3 Pop Songs From the 1990s That Were Originally Written for Other Artists

The ’90s were a great time for pop music–boy bands and pop superstars emerged and dominated the charts, defining the decade and their careers. But some of the biggest, most iconic songs of the decade could’ve sounded drastically different, as they were written with completely different artists in mind, and in some cases, a completely different sound, too. Some songs seem like they could’ve been a good fit for the artist they were originally intended for, but with others, it’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else.

“…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears

Britney Spears debuted in 1999 with “…Baby One More Time”. The single launched her career and set records in the process. With over 10 million copies sold, it’s one of the best-selling singles of all time. But it was never actually intended for Spears. Its writer, Max Martin, originally envisioned it as an R&B track and offered it to TLC, who turned it down. Boy band Backstreet Boys and Swedish pop singer Robyn also passed on it, but Spears loved it. “I knew from the start it was one of those songs you want to hear again and again,” she said. “It just felt really right.”

“Hero” by Mariah Carey

For her hit “Hero,” from the album Music Box, Mariah Carey worked with producer and songwriter Walter Afanasieff. But Carey initially didn’t connect to the song and intended to pass it along to singer Gloria Estefan for the soundtrack to the film Hero. Tommy Mottola, Carey’s husband and head of her record label at the time, loved the song and insisted she keep it for herself. She did just that but with some changes to make it more personal, including changing the lyrics and key. Estefan reportedly never knew the song was originally intended for her.

“Smooth” by Santana ft. Rob Thomas

In 1999, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas and Santana collaborated on the hit Latin-infused song “Smooth”. It gave the band their first hit in nearly 20 years. But Thomas, who co-wrote the song with Itaal Shur, never intended to sing on the track. “This was going to be my first time writing a song that I didn’t perform on, setting me up as a writer,” he told Billboard.

While there was some discussion about who would sing the song, Thomas always had George Michael in mind, but Santana wanted Thomas himself. It was the right choice. “Smooth” is the second-biggest song of all time.