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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