Every once in a while, a pop star will release a single that doesn't immediately capture the public's attention. In these cases, they will sometimes commission a remix of their song to give it an extra boost on the charts. Usually these remixes will make it easier to dance to the song or feature an additional act to help its chart position. Here are 15 flop singles that were given the remix treatment to turn them into hits.
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Moloko - Sing It Back (Boris Dlugosch Remix)Moloko's "Sing It Back" first appeared in its original version on their second album, "I Am Not a Doctor." The song was released as a single on 03/15/1999, reaching number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. The song experienced chart success after it was remixed by DJ Boris Dlugosch, peaking at number 4 in the UK in August 1999, as well as number 1 on the US Dance chart.
The OriginalThe RemixEverything But The Girl - Missing (Todd Terry Remix)Everything But The Girl's 1994 single "Missing" initially did not achieve much success, peaking at number 69 in the UK and missing the US chart altogether, so in 1995 the song was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released, resulting in a worldwide hit, peaking near the top of the charts in many countries. The remixed song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 in the UK.
The OriginalThe RemixR. Kelly - Ignition (Remix)Originally, R. Kelly's "Ignition" was released in September 2002 but failed to make an impact on the charts. The remix was released to radio in January 2003 and it peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside the United States, the song topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The OriginalThe RemixSuzanne Vega - Tom's Diner (DNA Remix)The original version of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" was released in 1987 and peaked at 58 on the UK Singles chart. In 1990, British producers DNA remixed the track. The remix became a much larger hit than Vega had with the song originally, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and it became one of a handful of tracks to chart in the top 10 of both the Modern Rock Tracks (number 7) and Billboard R&B Tracks (number 10) charts.
The OriginalThe RemixKid Cudi - Day 'n' Nite (Crookers Remix)Kid Cudi's debut single "Day 'n' Nite" originally peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008, but the song became a global hit when it was given a second wind in 2009 with the Crookers remix. The Crookers remix was a commercial success, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and entering within the top 20 in various European charts.
The OriginalThe RemixLana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)Lana Del Rey's trip hop ballad "Summertime Sadness" was released on June 22, 2012 by Interscope Records as the fourth single off the album "Born To Die." Charting across Europe, the single reached the top ten in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. In the spring of 2013, "Summertime Sadness" reached number one in Poland and Ukraine. In the summer of 2013, a remixed version of the track by Cedric Gervais was released to American contemporary hit radio and helped the single become a sleeper hit, debuting it at 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the highest charting single of her career in that country with a peak of 6.
The OriginalThe RemixLos Del Rio - Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)Los Del Rio's "Macarena" was originally recorded in 1992 and released in 1993 as a rumba. In mid-1996, the song became a worldwide hit when the Bayside Boys produced a remix of the song which added English lyrics. The reworked "Macarena" spent 14 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In the United Kingdom the song was released in June 1996 and peaked at No. 2 on August 17, 1996.
The OriginalThe RemixJennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule - I'm Real (Murder Remix)Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real" was originally released in July 2001, debuting at 66 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. By its fourth week, the song had reached the top twenty, fueled by increasing airplay. After stalling on the charts, the remix featuring Ja Rule was released in September 2001. The remix topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five non-consecutive weeks, beginning September 8, 2001, and also topped the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
The OriginalThe RemixSWV - Right Here (Human Nature Remix)SWV's debut single "Right Here" was released in 1992. A remixed version by Teddy Riley, which samples Michael Jackson's 1983 hit "Human Nature," became a number-one R&B single, selling 500,000 copies and earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The song spent 54 weeks on the R&B chart, which is one of the longest chart runs of all time. Despite the huge success of the single, the group admitted in early 2014 that they didn't really like Teddy Riley's remix of the song.
The OriginalThe RemixU2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing (Perfecto Remix)U2's 1992 single "Even Better Than The Real Thing" originally peaked at #12, becoming one of the few U2 singles that failed to reach the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. A few months after its initial release, Paul Oakenfold remixed the song and it charted better than the original version, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.
The OriginalThe RemixWhitney Houston - It's Not Right But It's Okay (Thunderpuss Remix)Whitney Houston's "It's Not Right But It's Okay" was originally released in January 1999. Although the original Rodney Jerkins production was released to radio, mainstream radio airplay and sales were given for the Thunderpuss Remix, which ended up propelling the song to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 in the UK.
The OriginalThe RemixCrush - Jellyhead (Motiv8 Pumphouse Remix)Girl band Crush's single "Jellyhead" was released in 1996 but failed to make an impact on the charts. The remixed version ended up peaking at No. 50 in the UK, and it reached No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996, as well as number 1 on the Dance charts.
The OriginalThe RemixJoe feat. Mystikal - Stutter (Double Take Remix)The original Teddy Riley produced version of Joe's "Stutter" failed to make an impact on the charts. A remix featuring Mystikal was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States for four weeks in 2001. It was one of just three singles to have sold over 500,000 copies in 2001. It peaked at number 7 in the UK.
The OriginalThe RemixNivea feat. Jagged Edge & Mystikal - Don't Mess With My Man (Remix)Nivea's "Don't Mess With My Man" was originally released in August 2002 as the third single from her debut album. The single failed to make a splash on the charts, and a remixed version was released to promote the re-release of Nivea's album. The remix peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The OriginalThe RemixLady Gaga feat. Beyoncé - TelephoneOriginally, Lady Gaga wrote the song for Britney Spears, who recorded a demo with her, but she eventually scrapped the release of the Britney Spears version, as there was concern from her label that the song wouldn't be a success with Britney as a featured artist. Instead, Lady Gaga re-recorded the song with Beyoncé and it ended up becoming a global hit, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 1 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart, and number 1 in the UK.
The OriginalThe RemixMelanie C - I Turn To You (Hex Hector Remix)"I Turn To You," Melanie C's fourth single from her debut album, was remixed to help promote the song, since it was feared that the album version wouldn't become a hit. The remix sold 120,000 copies in its first week, altogether selling 360,477 copies, making it the twenty-seventh best seller of 2000 in the UK. "I Turn to You" also topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart for the week of 11 November. The main single was released as the "Hex Hector Radio Mix", for which Hex Hector won the 2001 Grammy as Remixer of the Year. The single has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
The OriginalThe RemixSources: Wikipedia +
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