Hit Songs That Other Artists Passed On
Some of country's biggest hits almost sounded a lot different, all because some artists passed on tracks that wound up being big singles for others.
Often when writers get together to create a song, they already have an artist in mind to cut it. Of course, that doesn't always work out — artists have many reasons for passing on a track, even if they can tell it's going to be a big hit. It might not feel genuine to them, or it just might not sound like them vocally.
Dierks Bentley, for example, passed on "Whiskey Lullaby," and the song sat for three years before Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss cut it as a duet. Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor" was almost a hit for another well-known male, and Frankie Ballard passed on a song that became a big hit for Blake Shelton. Ballard felt it just "wasn't him."
In the gallery below, you'll find 20 hit songs that other artists passed on, as well as the interesting stories behind them.
More From KRFO-FM
![Country Music’s 10 Saddest Music Videos](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2013/08/Brad-Paisley.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![The 50 Best Albums and EPs of 2021 from Country, Americana and Beyond](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2021/12/attachment-best-of-2021.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Country Artists With the Most Grammy Awards Wins](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2018/01/alison-krauss-vince-gill-emmylou-harris.png?w=980&q=75)
![The Boot News Roundup: Chris Stapleton to Play ‘SNL’ + More](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2017/11/chris-stapleton-morgane-stapleton-2017-cma-awards-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![10 Albums Even Country Music Haters Should Own](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2010/03/best-country-albums-non-country-fans-copy.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Top 10 Cover Songs in Country Music](http://townsquare.media/site/623/files/2011/05/Best-Country-Cover-Songs.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Ten-Digit Dialing Starts on Tuesday Across Southern Minnesota](http://townsquare.media/site/730/files/2024/07/attachment-bruce-mars-FWVMhUa_wbY-unsplash1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Here’s How to Watch Today’s Paris Olympics Opening Ceremonies](http://townsquare.media/site/730/files/2024/07/attachment-GettyImages-2163080636.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![What Things Would You Miss Most if You Moved From Minnesota?](http://townsquare.media/site/715/files/2021/06/attachment-state-fair.jpg?w=980&q=75)