18 Songs That Were Almost Given Away Before They Became Hits

Behind a surprising number of famous hits is a quiet pile of “no thanks.” The voice you can’t imagine anyone else singing was often the second, third, or fourth choice.

Here are 18 songs that were written for, pitched to, or first recorded by someone else. A few were lost to contract problems and a few to bad timing. At least one was lost to a title that made a group nervous, and the biggest regrets are still ahead.

#18 – Happy Together by The Turtles

Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon believed in this song, but plenty of doors stayed shut. Their demo made the rounds to other acts, including the Vogues and Gary Lewis & the Playboys, before the Turtles got hold of it.

In 1967 it became a No. 1 hit and bumped the Beatles’ “Penny Lane” from the top spot. It is still the Turtles’ only chart-topper.

The group turned a song that had been passed around into the one everyone knows them for.

Next up is a song written by a teenager behind a shop counter, and the band that finally took it later regretted the direction it pushed them.

#17 – For Your Love by The Yardbirds

Graham Gouldman wrote “For Your Love” as a teenager while working in a Manchester shop. His own band recorded it without making a dent, and the song was reportedly offered to the Animals and Herman’s Hermits, who passed.

The Yardbirds were hungry for a hit. They rebuilt the song around a harpsichord and took it to No. 3 in the UK and the US Top 10.

The hit came with a catch: blues purist Eric Clapton left the band soon after, unhappy with the pop direction.

Gouldman went on to co-found 10cc. A song that couldn’t find a taker at 18 launched one of the most famous lineups in British rock.

Fast Facts

• Gouldman also wrote the Yardbirds’ follow-up, “Heart Full of Soul.”
• He wrote “Look Through Any Window” and “Bus Stop” for the Hollies.
• Herman’s Hermits, who reportedly passed on this one, later scored with his “No Milk Today.”
• “For Your Love” peaked at No. 3 in the UK and cracked the US Top 10.

#16 – Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds

Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff wrote the song for the 1985 film The Breakfast Club. Bryan Ferry turned it down, and so did Billy Idol.

Simple Minds were reluctant at first, too. They recorded it anyway, and it became their only US No. 1.

The band that nearly didn’t want it ended up with the song that defined an entire movie.

Coming up: a song that sat in a movie composer’s hands for a rock icon who never got to sing it.

#15 – Call Me by Blondie

Giorgio Moroder composed the music for the 1980 film American Gigolo and first offered the track to Stevie Nicks. Contract issues with her record label blocked it.

Debbie Harry then wrote the lyrics, working from the film’s story. Blondie’s version spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and ranked as Billboard’s top single of 1980.

The blend of new wave edge and disco shimmer made it Blondie’s biggest hit.

The next song’s title made one group so uneasy that they walked away from it, and a future pop queen stepped in.

#14 – …Baby One More Time by Britney Spears

Max Martin and Rami Yacoub wrote the song with TLC in mind, and the group passed. The song also made its way to other acts before Britney Spears recorded it for her 1998 debut single.

The title line that gave some people pause turned out to be the hook no one could shake. The single topped charts in the US, the UK, and many other countries.

It launched Spears’ career and became one of the defining songs of late-90s teen pop.

Spears wasn’t done with second-hand hits. Her next entry came from another artist’s “not for me.”

#13 – Toxic by Britney Spears

Cathy Dennis co-wrote “Toxic” with the Swedish production duo Bloodshy & Avant. Kylie Minogue was offered the song and passed.

Spears recorded it for In the Zone, and it won her a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. It remains one of her signature songs.

The twitchy electro-pop production and the spy-movie video turned a rejected track into a pop landmark.

Why It Stands Out

• Dennis also co-wrote Minogue’s 2001 hit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” so the song nearly stayed in Kylie’s orbit.
• The track peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100.
• The Grammy for Best Dance Recording was the first of Spears’ career.

Minogue has spoken publicly about the near-miss. And that’s only the first of two Britney songs that someone else could have had.

#12 – Umbrella by Rihanna

Terius “The-Dream” Nash and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart first pitched “Umbrella” to Britney Spears during her Blackout era. She didn’t record it.

Mary J. Blige was also reportedly interested. Rihanna got the song, and it spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2007.

The “ella, ella” hook and the rain-soaked imagery made it the sound of the summer, and Rihanna’s breakthrough anthem.

The next song’s author had a second chance when a pop star’s version never made it out.

#11 – Telephone by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé

Lady Gaga wrote “Telephone” with Britney Spears in mind for her Circus album. Spears recorded a version, but the song never made the album, and it leaked online later.

Gaga held on to it. She put it on The Fame Monster, brought in Beyoncé, and took it to No. 1 in several countries.

With Beyoncé on board and a long, cinematic video, it became one of the biggest singles of Gaga’s run.

