Just try to imagine a world in which “…Baby One More Time” is a TLC song. SOURCE
1. Lady Gaga wrote “Telephone” for Britney Spears, but Britney rejected it. Gaga later recorded it with Beyoncé and it was a huge hit.
2. Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” was originally intended for Janet Jackson.
3. Most people assume Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” was just a homage to classic Michael Jackson, but The Neptunes actually wrote the music for Jackson’s final album, Invincible.
4. Giorgio Moroder originally wanted “Call Me” to be a collaboration with Stevie Nicks, but when she was not available, he instead finished the song with Blondie, and it became a No. 1 hit.
5. “…Baby One More Time” was rejected by TLC, but Max Martin ended up giving the song to Britney Spears.
6. Leona Lewis was originally intended to sing “We Found Love” and recorded a demo, but the song ended up going to Rihanna instead.
7. David Bowie gave “Golden Years” to Elvis Presley, but since Presley declined to record it, it ended up on Bowie’s 1976 classic Station to Station.
8. Rihanna’s “Umbrella” was written by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart with Britney Spears in mind, but her label rejected it.
9. Bruce Springsteen wrote “Hungry Heart” for The Ramones, but his producer and manager Jon Landeau convinced him to keep it for himself. It ended up becoming Springsteen’s first major chart hit.
10. “Toxic” was originally offered to Kylie Minogue, but it eventually became a big hit for Britney Spears instead.
11. Paul McCartney wanted Tom Jones to record “The Long and Winding Road” as a single in 1968, but that didn’t work out, and he recorded it with The Beatles instead.
12. Chris Brown co-wrote and recorded “Disturbia,” but ended up deciding the song was better for a female singer and passed it on to Rihanna.
13. The Neptunes originally developed the beat for “I’m A Slave 4 U” for Janet Jackson, but after she rejected it, it went to Britney Spears instead.
14. Donna Summer wrote “Dim All the Lights” for Rod Stewart, but she ultimately decided to keep the song for herself, and it became one of her signature hits.
