Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
When British rockers Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975, they knew they weren't doing an ordinary song. Producer Roy Thomas Baker called it "basically a joke, but a successful joke."
Baker says they "never stopped laughing" during recording, but eventually realized they had something special. Their label needed convincing: at six minutes, it was considered too long for a single.
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder's 1972 track Superstition is one of the singer-songwriter's most iconic works. However, Wonder hadn't originally intended to record it, having written it for guitar hero Jeff Beck.
Ultimately both Wonder and Beck recorded their own versions; Wonder's was released first, and proved the bigger hit. Rumors that this sparked a feud with Beck have been debunked.
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
Keith Richards wrote Satisfaction as a filler track on the next Rolling Stones album, and intended for the iconic fuzz tone guitar riff to be played by a brass section.
Fortunately, Richards' bandmates recognized the song was a surefire hit. To this day, it remains arguably the best-loved song the Rolling Stones ever recorded.
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Billie Jean was one of Michael Jackson's biggest hits, but this almost didn't happen. Producer Quincey Jones didn't think the song was good enough to be on the 1982 album Thriller.
Jackson fought Jones on this, and was proved right when it became a multi-platinum selling worldwide hit that won two Grammys, helping Thriller become the biggest-selling album of all time.
Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses
Guitar hero Slash says he was just messing around when he hit upon the central riff for what became one of Guns N' Roses' signature songs, Sweet Child o' Mine.
None of them took it too seriously at first, but eventually it proved a massive hit which helped album Appetite for Destruction achieve sales of over 30 million worldwide.
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye had enjoyed a long, successful career playing mostly sweet love songs, so it surprised many when he came out with the overtly political What's Going On in 1971.
Gaye's bosses at record label Motown initially rejected What's Going On, fearing it wasn't commercial enough. Happily they saw sense, and today it's considered one of the best songs ever.
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
Where the Streets Have No Name opens U2's huge-selling 1987 album The Joshua Tree - but if producer Brian Eno had had his way, it might have been deleted.
Bassist Adam Clayton says they spent "interminable hours" working on the song, driving Eno "mad" to the point that he considered erasing the tapes.
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
Though it's the best-known song from the sadly-missed Leonard Cohen, there was a time when it looked like Hallelujah would never make it to turntables.
Never one to do things by halves, Cohen spent almost three years working on the song, allegedly drafting as many as 80 potential verses before settling on the final version.
Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
Before Britney Spears broke through in 1998, multiple record labels rejected her, believing solo artists were dead and only bands like Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys would sell.
Moreover, Spears' breakthrough single Baby One More Time had already rejected by numerous artists including TLC, The Backstreet Boys, and even largely forgotten British boy band Five.
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
Introspective, emotional and melodic, 1991's Nothing Else Matters was far removed from anything Metallica had ever recorded - because singer-songwriter James Hetfield hadn't originally intended it for the band.
Allegedly Hetfield wrote it for his girlfriend whilst the band were touring, and played it to her over the phone. When his bandmates heard it, they insisted on recording it.
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
1965's Like a Rolling Stone helped mark a turning point in Bob Dylan's career, moving from traditional acoustic folk music to electric folk-rock - and upsetting many fans in the process.
Doubts from the record company - in part over its six-minute length - meant the track almost wasn't released as a single. It wound up being Dylan's biggest hit.
All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
All I Want for Christmas is You is a perennial festive hit which made Mariah Carey the semi-official Queen of Christmas - yet Carey and co. had their doubts about it.
Because Christmas-themed records were typically put out by artists whose careers were on the decline, the then-red-hot Carey wasn't sure if it was the best idea. Turns out it was!
Kiss - Prince
Prince's 1986 single Kiss proved to be one of his most enduring hits. However, the record company didn't like it, and Prince didn't plan to record it himself at first.
The prolific singer-songwriter originally wrote Kiss for funk band Mazarati, but after working with the band on the track, Prince flatly declared, "it's too good for you guys."
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
It's hard to imagine 90s rock without Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit - so it's even harder to imagine that the band wanted to throw it out at one point.
None of the band members liked the tune at first, all of them feeling its quiet verse/loud chorus structure was too derivative of alt-rock pioneers the Pixies.
