I wish my list of best acoustic guitar songs for male-female duets was 100% acoustic, but I’m sharing all the songs I could think of because the reality is that you can adapt any of these songs for guitar.
What is a good duet song?
What makes for a good duet song? I don’t know if I can put my finger on something specific, but I do know what I don’t like!
Every online list of male-female duets are mostly Boomer songs that aren’t appealing at all to me. They are just so bubblegum and corny. Check out this list from Billboard of the 40 Biggest Duets of All Time. I mean, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton?
As a Gen Xer only four of them would make my list:
- #28 Don’t Go Draggin’ My Heart Around – Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks
- #24 You’re the One That I Want – Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (I mean, GREASE)
- #12 Separate Lives – Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
- #10 Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart – Elton John and Kiki Dee (probably more popular now than when it came out thanks to Ella Enchanted and the 2019 Elton John movie)
That’s IT.
Except maybe one other song that I’ve found on other duet songs lists that would definitely make mine – Fairytale of New York with Shane McGowan (The Pogues) and Christy McCall. But now I identify it so much with the Christmas season that I didn’t want to put it on my main bests list.
Best Acoustic Guitar Songs for Male-Female Duets
Short list of the best acoustic guitar songs for male-female duets. The performances shown may not be acoustic, but it's possible to translate them in to acoustic versions for talent shows, weddings, or campfire sing-alongs.
Blank Space/Style (Taylor Swift Mash-Up)
Louisa Wendorff and Devin Dawson created this mash-up which is actually the song that inspired this list. I guess there are a lot of Taylor Swift haters, but I like a good acoustic cover any day. Don't judge until you listen.
Swerve
Stu Larsen & Lydia Cole were introduced to me by a friend of mine in Australia who adored this video and shared it on social media. I've been a fan ever since. I'm equally enamored with their "The Black Tree" which pairs the duet together.
Hazy
Rosi Golan with William Fitzsimmons perform this song from Rosi Golan's "The Drifter and the Gypsy" (2008) album. I love the recorded version of Hazy better than this live version, but you get the idea.
Between The Raindrops
Lifehouse featuring Natasha Bedingfield. I first saw Lifehouse in the early 2000s when they opened for Better Than Ezra at House of Blue on Sunset. They are local to SoCal and we really liked them from the beginning. Not known for their duets, Between the Raindrops was a popular hit for them.
Cold Is The Night
The Oh Hellos are a pick from my Gen Z musician son who turned me on to this band and, in particular, this duet.
More Than Friends
Jason Mraz probably comes to mind when I say the word "duets." But I bet you are surprised to see the pairing with Meghan Trainor! There are two versions of this video. The "dance" version and the "Jason Mraz" version. A sweet and relatable song.
Crazy For You
I'm a huge fan of Scars on 45! We saw them live in Anaheim and now I listen to them weekly, if not daily. Scars on 45 has loads of duets! I'd also recommend "The Beautiful Days Attack." So search their YouTube channel for more options if this isn't your favorite.
Need You Now
Lady Antebellum put out this duet in 2011 and although it may not be appropriate for high school talent show performances, it is sure fun to sing!
Lucky
Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat is a pretty well-known duet pairing. I already shared the Meghan Trainor song above.
Falling Slowly
This duet with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova is so catchy and maybe overplayed back when the movie came out? But there are ways to rework it to fit your style.
Somebody That I Used to Know
The original version of this song is by Gotye, but this is the Walk off the Earth version. You might be sick of this song, but here's a pretty awesome way to do an acoustic version with one or more of your friends. Now go look up Walk Off the Earth and see all the other covers they've mastered!
Sky
Joshua Radin & Ingrid Michaelson pull off one of my favorite duets in this simple song. I love the words so much. I've listened to it over and over and over during the past 10+ years.
Haunted
If you are Gen X, you know Sinèad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2U" which is actually a Prince song. In this duet, she pairs up with Shane McGowan, the lead singer from The Pogues. His voice is so distinct! And somehow this song just works.
Nothing Better
My Gen Z son introduced me to The Postal Service and this duet. It's hard to figure out the timeline for The Postal Service in relation to Death Cab for Cutie, but you'll recognize Ben Gibbard in this live video.
Gold
Matt Hartke featuring Maggie Peake is a duet that's so much of a wedding duet that it features a wedding right in the video!
Nobody Knows Me At All
The Weepies started as a songwriter team and became a husband and wife team. This song is VERY short - only about 2 minutes long. But it's still catchy and good if you need to meet a short time limit on your talent show act.
You Don't Know Me
Ben Folds song featuring Regina Spektor can be adapted to an acoustic guitar version.
Male/Female Duet Song Playlist
That was the video list. But I thought you might like them in a text list of male-female duet songs, too. Like I said above, these don’t necessarily fit a certain genre or time period but they are just the the ones I choose that fit my more Gen X aesthetic:
- Blank Space/Style Mash-up – Louisa Wendorff and Devin Dawson
- Swerve – Stu Larsen & Lydia Cole
- Hazy – Rosi Golan with William Fitzsimmons
- Between the Raindrops – Lifehouse with Natasha Bedington
- Cold is the Night – The Oh Hellos
- More Than Friends – Jason Mraz (featuring Meghan Trainor)
- Crazy for You or The Beautiful Days Attack – Scars on 45
- Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
- Lucky – Jason Mraz (featuring Colbie Caillat)
- Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
- Somebody That I Used to Know – Walk Off the Earth version
- Sky – Joshua Radin (duet with Ingrid Michaelson)
- Haunted – Sinèad O’Connor and Shane McGowan
- Nothing Better – The Postal Service
- Gold – Matt Hartke featuring Maggie Peake
- Nobody Knows Me At All – The Weepies
- You Don’t Me – Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor
Bonus
- Unreconciled – Peter Bradley Adams and Susie Suh
- I Thought I Lost You – Miley Cyrus and John Travolta (from BOLT Soundtrack)
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran with Beyonce
So that’s it! My list. You can go over to Ultimate Guitar Tabs to find a version that fits your performance needs.