10 Artists Who Turned Down Hit Songs

Just think, Janet could have had 'How Will I Know'
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 20, 2012 11:04 AM CDT
10 Artists Who Turned Down Hit Songs
Janet Jackson performs at the 37th Annual American Music Awards on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Sometimes celebrities aren't so lucky—as evidenced by these 10 musical artists who rejected songs that later turned into hits by someone else. From Celebuzz:

  • Leona Lewis recorded "We Found Love" before Rihanna, but didn't want to commit. "Mine's better," she says, although she won't leak her version.
  • Can you imagine TLC singing "...Baby One More Time"? Apparently neither could they, because the group turned it down and it went to Britney Spears.

  • Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is iconic, right? Well, it was originally written for Meat Loaf.
  • We have Whitney Houston's awesome version of "How Will I Know" thanks in part to Janet Jackson, who turned it down first.
  • Country star Sara Evans reportedly said "Jesus Take the Wheel" was a "stupid" song, but Carrie Underwood scored her first hit with it.
Click for the complete list. (More celebrity stories.)

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