The 4 Best '70s Duets With Big Age Gaps

The 1970s yielded a great number of musical achievements, from the unquestionable takeover of rock 'n' roll to the flourishing of soul, R&B, country, folk rock, and more. But an underrated strength of the decade was in its duets, which ranged from pure AM gold to these multi-generational masterpieces. A great duet can shine in many ways, from its pure vocal prowess to its singers' audible chemistry to the timelessness of its songwriting. Each of these '70s duets brings a unique piece of catchiness to the table as the generationally divided singers each give it their all.

These four songs vary across genres and styles, but they each hit the nail on the head with their understanding of what makes a duet great. Eight talented singers each deliver memorable performances, and none are truly outshone by their co-star. We'll hear from legends like Kenny Rogers, Paul Anka, and Diana Ross, as well as one of the greatest pop stars of all time and some of their less-heralded counterparts. Here are four incredible duets that feature notably large age gaps.

This 1978 smash hit was a career-reviving moment for Johnny Mathis, who achieved the heights of his popularity in the '50s and '60s — but until this song, he had never hit the Billboard Hot 100. In collaboration with Deniece Williams, 15 years Mathis' junior, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" was born, bringing a classic duet feel to '70s fans. The song was a major success, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in early June of '78. The silky-smooth song is quick, at just under three minutes, but it packs a serious punch with its standout vocals and cosmic harmonies.

Most notably in the song is its tight, infinitely catchy chorus, which the duo handles perfectly with their complementary voices: "Too much, too little, too late to lie again with you / Too much, too little, too late to try again with you / We're in the middle of ending something that we knew / Was over / Oh, it was over / Too much, too little, too late to ever try again / Too much, too little, too late, let's end it being friends / Too much, too little, too late, we knew it had to end / And it's over / It's over." Mathis and Williams are at the height of '70s pop music here, and it's a duet we'll be circling back to for years to come.

This legendary duo worked together many times throughout their career, including on one of the best pop supergroups of all time, but this duet is definitively their best. Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, who were 14 years apart, brought their superstar energies to "Ease On Down the Road," which was recorded for the soundtrack of the film adaptation of "The Wiz" in 1978. The song wasn't a breakaway commercial success, but it was still respectable, peaking at No. 41 on the Hot 100 in October of '78 and holding a chart spot for nine weeks.

"Ease On Down the Road" is a joyous and upbeat song, where Ross and Jackson clearly let loose and have fun over the four-minute runtime. Jackson's vocals are as polished as ever, and blend excellently with his counterpart's harmonies in the verses and chorus alike: "Pick your left foot up / When your right foot's down / Come on legs keep movin' / Don't you lose no ground / You just keep on keepin' / On the road that you choose / Don't you give up walkin' / 'Cause you gave up shoes, no / Ease on down, ease on down the road / Come on, ease on down, ease on down the road." It's pop perfection, and we wholeheartedly recommend this multi-generational duet.

This father-daughter duet tells a very different story from their real-life relationship, but it's performed impressively by the established country singer and his teenage daughter. Conway Twitty was 24 years older than his daughter, Joni, who recorded the hit song "Don't Cry Joni" when she was just 16. The song reached a respectable No. 63 on the Hot 100 in January of 1976, and hit No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1975.

At first glance, "Don't Cry Joni" may seem to refer to the pair's father-daughter relationship, but in fact, the song's focus is not at all related to or inspired by the real-life Joni. Instead, it's a years-spanning ballad of a lost love due to age: "Jimmy, please say you'll wait for me / I'll grow up someday you'll see / Saving all my kisses just for you / Signed with love, forever true ... Jimmy, Jimmy please don't cry / You'll forget me by and by / It's been five years since you've been gone / Jimmy, I married your best friend John." The gentle and soft recording of "Don't Cry Joni" carries this story well, and the complementary voices of Twitty and Lee bring the unique country tale alive.

These music legends paired up on an unorthodox track, at least for the pair's younger counterparts, but it yielded just as memorable a result as any such duet. Bing Crosby and David Bowie — separated by over 40 years of age, by far the longest on this list — are, at first glance, an unorthodox pairing. But a number of factors came together for their recording of "Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy" in 1977, which was officially released in 1982. The Christmas song was an exceptional hit in the U.K., peaking at No. 3 and holding a chart spot for 10 weeks.

"Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy" opens with a spoken-word scene between the two before they find their way to a piano, where they begin the rest of this familiar song. Bowie takes the reins on the central lyrical vocals, and Crosby handles the timeless melodies: "Peace on Earth can it be? / Come they told me pa-rum-pum-pum-pum / Years from now, perhaps we'll see / A newborn king to see pa-rum-pum-pum-pum / See the day of glory / Our finest gift we bring pa-rum-pum-pum-pum / See the day, when men of goodwill / To lay before the king pa-rum-pum-pum-pum." Whether it's the season or not, the song still holds up when the pair's voices intertwine, and it's without a doubt one of the most memorable duets with a significant age gap.