Rihanna's "Umbrella" was originally written with pop star Britney Spears in mind, according to author John Seabrook of "The Song Machine." But Spears' label rejected the song because she already had a full load of material to record.
Released in late March 2007, Rihanna's "Umbrella" topped the Billboard charts, staying there for seven straight weeks and changing her career and innocent island-girl image.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/CvBfHwUxHIk?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Singer, rapper, and producer Pharrell Williams told Howard Stern that the infectiously popular "Happy" was intended for CeeLo Green.
Pharrell turned "Happy" into a worldwide hit and sold more than 5 million digital singles. To date, "Happy" remains his most successful song, with 47 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100.
During a 2014 interview with Oprah, Pharrell began crying after watching a supercut of people around the world dancing to his song "Happy."
"It's overwhelming because I love what I do," he told Oprah.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/y6Sxv-sUYtM?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
One of Rihanna's first hits, "S.O.S" spent three weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 in 2006.
But the catchy tune was originally written for singer-actress Christina Milian, who rejected the song.
Meanwhile, Milian hasn't had a hit since "Dip It Low," which was released in 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/IXmF4GbA86E?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
"Since U Been Gone" was written and produced by Max Martin and Dr. Luke for singer-songwriter Pink.
After Pink passed on the song, it was offered to singer-actress Hilary Duff. Then Duff also rejected the song, but only because she could not reach the tunes' high notes.
The song was eventually recorded by Kelly Clarkson, the 2002 winner of "American Idol," on her "Breakaway" album, which sold more than five million copies, according to Billboard. And it's become her calling card.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/R7UrFYvl5TE?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Chris Brown's team wrote "Disturbia" for him, but he decided to work on "Forever," and so he passed the song to his then-girlfriend Rihanna, according to Billboard.
"Disturbia" spent two weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/E1mU6h4Xdxc?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
The "King of Pop" himself was meant to sing what became a hit single on Justin Timberlake's debut solo album, "Justified."
But Michael Jackson turned down the song, which was planned for his 2001 "Invincible" album. "Rock Your Body" ended up charting higher than anything on "Invincible."
http://www.youtube.com/embed/TSVHoHyErBQ?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga originally wrote "Telephone" for pop queen Britney Spears. But Spears decided not to feature the song on her sixth album "Circus," MTV News reports.
Gaga ended up pairing up with Beyoncé on the project for "The Fame Monster." Spears' demo for the "Telephone" leaked in May 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/k4ckqxuTWhM?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
http://www.youtube.com/embed/EVBsypHzF3U?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Kanye West wrote "Gold Digger" with a female vocalist in mind, with the chorus as, "I'm not sayin' I'm a gold digger/But I ain't messin' with no broke n----s."
The song was offered to female rapper Shawnna for her debut album "Worth tha Weight." She passed on the tune.
West tweaked the song's lyrics to be spoken by a man about a woman.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/6vwNcNOTVzY?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Cuban-born American singer Gloria Estefan co-wrote "Let's Get Loud," but passed on the song because it apparently sounded very similar to her previous songs.
Jennifer Lopez recorded the song for her debut album "On the 6."
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q91hydQRGyM?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Hip-hop artist Terrence Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, was happy to see Jay Z and Kanye West partner to record "Ni---s in Paris," whose beat he first passed up.
"I tell people all the time that I don't know if I would've attacked it that way, which means the record might not have been as special once I got on it," Pusha T said in a 2011 interview.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/gG_dA32oH44?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Before B.o.B and Bruno Mars recorded "Nothin' on You," the song was originally slated for hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco.
In an interview with MTV News, producer Jim Jonsin revealed that he was the one responsible for redirecting the song to B.o.B despite Lupe's interest in the project.
"It's not Lupe's record. I need this record for B.o.B. Please give this record to B.o.B," Jonsin recalls telling Atlantic Records chairman Craig Kallman.
"I guess they went through whoever they went through, convinced whoever they needed to, and it got to B.o.B," Jonsin told MTV News.
In an interview with the Guardian, Lupe said that Kallman called his performance "wack." Lupe said the process was "mentally destructive" and that he "was super-depressed, lightly suicidal, at moments medium-suicidal — and if not suicidal, willing to just walk away from it all completely."
Lupe's version of the song was leaked three months after B.o.B's came out.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/hOedT_pLZqg?list=RDhOedT_pLZqg
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
http://www.youtube.com/embed/8PTDv_szmL0?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger missed out on a lot of hits.
Rihanna's "We Found Love," Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," Lady Gaga's "Just Dance," and the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" — whoops.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/tg00YEETFzg?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
The track, initially called "Hit Me Baby," was written by Swedish music producer and songwriter Max Martin for TLC, the three-woman American R&B group.
Singer T-Boz, one-third of TLC, later recalled the group's decision to reject the song.
"I was like, I like the song, but do I think it's a hit? Do I think it's TLC? ... Was I going to say, 'Hit me baby one more time'? Hell no!" she said, according to author John Seabrook in "The Song Machine."
Apparently, Martin had a misunderstanding of American slang and how the phrase would translate in the song. He just thought it sounded like a hip way to say "call me one more time."
After TLC rejected it, Martin sent the tune to Robyn — the Swedish teen-pop queen who has redefined herself as a more adult pop singer — but nothing materialized from that, either. So it went to a then-unknown Britney Spears preparing for her debut.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/C-u5WLJ9Yk4?rel=0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px
Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
Experts warn of rising temperatures in Bengaluru as Phase 2 of Lok Sabha elections draws near
Axis Bank posts net profit of ₹7,129 cr in March quarter
7 Best tourist places to visit in Rishikesh in 2024
Next Story