10 Great Collaborations That Combined Different Genres

Although the track selected here is performed by Nightwish, this is more of a blanket entry for the many times metal and opera or classical music have combined. The two genres are more alike than you would expect at first glance - powerful vocals, loud and bombastic musicianship and grand themes - and this is why they work so well together.

Metallica famously recorded an album where they play their hits backed by a full orchestra and it doesn't just fit - it adds depth, feeling and significance to the tunes. The Phantom of the Opera lends itself particularly well to cross over with Jonathan Young recording an excellent version on Youtube.

Using symphonic metal icons Nightwish in a list like this may be cheating as their entire sound is based around metal overlaid with operatic vocals but their version of this track is just breath-taking. When the lead female vocalist opens with her truly impressive range and control, everything sounds as it should until the drums, guitar and bass come crashing in, playing the iconic musical theme from the song.

And it just gets better from there.

A true example of how a song being reimagined can be more powerful than the original.