It's said two heads are better than one, and when two rock stars come together for a crushing duet, the result does indeed suggest that there's some truth to the old saying. From the sweeping eloquence of classic metal ballads to modern cuts that see singers joining forces for more than the sum of their parts, the following metal team-ups are proof positive that some of the best songs come from a creative collaboration between great minds and voices. Read on to find out what duets you, the fans, voted to the top.
5. Killswitch Engage - "The Signal Fire" featuring Howard Jones
Killswitch Engage set fans' hearts aflame when they paired with former lead singer Howard Jones for the metal duet of summer 2019, "Signal Fire." Built on a whip-fast cycle of churning, pummeling riffs and the lion-like roar of vocalist Jesse Leach, Jones' introduction comes as a gut-punch surprise around the one-minute mark and takes the song from excellent to transcendent — a perfect merging of the old and new.
4. Megadeth - "À Tout le Monde" featuring Cristina Scabbia
Heavy-metal power ballads are a rarer thing mostly associated with days of yore, but leave it to Megadeth mastermind Dave Mustaine to orchestrate a perfect one with 2009's duet with Cristina Scabbia on "À Tout le Monde." While probably better known for his gruff vocal style on the group's thrashier work, Mustaine lets his voice soar alongside the Lacuna Coil powerhouse. The pair waver between English and French lyrics, singing atop a whirlwind of epically harmonized guitar licks, reworking the Megadeth classic with aplomb.
3. Motörhead - "I Ain't No Nice Guy" featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Slash
Sometimes when you combine too many good things, the outcome isn't so great (see: almost every supergroup out there). But Lemmy Kilmister and Ozzy Osbourne — along with a key role played by Guns N' Roses axeman Slash — joined forces and overcame that curse on the unforgettable "I Ain't No Nice Guy." Containing all the elements to make it a perfectly huge 1992 rock song while giving each star equal time to shine, the cut is a sacred moment that sees two beasts of the genre in their weathered prime, not competing but propping one another up in show of greatness for the ages.
2. Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne - "Close My Eyes Forever"
Ozzy rears his beautiful head again on this list with the Lita Ford duet "Close My Eyes Forever," yet another huge metal ballad filled with theatricality, emotion, riffs and pure sonic power. Maybe just as famous for its epically late-Eighties video in which both lead stars are sporting some majorly teased-out hair, the song is a staple of an era when the shoulder pads were big, the synths were key, and if the cheese factor was high, the sales were good.
1. Deftones - "Passenger" featuring Maynard James Keenan
It's hard to overestimate the individual talents of Chino Moreno and Maynard James Keenan, so when blended in gorgeous harmony on one enormous song, the effect is mind-boggling. Such rings true on their 2000 pairing "Passenger," long a Revolver fan favorite and a shoe-in for the top spot on this list. As the story goes, Keenan wasn't even supposed to be on the song, but while hanging out with the Deftones, he seized the mic, and the rest is — luckily for all of us — rock duet history.
