It's crazy to think of what these songs would have sounded like if fate turned a different way: Someone posted a list of hit songs that ALMOST got recorded by other people. Here are a few of the highlights . . .

1. "Whiskey Lullaby". Dierks Bentley could have done it, but thought it was too depressing. It was a huge hit for Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss instead.

2. "Big Green Tractor". Jake Owen passed, and it ended up being #1 hit for Jason Aldean.

3. "Hillbilly Bone". It won Blake Shelton his first ACM award. Frankie Ballard could have recorded it, but didn't think it was his style.

4. "Take Me Home, Country Roads". It's hard to imagine anyone other than John Denver doing it first. But it was actually written for Johnny Cash.

5. "Drink a Beer". It was co-written by Chris Stapleton, who pitched it to Dierks Bentley. But he passed, and Luke Bryan had a #1 hit.

6. "The House That Built Me". Blake Shelton was going to record it, but his girlfriend and future wife Miranda Lambert snagged it from him.

7. "Chicken Fried". Zac Brown co-wrote it and took it to #1 in 2008. It almost went to Alan Jackson instead, but he was sick of doing songs about food. He'd just done "I Still Like Bologna" and "Where I Come From", which has a line about "cornbread and chicken."

8. "American Honey". It was a #1 hit for Lady A and helped win them the Best Country Album Grammy. Carrie Underwood could've had it but passed.

9. "Jesus, Take the Wheel". Carrie DID do that one after she won "American Idol", and it launched her career. Sara Evans didn't love it as much and said no.

10. "American Kids". Kenny Chesney heard it and loved it, but Little Big Town had the rights. They were nice enough to give it to him, and it was one of the biggest hits of his career.

(The Boot)

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Amy James