Unexpected Musical Collaborations That Became Hits

Some of the most interesting musical collaborations happen when artists from completely different backgrounds decide to work together. Rock stars team up with rappers, country singers join forces with pop artists, and musicians from different generations find themselves sharing the same microphone.

Of course, bringing two famous names into a recording studio doesn't guarantee a good song. Some collaborations become enormous hits, others attract controversy, and a few are remembered mainly because nobody expected the artists to work together in the first place.

To put together this list, 24/7 Tempo reviewed music publications and chart histories, including Billboard, highlighting 17 collaborations that brought together artists from different genres, generations, or musical backgrounds. Some worked better than others, but they all have an interesting story behind them.

Putting a former Beatle on a song with Rihanna and Kanye West sounds like an unusual combination, especially when the result isn't anything like the music most people associate with either Rihanna or West. Released in January 2015, "FourFiveSeconds" took a relatively stripped-down approach, built around acoustic guitar, restrained instrumentation, and prominent vocals. McCartney contributed to the song's writing and instrumentation, while Rihanna and West handled the lead vocals. It wasn't exactly what audiences had come to expect from the two younger artists, but it connected with listeners anyway. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave McCartney another major chart success decades after his work with the Beatles.

Country singer Brantley Gilbert had already found success with "Bottoms Up" before rapper T.I. appeared on a remix in 2014. The original recording was a country hit, with its heavy production and party-focused lyrics fitting comfortably into the bro-country sound that was popular at the time. The remix pushed things further toward hip-hop, adding a new beat and a guest verse from the Atlanta rapper. It was an attempt to introduce the song to another audience, following the success of other country-rap collaborations. While the original remained the better-established hit, the T.I. version is an interesting example of how country artists were experimenting with crossover remixes during that period.

Chicago rapper Lil Durk and country star Morgan Wallen took their different musical backgrounds and put them together on "Broadway Girls," released in December 2021. Named for Nashville's famous entertainment district, the song combines Wallen's country vocals with Durk's melodic rap delivery. The collaboration also attracted attention because Wallen had faced significant backlash earlier that year after video surfaced of him using a racial slur. The release generated plenty of discussion, but it also performed well commercially. "Broadway Girls" debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, showing that the country-rap crossover still had a substantial audience.

Florida Georgia Line released the original version of "Cruise" in 2012, and it was already a major country hit before Nelly entered the picture. The following year, the duo teamed up with the St. Louis rapper for a remix that added hip-hop elements to the song's country-pop sound. It turned out to be a useful way to reach listeners who might not normally tune into country radio. The combined success of the original and remix helped "Cruise" reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the song also set records on Billboard's country charts. Nelly would go on to work with other country artists, but this remains one of his better-known crossover collaborations.

Of all the collaborations on this list, this one arguably did the most to introduce an entirely different audience to a musical genre. Aerosmith originally released "Walk This Way" in 1975, but the song found a second life when Run-D.M.C. recorded a new version with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in 1986. Producer Rick Rubin helped bring the two groups together, despite the rappers initially being reluctant to remake the song. The resulting single combined Aerosmith's familiar guitar riff with Run-D.M.C.'s delivery, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became an important crossover hit for hip-hop and helped bring Aerosmith back into the mainstream spotlight.

When Lil Nas X released "Old Town Road" in 2018, few people could have predicted just how big it would become. The country-influenced hip-hop track gained momentum through social media, but its crossover appeal really took off after Billy Ray Cyrus joined the remix in April 2019. The combination of a young rapper and the country singer best known for "Achy Breaky Heart" worked exceptionally well. "Old Town Road" spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, setting a record at the time. It also helped establish Lil Nas X as a major recording artist, putting an end to any suggestion that the song's unusual sound couldn't find a mainstream audience.

Elton John was already one of the biggest stars in music when he teamed up with British singer Kiki Dee in 1976. Dee wasn't an unknown newcomer, though. She had established her own recording career and previously found success with songs including "I've Got the Music in Me." The pair recorded "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," a playful duet influenced by classic Motown recordings. Written by John and Bernie Taupin under pseudonyms, the song became an enormous success, spending four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and six weeks atop the British singles chart. The recording remains one of John's most recognizable duets and gave Dee the biggest pop hit of her career.

Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias came from very different corners of the music business. Nelson was an established American country star, while Iglesias had built an international following as a Spanish-language pop singer. Their 1984 recording of "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" brought those audiences together through a straightforward romantic ballad. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Hal David and had been recorded previously, but Nelson and Iglesias made it a major crossover success. Their version reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart. It also helped introduce Iglesias to a larger English-language audience in the United States.

