History is often drastically changed by decisions that take a matter of seconds to make. It’s pretty crazy when you think about it; the fate of the world being changed over a fleeting thought. Well, we are chiming in on something similar today, but it just doesn’t have to do with world-changing events. Though on a similar beat, here are three famous classic rock songs that were almost given away to another artist.
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“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
In 1998, Aerosmith performed and released their single, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”, for the Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis movie, Armageddon. It was an enormous hit and one of the premier elements that made the movie what it is today. However, this song nearly didn’t belong to Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, as it was originally intended for Celine Dion.
The author of this acclaimed track, Diane Warren, wrote this single with Celine Dion in mind. Although after hearing Steven Tyler in the studio, Warren changed her mind, and consequently birthed one of the greatest original film singles of all time. It’s crazy to think that this classic rock jam was almost given away to a wildly different artist.
“Hard Luck Woman” by KISS
Weirdly enough, Paul Stanley of KISS wrote this song with Rod Stewart in mind. Stanley thought the song would be a success with Stewart at the helm, thanks to his previous hits “Maggie May” and “You Wear It Well”. However, Stanley and the band decided to keep it for themselves, which was fortunate for both us fans and them.
Released in 1976, this Kiss single went on to peak at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, it helped their album, Rock And Roll On Over, reach the No. 11 spot on the Billboard 200.
“Don’t Do Me Like That” by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
A good deal of these classic rock musicians were seemingly fairly generous individuals, including Tom Petty. Originally written by Tom Petty, “Don’t Do Me Like That” nearly belonged to The J. Geils Band. However, they rejected the offer, and Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers went on to record their own version of the song.
Following its release in 1979, this iconic single peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the early 1980s. Featured on their staple album, Damn The Torpedoes, “Don’t Do Me Like That” has since become a quintessential hit in Petty’s catalog.
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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