Ticket 2 Ride

Duos might be a folk or gospel thing, but after The Everly Brothers and Sam & Dave, pop and soul music was all over these duo groups. Not every duo was composed of two lead singers, singing around a guitar, as duos come in all shapes and sizes.

Duos often mix different vocal styles, blending them into a soothing sound. Sometimes they write together, sometimes not. Sometimes they are leaders of a band, using a changing lineup behind them. Recording duos can be found in all genres of music.

This is not a complete list of most famous or successful duos, just ones on my list.

Loggins & Messina – A duo by accident, this partnership is credited with the “yacht rock” genre of soft, mellow rock. During the first half of the 1970s, L&M scored a number of hits, but some of their best music were album cuts that blended jazz, folk and R&B. “House at Pooh Corner”, “Your Mama Don’t Dance”, “Watching the River Run” were some of their hits.

Simon & Garfunkel – Maybe the most successful and influential duo of the 1960s. Their music quickly grew from folk into complex pop hits with incredible vocal harmonies and whip-smart lyrics.

Hall & Oates – The duo in the news for being in litigation with each other. Blue-eyed soul, with a few hits in the 1970s, then exploded in the early 1980s, courtesy of MTV and finding the right groove. Then Daryl Hall and John Oates faded away, their own decision, but kept busy as a duo and as solo artists.

The Carpenters – Brother and sister pianist and drummer, Richard and Karen Carpenter, topped the pop charts with a series of hit singles in the 1970s. Karen’s voice was smooth as silk and warm like honey, Richard wrote, arranged and contributed a lush harmony vocal. Karen died much too soon.

Seals & Croft – Successful during the early 1970s, Jim Seals and Dash Croft brought soulful harmonies to their easygoing rock, with a taste of bluegrass and folk influences. Lyrically, their music embraced deeper issues of spirituality and humanity. “Diamond Girl”, “Summer Breeze” and “We May Never Pass This Way Again” were a few of their hits.

The Righteous Brothers – Best known for “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Unchained Melody”, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, these songs were huge hits and are still in rotation and covered by other artists. Hatfield and Medley had long and successful careers, mostly as touring artists.

Steely Dan – After a few albums as a “group,” Donald Fagan and Walter Becker stopped touring and focused on recording with a rotating series of top session players. After some time apart, they regrouped and released a few critically received albums, but earned their money on the road. “Do It Again”, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, “Hey Nineteen” and “My Old School” were a few a few of their best known songs.

Pet Shop Boys – Another English synth-pop era band, the Pet Shop Boys soldier on after 40 years of synth-pop/dance-pop flavored songs. “West End Girls” was their first big hit by vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe.

Eurythmics – Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart made up the group. Success in the early 1980s with the album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Their albums and videos were huge during the 1980s.

Peter & Gordon – Peter Asher and Gordon Waller were affable British chaps that had a few hits in the mid-1960s in the wake of the British Invasion. “Word Without Love” was their biggest hit. The worlds of Peter Asher and Paul McCartney were intertwined for many years.

Tears For Fears – Arriving in the early 1980s as a synth-pop band, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal scored some big hits in the 1980s before disbanding in 1990. They would regroup several times, their music become more sophisticated and lush. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, “Advice for the Young at Heart”, “Sowing the Seeds of Love”, “Shout”.

Crosby & Nash – In between breaks from CS&N and CSN&Y, David Crosby and Graham Nash recorded a series of successful albums as a duo, and were in demand as harmony background singers on top albums. “Take the Money and Run”, “To the Last Whale” and “Carry Me” were a few of their best songs.

Indigo Girls – Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been recording and performing for almost 40 years. The Indigo Girls have their own unique style of folk-rock, building a core audience of fans and showing that two women can headline a successful group and establish a voice in contemporary music.

England Dan & John Ford Coley – Danny Wayland “England Dan” Seals and John Edward “John Ford” Coley scored a few big AM hits in the 1970s with soft rock covers “Nights are Forever Without You”, “I’d really Love to See You Again” and “Love is the Answer.” These songs are still in rotation.

Air Supply – For almost fifty years, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock have been releasing soft rock albums and touring the world. The band behind them has frequently changed, but Russell and Hitchcock have prospered. Eight, top five Billboard hits and a devoted audience, reflect the success of this Englishman and Aussie. “All Out of Love”, “Making Love Out of Nothing at All”, “The One That You Love” and “Here I Am” are just a few of there songs.

Flo & Eddie – Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman were founding members of the 1960s pop group, the Turtles. When the group disbanded, Kaylan and Volman hooked up with Frank Zappa for a series of albums, then became in demand vocalists for many top bands and solo artists. They released a number of albums as Flo & Eddie. Eventually, Kaylan and Volman acquired the rights to the Turtles music and could use their own names.

Heart – This band is more than just the Wilson sisters, but the Wilson sisters have been with Heart since their early formation in 1973 (members of Heart had played together in other variations). Through all of Heart’s resulting lineups, Ann and Nancy Wilson have been the core, and face of the band.

The Black Keys – Blues rockers Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums) came from the Midwest in the early 2000s. Their popularity exploded in 2010 with numerous Grammys for the next several albums and they began headlining arenas.

Ashford & Simpson – Writers, producers and performers Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson had a long career providing hits for other artists and some for themselves. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”, “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)”, “I’m Every Woman”, “It’s My House”, “Solid” and many more.

Chic – Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards fronted the 70’s disco/funk band Chic, and wrote and produced songs for other artists like “We Are Family”, “Upside Down”, “I’m Coming Out”, “My Old Piano”; and with Chic, “Le Freak”, “Everybody Dance”, “Good Times”, “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)” and many more.

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There are many duos I’ve left off the list, no disrespect intended, just duos that I don’t listen to. Jan & Dean, Wham!, Brooks and Dunn, The Judds, Johnny Cash & June Carter, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell and the aforementioned Everly Brothers and Sam & Dave.