3 of the Best Country Duets of All Time

“The more the merrier,” is how the saying goes, and it couldn’t be more true when it comes to country music and duets. Perfectly harmonized pieces, talking blues songs, ballads, and so many more country music songs have seen how duets can amplify any type of tune.

Consequently, many country musicians have capitalized on duets and by doing so have made some of the most iconic performances of their careers. That being so, here are three country duets that are considered to be some of the best of all time.

1. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard

When folks think of duets, they typically think of a male and female. Well, leave it to Nelson and Haggard to tear down gender norms with their duet of “Pancho and Lefty.” Released in 1983, the title track of their album is a cover of the original Townes Van Zandt song.

While Nelson portrays Pancho and Haggard as Lefty, the two voices beautifully accompany one another and give life to both the characters in the ballad. All in all, the duet is both a great narrative technique and a way to showcase two of country music’s biggest powerhouse acts.

2. Dolly Parton and Vince Gill

Performing at The Grand Ole Opry in 1995, Parton and Gill join forces to give a spell-binding performance of Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Words cannot even describe just how powerful the two vocalists are. However, Gill’s tenor matched with Parton’s soprano creates a very grandiose and tasteful vocal pairing.

In addition to the gorgeous performance, the two share an on-stage chemistry and charisma of seasoned performers. In essence, the performance marks a historical duet given the sheer vocal magnitude the two performers share. Since the original duet, the two have gone on to perform the song together on numerous other occasions.

2. Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty

Known for dueting on a vast amount of songs, one of their most notable duets is on “It’s Only Make Believe.” After the two became a professional pair in 1971, Lynn and Twitty would go on to release 13 singles. 12 of them reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart before the chart ceased to exist in 1981.

Regardless, “It’s Only Make Believe” is one of the pairs’ most powerful duets given the strong sense of melancholy the vocalists provide listeners. It’s raw, real, and an expose of the powerful message two strong country voices can deliver with strong country lyrics.

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