10 huge hits that were almost never released
As a society, we love a hit song. Since the early days of the music industry, chart-topping tracks have been all the rage, keeping the enterprise afloat and providing popular culture with many of its cornerstones. Whether from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles or Taylor Swift, the list of iconic hits to top the charts is extensive.
In the contemporary era, to enjoy a hit is usually conflated with having poor or questionable taste, as the charts are deemed by those seemingly ‘in the know’ about culturally significant music to embody all that’s wrong with the industry. These misgivings range from the overall quality of the sonics to the alleged copy-and-paste, money-making motivations behind them.
However, there was a time when scoring a hit meant much more than it does today, when streaming was non-existent, and millions of physical copies were sold, indicating a deeper connection between each buyer and the music. Yet, as it has been made clear over the years, many of our favourite hits might not have been released without a myriad of saving graces, from record label choices to accidents.
For that reason, today, we have compiled a list of ten classic hits that were almost never released.
10 songs that were almost never released:
10. ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ – Eurythmics
Eurythmics‘ 1983 alternative pop classic ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ is one hell of a hit. Yet, like the others on this list, it nearly didn’t see the light of day.
Eurythmics member Dave Stewart recalled the song’s writing and the complex situation he and Annie Lennox found themselves in at the time: “By this point, Annie was totally depressed. She was curled up on the floor in the fetal position when I managed to produce this beat and riff. She suddenly went: ‘What the hell is that?’ and leapt up and started playing the other synthesiser. Between the two duelling synths, we had the beginnings of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’. It was a juggernaut rhythm, but it wasn’t a song. Quickly, Annie did this startling rant, which began: ‘Sweet dreams are made of this…’ It was mind-blowing but depressing, so I suggested the “hold your head up, moving on” bit to make it more uplifting.”
According to Stewart, the band’s label, RCA Records, said there wasn’t enough of a chorus for it to be a success in the United States. However, after a plugged-in Cleveland radio DJ kept playing the track, and it received a swollen local response, RCA gave it an official release. Lo and behold, after a slow crawl, it went to the number one spot. Not bad for their first-ever US single.
9. ‘1979’ – The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins formed in 1988, becoming one of the ’90s most defining bands. After the release of their second album, Siamese Dream, they began to gain mainstream success. Thus, it was time to work on record number three, which became Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The album’s best-known song is ‘1979’, which feels distinctively nostalgic and slightly bittersweet.
While it remains one of their most popular tracks, played at most of their live shows, the song was initially rejected by the band’s producer, Mark Ellis, also known as Flood. When Billy Corgan showed him his demo, Ellis made him completely rework the track before he could consider it. It is hard to imagine, but one of The Smashing Pumpkins’ biggest songs almost never made it past demo form.
8. ‘Creep’ – Radiohead
Radiohead famously hates playing their debut single ‘Creep’ live, distancing themselves from the track that allowed them to rise to fame. The song was released in 1992, announcing the group as a new, promising alternative rock act on the scene. Unfortunately for the band, the song was poorly received by several DJs, who found it too melancholic for airplay. This prevented Radiohead from receiving instant success despite having signed to EMI. Yet, the track was soon picked up by international DJs, specifically in Israel, where it became a hit.
From there, Radiohead became well-known, and by the end of the 1990s, they had officially cemented themselves as one of alt-rock’s most interesting outfits. However, the quintet were never big fans of the track. Jonny Greenwood even tried to ruin the recording by making the abrasive guitar sounds that now define the song. They were eventually convinced to release the track by producers, and it is now considered iconic.
7. ‘Lazy Sunday’ – Small Faces
Led by the eminent Steve Marriott, the Small Faces were one of the most influential groups of the 1960s. Arguably, their greatest album is their third, 1968’s psychedelic concept album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake, the record which features the indomitable title track and ‘Afterglow’. The other best-loved composition on the album is ‘Lazy Sunday’, which was the lead single and went to number two on the UK Singles Chart.
However, Marriott and the band did not want to release the track as a single, most likely due to its comical aspects, from the frontman’s pronounced cockney accent to the lyrical reference to The Rolling Stones’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. Andrew Loog Oldham, who was also the boss of Mick Jagger’s outfit, released it without their knowledge, thus giving them a significant hit. Unfortunately, though, this would contribute to Marriott’s eventual departure later in 1968.
Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones told Uncut: “We were on tour in Germany, picked up Melody Maker and this was a hit! Andrew had released it without our knowledge, like ‘My Mind’s Eye.’ So this dragged us back into poppy-land. We wanted to be known for being as good as the Claptons of this world. We wanted a tougher image. It wasn’t a fair representation of Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake.”
6. ‘Nothing Else Matters’ – Metallica
When Metallica released their self-titled hit album, also known as The Black Album, in 1991, none of the band could foresee just how much of a crossover success it would be. While it contains a host of classic tracks, it saw them shed the pulsating thrash of their early and most important chapters for something more commercially viable. Accordingly, they have been stadium headliners ever since. One song that greatly impacted this was the ballad ‘Nothing Else Matters’, which showed a tender, more stirring side to the Californian quartet and broke into the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic.
