Charting the Success of Male Recording Duos: Billboard Recognition of Country, Pop, and R & B/Rap Pairs, 1944–2004

Abstract

This essay investigates the song-charting success of male recording duos between 1944 and 2004. Achieving song listing on Billboard's country, pop, or R&B/rap singles charts during the sixty years surveyed constitutes an initial measure of success. Beyond that, multiple song listings and chart crossovers demonstrate professional persistence and an enlarged scope of audience popularity. This study examines 418 male recording duos. Of that total, ninety achieved five or more Billboard-ranked hits. A lengthy bibliography of books and articles that explore the careers of several male recording pairs is also provided.