3 Iconic Songs That Almost Went to Another Artist (And How That Would’ve Changed Music History)

Some things are just meant to be. Here are a couple of iconic songs that changed the game for certain artists, but that almost went to somebody else. It’s hard not to wonder: What would have happened if they did?

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“Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton

While it’s true that “Tennessee Whiskey” was recorded by several artists before it got into the hands of Stapleton, it’s pretty hard to imagine anybody else singing this country classic. The song was first recorded by David Allen Coe in 1981. But under Stapleton, it became the first country single in history to be certified RIAA Double Diamond. It also helped launch him as a credible performer in the country music space. At the time, he was known mostly for his songwriting capabilities.

George Strait, who was offered the song first by co-writer Dean Dillon, even later admitted that he regretted not seeing the song’s potential.

The truth is, if Strait had recorded “Tennessee Whiskey” back in the day, it likely would’ve meant another No. 1 for him. The real crime, though, is that Stapleton probably would’ve remained relatively unknown for a few more years at least. His 2015 album, Traveller, which shot up the iTunes charts following his iconic “Tennessee Whiskey” performance, would’ve probably stayed in obscurity as well.

“Telephone” by Lady Gaga (ft. Beyoncé)

Who doesn’t love this iconic Lady Gaga hit? It’s one of those songs that’s so unmistakably her. That is, until you realize that it was actually meant for Britney Spears’ Circus album first. Apparently, Britney recorded a demo of the song, but ultimately decided it wasn’t for her. Weirdly enough, this is one of those hits that I can actually see doing well both ways.

It’s not like Britney would’ve really needed “Telephone” though. Circus proved to be one of her most successful projects. It produced iconic hits for the star, like “Womanizer”, “Circus”, and “If You Seek Amy”. For Gaga, however, “Telephone” solidified her as an international star and gave pop music fans one of the most talked-about music videos of the decade.

“Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson

As an early-2000s girlie, this was the song that first introduced me to Kelly Clarkson’s pop realness. Real fans know, though, that it was co-written and intended for Avril Lavigne back in the day.

How would this have changed things? Well, first of all, I’m not certain that Disney would’ve used Avril Lavigne’s rock version of the song for Princess Diaries 2. Honestly, that was part of what helped the song gain so much notoriety in the first place. I’m sure Kelly would’ve been okay without the hit, but her album Breakaway would’ve had to be named something totally different.

It’s also hard to come across a song that has as much star power as this one does. I feel that would’ve been hard to top, even for someone with a voice like Kelly’s.

Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage