A musical collaboration can produce some of the most extraordinary work ever, especially in pop music, where artists are more than musicians; they're immersed in pop culture. Everyone has their desired dream teams they'd love to see together, but in some cases, like David Bowie and Coldplay, they're not meant to be.

Sometimes, it's the collaborations behind the scenes that don't get enough attention, like artists must have a breakthrough before they can find a perfect pairing. Therefore, the collaborations we already do have must be appreciated, because there's no telling what will come next.

Additionally, these collaborations carry a lot of weight in music lore. Some have been used to help put a great career back on track, while others are remixes that elevate a great song to a phenomenal one. Then there are those where two artists come together simply because they can. Either way, music fans are fortunate to see it, hear it, and be all about it. These pop collaborations aren't just ordinary tunes, they're anthems that are timeless.

10 Nelly - Dilemma Ft. Kelly Rowland

Album: Nellyville (2002)

When Nelly burst on the scene in 2000, he did so with his album, Country Grammar, which finished number-one on the US Billboard 200 that year. There was no denying he was one of the great up-and-coming artists, and this was certified in 2002 when he released his sophomore album Nellyville, which featured the hit "Dilemma" alongside Kelly Rowland of the then powerhouse trio, Destiny's Child.

Getting Rowland on a track was huge for Nelly, as she was coming off of the successful 2001 Destiny's Child album, Survivor. The collaboration between the two ended up on all the airwaves. The song would wind up at the number-one spot on five different Billboard charts. It became so acclaimed that, by the decade's end, it was still ranked highly on various charts. Most notably, it finished at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (2000-2009).

9 Daft Punk - Get Lucky Ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers

Album: Random Access Memories (2013)

Almost a decade after their third album in 2005, Daft Punk experienced a resurgence in 2013 with the hit single from their Random Access Memories album, "Get Lucky." The song provided the group with a chance to finally collaborate with the legendary Nile Rodgers. They had been trying to make a collaboration with Rodgers happen since their debut in 1997. It also gave them an opportunity to work with Pharrell Williams of the hip-hop band N.E.R.D.

After securing the collaboration with both, the track was set and it became a massive hit. The song placed on an incredible 12 weekly US Billboard charts. It also helped Daft Punk win two Grammy Awards at the 56th edition of the event for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Following the track's success, Pharrell went on to release his second solo album, which featured the massive hit "Happy." As for Daft Punk, they have disbanded, and if this is their final hit, it was an incredible way to go out.

8 Beyoncé - Beautiful Liar Ft. Shakira

Album: B'Day Deluxe Edition (2007)

As Beyoncé was looking to officially break away from her time in Destiny's Child and fully cross over into being a solo artist, she did so with her second solo studio album, B'Day. Of course, the album is fondly ed for the massive hit "Irreplaceable," but when the deluxe edition came out, fans were treated to a new song that featured the powerhouse pairing of Beyoncé and Shakira. Shakira was coming off an incredible 2005, so to see them together was catching lightning in a bottle.

The song was in Spanglish, which was unique, as it helped blend different cultures and styles of music.

Just having these two together was great enough. From their voices to their dance moves, fans were mesmerized. However, what was incorporated into the track truly stood out. The song was in Spanglish, which was unique, as it helped blend different cultures and styles of music. It allowed both artists to be themselves, and showed how two superstars could get the most out of working together. The risks they took on this track paid off, as it is 3x Platinum in the United States.

7 Elton John - Cold Heart (Pnau Remix) Ft. Dua Lipa

Album: The Lockdown Sessions (2021)

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to shut down, the legendary Elton John didn't want to just sit around. Instead, the six-time Grammy Award winner decided to create his third collaborative album up to that point. The Lockdown Sessions featured some incredible work on it, including John collaborating with Stevie Wonder, Eddie Vedder, and Miley Cyrus. Among all the remarkable work to choose from, it was the song "Cold Heart" that stood out.

For this song, John enlisted the help of dance group Pnau, with whom he had previously worked with in 2012 on another collaborative record, Good Morning to the Night. To create this track, John and the group mixed four of his hit songs: "Rocket Man," "Kiss the Bride," "Where's the Shoorah?," and "Sacrifice." With such an iconic mashup already, things were made even bigger when 3x Grammy Award-winner Dua Lipa ed the track. The song between the two has already gone 4x Platinum in the United States.

6 Eminem - Love The Way You Lie Ft. Rihanna

Album: Recovery (2010)

As one of the greatest rappers ever, Eminem can pretty much choose whomever he'd like to work with. This was no different when he began to lay out "Love the Way You Lie," and Eminem ultimately chose Rihanna. In her own right, Rihanna was a certified star, but since then, she has gone on to achieve even greater success than she had at the time. This makes the collaboration that much more special.

