4 Classic Duets For The Perfect Father-Daughter Dance

The father-daughter dance at a wedding demands the perfect song, and a duet could very well conjure the right feel and level of emotion. We've chosen several classic duets from pop and rock history that achieve this, nailing the tender, complex, and sweet relationship between a parent and their offspring as they hit the floor at the latter's wedding for a definitive spin.

When making our choices, we wanted songs that are proudly and overtly sentimental, and at least touch on the profound and specific connection and love between a father and their now-grown child. Each reflects on the past with nostalgia, warmth, and a fond appreciation while also accepting that the relationship will change with the new stage in life brought by marriage and aging. These songs for two voices, reflecting the duo dynamic of the paternal bond, are ideally suited for a father-daughter dance at a wedding reception or other such important occasion.

Legendary crooner Nat "King" Cole first released what would become his signature song, "Unforgettable," in 1951. Forty years later, Cole's pop and R&B star daughter, Natalie Cole, scored a Top 20 hit with a duet version that wound up winning a Grammy for record of the year in 1992. The duet was made possible by modern, sophisticated studio wizardry, since the elder Cole died in 1965.

What was once a simple love song became something much grander and affecting. "Unforgettable" in its 1991 duet iteration was a father and daughter singing together without regard for distance, time, or the laws of life and death. The mere existence of "Unforgettable" is a testament and reflection of the strength of father-daughter love, making it a wonderful wedding dance choice. It's also a mutual tribute, as both singers pay homage to one another, reflecting on how wonderful they've always been and always will be, and how they're so thankful to feel so loved in return.

Once a classic rock and country rock icon, Linda Ronstadt crushed any genre she tried, including adult contemporary fare in the late 1980s. When matched up with the equally powerful pop-R&B singer James Ingram for the 1986 duet "Somewhere Out There," their vocal powers and belief in the material made what could've been a sappy or cheesy song into an emotionally resonant tear-jerker.

A defining duet of the '80s that made magic, "Somewhere Out There" is a song of reassurance and devotion, with two singers trading verses about how while they may be apart, they're on each other's minds and forever take up a big place in one another's hearts. That seems an especially appropriate sensibility for a wedding dance between a father and daughter, who may be experiencing similar feelings or fears of a distance growing after that milestone. But "Somewhere Out There" should make everyone feel better, and it may also fondly remind either party, depending on their age, of the classic kids' movie "An American Tail," from which the song originated.

One of Bill Withers' most popular songs and biggest hits is actually another musician's song, released on their album and crediting the singer as a second-billed guest. "Just the Two of Us" was a track on jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.'s 1980 LP "Winelight." It's presented as a duet, a blend of Washington's wordless but lyrical and soulful sax with Withers' rich voice delivering the lyrics.

The casually delivered and poetic lines of "Just the Two of Us" don't specify a type of love, making it a multipurpose love song. Because it was later covered by Will Smith (and his young son, Trey) with rapped verses specifically referring to a father-son history, "Just the Two of Us," no matter the version, lives on in the collective consciousness as a tune about parental love. Languid, earnest, and calming, it's perfectly suited for a wedding dance. Fathers and daughters both on and off the dance floor will get strong memories and big feelings from lyrics like "Just the two of us / Building castles in the sky" and "I wanna spend some time with you."

The Beatles' "Two of Us" is really about the easy, breezy good times that Paul McCartney shared with his first wife, Linda McCartney. But any deep relationship is built on friendship, and so many Beatles fans have assumed that the song is a misty look back at the pre-superstardom bond between McCartney and John Lennon, appearing on the Beatles' last studio LP, "Let It Be." And that might be because "Two of Us" is one of the rare Beatles songs that doesn't have a single and distinctive lead vocal — rather than one of them taking over, McCartney and Lennon sing together throughout the song and in a beautifully blended harmony. It's the rare true Beatles duet.

And harmony is the keyword and main theme of "Two of Us." It's got a cordial and dynamic "you and me against the world" feel that fits many close father-daughter relationships. A bit faster and jauntier than the usual wedding songs, it's quite easy to gently dance to, while lyrics like "You and me Sunday driving" and "Two of us sending postcards, writing letters" evoke pleasant memories of the past, while looking forward to the future.