Country Singles Jubilee 7.27.09: The Top 10 Favorite Country Duets Edition

Posted by Jasper Jones on 07.27.2009

The Jubilee takes a break from country singles reviews to join in on the latest craze, Top 10 Lists! We've got more duets than you can shake a stick at inside!

Welcome back, Jubileers! Since Top 10 Lists seem to be all the rage around 411 these days, I thought I'd take a little break from reviewing singles and join in on the fun too. I've said it time and time again: I'm a sucker for a good duet! So, this week I'm going to rank my Top 10 Favorite Country Duets! Since it's my favorite duets, some things will be glaringly missing. For instance I can't stand "Islands In the Stream", so don't expect it to be on the list. For reference, I don't like "Jackson" by Johnny and June either. No whining when they don make the cut, capeche?

MUSIC TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Jubilee's Top 10 Favorite Country Duets

Honorable Mentions

Marie Osmond & Dan Seals - "Meet Me In Montana"



"Meet Me In Montana" was Dan Seals' first Number 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. He'd had previous pop success as England Dan when he sang duets with John Ford Coley back in the 70s. This was Marie Osmond's second Number 1, her first being 1973's "Paper Roses". "Meet Me In Montana" toppled Ronnie Milsap's "Lost In the Fifties" for the Number 1 spot the week of October 12th, 1985. The song was such a hit that Osmond and Seals won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Vocal Duo of the Year award in 1986. The song is about two lovers who parted ways to fulfill their dreams. One goes to Nashville to become a country music star and the other goes to Hollywood to be in movies. Their dreams do not work out however, and the two realize that they are nothing without each other. They plan to drop everything and meet up in Montana to be with each other again.

Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn - "If You See Him, If You See Her"

Reba McEntire |MTV Music

"If You See Him, If You See Her" gave Reba McEntire her 21st Number 1 and Brooks & Dunn their 12th. The track was a brilliant collaboration by their respective record labels. It's the title track to Reba's 1998 album If You See Him and the title track to Brooks & Dunn's 1998 album If You See Her. It's an excellent song about two former lovers who still want to be together, but for some reason will not let each other know. In the video, Ronnie Dunn and Reba McEntire both sing about how much they still love each other to their mutual friend Kix Brooks. They ask him to let the other know if he sees them. However after the song is over, they both change their minds and tell Brooks to keep their conversations private. Reba and Dunn sound like they were made to sing together, and Brooks is a great wing man like always. The three would collaborate again and garner a Number 2 hit with "Cowgirls Don't Cry" in 2008.

Tim McGraw & Faith Hill - "It's Your Love"



"It's Your Love" was a gargantuan hit for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in 1997. The song topped the Hot Country Songs chart it's fifth week on it and stayed there for six weeks. It was such a huge hit that it cracked the the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at Number 7, giving McGraw and Hill their first pop success. The song and video was everywhere, completely un-inescapable. A tune this successful was bound to sweep the award shows, and it did. "It's Your Love" won the Academy Of Country Music's (ACM) Single of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year, and Vocal Event of the Year awards. It won the CMA's Vocal Event of the Year award. It even won Grammys for Best Country Collaboration and Best Country Song.

The List

10. Tanya Tucker & T. Graham Brown - "Don't Go Out"



"Don't Go Out" is a soulful country song by Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown in which they warn each other about the scandalous people they are going out with. It peaked at Number 6 on the Hot Country Songs chart and can be found on Tucker's 1990 album Tennessee Woman. It came during what could be considered a big comeback for Tanya Tucker in the late 80s and early 90s. She had suffered a bit of a drought in the late 70s and early 80s due to drug and alcohol abuse. "Don't Go Out" would be T. Graham Brown's last significant hit to date. He'd had past success with Number 1 songs "Hell and High Water" and "Don't Go To Strangers" in 1986. I always thought he looked a bit like Billy Joel. I've loved this song since before I can remember. In fact, Tucker's Tennessee Woman is probably one of the first cassettes I ever owned.

9. Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard - "Pancho & Lefty"



"Pancho & Lefty" was written and originally recorded by the great Townes Van Zandt for his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. It wasn't a hit until the song was recorded as a duet by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in 1983. Its about a Mexican bandit named Pancho and his friend who betrays him, Lefty. It's never clearly stated, but it's implied that Lefty told the federals where to find Pancho. Even though Lefty stooged, the song shines a sympathetic light on him saying "he only did what he had to do" and asks the listeners to pray for him. "Pancho & Lefty" is pretty revered amongst Townes' peers. It's been recorded or played live by numerous individuals including Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Delbert McClinton, and Steve Earle who once claimed that Townes was the greatest songwriter in the world and that he'd stand on Bob Dylan's glass coffee table in his cowboy boots and say it to his face. Townes makes a guest appearance in the video as a federale.

8. Loretta Lynn and Jack White - "Portland, Oregon"



Who would have thought that the collaboration of Jack White and Loretta Lynn could produce such a great album? Van Lear Rose is nearly perfect. What so funny about it is that even with White's production, it's still totally a Loretta album. It fits her perfectly. I have lots of respect for Jack White. I think his own style is different and severely important to the stale music scene. Plus, he's got a deep love of country music, evident by his work with Loretta, his bluegrass version of The Raconteurs' "Old Enough", and moving his base of operations to Nashville. "Portland, Oregon" is such a fun song. Loretta Lynn has always been feisty with songs like "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" and "Fist City", but "Portland, Oregon" is Loretta Lynn with a set of balls, and I love it.

