Top 10 Greatest Tony Bennett Duets

MsMojo

Ah, those sultry tones! For this list, we’ll be looking at the best, most iconic, and timeless songs on which the late musical icon collaborated with his contemporaries.

Transcript

00:00 And what magic you'll see Let someone give his heart

00:07 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Tony Bennett

00:11 Duets.

00:12 It's awfully different without you Don't get around much anymore

00:19 For this list, we'll be looking at the best, most iconic and timeless songs on which the

00:24 late musical icon collaborated with his contemporaries.

00:27 Which Tony Bennett collab deserves a place in the Hall of Fame?

00:30 Let us know in the comments.

00:33 Number 10.

00:34 Ranks to Riches with Elton John While Tony Bennett wasn't the only artist

00:38 to record this song, there's no denying that his rendition is the one we measure all others

00:43 against.

00:44 Open the door To every treasure that I'm hoping for

00:52 Indeed, it's probably the best-known version, spending eight weeks in the top spot of the

00:56 Billboard charts in 1953 and earning Gold Certification.

01:01 And just as we thought it couldn't get any better, he threw another icon into the mix

01:05 - Elton John.

01:13 The two crooners' voices blend seamlessly and radiate such warmth that you can't help

01:18 but smile.

01:19 It's beautifully jazzy and an absolute classic.

01:22 Listening to them sing together, you'd think the song was written specifically for them

01:26 to duet.

01:34 Number 9.

01:36 Speak Low with Norah Jones As we'll soon see, Bennett collaborated with

01:40 the best of the best on his 2011 Duets 2 album.

01:49 Hearing him sing "This Is All I Ask" with Josh Groban is dreamy.

01:53 Meanwhile, "Who Can I Turn To When Nobody Needs Me" sung with Queen Latifah won the

01:57 Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists Grammy Award.

02:07 But hearing him sing "Speak Low" with Norah Jones is beyond stunning.

02:16 The arrangement is perfect, sultry, and slow, drawing out the absolute best from both jazz

02:21 vocalists.

02:22 And they complement each other so perfectly that it's almost like they were born to duet.

02:26 We'd happily listen to them on a loop.

02:36 Number 8.

02:37 The Way You Look Tonight with Thalia In 2012, Tony Bennett released his Viva Duets

02:42 album, celebrating Latinx artists and featuring songs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

02:47 Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, and Gloria Estefan are just some of the icons who feature

02:52 alongside him on the album.

02:59 But this bilingual version of "The Way You Look Tonight" with Mexican artist Thalia

03:03 stole our hearts.

03:04 Just listen to how well his soft, jazzy tones and her powerfully versatile voice work together.

03:17 Magnetic, isn't it?

03:18 It really makes you believe in every word they're singing, and the orchestration only

03:22 elevates it higher.

03:30 Number 7.

03:31 My Kind of Town with Frank Sinatra They say don't meet your heroes, but if you're

03:36 lucky, and talented enough, you just might end up singing alongside them.

03:48 Well at least that's true for Tony Bennett, who joined Old Blue Eyes on stage to sing

03:52 My Kind of Town.

03:59 Sinatra once told Life magazine that Bennett is, quote, "the best singer in the business,"

04:03 and added,

04:04 "He excites me when I watch him.

04:06 He moves me."

04:07 Does it get more iconic than that?

04:09 If we had a time machine, we'd totally go watch this duet live.

04:19 But perhaps we'd also make a pit stop to hear him sing with Judy Garland on her eponymous

04:23 talk show.

04:33 Number 6.

04:35 Stranger in Paradise with Andrea Bocelli When you pair up one of the greatest voices

04:39 in the American Songbook with one of the best tenors of all time, you get a duet that's

04:44 pure, well, paradise.

04:51 The individual and combined beauty of their respective styles only heighten the emotion

04:55 behind the lyrics.

05:01 And while they perform the number in a studio, there's no denying that a performance of this

05:05 magnificence belongs on a much grander stage.

05:09 And if you want to know how that might sound, check out this performance from Bocelli's

05:13 Central Park concert a year earlier.

