WILES TUNES: HOTTEST COLLABOS!
By Drew Dorsey
Every once in a while the music industry brings multiple music Picasso’s in tandem to create magic. We’re talking music collaborations! It’s August, which means the heat has moved in and is here to stay. Here are seven music collaborations that brought the heat with their untouchable teamwork.
Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones
Arguably one of the most groundbreaking music collaborations of all time, the King of Pop joined forces with Quincy Jones to create what we all know and love as the Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad albums. The two musical maestros met on the set of The Wiz in 1978 and the rest is history. This collaboration brought together two creative geniuses that resulted in the pair taking home a plethora of Grammys and some serious bragging rights.
Check out the video for Beat It from their record-breaking collaboration Thriller:
Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett
The classic crooner and mother monster dropped jaws when they joined forces to produce a jazzy rendition of The Lady is A Tramp. Gaga is known for her unique pop sound while Bennett is credited for his classic ballads. The coming together of these two artists not only blended two genres, but also introduced both artists’ audiences to an artist whom they otherwise may have never discovered. This collabo also showed off Gaga’s blues and jazz roots, proving the songstress is more than your average pop princess. Bennett recently announced that the pair is currently working on an album together.
You can listen to their version of the song Sinatra made famous here:
Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey
In 1998, these two musical powerhouses joined forces to record When You Believe for DreamWorks’s film, The Prince of Egypt. This collaboration brought two artists together known for their flawless voices and range. The media projected that the divas were rivaled against one another, but this could not have been farther from the truth. The pair greatly respected each other and remain two of the strongest female voices of this generation.
Check out their collaboration here:
Gwen Stefani & Eve
In 2001, No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani added vocals to Philly-born rapper Eve’s sexy track Let Me Blow Your Mind. Produced by prolific hit-maker Dr. Dre, the hit brought together two artists from opposite ends of the music spectrum. In 2001 the song took home a Grammy for best Rap/Sung Collaboration and the
two were reunited in 2004 when Eve appeared on Stefani’s hit song Rich Girl.
Take a look at their mind-blowing live performance from their 2001 appearance on Britain’s famed music show Top of the Pops:
Santana & Rob Thomas
Legendary Latin rock band Santana and Matchbox 20 front man Rob Thomas collaborated in 1999 to produce the three-time Grammy award-winning sultry single Smooth. Written by Thomas and Itaal Shur, the smash hit is a silky blend of Latin and pop rock and marked the first chart-topping song of Santana’s nearly 50-year career.
Get a little smooth with Santana and Rob Thomas here:
Natalie & Nat King Cole
The collaboration between Natalie and Nat King Cole on her Unforgettable…with Love album in 1991 was a dream come true for Cole fans and marked a tremendous comeback for Natalie. The pairing would pave the way for future posthumous duets among other artists and garnered three Grammy Awards for Natalie. The two would team up again on Natalie’s remake of her father’s hit When I fall In Love in 1996.
Take a listen to their unforgettable duet here:
USA for Africa
Written by Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, the USA for Africa single We Are the World was certified Platinum four times over and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa. Still credited as the fastest-selling single in history, the anthem took home three Grammy Awards and brought together more than 45 of the industry’s top artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, and many more.
See the super group in action here:
Did we forget your all-time favorite collaboration? If so, please “Join the Conversation” on Facebook and let us know who we left out!
About the Author
As a Writer, Anchor, and Student, Drew Dorsey is taking Los Angeles by storm. Studying Communications and Journalism at Loyola Marymount University, Drew delves in all realms of journalism. As an Anchor for Mayhem-Entertainment, Intern at Stevie Wonder’s KJLH radio station, and now writer for Wiles Magazine, Drew strives to excel in all aspects of the Journalism field. Drew’s twin love is the theatre and has been performing for many years.