The Songs Rock Stars Didn’t Want to Sing
The Beatles — “Yesterday”
Paul McCartney reportedly had doubts about the song and initially worried that it was too different from the Beatles’ usual sound.
The Rolling Stones — “Brown Sugar”
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were reportedly unsure about releasing the song because of its controversial subject matter.
Queen — “Another One Bites the Dust”
Freddie Mercury and the band initially weren’t convinced it should be a single. Michael Jackson urged them to release it.
Aerosmith — “Dream On”
Steven Tyler reportedly wasn’t initially eager to release the song because he considered it too much of a ballad compared with the band’s harder material.
The Eagles — “Take It Easy”
Glenn Frey wasn’t initially sure about recording the song after Jackson Browne gave it to the band, but he and Don Henley ultimately made it an Eagles classic.
Fleetwood Mac — “Go Your Own Way”
Lindsey Buckingham reportedly had reservations about the song’s personal lyrics, while Stevie Nicks strongly disliked the way she was portrayed in it.
Black Sabbath — “Paranoid”
The band originally viewed the song as a quick filler track and didn’t expect it to become one of their signature hits.
The Clash — “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
The band reportedly wasn’t initially convinced the song belonged on Combat Rock, considering it relatively straightforward compared with their more experimental material.
Van Halen — “Jump”
David Lee Roth and others initially resisted the song because of its prominent synthesizer sound, which seemed like a major departure from Van Halen’s guitar-driven identity.