Somebody That I Used to Know - Goyte
Today, Goyte is often considered a one-hit wonder due to 2012's massive-selling single Somebody That I Used to Know, so it's ironic that the Australian singer-songwriter almost ditched the song.
After spending months working on the track, Goyte considered it "weak" and considered omitting it from his third album Making Mirrors. It wound up selling over 26.3 million copies.
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
By 1980, Bruce Springsteen was a major hit-maker - and some in his circle were unhappy he'd written some big hits for other artists, like Patti Smith's Because the Night.
Springsteen wrote Hungry Heart for punk icons The Ramones, but was persuaded by his manager to keep it and record it himself. It wound up one of his biggest hits.
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
The last of an estimated 56 possible songs Billy Corgan composed for 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 1979 was originally dismissed by Smashing Pumpkins' producer.
Feeling they had enough songs, producer Flood said 1979 wasn't good enough. Corgan subsequently refined the track, which wound up a gold-selling hit single and was nominated for two Grammys.
Natural Blues - Moby
Electronica star Moby enjoyed massive worldwide success with his 1999 album Play, but one song that almost didn't make the cut was Natural Blues, which he couldn't quite get right.
Moby handed Natural Blues to electronica act I Monster, who produced a remix that finally nailed it. This version made the album and was a top 30 hit around the world.
Lazy Sunday Afternoon - Small Faces
London rock band The Small Faces only intended Lazy Sunday Afternoon to be an album track - but without consulting the band, their label released it as a single.
Described by singer-songwriter Steve Marriot as "a total p***-take," the comedic track was a hit in 1968. The band were furious, feeling it undermined the harder-edged direction they were leaning toward.
Song 2 - Blur
90s Britpop band Blur were just messing around with 1997's Song 2. After recording a raucous demo, they jokingly told the label they wanted to release it as a single.
To the band's amazement, the label were genuinely excited and immediately agreed to release it. The fast, thrashy track with the signature "woo-hoo!" chorus became one of Blur's best-loved songs.
Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift had only just transitioned from country to pop when she took her record company by surprise with Shake It Off. They didn't like it at all.
Nevertheless, Swift insisted Shake It Off be the first single off her 2014 album 1989. Both the single and the album proved to be gargantuan hits.
The Boys are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
Irish rock band Thin Lizzy are best-remembered for their 1976 single The Boys are Back in Town, but the track was almost left off their hit album Jailbreak.
After recording 15 potential tracks for the 10-track record, the band initially left off The Boys are Back in Town, but their management recognized the track's commercial potential.
Shape of You - Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran's Shape of You is currently the second-most popular song on Spotify with over 3.8 billion streams - so it's curious that Sheeran didn't intend to record it himself.
Originally, the singer-songwriter composed the track for Rihanna to perform. However, on realizing it was lyrically too British, Sheeran opted to make it his own. Smart move on his part!
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
When Whitney Houston signed on for 1992 movie The Bodyguard, she intended to re-record Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted as its theme song.
A rethink was forced when this song was used in 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Houston's co-star Kevin Costner suggested covering Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You instead.
Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls
After starting out as a burlesque dance troupe, The Pussycat Dolls became a fully-fledged pop group with their chart-topping 2005 single Don't Cha - but things could have gone differently.
Before Nicole Scherzinger and company recorded the track, it was initially offered to another would-be pop singer: notorious socialite and reality TV personality Paris Hilton.
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics
Eurythmics became a major 80s synth-pop act and Annie Lennox later enjoyed massive solo success, but this didn't happen overnight. Still, they knew they had something special on composing Sweet Dreams.
Their record label, however, had no faith in the track and initially refused to release it. Eventually they relented, and it proved to be a massive hit worldwide.
Toxic - Britney Spears
Famous for its 60s spy-themed video, 2003's Toxic is arguably Britney Spears' second best-loved song after Baby One More Time - but it was originally written for Kylie Minogue.
Toxic songwriter Cathy Dennis (herself a one-time 80s pop star) had previously composed Minogue's huge 2001 hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head.
