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Top 10 Cross-Genre Collaborations
Other | Wednesday 15th October 2014 | Ben
Music collaborations are like food combinations, some combos - peanut butter and chocolate are perfect together but pretty obvious. However, once in a while, some crazy geniuses decides to do the unexpected, break the mould. Why not throw sea salt onto caramel? Who says I can’t put ice cream in a Coke? These combinations bring out something incredible in each ingredient that we never knew they possessed and cross genre collaborations do the same. Here are some of the greatest genre-breaking collaborations!
10. Driven To Tears – Robert Downey Jr and Sting
From Iron Man to Music Man. Yeah we were surprised too! Cross-genre and cross profession, Downey Jr has got some pipes on him. This wasn’t even the first time these two have collaborated, they re-recorded ‘Every Breath You Take’ for the US show ‘Ally McBeal’.
9. Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve and Gwen Stefani
A classic track from the early noughties. There’s even a Dr. Dre cameo at the end!
8. American Boy – Estelle and Kanye West
Estelle’s break out song is all about the allure of US. A great blend of Estelle’s soulful London voice and Kanye’s humorous rap. Also, how often do you get to hear Kanye rapping about Ribena?
7. Take Off Your Cool – OutKast and Norah Jones
A soft and melodious song about being yourself in a relationship. A great track showcasing Andre 3000’s vocal range.
6. Numb/Encore – Linkin Park and Jay-Z
A perfect example of how well rock and rap can really work. Even Linkin Park haters cannot deny this track is good. A very well-blended sound considering it’s the fusion of two vastly different tracks.
5. Heard Em’ Say – Kanye West and Adam Levine
A brilliant mix of West’s pessimism and Levine’s sweet sentimental vocals with a brilliantly simple video to boot.
4. You Got The Dirtee Love – Florence and The Machine and Dizzee Rascal
The song that took 2010 by storm. A completely unexpected collaboration...and yet when listening to it we’re surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.
3. Dancing In The Street (1985) - David Bowie and Mick Jagger
Sir Mick and The Thin White Duke clearly had a blast making this (just look at Jagger’s dance moves!). Originally intended to be a live performance for Live Aid via satellite with Bowie in Wembley Stadium and Jagger in J.F.K. Stadium, the idea was scrapped because there would be a 2 second delay. Thankfully Jagger flew down to Abbey Road and Dancing In The Street was born
2. Stan – Eminem and Dido
Deemed to be his greatest song by some, ‘Stan’ is a brilliant look into the obsession with celebrities. Haunting and introspective with superb guest vocals from Dido, ‘Stan’ is one of the defining songs of the 2000s.
1. Walk This Way – Aerosmith and Run DMC.
The greatest cross-genre collaboration of all time. It put hip-hop on the map, becoming the first hip-hop song to hit the Billboard top 5 which was followed by many pop starts incorporating hip hop into their songs. It made Run DMC household names and turned around Aerosmith’s fortunes single-handedly. But most importantly, it inspired future generations to experiment with different types of music and not be confined to one style.
