ABC is bringing together some unlikely partners for its newest summer experiment, Greatest Hits. For starters, it's hosted by iconic talk show host Arsenio Hall and country star Kelsea Ballerini, a.k.a. two people with pretty much no connection other than the fact that they both have listened to music at some point in their lives.
But the duo makes sense when it comes to the concept of the show: Greatest Hits brings together musicians with big hits from decades past and today's current chart-toppers. Each episode covers a five-year period from the '80s, '90s and '00s.
Hall and Ballerini explained to E! News during a visit to the set that it's not a reality show or a contest, "It's just a show honoring great music and great artists," Ballerini said. Added Hall, "If you're a great legend and you see some young tyke that you love, you can come work with that person. If you're a young tyke and you see a legend, you say, 'I've always want to sing with Steven Tyler,' bam, ABC puts you together."
In tonight's series premiere, which will cover the years 1980 through 1985, we'll see performances by Pitbull, REO Speedwagon, Ray Parker Jr., Jason Derulo and many more. (Yes, very random. Told you!) And in a few weeks, Hall and Ballerini promise a "crazy" Backstreet Boys number that they loved so much, Hall filmed it on his iPhone so he could watch it later. (That'll air next week in the 1995-2000 episode, along with a very special performance from Hanson.)
You can watch the Greatest Hits hosts' interview in the video above. Below, Hall and Ballerini confess their celebrity crushes and favorite songs from then and now. Spoiler: Ballerini has had her eye on the Jonas brothers for years now. And they both have an affinity for some very classic songs.
Greatest Hits airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.