"I'm so happy to share this moment with Shawn," Camila Cabello mused upon learning that "Señorita," with Shawn Mendes, had reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019.That's a special thing about a duet: two artists get to take part in the joy when it hits No. 1. Making the feat even more worth celebrating, duets between a solo male and solo female rarely lead the Hot 100 in the 21st century.While two such songs reigned in 2019, as "Señorita" followed Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow," which spent a week at No. 1 in March, they joined Ed Sheeran's "Perfect," which ascended to the summit in December 2017 after Beyoncé joined in for a remix, as the only male/female duets to top the chart in the 2010s.In a bit of a resurgence, however, the 2020s are finding male/female duets topping the Hot 100 at a faster pace: Between January 2020 and May 2021, three male/female collaborations hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 -- the same number that topped the chart over the entire previous decade.Historically, star power has often infused such No. 1s, with duets over the years leading from the likes of Frank and Nancy Sinatra; John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John; Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton;Puff Daddy and Faith Evans; and both Usher and Jay-Z via team-ups with Alicia Keys. The '70s and '80s were the heyday of male/female duet No. 1s, with three alone in 1978, including the only instance of them ruling consecutively: "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, and then "You're the One That I Want" by Travolta and Newton-John.Here's a run through of all the male/female duets to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, dating to the chart's Aug. 4, 1958, start. (Note that we're including only songs between co-billed male and female leads and no other lead artists, as well as only acts not known for regularly recording together, so such duos as Sonny & Cher are not on the list below.)
Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra, "Somethin' Stupid," hit No. 1 April 15, 1967
Paul & Linda McCartney, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," Sept. 4, 1971
Paul Anka with Odia Coates, "(You're) Having My Baby," Aug. 24, 1971
Elton John & Kiki Dee, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," Aug. 7, 1976
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr., "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)," Jan. 8, 1977
Johnny Mathis/Deniece Williams, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," June 3, 1978
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, "You're the One That I Want," June 10, 1978
Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," Dec. 2, 1978
Diana Ross & Lionel Richie, "Endless Love," Aug. 15, 1981
Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong," Nov. 6, 1982
Patti Austin with James Ingram, "Baby, Come to Me," Feb. 19, 1983
Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream," Oct. 29, 1983
Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin, "Separate Lives," Nov. 30, 1985
Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, "On My Own," June 14, 1986
Peter Cetera with Amy Grant, "The Next Time I Fall," Dec. 6, 1986
Aretha Franklin & George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," April 18, 1987
Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," Sept. 19, 1987
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," Nov. 28, 1987
Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle, "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)," March 6, 1993
Puff Daddy & Faith Evans (feat. 112), "I'll Be Missing You," June 14, 1997 (with 11 weeks at No. 1, the song is the longest-leading on this list, and the only male/female duet to reach double-digit weeks on top. In second place: "Endless Love," which ruled for nine weeks)
R. Kelly & Celine Dion, "I'm Your Angel," Dec. 5, 1998
Usher & Alicia Keys, "My Boo," Oct. 30, 2004
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, "Empire State of Mind," Nov. 28, 2009
Ed Sheeran with Beyoncé, "Perfect," Dec. 23, 2017
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, "Shallow," March 9, 2019
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello, "Señorita," Aug. 31, 2019
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, "Stuck With U," May 23, 2020
6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj, "Trollz," June 27, 2020
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, "Save Your Tears," May 8, 2021
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