Rock singer and guitarist Lita Ford has described writing "Close My Eyes Forever" with Ozzy Osbourne during an impromptu session that involved a few drinks and a late night. The song appeared on Ford's 1988 album "Lita" and was released as a single in 1989. Unlike much of the heavier material associated with either artist, the recording is a relatively restrained rock ballad built around their contrasting vocals. The combination worked commercially, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became Ford's highest-charting American pop single and one of Osbourne's few appearances in the chart's top 10. Sometimes two hard-rock musicians making a slower song is enough of a change of pace.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Phil Collins aren't exactly names most people would expect to see together on a record. Nevertheless, the Cleveland hip-hop group incorporated Collins' 1985 song "Take Me Home" into its own track, simply titled "Home." The recording appeared on the group's 2002 album "Thug World Order" and was released as a single in 2003. Collins' familiar chorus provides a melodic foundation for the group's rapid-fire verses, producing something that sounds different from either artist's usual material. The song didn't become a major American pop hit, but it reached No. 19 on the British singles chart. It remains one of the more unusual examples of an established pop recording being adapted for a hip-hop collaboration.

Kid Rock was best known for mixing rap, rock, and Southern influences when he recorded "Picture" with Sheryl Crow. The country-influenced ballad appeared on his 2001 album "Cocky," presenting a considerably softer sound than many listeners associated with him at the time. The song features two people reflecting on a troubled relationship, with Crow's vocals providing a natural contrast to Kid Rock's rougher delivery. Released as a single in 2002, it gained substantial radio attention and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003. The song also crossed over to country radio, becoming one of Kid Rock's biggest mainstream hits and a memorable entry in both artists' catalogs.

When Lady Gaga recorded "The Lady Is a Tramp" with Tony Bennett in 2011, she was primarily known for theatrical pop performances and dance hits. Bennett, meanwhile, had spent decades performing traditional pop standards and jazz. Their recording appeared on Bennett's album "Duets II," giving Gaga an opportunity to demonstrate a side of her musical abilities that some listeners hadn't heard before. The collaboration worked well enough that the two artists continued recording together, releasing the jazz album "Cheek to Cheek" in 2014 and "Love for Sale" in 2021. What initially seemed like an unusual pairing developed into a long-running musical partnership and friendship.

Nearly a decade before Nelly collaborated with Florida Georgia Line, he recorded "Over and Over" with country singer Tim McGraw. Released in 2004, the song appeared on Nelly's album "Suit" and took a more melodic approach than many of his earlier hip-hop singles. McGraw provided the country-influenced vocals, while Nelly delivered his verses over a relatively subdued instrumental arrangement. The result reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the British singles chart. It was an early example of a mainstream rapper successfully collaborating with a major country star, years before country-rap crossovers became a regular feature of popular music.

Taylor Swift was still closely associated with country music when she joined rapper B.o.B on "Both of Us" in 2012. By then, both artists had already established successful recording careers. Swift had several major pop and country hits to her name, while B.o.B had reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Nothin' on You" in 2010. Their collaboration appeared on B.o.B's album "Strange Clouds," with Swift singing the chorus and B.o.B handling the verses. The song reached No. 18 on the Hot 100. It wasn't Swift's first move beyond country music, but it was another example of her willingness to experiment with artists working in different genres.

Not every cross-genre collaboration is remembered for the right reasons. Brad Paisley and LL Cool J released "Accidental Racist" in 2013 as part of Paisley's album "Wheelhouse," attempting to address racial stereotypes, Southern identity, and America's history of discrimination. The song features Paisley singing from the perspective of a white Southerner and LL Cool J responding with his own observations. Rather than bringing audiences together, the recording generated substantial criticism for its treatment of race and the Confederate flag. It reached No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 but is better remembered for the controversy surrounding its lyrics. It remains an example of a collaboration whose intentions and reception were considerably different.

Ed Sheeran originally released "Perfect" on his 2017 album "÷," but the song gained additional attention when Beyoncé joined him for a new version later that year. Released as "Perfect Duet" in November 2017, the recording retained the original romantic ballad while adding Beyoncé's vocals to create a more traditional duet. The collaboration brought together two of the biggest recording artists of the decade without significantly changing the song's underlying sound. Following the duet's release, "Perfect" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2017. Billboard counted the solo and duet recordings together for chart purposes, with Beyoncé receiving co-lead credit as the duet became the dominant version in sales during its rise to the top.

By the time Taylor Swift released her album "Reputation" in 2017, she had largely moved beyond the country sound that launched her career. "End Game" took that transition further by bringing together Swift, British pop singer Ed Sheeran, and Atlanta rapper Future. The song mixes pop production with rap verses, giving each artist a distinct role in the recording. Sheeran and Swift had worked together previously, but Future's appearance added another musical background to the combination. "End Game" reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2018. It wasn't the album's biggest hit, but it demonstrated how comfortable Swift had become working with artists from outside her original genre.