Some classic rock tracks have become so firmly established in pop culture history that it's almost impossible to believe they might have ended up sounding entirely different. However, it's not unusual for a song to pass through several hands before finding a home, and it might surprise you to learn that the famous hits on this list were just a hair's breadth away from being recorded by other artists.
- “Golden Years” – David Bowie
- “What's Love Got To Do With It” – Tina Turner
- “Don't You (Forget About Me)” – Simple Minds
- “We Built This City” – Starship
- “Superstition” – Stevie Wonder
- “Cover Me” – Bruce Springsteen
“Golden Years” – David Bowie
The beloved British artist recorded this fantastic, funky number for his tenth studio album, Station to Station (1976), but, according to some sources, Bowie originally penned the track with no less than the king of rock and roll in mind. As with so many of his generation, Bowie was enamored with Elvis Presley. In his 1999 Bowie biography Strange Fascination, author David Buckley noted that the singer had gone so far as to send a demo of “Golden Years” to Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, which was politely turned down. Bowie's version reached number 8 on the UK singles chart and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“What's Love Got To Do With It” – Tina Turner
This enduring rock ballad hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and breached the top ten singles charts of numerous countries around the world. It's an emotional, sultry belter of a song, but it could have ended up in very different hands. The song was written by the team of Graham Lyle and Terry Britten, who earned themselves a Grammy Award in the process. The duo originally offered the song to British soft-pop supremo Cliff Richard, who turned it down. It was also passed to UK Eurovision Song Contest winners Bucks Fizz, who actually recorded a demo that was subsequently shelved, before it fell into Turner's hands.
“Don't You (Forget About Me)” – Simple Minds
A record that slots perfectly into any classic 1980s playlist, “Don't You” raced to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1985, propelling Scottish rock band Simple Minds to international stardom. The song was written by producer Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Schiff specifically for the iconic John Hughes teen comedy-drama movie The Breakfast Club. Simple Minds initially declined the offer to record it, feeling they should concentrate on their own material. Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music also turned it down, but reportedly only due to time constraints. Rocker Billy Idol is another to have reportedly passed. Eventually, Simple Minds were persuaded to give it a go, reportedly on the recommendation of singer Chrissie Hynde, who was then married to Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr.
“We Built This City” – Starship
Musicians (and listeners) seem to have a love-hate relationship with this quintessential soft-rock number. Let's start with Starship. The band's origins trace back to 1984, but this was a group built on the ashes of a previous outfit, Jefferson Airplane. That group started off as psychedelic rock pioneers, but after several members left, guitarist Paul Kantner and singer Grace Slick formed Jefferson Starship, where they pursued a more prog rock-oriented direction. When Kantner left Jefferson Starship in 1984, the remaining members morphed into Starship, with Grace Slick still on board.
“We Built This City” was written by Martin Page and long-time Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin. It was originally sent to singer Martha Davis of new wave band The Motels in the hopes that she would finish the as-yet incomplete song. Davis passed on the opportunity, and the fledgling number was then given over to pop producer Peter Wolf, who extensively reworked and softened it for Starship. Starship's version was an immense chart-topping hit, despite singer Grace Slick labeling it "the worst song ever."
“Superstition” – Stevie Wonder
The prodigiously talented singer, composer, and keyboardist Stevie Wonder recorded this sublime funk-rock radio staple for his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book (1972), but the song was nearly given its first airing by British guitar legend Jeff Beck. The guitarist was working with Wonder at the time as a session player. However, the pair ended up building up a rough demo of Superstition together, and the initial plan was for Beck to release his own version to feature on an upcoming album by power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. When that album was delayed, Wonder wound up putting his version out first, and the song rocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Beck's version was released the following year.
“Cover Me” – Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen wrote this fantastic number, which appeared on his spectacularly successful 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A. It's the sort of emotionally charged, mid-tempo rocker that is such a perfect fit for the Boss that it's hard to imagine any other artist laying down a definitive take, but, once again, it's a matter of chance that this wasn't the case. Springsteen originally penned the song for disco superstar Donna Summer. It was Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, who insisted Springsteen record “Cover Me” himself, and the song has since gone on to become a firm fan favorite.