Have you ever listened to your favorite song and wondered how it would sound if it was sung by another artist? There are a lot of famous and top-chart songs that originally were meant for other people. And even though it is kinda hard to picture they could have sounded completely different, they have some interesting stories behind why they were chosen for other singers.
Many of the songs that were originally for other artists have cool demos that never were actually released but are around the internet, they are really fun to hear to see how much a song can change because of the voice that is singing it. Maybe your favorite song is one of them. That’s why today, we’ve put together these 10 stories about songs that were meant for other artists.
Umbrella – Rihanna
In 2007, Rihanna wasn’t such a well-known name like it is nowadays. The song that impulsed her career was actually for Britney Spears, who was about to go back to focus on her career but her manager rejected the song. This song would have been a hit if it was by Britney, but we are thankful it ended up being to Rihanna so she could become the fabulous diva she is.
Chandelier – Sia
Sia likes to maintain a low profile, that’s why before this song was released in 2014 the world didn’t really know her name, despite her being in the music industry for a long time before. Sia wrote a lot of songs for Beyonce, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, and more and she originally wanted Chandelier to be sung by Lady Gaga so it could be on her album Artpop, but she rejected it. The song was offered to other singers but it kept being turned down until Sia decided to sing it by herself and her career rose up.
Call Me – Blondie
The producer of this new age hit, Giorgio Moroder initially thought of Stevie Nicks to be the voice of this song, but in 1979, when the tune was recorded, Stevie had a strict contract with Modern Records that didn’t let her record with Moroder. He then called Debbie Harry and her band Blondie and showed her the music, but asked her to write the lyrics, which she did in a few minutes. This awesome song was the official song of the music American Gigolo and had a great debut and performance on the charts, do you think it would have been so popular if it was by Fleetwood Mac?
Miss Independent – Kelly Clarkson
The first single of Kelly Clarkson after her victory in the first season of American Idol was meant for Christina Aguilera. Christina worked on the song to put it in her album Stripped and she recorded most of the song, but then she left it and her manager offered it to Kelly’s manager. Then, Kelly wrote and recorded the rest of the song, including the bridge, and put it in her debut album Thankful. This awesome song gave her a known name in the music industry and her first Grammy nomination.
I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
One of the most famous songs by Aerosmith was written for Celine Dion. Diane Warren, the writer of the song, imagine it with her voice or a similar one to hers, but then, she was recommended to show it to Steven Tyler and she was excited to hear it by a male’s voice. I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing was released in 1998 and put Aerosmith in the number one on many lists for the first time and was part of the soundtrack of the movie Armageddon.
Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls
Back in 2005, Paris Hilton was all over the place, she was starting a music career and was offered Don’t Cha after it was recorded by Tori Almaze, the vocalist of the group OutKast, and failed on the popularity charts. Paris rejected the song and then Universal told Cee-Lo Green to produce it and re-record it with The Pussycat Dolls, who made an incredible version of the song and put it in many number ones around the world.
Party In The U.S.A – Miley Cyrus
This anthem was written by Jessie J, who didn’t want to sing it because she thought it wasn’t edgy enough for her personality. Miley took the song and put it on her album The Time of Our Lives even though she didn’t like it that much because she needed material for it. The 2009 hit put Miley in many radios all over the globe, paid Jessie’s J rent for a lot of years as she had said in the past, and became a classic of pop music.
How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s second number one was originally for Janet Jackson, but her management turned it down because they thought it wasn’t as good as her usual material and said it was a weak song. Gerry Griffith, the director for R&B music at A&M and Arista Records, heard the tune and thought it was perfect for Whitney since he was looking for songs to put in her debut album. Whitney modified the lyrics and recorded How Will I Know, which received mainly positive reviews from the critics and stand out in her debut album in 1985.
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams was overwhelmed to release a second album back in 2013, but after signing with Columbia Records needed catchy and good material to record. He wrote Happy for Cee-Lo Green, but his label rejected it because he was busy working on a Christmas album, so Pharrell decided to sing it himself and the song turned out to be a big success.
Toxic – Britney Spears
The classic pop song Toxic was meant for Kylie Minogue to put in her ninth studio album, but she rejected it. Britney really liked the song and chose it as her second single from the album In The Zone. Thanks to this 2004 hit, Britney won her first Grammy and it is considered one of the best singles of all her career.
