4 Memorable Duets That Did Big Business in 1987

Duets have always played a major role in the pop music scene. But it seems like they were especially prevalent in the 80s, doesn’t it? We certainly heard our fair share of talented voices coexisting beautifully in that era.

1987 proved an especially strong year for duets on the pop charts. Here are four that are still lingering in the consciousness of everyone who lived through that era.

“(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

When you read about the making of this song from Dirty Dancing, you realize that hardly anyone involved was too thrilled about being involved with it. Bill Medley, who was far from the first choice of the producers, originally balked. Jennifer Warnes hesitated until it was suggested that she might get to sing it with Medley. Finally, Medley came back on board. The dynamic between the two singers wasn’t entirely unlike what Medley had with The Righteous Brothers. Warnes takes the high spots amidst Medley’s booming low notes. It was Warnes’ second No. 1 duet hit of the decade, after “Up Where We Belong” with Joe Cocker, which also smashed.

“The Next Time I Fall” by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant

Sometimes, the choice to go a bit off the beaten path for duet partners can make a huge difference. The writers of “The Next Time I Fall” (Bobby Caldwell of “What You Won’t Do For Love” fame and Paul Gordon) thought they’d be pitching the song to Chicago. When Peter Cetera left that band, they decided to pass it along to him anyway. Cetera, meanwhile, chose Amy Grant as his singing partner, even though, at that time, she was mostly known for her Christian music. What ultimately mattered was the chemistry between the two, along with the solidity of the song written by Caldwell and Gordon. “The Next Time I Fall” soared to No. 1 on the pop charts.

“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” by George Michael and Aretha Franklin

George Michael bestrode the pop world in 1986, standing on the cusp of leaving Wham! behind for solo stardom. Aretha Franklin had resuscitated her career in the decade when it came to her pop crossover success. Michael had the opportunity to write the song that the pair would sing together, but time constraints kept him from doing so. Instead, writers-for-hire Simon Climie (later a one-hit wonder in the US with the band Climie Fisher and the song “Love Changes Everything”) and Dennis Morgan delivered “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”. Hearing these two masters ad-libbing through the extended closeout on this No. 1 hit is something special.

“Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram

The previous songs all hit No. 1 on the charts in 1987. “Somewhere Out There” came up just short of that at No. 2. But it certainly didn’t lack for vocal star power. Linda Ronstadt had stepped away from the pop music wars for a while in the 80s to release albums in a variety of genres. Meanwhile, James Ingram was a popular choice for duets, even though it took him a while to find his groove as a solo act on the pop charts. (That time would come when he recorded “I Don’t Have The Heart” in 1990.) Peter Asher, who produced Ronstadt’s ultra-successful albums in the 70s, took that role on this song as well. It doesn’t get much better than these two voices intertwined on a ballad.

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