Here is a list of 35 songs that were written for other people, but, for one reason or another, they didn’t record them.
| Song | Written for | Biggest UK hit version |
| Don’t Forbid Me | Elvis Presley | Pat Boone |
| We Will Make Love | Frankie Vaughan | Russ Hamilton |
| Stupid Cupid | Shepherd Sisters | Connie Francis |
| The Wonder Of You | Perry Como | Elvis Presley |
| Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel) | Everly Brothers | Roy Orbison |
| Save The Last Dance For Me | Jimmy Clanton | Drifters |
| Halfway To Paradise | Ben E. King | Billy Fury |
| The Loco-Motion | Dee Dee Sharp | Little Eva / Kylie Minogue |
| How Do You Do It? | Adam Faith | Gerry & The Pacemakers |
| Downtown | Drifters | Petula Clark |
| I’m Alive | Wayne Fontana | Hollies |
| I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You | Percy Sledge | Bee Gees |
| I Want You Back | Gladys Knight & The Pips | Jackson 5 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | Aretha Franklin | Simon & Garfunkel |
| I’d Love You To Want Me | Hollies | Lobo |
| Gotta See Jane | Marvin Gaye | R. Dean Taylor |
| How Deep Is Your Love | Yvonne Elliman | Bee Gees |
| If I Can’t Have You | Abba | Yvonne Elliman |
| Some Girls | Blondie | Racey |
| Feels Like I’m In Love | Elvis Presley | Kelly Marie |
| Physical | Tina Turner | Olivia Newton-John |
| Don’t You (Forget About Me) | Roxy Music | Simple Minds |
| Pleasure Principle | Prince | Janet Jackson |
| Love Changes (Everything) | Rod Stewart | Climie Fisher |
| I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) | Smokey Robinson | New Kids On The Block |
| I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing | Celine Dion | Aerosmith |
| I’m A Slave 4 U | Janet Jackson | Britney Spears |
| Rock Your Body | Michael Jackson | Justin Timberlake |
| Since U Been Gone | P!nk | Kelly Clarkson |
| Sexed Up | Natalie Imbruglia | Robbie Willams |
| Halo | Leona Lewis | Beyonce |
| We Found Love | Nicole Scherzinger | Rihanna feat Calvin Harris |
| R.I.P. | Rihanna | Rita Ora feat Tinie Tempah |
| All About That Bass | Beyonce | Meghan Trainor |
| Cheap Thrills | Rihanna | Sia |