3 Hit Songs That Were Originally Written for Other Artists (But Became Career-Defining Anyway)

Some songs fit so perfectly with certain artists that it’s easy to forget they didn’t necessarily write them. Oftentimes, in fact, the biggest hits were written by other hitmakers of the same decade. Here are some songs that were written for one artist but passed on to another.

Videos by American Songwriter

“From This Moment On” by Shania Twain

While speaking with Us Weekly, Shania admitted that her hit song, “From This Moment On,” was actually written with Celine Dion in mind. “‘From This Moment On’ is the one I least expected to be so big and so timeless because I really didn’t want to record the song myself. I wrote it because I wanted Celine Dion to sing it,” she explained. However, it’s unlikely that Dion is even aware that the hit could’ve had her name attached to it. Twain never told the songstress of her original intentions for the ballad. Too late though! “She can’t have it now,” Twain jokingly told the outlet.

“Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson

It’s really hard to imagine anyone singing this song but Kelly; the lyrics and sentiment just feel so her. However, Avril Lavigne shared while backstage at The Kelly Clarkson Show that the song was actually recorded and written for her debut album. “I wrote the song at a very young age.” She explained, “I was leaving my small town, went to the city. I took a chance, I took a leap of faith on my career. It was a very scary thing, leaving my world behind and taking a chance was what the song was written about.” Clarkson, who left her town of Fort Worth, Texas, to audition for American Idol, can likely relate to this sentiment.

“Umbrella” by Rihanna

Now, this one, I can actually see. Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, which became a career-defining hit for her that some artists can only dream of having, was actually written with Britney Spears in mind. Word on the street is that the track would’ve ended up on Britney’s Blackout album, which already has several heavy hitters like “Gimme More”, “Piece of Me”, and “Freakshow”. However, Spears’ label rejected the song, and Rihanna reaped the benefits by going No. 1 in 19 countries.

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