3 Rock Duets From the 1980s That We Can’t Stop Singing

Rock music in the 1980s dialed up the drama with earnest lyrics and arena-sized hooks. And what better way to achieve the emotional heights of the neon decade than a classic rock duet? Many hits from the era received a boost from the rise of MTV. So whether you remember the iconic music videos, the sky-high choruses, or the timeless collaborations, I’m sure you’re still singing the duets here.

Videos by American Songwriter

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

In the 1970s, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and their tumultuous relationship gave Fleetwood Mac a new chapter as Peter Green’s former blues group perfected the art of pillowy soft rock. After such colossal success, it wouldn’t be easy for Nicks to strike out on her own.

But her debut solo album, Bella Donna, got a lift from one of Tom Petty’s best tunes. Co-written with guitarist Mike Campbell, it began as a Heartbreakers track before producer Jimmy Iovine pitched it to Nicks. Few can write a better you-done-me-wrong jam than Petty. And who better to sing it?

“Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

Inspired by Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era photos, Peter Gabriel’s broken narrator puts his despair bluntly: “No one wants you when you lose.” Then Kate Bush enters ghostlike and radiant, offering the broken man support from his family: “Don’t give up, you still have us.” However, it could have sounded very different as it was first pitched with another voice in mind.

“There’s an interesting story about this song,” Gabriel said. “Because there was this reference point of American roots music in it when I first wrote it, it was suggested that Dolly Parton sing on it. But Dolly turned it down … and I’m glad she did because what Kate did on it is … brilliant.”

“It’s Only Love” by Bryan Adams and Tina Turner

If anyone understood survival, it was Tina Turner. The soul legend had endured a violent marriage to Ike Turner. Then she overcame the industry’s perception of her as a nostalgia act only to become one of the biggest-selling pop artists in history.

So to hear the Queen of Rock ’N’ Roll belt this empowerment anthem with Bryan Adams feels more poignant given her life’s story. “Yeah, it ain’t easy, baby. But it’s only love. And that’s all,” the duo sings here.

Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images