4 Famous Songs Originally Meant for Someone Else

For music lovers who like to play the game of “What if?”, here are 4 songs originally written for other artists.

“The Boys of Summer”

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell wrote the music of “The Boys of Summer” using a drum machine. Initially intended for Tom Petty’s Long After Dark album, the song was rejected by Petty and producer Jimmy Iovine. After a few chord changes, Campbell took the song to former Eagles drummer Don Henley. Henley wrote the lyrics and it was released as the lead single on his 1984 album Building The Perfect Beast.

“Hard Luck Woman”

Paul Stanley of KISS originally wrote “Hard Luck Woman” with Rod Stewart in mind. Following the success of “Beth”, sung by drummer Peter Criss, the band decided to keep the song for themselves. Peter Criss took on the lead vocals, singing in a way not unlike Rod Stewart himself. The song became the lead single off the 1976 KISS album Rock and Roll Over. Though not as successful as the ballad “Beth”, “Hard Luck Woman” still made its way to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Because the Night”

In 1978, Bruce Springsteen was working on songs for his upcoming album Darkness On The Edge Of Town. One of those songs was “Because the Night”, but the song never materialized for the album. Jimmy Iovine was producing the album while also producing Easter for Patti Smith. Springsteen and Iovine both agreed Smith needed a hit song for the record and decided to pass the song to her. Smith wrote the lyrics, and the song became a hit, helping popularize her new album. Springsteen later released his own version of the song on his 2010 album The Promise, a compilation of songs originally intended for Darkness On The Edge of Town.

“Call Me”

One of Blondie’s most identifiable songs was originally written with Steve Nicks in mind. The song was written for the soundtrack of the 1980 thriller American Gigolo. Due to a contract with Modern Records, Nicks was unable to record the song. It was then offered to Debbie Harry of Blondie, who wrote the lyrics in a few short hours. The song went on to hold the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, becoming Blondie’s biggest hit.

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