Imagine passing up on a song that eventually took over the airwaves, captured the charts, and wormed its way into people’s ears. That’s the situation that befalls some musicians who turn a very particular shade of green when they down what they think is a stinker, that turns out to be a winner. From pop’s biggest stars, to more obscure breakout hits, to rap stars poaching what they think is a solid gold hit, the background stories are likely to surprise you with these popular tunes that were originally written and intended for someone else.

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