endowing it with a melody that allowed for vocal showcase moments. For much of the song, the two keep it simple with their harmonizing. But as the song progresses, they start to inventively fill in the open spaces in the song, one voice stepping up, the other seconding the emotion. Not for nothing is “Endless Love” a karaoke favorite for couples.

“Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes (1982)

In terms of the big ’80s hit duets, this one might be the most unlikely of them all. The writers (composers Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie and lyricist Will Jennings) all sort of worked separate from each other to create the track. Neither of the artists were at the height of their commercial powers around that time. But the blend of Cocker’s grit and Warnes’ lilt proved irrepressible. And this was a case where the song benefited greatly from the climactic scene where it appeared in An Officer and a Gentleman.

“Baby Come to Me” by Patti Austin and James Ingram (1982)

Patti Austin had made her name singing jingles and backup vocals, but she also sporadically released some solo records. She had a great team behind her, with producer Quincy Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton, each of whom was integral to the making of a little album called Thriller from around that same time. The cake was iced when they nabbed Ingram to be the duet partner. Listen to the way these two pros bide their time in bringing the emotion to “Baby Come to Me.” It’s a slow burn much of the way, at least until the middle eight when they both unleash.

“Separate Lives” by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin (1985)

This song was written and first performed by Stephen Bishop. It was initially intended that Collins would sing the song solo. But it was decided that “Separate Lives,” which was earmarked for inclusion in the ballet drama White Knights, might work as a duet. Martin was somewhat of a bold choice, as she hadn’t yet established herself as an artist in her own right, instead doing mostly backup singing to that point. But she turned out to be just the right foil for Collins on a song that tries to make sense of what’s the proper reaction in the aftermath of a relationship.

“On My Own” by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald (1986)

Burt Bacharach enjoyed a pop renaissance in the ’80s that rivaled the towering peaks he achieved two decades earlier. Writing with his then-wife Carole Bayer Sager, he scored a huge 1985 hit when an all-star crew joined Dionne Warwick on “That’s What Friends are For.” In fact, Warwick was also scheduled to record the Bacharach/Sager original “On My Own,” but it didn’t happen. Instead, it fell to dueling vocal powerhouses LaBelle and McDonald. The two weren’t in the studio together when they recorded the song. That’s apropos, considering the song is about two people who’ve lost their essential connection.

Photo by George Rose/Getty Images