The top 25 singer-guitarist duos

Rage was unique for various reasons, perhaps most notably the band's lyrical views on world topics and politics. But it was de la Rocha's rage-filled voice (pun intended) and Morello's creative use of feedback and effects in his guitar playing that also stood out. While the two, along with fellow Rage members, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford, didn't always see eye-to-eye on band-related issues, the uniqueness of the pairing is why it will go down as one of the great alternative metal bands ever.

The harmonic vocal chemistry between Staley and Cantrell was what made the Seattle grunge rockers so special. Staley's severe substance abuse issues ultimately claimed his life in 2002 at age 34, but when right, he and Cantrell were a fierce one-two punch in the realm of hard-charged, alternative metal. With Cantrell's composition and Staley's lyrics, the band's smash "Man in the Box" is a perfect example of their musical union. 

The Runaways weren't around long, but the principal figures of the band were lead singer Currie and guitarist Jett. While the 2010 film "The Runaways" focused on the relationship between the two, it wasn't necessarily how things played out in real life. Though, Jett reportedly wrote the hit "Cherry Bomb" for Currie to sing at her audition. They were a unique pair: Currie, the sexy singer and Jett, the tomboy rocker. But, both can be credited with helping influence and offer confidence to young women when it came to playing rock 'n' roll.

The dysfunctional relationship between the brothers Gallagher was as impressive as the talent the two showcased while leading one of the greatest alternative bands of all time. Liam's whining, but ear-friendly vocals combined with guitarist Noel's lyrics made Oasis a force in the 1990s. However, the brothers often could not stand to be in the same room together, got into their share of fights and essentially loathed each other. Now, that's rock 'n' roll.

Extreme is probably best-known for two things: The 1991 acoustic hit "More Than Words" and Cherone's short-lived stint as Van Halen's lead singer. The latter, being somewhat interesting considering the six-string virtuoso Bettencourt was dubbed the next Eddie Van Halen. Together, the duo provide a solid, and somewhat underrated, hard rock/pop metal sound within its Boston-based band.

What do we get when mixing a perfectionist with a glory hog, then add drugs, alcohol and fame into the pot? A whole lot of dysfunctional, plenty of entertainment and glam-rock classics like "Talk Dirty to Me" and "Every Rose Has its Thorn." Poison is undoubtedly frontman Michaels' baby, but guitarist DeVille is the entertainer. The two often clashed, most memorably leading to a physical fight at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Yet, they still manage to pop up with a tour now and then. 

The leaders of the funk/alternative-metal band are still doing their thing today. Beginning with its success in the late 1980s, Living Colour grew to become one of the most respected and highly influential bands of the time and genre. With showman Glover on vocals and one of the world's most versatile guitarists in Reid, the band continues to amaze and sounds better than ever.

Journey has had its share of singers during a run that is still blazing onward, but the signature sound of the group begins and ends with Perry. Throw in Schon's strong guitar work, and the two were a formidable rock pairing spanning a decade through the 1970s and '80s, and parts of the '90s. Health and other reasons have kept Perry out of the band, but his bluesy voice and Schon's soulful ax playing made Journey arena rock gods.

The Wilson sisters have shown over the years that they can hold their own and rock with anybody, of any gender. That remains true today, as the Hall of Famers are a relevant act within the confines of Heart and outside of the band. It's the confidence that the two display, which might be more impressive than anything. Of course, classics like "Magic Man" and "Barracuda" help the cause.

After more than 45 years it's still hard not to love, as Mike Damone put it, "the magnetism of Robin Zander or the charisma of Rick Nielsen." There aren't many singer-guitar duos who have enjoyed the kind of longevity and success that this Cheap Trick pair have. Nielsen's goofiness and Zander's sultry rock vibe still play well at the moment, and we don't see them stopping any time soon.

Osbourne has worked with many a great guitarists during his uber-successful solo career. However, it's hard to top the time he spent with the young Rhoads during their brief period together for the albums "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." Though Rhoads was often put off by Osbourne's out-of-control substance abuse problem, he was able to grind it out to produce some of the best hard rock in history. At the time of his tragic death in a plane accident at age 25, he was set to leave Osbourne's band.

There were four members of the classic Smith's lineup, but really the band was all about dynamic singer Morrissey and the soulful, edgy guitar work from Marr. The pair made most, if not all, the decisions regarding the band from a musical standpoint, and that obviously didn't always sit well with bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. While Morrissey and Marr eventually had trouble dealing with each other, when on the same page, it was usually musical magic.

Back before Cronin found it more lucrative for REO to be a band focused on pop-rock ballads and Richrath had enough, it was a true hard-rocking outfits. The Speedwagon of the 1970s had the potential to hold its own with some of biggest groups in arena rock, thanks to the dynamic between singer Cronin and shredding ability of the late Richrath, who in some circles is considered one of the most underrated soloists in rock history. Both were quality songwriters, who when on the same rock page, were pretty special.

