Behind every great hit, there's often an unexpected voice! Join us as we count down the songs where famous artists lent their vocal talents in supporting roles. From rock legends to pop icons, these backing vocalists added that special something to already amazing tracks. Can you guess who's singing in the background?
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those hit songs that also
00:13featured some notable assistance behind the scenes on backing vocals.
00:16It's not a lot to wait for between friends.
00:23Everybody needs to start somewhere to get experience for a job, right?
00:39That experience within the music industry is often either behind the scenes in production and songwriting
00:44or recording some backing vocals for an established artist.
00:47Chappell Rhone did just that on several songs for Olivia Rodrigo prior to achieving Chart's success of her own.
00:58The Hot To Go singer assisted Rodrigo on Get Him Back, Lacey, and Can't Catch Me Now before joining Rodrigo's tour.
01:05Call it a case of musical kismet that brought both artists together, while also creating a bit of trivia for the fans.
01:12Number 9, Piece of Me, Robin for Britney Spears.
01:21It sort of makes sense that fans can hear Robin's original backing vocals on the final version of Piece of Me that was performed by Britney Spears.
01:27This is all my dad, that Britney shameless. You want a piece of me. This is extra, extra, it's just him.
01:35The song was composed by a pair of Swedish composers named Bloodshy and Avant.
01:39Robin hails from that same country, and Piece of Me was actually intended to be recorded by the Show Me Love singer.
01:52She recorded a demo version of the song that eventually made its way to Britney Spears.
01:56The latter's re-recording actually retained Robin's vocals on the chorus.
02:00They're not particularly prominent in the final mix, but fans can definitely locate them with a bit of oral detective work.
02:06You want a piece of me.
02:09Number 8, Toy Soldiers, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Stacey Ferguson, a.k.a. Fergie, for Martika.
02:19Step by step, hard to run, left by left.
02:24It was a show that ran for nearly a decade, with Kids Incorporated eventually becoming something of a proving ground for future stars.
02:30Mario Lopez and Jennifer Love Hewitt both spent time on the show, as did Martika, who earned a hit in 1988 with her song Toy Soldiers.
02:39Hewitt actually sang backing vocals on the tune, as did one Stacey Ferguson, better known as Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.
02:53The pair are among a group of young singers who join in with Martika on the pre-chorus and chorus for Toy Soldiers,
02:58adding a somewhat haunting element to what's already a gorgeous-sounding song.
03:10Number 7, Games Without Frontiers, Kate Bush for Peter Gabriel.
03:14The former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel must have appreciated the work art-rocker Kate Bush put into the studio
03:29when she recorded backing vocals for his single Games Without Frontiers.
03:33That's because the withering heights and running up that hill songstress would rejoin Gabriel,
03:37this time in a duet capacity on the song Don't Give Up.
03:46It sort of makes sense, really, since both Bush and Gabriel rose up during an era when progressive-minded music was flourishing in their native Britain.
03:53The end results, meanwhile, are both beautiful and successful, as the pair's voices perfectly complement each other.
04:07Number 6, Ride Like the Wind, Michael McDonald for Christopher Cross.
04:20We don't know about you, but Michael McDonald could sing us the alphabet and we'd be okay with it.
04:25This former Doobie brother just possesses a voice that's smooth as molasses and almost as thick.
04:30McDonald assisted songwriter Christopher Cross on his debut album,
04:33singing backup vocals on the hit single Ride Like the Wind.
04:36Sure, it sounds like a bit of hyperbole, but we don't care.
04:47Never has the phrase, such a long way to go, sounded so good as it does when McDonald comes in on this song.
04:52Meanwhile, the harmony vocals on the vocalized bridge section offer up the perfect extra bit of sauce to this tasty, tasty tune.
04:59Number 5, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Rick Astley for Elton John.
05:09Inside we both know what's been going on.
05:13We know the game and we're gonna play it.
05:17Sir Elton was certainly not getting rickrolled when Never Gonna Give You Up singer Rick Astley joined John on Can You Feel the Love Tonight.
05:23This tune for Disney's The Lion King was just one of several times Elton John asked for some assistance on backing vocals.
05:34The Piano Man collaborated with George Michael on Nikita in 1985 and Dusty Springfield in 1974 for The Bitches Back.
05:42Meanwhile, Astley is joined by Take That singer Gary Barlow,
05:45with both lending their talents to Elton John's lead vocal for results that are simply splendid.
05:55Number 4, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
05:58Cher for The Righteous Brothers.
06:05Phil Spector may have possessed a controversial and mercurial reputation as a studio maestro,
06:11but that didn't mean that he also didn't have an eye for talent.
06:13This is evidenced by Spector's decision to include a very young Cher as a member of the backing vocalist crew
06:19for You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' by The Righteous Brothers.
06:29The wall of sound technique trailblazed and made famous by Spector sounds great here,
06:34with the backing vocals peeking out before the chorus and reappearing around the bridge section.
06:38Granted, it's Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield who are the clear stars of the show here,
06:42but Cher's work in the background is subtle, but definitely welcomed.
06:53Number 3, Fame, John Lennon for David Bowie.
07:01Sometimes it just sort of makes sense for two famous celebrities to work together and collaborate.
07:05It's not as common for one of those celebrities to take a back seat, however,
07:09such as when the Beatles' John Lennon helped out buddy David Bowie on his 1975 track, Fame.
07:20The song, perhaps obviously, would go on to become a hit,
07:24but Fame isn't primarily remembered today for Lennon's vocal contributions.
07:28This speaks to the subtlety of the latter's performance,
07:30who doesn't step all over the song's toes.
07:33Instead, Bowie remains the star,
07:35as Fame struts its sexy groove all over the place.
07:38Number 2, You're So Vain, Mick Jagger for Carly Simon.
07:53So much has been made over the subject matter of You're So Vain by Carly Simon over the years,
08:00with rumors and conjecture over who exactly Simon could be referring to within her lyrics.
08:04The latter has confirmed a partial bit of truth since its 1972 release,
08:09revealing actor Warren Beatty to be the subject of one of the song's verses.
08:20Simon has also gone on record stating that the song's background vocalist, Mick Jagger,
08:25is not one of the men sung about in the song.
08:27The legendary Rolling Stones frontman was invited by Simon to perform on the track,
08:31and the end results are similar to John Lennon's work for David Bowie,
08:34in that they are subtle and unobtrusive.
08:36If you think this song is about you,
08:40don't you, don't you, don't you, don't you.
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08:59Number 1, Somebody's Watching Me,
09:01Michael Jackson for Rockwell.
09:03We've covered a lot of examples on this list thus far
09:13of backing vocalists who have worked in harmony with the lead performers.
09:16This one, however, is a bit different,
09:18since it's such a clear case of the background singer
09:20stealing all of the spotlight from the alleged star of the show.
09:24Because, come on,
09:24has anybody then or now rocked Somebody's Watching Me
09:27because of Rockwell's half-spoken, half-sung verses?
09:30Absolutely not.
09:31People call me on the phone, I'm trying to avoid.
09:35But can the people on TV see me, or am I just paranoid?
09:38The only reason this song became a hit,
09:41other than its gloriously spooky video,
09:43was the fact that Michael Jackson sang the chorus.
09:45And what a chorus, right?
09:47Its single-handedly took what was essentially a novelty single
09:50and turned it into a Halloween tradition.
09:52I always feel like somebody's watching me.
09:57Tell me, is it just a trick?
09:59What are some other examples of backing vocalists stealing the show?
10:02Let us know in the comments.
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