2000s song collaborations Alternative guest vocals
[Photos via Cobra Starship/Spotify, blink-182/Spotify, Set Your Goals/Spotify, Evanescence/Spotify]

10 collabs from the 2000s that were so good, we wish they'd happen again

Is there anything more exciting than a good song collaboration? Given all the hype generated by guest appearances such as Travis Barker and phem on Tyler Posey‘s debut solo single, we can’t imagine so.

While 2020 was undoubtedly a year for collaborations, that’s not to say such joint efforts went unappreciated in the past. In fact, we’d argue that they were even more warmly received when we had to pay for our music by the track. They were like package deals of sorts, boasting two of our favorite artists for the price of one. No lie, we’d give anything to go back and experience some of them for the first time.

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Here are 10 2000s song collaborations that worked so well, we wish they’d happen again.

“The Few That Remain” – Set Your Goals and Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams has been a bit more reserved in contributing guest vocals compared to some other artists in the alternative scene. So to say that we were stoked to hear her collaboration with Set Your Goals in 2009 would be the understatement of the century. The Paramore vocalist joined the band for their sophomore release, offering fervent pop-punk ferocity on “The Few That Remain.”

“The End” – Silverstein and LIGHTS

Is there any collaboration that’s more representative of the 2000s scene than the one between Silverstein and LIGHTS? “The End” provided such a divergent, heart-wrenching conclusion to the post-hardcore aggression put forth by A Shipwreck In The Sand. While it’s fortunately one of the longer songs of the era, clocking in at nearly seven-and-a-half minutes, we’d love to hear a follow-up one day.

“Remembering Sunday” – All Time Low and Juliet Simms

Yeah, this one started playing in your head before you even finished reading the title. We’d all gladly go back to the first time that we heard “Remembering Sunday” and the stunning vocal contrasts between All Time Low‘s Alex Gaskarth and Automatic Loveletter‘s Juliet Simms. Given the band’s recent series of guest appearances, including their collab with Demi Lovato and blackbear for “Monsters,” we’d totally love to see them revisit this iconic pairing.

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“All Of This” – blink-182 and Robert Smith

There are a number of reasons why blink-182‘s Untitled record is widely considered one of the best alternative albums of the decade. Their ability to bridge the scene with that of the ’80s and ’90s certainly makes the list. The guest vocals by the Cure‘s Robert Smith on “All Of This” are particularly standout, even nearly two decades later. While we have no problem streaming this song over and over again, we’d love to see what they could come up with through a modern collaboration.

“Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year” – Fall Out Boy and William Beckett

Does anyone else feel like the world missed out on a Fall Out Boy and the Academy Is… supergroup? We can’t imagine that would ever be a hot take. Fortunately, they did collaborate together quite a few times throughout the 2000s. We particularly love William Beckett‘s guest vocals on “Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year.” His pared-down verse added such a soft variety to the track, and we can’t help but wonder what one might have done for MANIA.

“Two Is Better Than One” – Boys Like Girls and Taylor Swift

There was this weird phenomenon in the 2000s, wherein Taylor Swift, in all of her country glory, was widely embraced by the alternative scene. That said, we really didn’t see much crossover until her collaboration with Boys Like Girls in 2009. Swift provided guest vocals on the sentimental-as-hell track “Two Is Better Than One.” While the band are currently on hiatus, we’ll hold on to hope for a reunion one day. Though, we’d gladly take one under Martin Johnson‘s solo project the Night Game, as well.

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“Kiss My Sass” – Cobra Starship and Travis McCoy

There are a million reasons why we miss Cobra Starship, and their iconic features rank pretty high up on that list. “Kiss My Sass” wasn’t the first time they’d partnered with Gym Class Heroes vocalist Travis McCoy. The dream team had formerly worked together on the mega collab for “Snakes On A Plane (Bring It).” That said, the rapper was well appreciated for the danceable verse he contributed to ¡Viva la Cobra!. Who knows? Maybe with McCoy planning to release new solo work soon, we’ll see a Gabe Saporta feature in the future. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for it.

“Bring Me To Life” – Evanescence and Paul McCoy

Bring Me To Life” may just be one of the most memorable song collaborations to come from the 2000s. The track brings an unexpected edge to Evanescence‘s debut album, Fallen, accenting the goth theatricality with rap-rock hooks courtesy of 12 Stones vocalist Paul McCoy. Unfortunately, Amy Lee has since revealed that the pairing was ultimately a manifestation of industry misogyny. However, she doesn’t harbor any ill feelings toward the song or McCoy. Just imagine how powerful the collaboration could have been under her own terms.

“One Of THOSE Nights” – The Cab, Brendon Urie and Patrick Stump

The Cab are absolutely legendary in their own right. Pair them with scene icons Brendon Urie and Patrick Stump, though, and you’ve got something next level. The Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy frontmen joined the band on “One Of THOSE Nights.” In fact, the song was the opener on their debut album, Whisper War. Talk about the best possible introduction to the scene…

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“Under Pressure” – My Chemical Romance and the Used

Can you believe it’s now been over 15 years since we first heard My Chemical Romance and the Used cover Queen‘s “Under Pressure“? What’s even more shocking is that we haven’t heard another collaboration between the two since. That’s not to say hope is lost, though. Given all the teasing about prospective joint tour dates, we have a feeling that the bands may be sharing spaces together in the coming years.

Which 2000s collaborations would you most like to see happen again? Sound off in the comments!