3 Classic Rock Songs Almost Recorded by Other People

Despite all the fame and fortune surrounding the world of rock music, it can feel like a very small world at times when you get down to it. You start to run into the same people backstage, on tour, and at festivals. You become friends with one another. Maybe your old bassist is now playing in a new band, and now you have a close connection to that group. Everyone is just a phone call away.

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Because of that small world feel, there are a lot of close friendships in the rock world. And as a result, a lot of songs get passed around between pals. We wanted to examine three examples of that. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs that were almost recorded by other people.

“Hungry Heart” by Bruce Springsteen from ‘The River’ (1980)

About 10 years ago, Bruce Springsteen went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and told a very interesting story. He said he met the punk band The Ramones in his hometown of Asbury Park, and they all got to talking. Springsteen told the band he wanted to write a song for them.

“So I went home and I sat at my table and I wrote it in about the time it took me to sing it,” Bruce explained to Jimmy Fallon. “I brought it in and we went to make a demo for it or I played it for [Johnny Ramone], and he said, ‘Nah, you better keep that one.’”

So, the Boss kept the track, which hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. “He was right about that. It did pretty well,” he told Fallon.

“I’m A Believer” by The Monkees from ‘More Of The Monkees’ (1966)

Neil Diamond has written many songs for other artists, but one that he maybe should have kept for himself was the Billboard No. 1 charting track “I’m A Believer”. That song, which was first recorded by the famed TV band The Monkees, was a huge sensation. It is still a popular song these days thanks to its inclusion in things like the soundtrack for the film Shrek.

“The head of my record company freaked,” Diamond explained to Mojo Magazine. “He went through the roof because he felt that I had given No. 1 records away to another group. I couldn’t have cared less because I had to pay the rent and The Monkees were selling records, and I wasn’t being paid for my records.”

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds from ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985)

The song that made the 1985 soundtrack for the film The Breakfast Club so famous, Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was first sent over to the British-born artist Billy Idol. But Idol decided to pass on the track. Amazingly, Simple Minds almost passed on recording it, too. But after they met with The Breakfast Club director John Hughes, they decided to “give this a go,” they said. Indeed, lead vocalist Jim Kerr told The Morning Call, “Very simply, we liked them, and were like, ‘Why don’t we give this a go? Spend a few hours, see what’s what.’” The result was the band’s biggest hit and an eternal record. Good decision!

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