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4 Forgotten Duets From the 1980s That Still Sound Ethereal
American Songwriter has revisited four duets from the 1980s that it argues deserve more recognition today, praising their dreamy, ethereal quality despite being largely overlooked by modern listeners. The list mixes well-known artists with more obscure pairings, highlighting how chart success at the time did not always translate into lasting cultural memory, particularly in the United States.
The featured tracks are "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush (1986), which reached No. 9 in the UK and was cited by Elton John as helping his sobriety; "Since Yesterday" by Strawberry Switchblade (1984), a synth-pop hit about nuclear war that peaked at No. 5 in the UK; "In a Lifetime" by Clannad and Bono (1985), Bono's most successful solo release, which reached No. 17 in the UK; and "On My Own" by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald (1986), which topped the charts in the US and Canada.
– Article revisits four 1980s duets deemed unfairly forgotten today – "Don't Give Up" (Gabriel/Bush) reportedly helped Elton John stay sober – "On My Own" (LaBelle/McDonald) hit No. 1 in the US and Canada
Explained simply
The 1980s saw the release of several duets that achieved commercial success during their original time but have since faded from public memory. These are songs that were played on radio, reached the charts, and in some cases even topped the charts, yet most modern listeners would struggle to recognise them.
Four particular duets exemplify this pattern. "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush reached number nine in the UK charts, whilst "On My Own" by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald topped the charts in the United States and Canada. Strawberry Switchblade's "Since Yesterday" and Clannad's "In a Lifetime" featuring Bono, both also from the mid-1980s, complete the group.
This pattern reveals something important about how the music industry and public memory work together. Some recordings, despite commercial success at the time of release, do not endure in cultural consciousness the way others do. Understanding these forgotten duets helps illustrate which songs genuinely shaped popular music and which ones disappeared, regardless of their original chart performance.