9 Hit Songs That Were Originally Written for a Different Artist

Some of the most recognizable songs in pop history almost belonged to someone else entirely. A shelved demo, a rejected pitch, or a scheduling conflict can send a track on a completely different path, sometimes landing it with an artist who turns it into a career-defining moment.

The stories behind these near-misses reveal just how unpredictable the music business really is. What follows are nine well-documented cases where a song written for one artist ended up making someone else famous instead.

1. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinéad O’Connor

“Nothing Compares 2 U” is a pop R&B ballad written and composed by Prince in 1984 to 1985 for the short lived Minneapolis funk group The Family, whom he had assembled as a side project. The song first appeared as an album track on The Family’s self titled debut LP, released in August 1985 on Prince’s Paisley Park Records label, but received minimal attention at the time.

The track’s enduring legacy stems from Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor’s stripped down, vocally intense cover, recorded for her second studio album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got and released as its lead single in January 1990. Her sparse, haunting rendition topped the charts in 17 countries, including the United States, making her a reluctant superstar overnight.

2. Umbrella – Rihanna

Tricky Stewart and The Dream, who wrote “Umbrella,” originally sent it off to one of Stewart’s former collaborators, Britney Spears, but her label rejected the song because she already had enough material for her upcoming “Blackout” album. Taio Cruz reportedly took a stab at recording the tune instead, but his label wouldn’t release it.

It ended up before both Rihanna and Mary J. Blige, but the latter was too busy with Grammy obligations to give it a listen, so Rihanna won out and “Umbrella” made her a household name. The song went on to become one of the defining singles of her early career and cemented her as one of pop’s biggest names.

3. …Baby One More Time – Britney Spears

‘…Baby One More Time’ wasn’t written for the then-unknown starlet, but for 90s girl group TLC. Max Martin and Rami Yacoub thought the track fitted the group’s image, but TLC entirely disagreed, taking issue with the song’s refrain.

When the track began to circulate in search of another home, Simon Cowell, who was managing boyband 5ive at the time, made a bid for it, reportedly offering to buy Martin a Mercedes in exchange for it. By that time the track was already promised to Britney, and the rest is history. The song went on to define an entire era of teen pop.

4. Toxic – Britney Spears

Britney Spears’ “Toxic” is the type of record that easily entices a listener from the production alone, but songwriter Cathy Dennis had Janet Jackson in mind, and initially offered it to Kylie Minogue, who turned it down. The song eventually reached Spears, who was in the middle of reinventing her sound after a string of more traditional pop ballads.

The dark, string driven production paired with Spears’ breathy delivery turned out to be an unlikely but perfect match. It became one of the most enduring songs of her catalog, still cited decades later as one of the most original pop singles of its decade.

5. How Will I Know – Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” is an infectious, charming hit defined by Houston’s soaring vocals, originally written by songwriting duo George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, but actually specifically envisioned for Janet Jackson. Jackson’s team ultimately passed on the track before it made its way to Houston’s team.

Houston’s version added an energetic, radio ready sheen that helped launch her from a promising newcomer into a certified pop star. The song became one of several early hits that established her as a dominant force in mid 1980s pop and R&B.

6. Irreplaceable – Beyoncé

Songwriter Ne-Yo originally wrote “Irreplaceable” as a country song, intending to sell it to Shania Twain or Faith Hill. During the writing process, songwriters Ne-Yo, Mikkel Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen imagined Shania Twain or Faith Hill singing the vocals on their country song “Irreplaceable.”

Neither country star recorded it, and the song eventually found its way to Beyoncé, who transformed it into a moody R&B breakup anthem. The reworked version became one of the biggest hits of her solo career and a defining single of the mid 2000s.

7. All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor was written by Trainor and producer Kevin Kadish, but was originally pitched to a dozen other artists, including Beyoncé, before Trainor wound up releasing the song herself. Trainor has explained that some artists get thousands of songs pitched and never even hear them, since their A&R teams decide whether a track fits before it reaches the artist directly.

At the time of writing the song, Trainor was making a living pitching songs to other artists, and it was shipped around to singers she felt fit the song’s image, including Beyoncé and Adele. None of them took it, and Trainor’s own version became a global smash and her breakout hit.

8. Happy – Pharrell Williams

Before Pharrell Williams made “Happy” a global sensation, the song was offered to CeeLo Green, who recorded a version of it, but his label decided not to release it. The track sat unused for a period before Pharrell decided to keep it for his own project.

Pharrell kept the track for himself, and it became one of the best-selling singles of all time. Its placement in the film Despicable Me 2 and its relentlessly upbeat tone helped it dominate charts worldwide for months.

9. Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls

“Don’t Cha,” the sassy breakout hit for The Pussycat Dolls, was initially offered to both Tori Alamaze and then, somewhat surprisingly, Paris Hilton. Alamaze had actually recorded and released her own version first, though it failed to gain significant traction.

After both artists passed, the track was picked up by The Pussycat Dolls and became one of the best-selling singles of 2005. The song’s sly, confident delivery ended up defining the group’s sound and helped launch them into mainstream pop stardom.

Taken together, these nine songs show how much of a song’s identity comes down to timing, chance, and the particular voice that finally sings it. A rejected pitch or a scheduling conflict changed the trajectory of an entire career, sometimes more than once before the song found its true home.