Being in a new band is seldom as glamorous as it seems. Long days and nights spent honing your skills on the pub gig circuit.
Some musicians have such a vast body of work and a public image that it is difficult to fathom a time when they were not regarded as icons. However, for some of the world’s biggest stars, success did not come easily. In reality, many of the musicians we have grown to know and love were turned down by record labels long before they made it big. The names on this list may surprise you, demonstrating that even when the odds are stacked against you, it is important to never give up.
Despite ED Sheeran's extremely popular, well-crafted songs, label bosses couldn't look past his vivid red hair and average body type. Today, Sheeran is one of pop music's most notable performers and the stadiums of fans that flock to see his live acts have proven many of those superficial suits incorrect.
Madonna did not become a household name straight away after dropping out of college and moving to New York City with only a little money in her pocket. Madonna played some of her early tapes for executives at Millennium Records, who were unimpressed with her work and turned her down. Though she is now the enemy of relevance, younger readers may be surprised to know that Madonna was once a big deal.
Lady Gaga has performed sold-out stadium tours, intimate gigs with the renowned Tony Bennett, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but not everyone saw her as the star she is today. Def Jam’s head, L.A. Reid, signed Gaga early in her career but dumped her before she launched her first song.
Though the executive’s name will be kept anonymous, one big label advised Missy Elliot early in her career that she was “too fat” to be a successful singer. She has now sold millions of recordings, cementing her status as a modern-day icon.
The Beatles, arguably the greatest band of all time, were unable to secure the support of George Martin, the producer working with Decca Records. Martin was unimpressed with their performance and refused to sign them to his modest company just months before the band went huge.
He was a polarising musician from the start and was rejected by numerous record labels before signing with Roc-A-Fella. Executives struggled to view him as a solo performer and insisted that he focus solely on production.
Beyonce has everything, yet despite her success, she has also faced rejection. When she was eight years old, she entered a talent contest organised by various record firms to identify the next great thing. Surprisingly, she failed terribly and was overlooked.
U2’s record label dropped them a few months before the release of their debut single. Decades later, we can all agree that it worked well for U2.
For two years in the mid-1990s, Oasis was untouchable. They rode the crest of the Britpop craze, recreating '60s strains and turning them into absurdly large record sales for their pleased record firm, creation. Noel Gallagher was a huge fan of Factory acts, so he auditioned his band for the Manchester label first. What's the Verdict? Oasis was rejected by the factory because the label found them "too baggy". They may have missed out on large sums of money, but Factory can take comfort in the fact that they were not directly responsible for the explosion in the monotonous 'Lad-Rock' that was triggered by Oasis's popularity.
Rejection was an early step on the path to stardom for many of the world’s most famous musicians.
