3 Famous Rock Songs That Had Wildly Different Original Titles

Some of the greatest rock songs of all time with very memorable titles once had very different original labels before they were released. Let’s look at some rock hits that could have had some very… interesting titles.

“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler (1983)

Original Title: “Vampires In Love”

This pop rock classic was quite a major hit for Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. The story goes that the song was written by Jim Steinman, who intended the song to be something of a vampire love song. At the time he penned the tune, he was working on a musical version of Nosferatu. So, the original song was going to be titled “Vampires In Love”. When you listen to the lyrics, it really does have an immortal, vampiric vibe to it. It definitely sounds like the kind of song that could have made it to an 80s adaptation of Interview With The Vampire. The name was changed, though, and “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” went on to be a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Breed” by Nirvana (1991)

Original Title: “Imodium”

This gem from the famed grunge album Nevermind by Nirvana had a pretty fascinating original title. For those who don’t know, Imodium is a type of anti-diarrheal medication. Kurt Cobain noticed that his tour mate, Tad Doyle of the band Tad, used the medication on their European tour and got inspired.

The band had apparently put the song together years earlier when they were still supporting their debut record, Bleach. They went with “Breed” instead. The song was never released as a single, but it remains a favorite among grunge fans.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen (1975)

Original Title: “The Cowboy Song”

It’s the rock opera of all rock operas. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen might just live on forever in the hearts of rock fans. However, I can’t help but wonder what would have come of the song if it had this very different (and a little bit silly) title.

This entry on our list of rock songs with different original titles was almost named “The Cowboy Song”. That was the title Freddie Mercury gave the bits and pieces he had written, starting in the late 1960s, that would make it to the final cut of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

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