It was written by frontman James Hetfield in 1990, when he was on the road with the band and missing home and his girlfriend. The song was not intended to be released either, but when drummer Lars Ulrich first heard it, it was considered for the forthcoming new album. At first, Hetfield was reticent to release it, but eventually saw the light, which gave the band one of their definitive hits.
The frontman explained to Metal Hammer: “I thought that Metallica could only be the four of us. These are songs about destroying things, head banging, bleeding for the crowd, whatever it is, as long as it wasn’t about chicks and fast cars, even though that’s what we liked. The song was about a girlfriend at the time. It turned out to be a pretty big song.”
5. ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ – Thin Lizzy
As shown by Andrew Loog Oldham with Small Faces, sometimes all it takes is the will of management to secure a hit. This is something Irish hard rock heroes Thin Lizzy discovered with their signature release, ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ from 1976’s Jailbreak. They weren’t even going to release it on the album, but thanks to management, they did, and it became their most important track.
Guitarist Scott Gorham explained to Classic Rock in 2015: “We weren’t initially going to put ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ on the Jailbreak album at all. Back then, you picked ten songs and went with those because of the time restrictions of vinyl. We recorded 15 songs, and of the ten we picked, that wasn’t one of them. But then management heard it and said, ‘No, there’s something really good about this song.'”
4. ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ – The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones were one of the most successful bands to emerge from the 1960s, thanks to hits such as ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’, which was released in 1965. In many ways, the song was a turning point for the band, who scored their first number one in the United States with it. In turn, it helped establish the band internationally, leading them to dominate the airwaves alongside a string of other British outfits, such as The Beatles and The Kinks.
However, guitarist Keith Richards, despite coming up with the iconic guitar riff, hated the final product and thought it sounded like a demo. Moreover, he didn’t even believe the song could be successful. In the documentary My Life as a Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger recalled, “Andrew Oldham said, ‘This is like a number one single, this is great!’ Keith was like, ‘I don’t really like it. It can’t come out as a single.’ And it went to number one like instantly.”
3. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ – Nirvana
In the late 1980s, Nirvana released their debut album, Bleach, which helped to establish them as key figures in the Seattle grunge movement. By 1991, they were ready to release their second record, Nevermind, which now featured Dave Grohl on the drums. The album was a resounding success, helping to boost alternative rock in the mainstream. Much of this was due to the sheer popularity of the album’s lead single, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, which became an anthem for many troubled teenagers.
Kurt Cobain wrote the track with the hopes of writing the “ultimate pop song”, which is perhaps why Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic were initially unimpressed with the frontman’s ideas. Grohl once stated that he didn’t want to release it because he thought it sounded too much like Pixies, Cobain’s direct inspiration for the composition. Luckily, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was released, becoming the landmark single of the ’90s.
2. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – Queen
Released in 1975, Queen‘s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is one of the most well-known songs ever made. The operatic single was described by Freddie Mercury as “basically three songs that I wanted to put out, and I just put the three together.” It remains a popular karaoke track across the world and Queen’s signature hit, allowing them to become one of Britain’s best-selling bands.
Almost unbelievably, Mercury didn’t love the song for a start, suggesting that the band leave it off their fourth album, A Night at the Opera. Luckily, Queen eventually decided that the song deserved to be released, and its instant success bolstered their stardom even more. It even earned the coveted Christmas number-one spot in 1975 and 1991, following Mercury’s death.
1. ‘What’s Going On’ – Marvin Gaye
‘What’s Going On’ is the most essential song Marvin Gaye gave the world. It is a socio-political plea for peace, influenced by police brutality, the Vietnam War and American racism, as well as the tragic death of Gaye’s friend and duet partner, Tammi Terrell. As one of the most profound soul compositions of its era, it features not only the talent of the vocalist but also the brilliant bass work of none other than a drunken James Jamerson.
Married to Anna Gordy at the time of writing, the sister of Motown boss Berry Gordy, and struggling with his dictatorial father and future murderer, Marvin Gaye poured his heart into the song. “If I was arguing for peace,” Gaye explained to his biographer David Ritz, “I knew I’d have to find peace in my heart.”
After Gaye presented the song to Berry Gordy in California, he rejected the star’s request to release it, calling it “the worst thing I ever heard in my life.” However, the label’s head of A&R, Harry Balk, knew that Gaye was onto something and requested that the track be released. The Motown boss would not budge, though, and told Balk, “that Dizzy Gillespie stuff in the middle, that scatting, it’s old.”
Furious at the rejection, Gaye refused to record any more material until it was released and went on strike until Gordy came to his senses. Luckily, Balk, who was majorly influential in the singer’s career, came to the rescue. He convinced the Vice President of Sales at Motown, Barney Ales, to release ‘What’s Going On’ on January 17th, 1971. He had 100,000 copies pressed and promoted the single to radio stations. It caught on like wildfire, shipping 200,000 within a week. While it was released without Gordy’s knowledge, he was satisfied with the sales. Within a month, it had topped the charts.
