Image Press Agency / Depositphotos.com
Some of the biggest pop songs ever weren’t made by one artist alone. Put two or more stars together, add a catchy chorus and sometimes you get a song that completely takes over the charts.
Here are 10 of the biggest pop collaborations ever:
1. Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk!”
This one was basically unavoidable in 2015. “Uptown Funk!” spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining pop songs of the decade.
2. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
A movie duet that became a real-life chart monster. “Shallow” won the Oscar for Best Original Song and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
3. Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Two massive pop stars teaming up for a dramatic throwback ballad? Yes, please. The song eventually reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and became one of the biggest collaborations of 2024–25.
4. Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa & P!nk – “Lady Marmalade”
Four major female artists. One massive song. The 2001 collaboration reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most memorable all-female pop collaborations ever.
5. Rihanna feat. Drake – “Work”
“Work” wasn’t just a hit. It spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Rihanna and Drake’s signature collaborations.
6. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”
A rapper and an R&B superstar turned New York into the setting for one of the biggest songs of 2009. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
7. Pink feat. Nate Ruess – “Just Give Me a Reason”
A breakup song that somehow became everyone’s breakup song. The collaboration reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and became one of Pink’s biggest hits.
8. Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga – “Rain on Me”
This was the pop collaboration nobody knew they needed. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving both artists another chart-topper.
9. Bruno Mars & ROSÉ – “APT.”
The BLACKPINK star and Bruno Mars turned a simple-sounding chorus into a global phenomenon. The song became a major international hit and gave Mars yet another huge collaboration.
10. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson – “Say Say Say”
Two music legends sharing one song? That’s basically pop history in one recording. “Say Say Say” spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.
The best part about pop collaborations is that you never really know what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s two artists from the same world. Sometimes it’s two artists who seem completely random together. Either way, it’s clear pop collabs grab its listeners.