Purple Rain - Prince
The title track to Prince's iconic 1984 album and accompanying movie, Purple Rain is one of the sadly missed pop icon's masterpieces - but he came close to throwing it out.
Prince was so worried that the song was musically too close to Journey's 1983 single Faithfully, he played it to Journey's Jonathan Cain to get his blessing first.
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
The title track from Simon & Garfunkel's landmark final album, 1970's Bridge Over Troubled Water is considered one of the greatest songs ever, but they had their doubts about it.
As it was piano-based and mostly sung by Art Garfunkel alone, the duo worried it was a little too far removed from their signature sound (acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies).
Creep - Radiohead
British alt-rock icons Radiohead broke through in a big way with their 1992 debut single Creep, but if the band had gotten their way, it might not have been recorded.
Frontman Thom Yorke had written the song years earlier, and neither he nor the band thought it was any good. However, their producers saw its commercial potential.
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Two years after winning American Idol, Kelly Clarkson had one of her biggest hits with 2004's Since U Been Gone, but the song was not written with her in mind.
Esteemed pop songwriter Max Martin originally wrote Since U Been Gone with Pink in mind. After she passed, it was offered to Hilary Duff, before Clarkson finally said yes.
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
When Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams co-wrote Hollaback Girl, they were messing around. Stefani knew she already had more than enough songs for her debut solo album Love Angel Music Baby.
Moreover, with the song's repeated use of the S-word, they didn't imagine the goofy song could be a single. In fact, it wound up one of Stefani's biggest hits.
Umbrella - Rihanna
Written by a team of songwriters including Jay-Z, Umbrella was originally written as a potential comeback single for Britney Spears - but her record label rejected it, without consulting Spears.
It's likely Spears' team came to rue that decision, as when released by Rihanna in 2007, Umbrella proved to be a massive multi-platinum selling hit and a Grammy winner.
Close To Me - The Cure
On release in 1985, the platinum-selling Close To Me was one of the biggest hits of British post-punk icons The Cure, yet the band originally considered it a throwaway track.
Singer-songwriter Robert Smith reflects, "Close To Me doesn’t spring to mind as one of our best songs... it wasn’t even a definite album track during the recording.”
Jimmy Mack - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
Iconic girl group Martha Reeves & the Vandellas originally recorded Jimmy Mack, one of their best-loved songs, in 1964 - yet, curiously, it sat on the shelf for three years.
When finally released in 1967, the song was a hit. Some have speculated the song's release was delayed for political reasons, the lyrics seemingly alluding to men being sent to Vietnam.
How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
1985's How Will I Know was Whitney Houston's sixth single, and her second out of a seven-single run of chart-toppers - but it could've been Janet Jackson's.
The youngest Jackson sibling was offered the song before Houston. It would be another year before Janet herself would first top the charts with 1986's When I Think Of You.
Rainbow in the Dark - Dio
As the supposed inventor (or, at least, popularizer) of the iconic 'devil horns' hand gesture, singer-songwriter Ronnie James Dio was someone who took his heavy metal credentials very seriously indeed.
As such, when he thought his 1983 single Rainbow in the Dark sounded a bit too poppy, Dio came close to deleting the master tapes. Fortunately he changed his mind.
Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie
The creation of 1981 UK chart-topper Under Pressure is a fascinating rock'n'roll story. Queen happened to be rehearsing in Switzerland when they learned Bowie was in town and invited him over.
What started as a casual jam session unexpectedly evolved into a full-blown songwriting session, and Under Pressure was the result. Initially there were no plans for it to be recorded.
Jack & Diane - John Cougar Mellencamp
John Cougar (as he was then known) initially didn't want to release his 1982 single Jack & Diane, unsatisfied with what he considered "a dumb little song."
Mellencamp was also frustrated after the record label forced him to change the lyrics, originally about an interracial romance. Even so, Jack & Diane spent a month at #1.
Miss Independent - Kelly Clarkson
Miss Independent wasn't meant to be a Kelly Clarkson single. Christina Aguilera co-wrote the track and originally planned to record it herself to include on her album Stripped.
In the end, Aguilera decided against using the song, and Clarkson worked with co-writer Rhett Lawrence to develop it into the top ten hit it became in 2003.