Arguably, Deep Purple's biggest commercial success came with the extreme wide-range, glass-shattering vocals of Gillan and Blackmore offering his complex riffs on the guitar. They teamed together for Purple's classic "Machine Head" album in 1972 and "Who Do We Think We Are" a year later. Though Blackmore has not been a member of the band since the 1990s and it's unlikely they will ever play together again, the music they created is the heart of the Deep Purple legacy.

Before Ozzy hooked up with Randy Rhoads, he and Iommi influenced a new generation of rockers with Black Sabbath. From a strictly musical sense, it's hard to beat this pair. Iommi's haunting, blues-tinged riffs and compositions meshed well with Osbourne's impressive vocal range — the latter was younger and somewhat focused on his craft. Still, the two are truly the godfathers of heavy metal.  

There was a time in the late 1980s that Bon Jovi and Sambora were arguably the biggest singer-guitarist duo in the business thanks to 1986's "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey," two years later. Who can forget their acoustic performance of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards? Of course, Bon Jovi is run more like a mob family than a band, with Jon Bon Jovi as the godfather. Sambora, who has battled his own demons, felt it should be more about the band and not one person, so he eventually split. The two have patched things up and rightfully deserve a place in our top 10. 

The late Bon Scott certainly deserves his due as AC/DC's first, true frontman and is a well-deserved icon from a musical standpoint. But Johnson stepped in admirably following Scott death's and helped the Young brothers keep the AC/DC train rolling full-steam ahead. The on-stage and off-stage chemistry between Johnson and Young was sensational from the start, and the two put on quite a show together. We loved when Johnson would put Angus on his shoulders and parade around the stage.

Two of the great characters of rock, Axl and Slash continued to live lives filled with debauchery even after Guns burst on to the scene in the late 1980s. While the relationship was certainly combustible, and Rose's ego got in the way, the musical chemistry between the two helped create one of the best rock bands on the planet. Rose's shrieking voice and Slash' ability on the Les Paul made for quite the hard rock marriage.

U2 has traditionally been a collective of four, but frontman Bono (Paul Hewson) and guitarist The Edge (Dave Evans) usually prefer the spotlight. Bono, more so of the two, which is no surprise. Their politically and emotionally charged brand of rock 'n' roll has been going strong for more than 40 years. The mutual respect they share for each, along with bandmates Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., is a major reason why U2 remains one of biggest bands on the planet.

Roth's boisterous and often flamboyant stage presence combined with Eddie's magic on lead guitar made for quite the hard rock duo. After building up popularity in the 1970s, Van Halen broke out in the 1980s with its smash "1984" album. While Roth was the consummate showman and playboy — on stage and off — it was Eddie and drummer brother Alex's band. Eventually Roth and Eddie's egos couldn't fit on the same stage. Though the band enjoyed great success with Sammy Hagar on vocals, Van Halen was at it's hard rock best with Diamond Dave and Eddie at the forefront.

The "Toxic Twins" they no longer may be, but Tyler and Perry have certainly lived the lives of rock stars. And they still do in some ways, today. They've cheated death via substance abuse and overcame various ailments over the years, but the Aerosmith leaders are still able to take the stage. By all accounts, they are still doing it relatively well while belting out such classics collaborations like "Back in the Saddle" and "Walk This Way."

More than a half-century later, Daltrey and Townshend are still packing venues while carrying forward the sensational legacy of The Who. From Daltrey's microphone-chord twirling and gritty voice to Townshend's windmill-striking power playing, the two seem poised to continue playing together until one or the other can no longer stand. And even then, that might not be able to stop them. 

For as flamboyant as Freddie Mercury was as a frontman, he worked extremely well with laid-back guitar hero May. Together, they were the focal point of Queen and had a mutual respect, for the most part, that is not always seen between stars of their level and a band that generated as much universal fame as this one did. They were the perfect complement to each other — on stage and off.

They can easily be referred to as simply "Plant and Page." The Led Zeppelin stars not only were responsible for changing the face of hard rock music in the 1970s, but their persona on-stage was that of quintessential rock stars. They looked cool and sounded even cooler. Years after Zeppelin, the duo re-formed to put out 1994's successful "No Quarter" project and even released new material together.

Thanks to modern medicine and the best doctors money can buy, Jagger and Richards are still going strong. The Stones are currently on tour, and rock 'n' roll's most iconic duo is there acting as if they are still in their 20s. They've had plenty of ups and downs, but their success and staying power has never waned. Though Jagger and Richards have done well in their own endeavors outside of the band, it's often tough to not think about one when talking about the other.