18 Singers Who Passed On Recording Some Of The Biggest Hits

Sia e-mailed “Pretty Hurts” to both the “Dark Horse” and the “S&M” singer, but Perry didn’t see the e-mail and Rihanna’s people turned it down.

Remember that crazy music video?! Well, it almost didn’t happen — at least, not with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.

Lady Gaga wrote “Telephone” for Spears to use on her album Circus, but the song was dropped from the album. Gaga decided to use it years later as a track on her Fame Monster album.

The former Hannah Montana launched her new image with the crazy music video for “We Can’t Stop,” but the song wasn’t originally given to Cyrus.

According to PopSugar, RiRi was offered “We Can’t Stop,” but decided that she preferred her other option “Pour It Up” better.

It’s tough to imagine anyone other than Pharrell singing the bubbly tune, but another singer actually recorded his own version that was never released.

Pharrell co-wrote “Happy” and passed it on to Green, who recorded his own version. The “powers that be” weren’t as thrilled with the version, and Pharrell ended up taking it into the recording studio himself.

The “bye, bye boyfriend” anthem wasn’t originally intended for the American Idol winner.

The former Lizzie McGuire star was offered the song, but turned it down, allegedly due to the fact that she couldn’t hit all of the notes. Pink also passed on what would become a hit single for Clarkson.

Timberlake proved he wasn’t a boy bander any more with this smooth track, but, while it seemed perfect for the singer, it wasn’t originally going to go to him.

The Neptunes offered Jackson “Rock Your Body” for his album Invincible, but the singer passed and it went to Timberlake.

“Umbrella” was a huge hit for Rihanna, but it could have been one for another pop star instead.

The song, which was co-written by The-Dream, was rejected by Spears’ label.

One of Houston’s greatest hits could have been performed by an entirely different artist had she not rejected the track.

Jackson’s team passed on “How Will I Know,” which was excellent news for Houston, who recorded the hit and took it to the top of the charts.

Spears scored her very first Grammy with the sexy single “Toxic,” but it wasn’t written for her.

The “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” singer was played a demo of “Toxic” but passed on recording the track.

West penned the track, but he didn’t choose to record it until this singer passed on it.

Yep, “Golddigger” was originally told from a woman’s perspective. When Chicago-based rapper Shawnna passed, West rewrote the hook from a man’s point of view and recorded it alongside Jamie Foxx.

Sparks wasn’t supposed to pose the question of why love always feels like a battlefield.

According to PopSugar, Rihanna’s team turned down the song as it was optioned around the time of her then-boyfriend Chris Brown’s very public assault of the singer, and the lyrics just didn’t seem appropriate. Oddly, Rihanna went on to record the “violence is sexy!” single “S&M.”

Spears’ first single wasn’t intended for the up-and-coming singer — though it’s tough to imagine anyone else in the music video’s school girl outfit.

The girl group rejected Spears’ single, which means that you can thank TLC for helping turn Spears into the princess of pop.

Debbie Harry co-wrote the hit and made it famous, but it was originally offered to a different blonde singer.

The Fleetwood Mac vocalist was originally offered the track, but decided to pass.

This hit was originally intended for a male voice.

Brown co-wrote the track and planned to record it himself, but once his then-girlfriend Rihanna listened to it, she asked if she could be the one to put it out. He obliged, agreeing that a female vocalist might be better suited for the song.

Aerosmith may have recorded the sentimental song, but it wasn’t supposed to be a rock band number at all.

Diane Warren penned the tune and allegedly originally gave it to the “My Heart Will Go On” singer, until Aerosmith needed a song to record for Liv Tyler’s film Armageddon.

Lovato’s ballad worked perfectly with the positive message on her album Unbroken, but it could have gone to a different artist.

Though Sparks passed on “Skyscraper,” she liked the track so much that she took to YouTube to do a cover of her very own.

The sweet song off of I Am… Sasha Fierce was written with a different artist in mind.

According to reports, the “Bleeding Love” singer was simply too busy to record “Halo,” and the song ended up in Bey’s hands. Both singers could have nailed the vocals, but it’s totally Beyoncé’s song.

Before The Pussycat Dolls asked the world whether we wished our girlfriends were hot like them, another singer was asked to record the track.

Hilton turned down the track before it was picked up by the girl group, later stating that, had she heard it in the form it was recorded, she would have jumped at the chance to sing the tune.