3 Rock Songs That Nearly Didn’t Get Released, But Became Hits Anyway

Not every song an artist records makes the cut. There are countless deep cuts and unreleased songs in every musician’s discography. The three songs below eventually landed prime spots on their accompanying albums, but they nearly didn’t get released. These songs became so successful that we can’t imagine what their naysayers were thinking.

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“Nothing Else Matters” (Metallica)

“Nothing Else Matters” panned out to be one of Metallica‘s name-making hits. However, the band nearly missed out on this song’s success, as frontman James Hetfield intended it as a personal piece rather than a Metallica single.

“At first I didn’t even want to play it for the guys,” Hetfield once said. “I thought that Metallica could only be the four of us. These are songs about destroying things, headbanging, bleeding for the crowd, whatever it is, as long as it wasn’t about chicks and fast cars, even though that’s what we liked. The song was about a girlfriend at the time. It turned out to be a pretty big song.”

Despite the singer’s hesitation, he eventually played it for his bandmates, who instantly championed it. This single went on to have chart success and cross-genre appeal. Calling “Nothing Else Matters” “pretty big” is an understatement.

[RELATED: 4 Underrated Tracks From Metallica’s Landmark Self-Titled Album]

“Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen)

Any label executive would be forgiven for hearing “Bohemian Rhapsody” for the first time and having doubts about its viability. There was no song like it before, and there has never been anything like it since. Novelty can be good in the music industry, but it can also be a career killer if used in the wrong way.

When Queen first showed this rock opera to their label, they were quickly shut down. They nearly missed out on one of the biggest rock songs of all time, but Freddie Mercury believed in his artistry and insisted that “Bohemian Rhapsody” make the cut. Luckily, the label’s worries were for nothing, and fans took a liking to this oddball track. Not only did it earn initial success, but it’s proven to be an enduring rock hit that has wowed fans for generations.

“Purple Rain” (Prince)

Prince had many arena-filling songs at his disposal, but none got that crowd on their feet more than “Purple Rain.” From the extended guitar solo to the harmony-filled chorus, this ballad is one of the most famous examples of the genre’s merits. Rock music has seldom been as hypnotizing as it is here. You can’t listen to just a portion of “Purple Rain.” Prince had listeners locked in from start to finish, despite the song’s untraditional runtime.

The length of this song was what almost got it cut by Prince’s label. That and the mix of genres he used to bring his vision to life weren’t what the powers that be thought would make a hit. As always, Prince was adamant about his artistry and got this song released.

(Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns)