The best ever BRIT Awards duets
Taking to the BRIT Awards with MasterCard stage must be so much easier if you don't have to do it alone. Over the past 35 years, the biggest names in pop history have shared the stage with fellow music megastars, performing unforgettable duets of classic hits.
Plus, with MasterCard's Priceless Duet campaign, even fans of great British artists are being given the opportunity to perform with their music idols.
The 2012 BRITs show is sure to add one or two more to the list of iconic pop hook-ups, but until then, check out our Top Ten BRITs duets of the awards' history...
1993: KD Land & Andy Bell 'No More Tears (Enough Is Enough'
One of the earliest BRITs duets, US star KD Lang teamed up with frontman of British pop group Erasure for this cover of the disco classic, originally recorded by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. Notable not only for starting the trend of teaming up the year's biggest artists on one hit track, but also for the slightly underwhelming staging. Needless to say, things are a little more showstopping these days.
1994: Bon Jovi & Dina Carroll 'Sleep When I'm Dead'
A second transatlantic duet, Jon Bon Jovi and his magnificent head of hair teamed up with British soul sensation Dina Carroll, who showed her wild side on this cover of Bon Jovi's No.17 hit. But not only did this duet boast two of the biggest stars of the nineties on vocals, but legendary Queen guitarist Brian May joined in on the action, lending his axe skills to proceedings.
1994: Bjork & PJ Harvey 'Satisfaction'
12 years after teaming up on the BRIT Awards stage, both Bjork and PJ Harvey remain hugely successful artists. Bjork dazzled the music world in 2011 with her multi-media release 'Biophillia' while PJ Harvey scored her second Mercury Music Prize for her 'Let England Shake' album. Back in 1994 this fresh-faced duo showcased their unique talents to the world on a stripped-down cover of this Rolling Stones classic.
1996: David Bowie & Pet Shop Boys 'Hallo Spaceboy'
How about this for British pop legends? The first name in flamboyant pop, David Bowie, took to the stage to perform the Pet Shop Boys' remix of one of his biggest hits of the nineties - alongside the eighties pop gents who turned the track into a club anthem. A killer tune to this day, this flawless duet between two of the biggest names in pop music is evidence of why Bowie's career spanned three decades - and makes us all the more glum about his apparent retirement from pop.
1999: B*Witched, Steps, Cleopatra, Billie & Tina Cousins 'Thank ABBA For The Music'
OK, so we may not be talking all-time pop icons here, but as a snapshot of the nineties pop scene, it doesn't get any more upbeat than this megamix from the biggest names in classic pop.The first BRITs duet to ever be released as a single, this medley reached No.4 in the charts, and coincided with the launch of the Mamma Mia musical, which is still running to this day - unlike some of the names who sung on the track.
2000: Five & Queen 'We Will Rock You'
Picking up the baton from Take That and Boyzone as both called time on their chart topping careers at the tail-end of the nineties, hearthrob quintet Five took the boyband crown for a successful chart run at the turn of the 20th century. As this performance proves, the boys' chart success not only led to opening the 2000 BRIT Awards, but doing so alongside the remaining members of the legendary Queen.
2003: Justin Timberlake & Kylie Minogue 'Rapture'
Is it just us, or did it just get a little sexy in here? After a performance of his solo hit 'Cry Me A River', now-actor Timberlake was joined onstage for a cover of Blondie's 1981 hit, 'Rapture'. As famous for being a pop tag-team of one of music's best looking duos on the planet as it was for the fact that JT put a hand on the most famous bottom in pop. So hot we're surprised this one didn't set off the sprinklers.
2008: Rihanna & Klaxons 'Umbrella / Gravity's Rainbow'
After stepping into the big time with her worldwide smash 'Umbrella', Rihanna took to the BRITs stage alongside the coolest indie band of 2008 for this mash-up of US r&b and fictional British 'nu-rave'. Showing a darker side to the Caribbean superstar later explored in her own music, Rihanna took major steps towards becoming a global megastar with risky performances like this.
2009: Pet Shop Boys & Lady Gaga / Brandon Flowers 'PSB Medley'
After scooping the 2009 Outstanding Contribution to Music award, Pet Shop Boys performed a mash-up of their biggest hits. Squishing 25 years of classic pop hits into a neat, five minute performance was noteworthy enough, but adding pop icons Lady Gaga and Brandon Flowers into the mix added an international touch to this spectacular awards performance.
2010: Florence and The Machine & Dizzee Rascal 'You Got The Dirtee Love'
A year after winning the BRITs Critics Choice award in 2009, Florence Welch returned to the ceremony stage to cover this Candi Staton classic with a little help from London MC Dizzee Rascal. In theory, this mix of gothic pop, urban grime and vintage house music shouldn't work - but this talent duo scored a No.1 single with what many have called the greatest BRITs duet of all time...
Make sure you tune in to The BRIT Awards 2012 on 21 February.
