What kind of music comes to mind when you hear “male duo”? You might instinctively think of vocal-centric styles like pop, folk, or soul.
Those duos are wonderful, of course, but precisely because a duo is the smallest group format, there are many pairs who play a wide range of music with a free, unconstrained sensibility.
In this article, using the theme of male duos as our guide, we’ll introduce a selection of classic Western tracks that cross genre boundaries—not just pop, but rock, techno, hip-hop, and more.
You might even discover, “Wait, that classic was by a male duo?”
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The Appeal of Western Male Duos: Recommended Masterpieces and Popular Songs (1–10)
The Sound of SilenceSimon&Garfunkel
The folk duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, Simon & Garfunkel, produced numerous major hits in the 1960s and had a profound influence on later folk music.
In 1964, they released The Sound of Silence, which was also featured in the 1967 American film The Graduate.
The song is notable for its lyrically rich depth and the duo’s harmonies, which convey quiet yet powerful emotion.
ClassicMKTO
MKTO is a pop duo consisting of Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller.
Both originally worked as actors—Malcolm Kelley, for instance, appeared as a child actor in the American TV series LOST, which enjoyed a cult following in the 2000s.
Their second single, Classic, released in 2013, became a hit with its catchy, danceable pop sound.
Unfortunately, Tony Oller left the group in 2021, but given how young they still are, we can look forward to their future endeavors!
Wake Me Up Before You Go-GoWham!
Wham! is a British pop duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.
Their 1984 release “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” became a hit not only in the UK but also in the United States and elsewhere, propelling them to global stardom.
Featured on their second album, “Make It Big,” the song’s irresistibly bright, feel-good sound is its biggest charm!
Always On My MindPet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are a pop duo formed in 1981 by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.
“Always On My Mind” is a song also known for Elvis Presley’s 1970s release, but Pet Shop Boys covered it in 1987 to mark the 10th anniversary of Elvis’s death.
What’s remarkable about them is how they transformed a poignant ballad expressing the sorrow of heartbreak into a completely different synth-pop sound!
Everybody Wants To Rule The WorldTears for Fears
Tears for Fears is an electropop duo formed by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, known for scoring numerous hits in the 1980s.
Released in 1985, Everybody Wants To Rule The World is a striking track that contrasts lyrics about people’s desire for control with a buoyant new wave sound.
It remains enduringly popular and became the most-streamed song from the entire 1980s on Spotify in 2021.
Stressed Outtwenty one pilots
Twenty One Pilots are a duo from Ohio who emerged from the indie scene and rose to major popularity in the pop landscape from the 2010s onward.
They originally started as a three-piece, but after releasing their debut album, they shifted to the current duo lineup.
Blending genres like hip-hop, electropop, and rock with deft, nuanced arrangements, they’ve produced many hit songs.
The track featured here is Stressed Out, from their fourth album Blurryface, released in 2015, which reached No.
1 on the U.S.
charts.
Stressed Out distills elements of alternative hip-hop and rap rock into something poppy and catchy, showcasing the band’s distinctive sensibilities, and it became a worldwide smash as the album’s lead single.
What deserves special attention are the lyrics, which read like a state of resignation, lacking any overtly positive words.
The song’s wistful longing for a childhood brimming with dreams may have resonated perfectly—perhaps a little too perfectly—with today’s stress-filled society.
One More TimeDaft Punk
Daft Punk is an electronic duo formed in Paris, France in 1993, consisting of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter.
One More Time is one of their signature songs and is included on their second album, Discovery, released in 2001.
It is also well known for having a promotional video directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, famed for Galaxy Express 999.
Much like the two members, who wore robot-like helmets and never showed their faces, the track is a classic that delivers a futuristic, sci-fi-like sense of weightlessness in its electro-disco sound.