College Times

Media Credit: Randall Slavin Sexy...

Chris Cornell, former Soundgarden and Audioslave front-man, is set to release a solo album with Timbaland, one of hip-hop’s top producers, and the two will hit the road for a string of shows in which they will play the new album in its entirety. Raise your hand if you saw that one coming. Yeah, we didn’t think so.

Only time will tell how the collaboration pans out, but it surely isn’t the first time two dissimilar musicians hooked up for an unlikely project. Here’s a glance at a few of musical history’s most shocking collaborations:

Michael Bolton and Bob Dylan
He of curly receding hairlines and he of musical legendarity somehow, either by grace of God or fury of Satan himself, hooked up for “Steel Bars,” a song written by Dylan that appeared on Bolton’s 1991 release Time, Love, and Tenderness. 

Ozzy Osborne, Wu-Tang Clan
No track on 2000’s rap-rock smash-up compilation Loud Rocks was as unexpected as “For Heaven’s Sake 2000.”

Burt Bacharach and Dr. Dre
The frail singer/pianist employed the West Coast gangsta rap legend to produce his 2005 record, At this Time.

Rick Rubin and, well, everyone
The bearded super-producer has been behind releases from LL Cool J, Slayer, Mick Jagger, Shakira, Johnny Cash, and of course, produced Chef Aid: The South Park Album.

Chris Cornell & Timbaland, Marquee Theatre, Oct. 19, 6:30 p.m., $35

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