You'll know more than a few tunes from this bunch

There's a certain magic that happens when two musicians complement each other, share their respective talents and create something wonderful.

The history of modern music is full of them, from Lennon and McCartney to The Everly Brothers to Steely Dan and Simon & Garfunkel.

On this occasion, however, we're going down the pop rabbit hole and taking a look at 10 of the best pop duos to have ever graced a stage. And we're talking about actual musicians here, not novelty acts like The Cheeky Girls or Jedward.

Have we missed any? Feel free to let us know...

PET SHOP BOYS

Not only are Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe one of the best pop duos of all time, they're surely one of the best bands – full stop. The Londoners may be best known for their big hits like the iconic 'West End Girls', but their extensive back catalogue is stuffed with amazing tunes and idiosyncratic albums.

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HALL & OATES

Who could argue with Hall & Oates' inclusion here? The pair, formed in 1970 and still going strong, are responsible for some of the biggest songs in pop music. Pulling from soul and rock genres, tracks like 'Maneater', 'You Make My Dreams' and 'I Can't Go For That' are stone-cold classics.

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DAFT PUNK

Okay, so they're not 'pop', per se – but their genre-defining brand of electropop deserves a place on any list of this kind. Over the past 27 years, the French duo have arguably been more influential than any other electronic act in the modern era, except perhaps for Kraftwerk – and they're still banging out great tunes, as 2013's Random Access Memories proved. Now, if only we could get a new album...

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EURYTHMICS

It's only when you sit and listen back to a Eurythmics album from start to finish (as we did recently – we recommend 1983's 'Touch') that you realise what a remarkable band they were. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart blended pop, soul, art and rock with a striking visual aesthetic and Lennox's incredible vocals, and were ahead of the game in so many ways. And as for songs like 'Sweet Dreams' and this one? Wow.

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WHAM!

We're still mourning the death of our beloved George Michael – but at least we have his back catalogue to comfort us. Yes, even the Wham! stuff. It's true that some tracks haven't aged as well as others, but 'Freedom'? 'Club Tropicana'? Hell, we'll even take a bit of the schmoozy 'Careless Whisper'. If you're a fan, Andrew Ridgeley's recent memoir 'Wham! George & Me' is worth checking out for a taster of those early days.

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ERASURE

They've enjoyed enormous success over the past three decades, but have Vince Clarke and Andy Bell been properly celebrated for their services to pop songwriting over the years? That's a debate for another day. In the meantime, we rest safe in the knowledge that songs like 'A Little Respect', 'Love to Hate You' and 'Sometimes' are some of the best pop songs ever committed to tape.

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