7. Conway Twitty & Sam Moore - "Rainy Night In Georgia"



This is melancholy blues at its best right here. "Rainy Night In Georgia" was written by Tony Joe White and made famous by Brook Benton in 1970. This version was recorded by Conway Twitty and Sam Moore for Rhythm Country and Blues, an album that pairs up country and blues artists. It can also be found on Conway's last studio album Final Touches. Conway Twitty needs no introduction to readers of this column. However, Sam Moore might. He's the Sam half of Sam & Dave, of "Soul Man" fame. Conway and Sam's version of "Rainy Night In Georgia" is the best, and that's saying a lot because Benton's original and Hank Williams, Jr.'s cover are both incredible. Conway's growl mixed with Sam's smooth soulful voice makes for a great combination. Their banter at the end of the song shows just how much fun they were having recording it. Having died the previous summer, this was a posthumous release for Conway Twitty.

6. Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens - "Streets of Bakersfield"

Dwight Yoakam |MTV Music

Dwight Yoakam finally got to play with his idol, Buck Owens, when he recorded "Streets of Bakersfield" for his 1988 album Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room. Buck Owens is credited for "the Bakersfield" sound in country music, so who else better to join in on the duet? They could have fooled me, but "Streets of Bakersfield" wasn't written by Yoakam or Owens. It was actually written and recorded by fellow named Homer Joy in 1972. The song has been recorded numerous times though, three times by Owens himself. It's a universally loved song. On the CMT website, fans voted it "the most popular country song written about an American city". "Streets of Bakersfield" is an anthem for a sub-genre of music that has always walked along the edge of country music.

5. Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack - "Mendocino Country Line"

Willie Nelson |MTV Music

"Mendocino Country Line" marks Willie Nelson's second appearance on the countdown. This duet with Lee Ann Womack can be found on his 2002 album The Great Divide. The majority of critics panned the album due to its adult-contemporary feel, but I consider it to be one the best modern Willie Nelson albums. It even includes a song featuring Kid Rock that I enjoy. Crazy, right? I don't really know what it is about "Mendocino Country Line", but it has a very epic feel to it that I love. Womack's sweet, rich old-school voice mixed with Willie's classic outlaw-warble creates a perfect contrast. Their voices fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. "Mendocino Country Line" is currently Willie's last significant radio hit, sans his guest vocals on "Beer For My Horses".

4. Willie Nelson and Ray Charles - "Seven Spanish Angels"



I've known "Seven Spanish Angels" for probably twelve years now, and it still gives me goosebumps. Written by Eddie Setser and Troy Seals, it was a Number 1 song for Willie Nelson and Ray Charles in 1985. It can be found on Willie's Half Nelson album and on Ray's Friendship, an entire album of duets with country acts. The circumstances surrounding the story are vague, but I believe the song is about an American man on the run in Mexico who fell in love with a Mexican girl. The law catches up with him to take him back to Texas, but he decides to make a last stand and dies. The girl, so distraught over the death of her lover, picks up a gun she knows is empty just so the law will gun her down too. Now she can be with her lover forever in the afterlife. "Seven Spanish Angels" is an extremely beautiful and moving song that never crosses that cheesy line like most "heart-tugging" modern country songs. It shows Ray Charles' passion for country music, which just adds to the reasons why he was such a true legend.

3. Reba McEntire and Linda Davis - "Does He Love You"



This is the third time I have covered this song since The Jubilee's inception back in October, but that just proves the greatness of "Does He Love You". Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, a little-known back up singer at the time, recorded this duet in 1993 for Reba''s Greatest Hits Volume 2 album. It almost never came to be. Reba's record label didn't think a female-female duet would get over very well, and they are right. "Does He Love You" is the only female-female duet to make this list. They also didn't want Reba to record the duet with Linda Davis. The label didn't think her voice was powerful enough to match Reba's, and they feared the audience wouldn't care because they didn't know who she was. Mrs. McEntire new a good song when she saw one though and recorded it anyway. "Does He Love You" flew up the charts to Number 1 and picked up the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. I could have chose to include the awesome video where Reba blows up Linda and the cheating boyfriend on a boat, but I found a live award show performance of Reba in that smokin' hot red dress.

2. David Frizzell and Shelly West - "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma"



"You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" is a completely guilty pleasure of mine. For the life of me, I cannot tell you exactly why I love this song so much. It's much like Osmond and Seals' "Meet Me In Montana". Lovers split over their dreams and realize they might have made a mistake. Shelly West has moved out to Hollywood to become a star and left her lover, David Frizzell, back in Oklahoma to farm. "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" became a Number 1 smash in 1981. Due to its success, Frizzell and West recorded a handful of duet albums together, each with moderate success. The duo is rich in country music pedigree. David is the brother of country legend Lefty Frizzell, and Shelly is the daughter of Dottie West, a country diva who died way too early.

1. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn - "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"

Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn - Louisiana Woman, MississippiUploaded by tartenpion333. - Explore more music videos.

Was there any doubts about what number one would be? If you hadn't already realized it was going to be Conway and Loretta, you need to brush up on your country music. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn are the greatest country duet partners of all time. They are better than George and Tammy, Johnny and June, Kenny and Dolly, and all the others. Conway and Loretta share this certain spark that just makes you smile, even when they're singing a sad song. "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" is so fun and catchy that I have yet to find someone who hates this song. It's so universally loved that it wound up on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack alongside acts like Rick James, KISS, Eddie Money, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill. You can actually listen to Conway and Loretta while going on a killing spree with a sub-machine gun!

That's all folks! Come on back next week and hang out with The Jubilee! Until then, keep thinking my tractor's sexy and always kiss an angel good morning!