5 outstanding classic rock anthems that nearly didn’t happen

It’s not uncommon to find numerous write-ups and collections highlighting iconic classic rock anthems. Given the abundance of these tunes, it’s understandable that some hidden gems from the 70s and 80s might have slipped past your radar. Perhaps they didn’t receive enough radio play or commercial success relative to their merit compared to other well-known songs from the same era.

Regarding iconic classic rock tunes, it’s hard to make a mistake with your choices. Of course, personal preferences may cause certain tracks to appear more or less appealing. However, the top songs have earned their status for valid reasons.

At times, it can be surprising to consider that some timeless anthems we know and love almost didn’t reach audiences. These powerful tracks have such resonance that their near-failure seems almost inconceivable. Yet, several famous classic rock songs, which went on to sell millions of copies, initially faced the risk of not being released.

These fantastic classic rock songs almost didn’t happen

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” – Guns N’ Roses

This iconic melody was the band’s sole US chart-topper, yet it might come as a shock that initially, it could have been discarded and never made it onto an album or public release. Similar to many hit songs, its origins trace back to an improvised riff without a definite song concept in place.

During a casual practice session, Slash created the riff merely as a quick exercise to warm up. At the time, he wasn’t thinking of using it in a new song. However, when he listened to an early version of another track, he didn’t find it appealing. He confided in Duff McKagan that he intended to scrap that particular song. Later on, Slash is reported to have transformed that warm-up riff into something peculiar; at times, he was even known to call it a carnival tune.

Initially, the intention was to abandon a melody. Surprisingly, it evolved into something completely new. And what emerged was a beast of a tune, one that has become a distinctive piece for the band.

“Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen

Speaking about timeless classic rock, it’s only fitting that Bruce Springsteen finds a spot, along with this remarkable track. This track happens to be the title song from one of his stellar albums. However, creating the album “Born To Run” was quite a challenge for Springsteen, as he felt immense pressure to make it successful after a few albums that didn’t meet expectations.

Springsteen had a powerful anthem in mind – “Born To Run” – but he aimed for something grand and epic rather than just a regular tune. However, the song didn’t seem to take shape as desired, so he put in countless hours working on it with his producer and sound engineer. The frustration from multiple retakes, numerous rewrites almost pushed him to abandon the project at times.

Ultimately, everything proved worthwhile. The song was masterfully put together, meeting and exceeding Bruce Springsteen’s expectations. Not only did it enhance the album, but it also played a significant role in catapulting him to the stardom he enjoys today.

“More Than a Feeling” – Boston

The backstory of Boston, the band, and their groundbreaking debut album is truly shocking. For numerous years, Tom Scholz worked on tracks in his home studio while holding a day job at Polaroid. Most of the music was composed by Scholz himself, with drums and vocals contributed by others.

For a while, Scholz had been frequently submitting demos to record companies, but he was also accumulating numerous rejections. Determined not to give up just yet, he decided to make one last attempt before calling it quits. This final demo featured “More Than A Feeling,” with vocals by Brad Delp.

Scholz hesitated over the tune since it wasn’t as intense as some of his previous pieces, but he still sent it out. Fortunately, Epic Records showed interest right away and the track was selected. This decision marked a turning point for him, Delp, and Epic, who had to scramble to find a band to support the song. However, having such a promising hit at their disposal made this task easier.

“Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey

Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin” is another massive classic rock hit that almost didn’t make the final cut for their 1981 album, Escape. This song was actually composed by Jonathan Cain, their new keyboardist at the time.

Cain presented a unique song draft featuring an unconventional structure where the chorus was placed much later than typical. The part that listeners remember most wasn’t introduced until nearly the end of the song, making it challenging for the rest of the band to embrace it. However, Cain remained resilient and pushed even harder for his vision.

He was well-aware of his actions, and this particular piece turned out to be not just any song but their iconic melody, a commercial success. It catapulted them to global fame and surpassed sales of 25 million units, astonishingly managing to do so even when it almost didn’t make the cut for the album.

“Under Pressure” – Queen & David Bowie

This fantastic collaboration between short-lived powerhouse artists could have just as easily been forgotten on the recording studio shelf. There might even be more unheard David Bowie and Queen collaborations out there. While they were recording in Montreux, Switzerland, a neighboring artist named David Bowie unexpectedly dropped by to join them.

Bowie and Queen collaborated by playing some popular cover songs together, and to make things even more exciting, they composed an original song. They drew upon a powerful, iconic bass riff from John Deacon and built upon it. Bowie encouraged Freddie Mercury to incorporate scat-style vocals into the mix.

As a devoted fan, I’d put it this way: When it came to guiding Mercury, there was no need for assistance; he was self-reliant. However, Bowie always had a crystal-clear vision. As time passed, several Queen members have openly discussed the abundance of bold personalities in the room. Yet, Bowie’s calm yet assertive demeanor often managed to resolve disagreements with ease.

The band likely recorded this track as a fun jam, and there’s speculation that they might have saved some other unreleased songs. However, “Under Pressure” wasn’t among those. Instead, Bowie insisted on completing and releasing it promptly, which proved to be a wise decision as the song went on to become another one of their hit tunes and an enduring classic since then.

2025-09-05 13:00