BY: Alexis Eichelberger

Is there anything better than when our favorite artists collaborate?

When two or more great musicians blend their styles and create something new, the best songs evolve. We’ve put together a playlist of some of our favorite collaborations, featuring the people who have made the collab track a staple in popular music. We included a little breakdown of our choices and an entire Spotify playlist for your listening enjoyment.

Here are some of our favorite music alliances of all time.

CLASSIC ROCK STAPLES

Many of the older tracks on our list come from classic rock legends. These guys and gals, including the Beatles, Aerosmith, Santana, and Eric Clapton, pioneered the collaboration to rock radio waves and concert stages across America. And their music has continued to inspire the younger generations dominating the charts today (see: Stevie Nicks and Miley Cyrus’ epic track “Edge of Midnight”).

 

HIP-HOP ESSENTIALS

If classic rockers introduced us to the art of the collab, hip-hop made it what it is today. Rappers have been hopping on each other’s tracks for feature verses since the genre’s beginnings. In our playlist, we were sure to include classics like Tupac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” and modern favorites like Lil Peep and XXXtentación’s “Falling Down.”

EDM MASTERPIECES

EDM music wouldn’t be what it is without popular vocalists teaming up with the best producers to create the high-energy tracks we love. Some of our favorite recent hits from this genre include The Chainsmokers’ “Closer (feat. Halsey),” Avicii’s “Wake Me Up (feat. Aloe Blacc),” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers).”

 

POP PERFECTION

Last but not least, we spotlighted some of the most significant pop partnerships from recent years. Who could forget Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and its many remixes featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, BTS, Diplo, and more? Other highlights include Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito (feat. Justin Bieber), and Taylor Swift and ZAYN’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” and Ed Sheeran’s “South of the Border (feat. Camila Cabello and Cardi B).”