10 Greatest Duets In Rock History
8. Northern Downpour - Panic! at the Disco
It would be insane trying to pitch the idea for Panic at the Disco's Pretty. Odd. to a record label. After becoming the darlings of the emo rock scene off the success of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, these heartthrobs traded in their eyeliner and elaborate costumes for a record that sounded like it was pulled straight out of the classic rock playbook. Fans weren't ready for a tonal whiplash this drastic, but Northern Downpour helped shut up any skeptics.
This song certainly doesn't have any of the hallmarks of your traditional Panic track, with most of it dominated by an acoustic guitar and Beatles-like chord progressions. However, the melody from Brendon Urie is so strong that you tend to bypass any of the more grandiose aspects of the music. Just when you think you've settled into the groove, the song takes another turn when Ryan Ross steps up to the plate.
Being responsible for writing most of the songs on the first Panic records, Ross' voice is much more suited to the chorus melody as Urie harmonizes with him, proving that no one really sings a song quite like its composer. It's almost a shame that this ended up being Ross' final collaboration with Panic before his departure in the late '00s. Panic may still be on top of the world now, but fans are still intrigued as to what could have been if Ross had decided to stick around.