05:23 No matter what genre they tackle, their commanding performances prove that this pairing is nothing

05:27 short of kismet.

05:38 Number 5.

05:39 Blue Velvet with Cady Lang According to an interview with the Desert

05:42 Sun, the first time Bennett heard Lang sing, he just knew "she has it."

05:53 If you're wondering what "it" is, well, he went on to liken her to artists like Judy

05:57 Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.

06:00 Much like the late legend, when Lang sings, you can tell it's from the depths of her soul.

06:04 And she wears her heart on her sleeve through every note.

06:14 So as you can imagine, her combined efforts with Bennett are as comforting to the ear

06:18 as Velvet is to the touch.

06:20 To call this number breathtaking barely does it justice.

06:31 Number 4.

06:32 How Do You Keep The Music Playing with Aretha Franklin

06:35 Can you imagine a better musical partner for this song than the Queen of Soul?

06:39 Okay, so his duet with George Michael is a close second.

06:50 But it really doesn't get much better than the back and forth between these two icons,

06:54 and the seamless blending of their respective styles.

07:03 The arrangement elevates the song's passion, and it's impossible not to get swept up by

07:07 their energies.

07:16 Throughout the number, we enjoy listening to two phenomenal vocalists find harmony in

07:21 both their voices, and emote through every syllable they sing.

07:25 While sadly, both are no longer with us, we'll gladly keep the music playing in their memory.

07:35 Number 3.

07:43 For Once in My Life with Stevie Wonder Yes, Stevie Wonder might have popularized

07:47 the song, but did you know that Bennett released his own version in 1967?

07:52 So it only made sense for the pair to collaborate on a jazzy ballad cover for Bennett's duets

07:56 and American Classic album.

08:05 The respect and admiration each has for the other shines through, and clearly pushes both

08:09 to deliver their absolute A-game.

08:12 And the track perfectly balances Bennett's softer tones with Wonder's powerful runs.

08:23 It probably won't surprise you that they won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration

08:27 with Vocals.

08:28 This isn't a duet you'll want to listen to just once in your life.

08:40 Number 2.

08:41 The Lady is a Tramp with Lady Gaga In 2011, Lady Gaga joined forces with Bennett

08:46 to record The Lady is a Tramp for his Duets 2 album.

08:54 The result? One of the most unexpected yet unparalleled collaborations of the modern

08:59 era.

09:00 We loved exploring this new side of Gaga's artistry.

09:02 Meanwhile, she helped introduce her singing partner to new audiences.

09:13 Bennett gushed over the time he spent with the singer, calling her quote "an artist

09:17 of exceptional singularity, just like Picasso."

09:20 Their partnership continued until his retirement, and included highlights like "I Get a Kick

09:25 Out of You" and "I've Got You Under My Skin."

09:32 But we'll never forget where it all began.

09:40 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

09:44 Sing You Sinners with John Legend Bennett and Legend give a saintly performance.

09:50 God Bless the Child with Billie Holiday A beautifully poignant showcase of two music

09:57 legends.

10:07 On the Sunny Side of the Street with Willie Nelson

10:09 This duet can brighten up even the dreariest of days.

10:20 If I Ruled the World with Celine Dion A duet to rule our hearts

10:35 New York State of Mind with Billy Joel A partnership that puts us in a great state

10:39 of mind.

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11:04 Body and Soul with Amy Winehouse Just months before the world lost one of

11:08 the greatest vocalists of the modern age, she and Bennett shared the privilege of singing

11:12 together.

11:21 This number is a testament to Winehouse's far-reaching talents and Bennett's skill

11:25 in bringing out the best in his collaborators.

11:28 The late crooner was in awe of Winehouse, comparing her to music greats like Dinah Washington

11:32 and Billie Holiday.

11:34 And you don't have to be a musical expert to agree.

11:39 There's just something so comforting about hearing these two sing together, and their

11:45 harmonies send chills throughout our bodies.

11:48 They certainly perform with all their body and soul.

11:51 Talk about a heavenly duet.

12:04 Do you agree with our picks?

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12:13 -

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