10 of Music’s Most Unlikely Collaborations
Collaborations in music are commonplace, but these cross-genre pairings confound and delight fans in equal measure.
Collaboration is the bedrock of music. Musicians, songwriters, and producers come together in the recording studio for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s to lend each other their talents or expand an artist’s audience, but the most important reason among them is to fuel artistic development and push creative boundaries.
Sometimes that boundary-pushing crosses genre lines, resulting in collaborations that surprise, and occasionally delight, music fans and critics. From Miley Cyrus’ foray into hip-hop to Kylie Minogue’s murder ballad, read on to learn more about 10 of music’s most unlikely collaborations.
Two Men With The Blues
by Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis (2008)
Two Men With The Blues is a live album by outlaw country legend Willie Nelson and Pulitzer Prize-winning jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. The album was recorded during a 2007 Jazz at Lincoln Center performance and was released the following year by American jazz record label Blue Note. Together, Nelson and Marsalis tackle blues and jazz standards, spirituals, and Nelson’s own “Night Life” and “Rainy Day Blues.”
“Bring The Noise”
by Anthrax featuring Chuck D of Public Enemy (1991)
In 1988, hip-hop group Public Enemy released their second studio album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. “Bring the Noise” is the first full-length song on the album’s tracklist and features frontman Chuck D arguing for rap’s consideration as a legitimate musical genre alongside rock. The song also includes shoutouts to several other musicians, including thrash metal band Anthrax (co-founder Scott Ian was a Public Enemy fan). Three years later, Anthrax recorded their own version of “Bring The Noise” featuring Chuck D’s vocals. Public Enemy didn’t take Anthrax’s initial request to cover the song seriously, but Chuck D felt the song “made too much sense” once he heard the final collaboration.
Bangerz
by Miley Cyrus (2013)
Bangerz is the fourth studio album by pop singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. In a bid to ditch her Disney Channel persona, Cyrus decided to experiment with her sound and make a “dirty south hip-hop” inspired record. She co-executive produced the album with hip-hop producer Mike Will Made It and worked with rapper-producers Pharrell Williams, Mac Miller, and Tyler, the Creator during early recording sessions. While only one Williams produced cut made it onto the final tracklist, verses from Big Sean, French Montana, and Future are also featured on Bangerz.
“When Something is Wrong With My Baby”
by Patti LaBelle & Travis Tritt (1994)
“When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” is a classic soul ballad written by Isaac Hayes and his partner, David Porter. The track was originally recorded in 1967 by R&B duo Sam & Dave. A soul standard, the song has been covered several times in the decades since. One of its most notable renditions was performed by R&B singer Patti LaBelle and country singer Travis Tritt for the compilation album Rhythm, Country & Blues, a record filled with duets between R&B and country music artists.
Foreverly
by Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones (2013)
Foreverly is a collaborative album between Green Day singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and jazz-pop singer-songwriter Norah Jones. The record is a reinterpretation of a collection of rock and folk songs originally sung by The Everly Brothers on 1958’s Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. After listening to the brothers sing, Armstrong decided to cover the obscure record and picked Jones as his collaborator because he believed the songs would take on a different meaning if they were sung by a woman.
“Daddy Lessons”
by Beyoncé featuring The Chicks (2016)
On “Daddy Lessons,” Beyoncé takes listeners on an emotional journey as she draws parallels between the infidelity in her parents’ marriage and her own husband’s cheating. The track is the centerpiece of 2016’s critically acclaimed Lemonade, a genre-blending album that moves through rock, blues, and funk styles. A remix of the country and zydeco-influenced track featuring The Chicks was released after the artists performed it live during the 50th annual CMA Awards.
“Where The Wild Roses Grow”
by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds featuring Kylie Minogue (1995)
Australian rockers Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds joined forces with pop star Kylie Minogue to create the lead single for the band’s ninth studio album, Murder Ballads. The result was “Where The Wild Roses Grow,” a haunting song that details the dialogue between a killer and his victim. Lead vocalist Nick Cave said he wrote the track with Minogue in mind and based its concept around the traditional song “Down in the Willow Garden.”
“Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends)”
by Kid Cudi featuring Michael Bolton & King Chip (2013)
Rapper Kid Cudi wanted his third studio album, Indicud, to stand out from his previous releases. As such, he served as the album’s executive producer, handled production for all but one of its tracks, and even designed its artwork. There are several cross-genre collabs on Indicud, including appearances from Father John Misty and Haim, but Cudi saves the most interesting match-up for the penultimate track “Afterwards” featuring Michael Bolton. Cudi wanted to “use the mightiness of [Bolton’s] voice in a way that’s never been done before,” and crafted a catchy hook that urges a love interest to come back to his place for the raspy-voiced singer.
“Fairweather Friends”
by Queens of the Stone Age featuring Elton John (2013)
“Fairweather Friends” is a track from Queens of the Stone Age’s sixth studio album …Like Clockwork. The album was fully produced by the band and was their first to feature full contributions from bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist and guitarist Dean Fertita. Founder Josh Homme said he wanted the album to “surprise people” and led the band through collaborations with several artists, including Trent Reznor and Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. …Like Clockwork’s most famous feature was from singer-songwriter Elton John who played piano on “Fairweather Friends” after being introduced to the Queens’ music by a driver who was Homme’s former roommate.
Over and Over”
by Nelly featuring Tim McGraw (2004)
No list of unlikely collaborations would be complete without Nelly and Tim McGraw’s crossover hit, “Over and Over.” Nelly wrote the song’s lyrics about romantic regret and McGraw lent his vocals to the hook that one music critic said “works much better than it should.” The track’s laid-back and country-tinged production helped it climb the charts, peaking at No. 3 in the US and reaching No. 1 in the UK.
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