Next is a rock-pop smash that went through at least two A-list voices before it found its owner.

#10 – Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

Dr. Luke and Max Martin wrote the song, and it was offered to P!nk and reportedly to Hilary Duff. Both passed.

Kelly Clarkson recorded it for her 2004 album Breakaway, and it reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.

The big-chorus, guitar-driven sound became a signature of Clarkson’s career after American Idol.

Up next, a song that was supposed to belong to a soul singer ended up as a global party anthem.

#9 – Happy by Pharrell Williams

Pharrell wrote “Happy” for the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack with CeeLo Green in mind, and CeeLo recorded a version. In the end, Pharrell’s own recording was the one that landed on the soundtrack.

The song spent 10 weeks at No. 1 in the US and topped charts in dozens of countries.

A track written for somebody else turned into one of the defining songs of its decade.

At a Glance

• Written for the 2013 animated sequel Despicable Me 2.
• Spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
• Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, losing to “Let It Go.”
• Was supported by “The 24 Hours of Happy,” a day-long music video.

The next song shows how a rapper’s first idea can become another rapper’s biggest hit.

#8 – Gold Digger by Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx

Kanye West reportedly had “Gold Digger” in mind for Shawnna’s 2004 debut album. The song stayed with Kanye, who reworked it for Late Registration.

Built around a Ray Charles sample and a Jamie Foxx hook, it spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

The soul sample and Foxx’s Ray Charles-style hook turned it into a cultural moment.

The next song was meant for a legend whose album sessions never produced it.

#7 – Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake

The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, wrote “Rock Your Body” with Michael Jackson in mind for his Invincible era. Jackson’s album didn’t use it.

Justin Timberlake took it for his debut solo album, Justified. The song reached No. 5 on the Hot 100.

A song meant for the King of Pop became one of the tracks that helped establish Timberlake as a solo star.

Next up, a Whitney Houston classic that started life in someone else’s camp.

#6 – How Will I Know by Whitney Houston

George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam wrote “How Will I Know” with Janet Jackson in mind. The demo went to Jackson’s camp, and she passed.

Houston recorded it for her 1985 debut album, and it went to No. 1 on the Hot 100.

The bright, bouncy sound proved Houston could rule pop as well as power ballads.

Worth Knowing

• Producer Narada Michael Walden also shares a writing credit on the song.
• It hit No. 1 in early 1986, one of the singles from Houston’s debut album that topped the Hot 100.
• Houston later strung together seven consecutive Hot 100 No. 1s, passing the Beatles and the Bee Gees, who had six.

The next song is older. It starts with a country writer, a singer who said no, and a voice that made the song unforgettable.

#5 – Crazy by Patsy Cline

Willie Nelson wrote “Crazy” in 1961 with Billy Walker in mind. Walker reportedly turned it down.

Patsy Cline recorded it, and it reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the country chart. It became her signature song.

A song a country singer didn’t want became one of the most beloved ballads in American music.

From country to British pop, the next song was written for a different star entirely.

#4 – It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones

Gordon Mills and Les Reed wrote “It’s Not Unusual” with Sandie Shaw in mind, and she recorded a demo of it.

It went to Tom Jones instead, and in 1965 it hit No. 1 in the UK and reached No. 10 on the US Hot 100.

The song launched Jones’ career and became his signature opening number.

The next entry has a cast of singers who may be regretting the pass.

#3 – Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus

The writers behind “Wrecking Ball” reportedly had Beyoncé in mind, and Rihanna was also named in accounts of the song’s early pitches. It didn’t land with either.

It went to Miley Cyrus for Bangerz and became her first Hot 100 No. 1.

Cyrus’ raw vocal and the unforgettable video turned a passed-over ballad into a defining moment of her career.

The final two are the biggest reversals on the list. The next one is a comeback story, and the singer almost didn’t want it.

#2 – What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner

Before Tina Turner, several acts were reportedly in the mix for this song, including Cliff Richard, Phyllis Hyman, and Bucks Fizz. Turner herself initially had little desire to sing it.

She recorded it anyway. It became her only Hot 100 No. 1 and won Record of the Year at the Grammys.

The song revived Turner’s career in the 1980s and became her signature solo hit.

One last story, and this one started with someone else’s name on the record.

#1 – Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes

Tori Alamaze recorded “Don’t Cha” before the Pussycat Dolls did. The group’s version, with a feature from Busta Rhymes, was the one that took off, reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100.

The sassy attitude and the Busta Rhymes verse turned it into the group’s breakthrough single.

These 18 cases show how often a hit is just a song that kept moving until it found the right voice. The “perfect” match was often somebody’s second choice.

Which near-miss surprised you most, and which song do you think could have gone to someone else? Drop it in the comments.