Eddie Murphy’s singing chops come as no surprise to anyone who saw him in the 2006 musical smash, Dreamgirls. But the comedian’s career predates his Motown movie crooning. In 1985, Murphy’s single, “Party All the Time,” shot to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, getting a helping hand from the production talents of Rick James. The song was the centerpiece of his album How Could It Be, which was followed by a 1990 release, Love’s Alright (Murphy even got a cameo from King of Pop Michael Jackson in a video for the album’s single, “Whatzupwitu”). But despite the success of Dreamgirls — and performances as Donkey the donkey in the Shrek series — it doesn’t look like Murphy will be releasing any new albums anytime soon.
Top 10 Unlikely Celebrity Albums
In 2009, following the release of Bob Dylan's baffling Christmas album, TIME examined other bizarre celebrity musical experiments.