With almost three billion views on YouTube, it's safe to say the song will go down as an all-time hit for both artists.

Eminem made the right choice, as it's hard to envision anyone other than Rihanna singing on this track. Furthermore, their star power resulted in this being the most successful track from Recovery. That truly says something, as the song was competing against hits such as "Space Bound," "No Love," and the megahit, "Not Afraid." To date, the song has spawned a sequel, "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)," and with almost three billion views on YouTube, it's safe to say the song will go down as an all-time hit for both artists.

5 JAY-Z - Empire State Of Mind Ft. Alicia Keys

Album: The Blueprint 3 (2009)

Over the years, some massive hits by absolute legends have paid tribute to New York City. From "Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra to "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel to "N.Y. State of Mind" by Nas, another one arrived in 2009 when Jay-Z released "Empire State of Mind" featuring Alicia Keys on piano and vocals.

The universe can work in mysterious ways, as the song's release in 2009 coincided with a legendary postseason run by the New York Yankees. The Yankees would eventually go on to win the World Series, and it was during Game Two that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed this live at Yankee Stadium. It became synonymous not only with the team, but with the city as a whole. With over one billion streams on Spotify, this is a certified anthem.

4 Aretha Franklin - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) Ft. George Michael

Album: Aretha (1986)

In 1986, Aretha Franklin released her 31st studio album. It was an incredible accomplishment by the two-time Rolling Stone "Greatest Singer of All Time," but Franklin was proving that her days of hit-making were not over. For the track "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," Franklin enlisted the help of former Wham! member George Michael. It was in that same year that Michael broke away from the duo to focus on his solo career.

This song became a launching pad for Michael, who would go on to release his first solo album in 1987. As for Franklin, she went on to release an incredible seven more studio albums. This pairing wasn't exactly one people may have thought of right away, but it ultimately worked. Both musicians are legends in their own right, so seeing them together on this track will forever be an important piece of music history as their legacies continue to be honored.

3 Taylor Swift - Bad Blood Ft. Kendrick Lamar

Album: 1989 (2014)

Taylor Swift has become not only one of the biggest artists in the world, but also one of the greatest icons. Swift is known for singing about her life and feelings, so the track "Bad Blood" was another on that list. However, this song was incredibly fierce, and displayed more aggression in the lyrics. To make things even bigger, Swift added Kendrick Lamar to the track and the two collaborated on a hit that reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The real disappointment for fans was not seeing the two perform this together during the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

This is another track where the significance grew more as time went on. During the song's release, Kendrick Lamar had put out a few albums, and his career was growing. For Swift, it wasn't selling out stadiums every night just yet. Now, that has all changed. Swift only plays in stadiums and Lamar has come to be regarded as one of the greatest rappers. If this were released now, there's no telling how big it could get. The real disappointment for fans was not seeing the two perform this together during the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

2 RUN DMC - Walk This Way Ft. Aerosmith

Album: Raising Hell (1986)

Sometimes a collaboration can result in a mutual benefit, allowing both parties to walk away with something different. For Run-DMC, they took a chance by remixing the 1975 track "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith and collaborating with a major rock band as they were trying to ascend in popularity. For Aerosmith, it was an opportunity to work with an up-and-coming hip-hop group, potentially introducing them to a new audience and giving their career a resurgence.

Ultimately, it paid off for both sides, as the song charted at number four and went Platinum in the United States. This collaboration opened exciting possibilities for music as it blended two different genres so effectively. It truly laid the foundation not only for future collaborations, but for artists in general. It also signified that you could never predict who would team up, and sometimes it's the pairing you'd never expect that becomes the best.

1 Michael Jackson - The Girl Is Mine Ft. Paul McCartney

Album: Thriller (1982)

Combining Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney brought together two of the most famous musicians of all time. In fact, their pairing was so significant that it occurred three times. The songs "Say Say Say" and "The Man" were recorded for McCartney's 1983 album, Pipes of Peace. While "Say Say Say" achieved phenomenal success and reached Platinum status in the United States, there was something even more special about "The Girl Is Mine."

Combining Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney brought together two of the most famous musicians of all time.

This particular song was from Jackson's all-time best-selling record, Thriller. The song received a lot of play since it was on the tracklist, and became memorable amid stiff competition from the album. This special collaboration goes deeper than just the numbers as it did not stop with only Jackson and McCartney; the track was actually produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, making it an even richer piece of music history.