Matthew Trzcinski

Britney Spears starred in the movie 'Crossroads,' which features some of her songs. A director had the idea to reference 'Crossroads' in one of her music videos. Spears embraced the idea. The song in question became a hit.

Neil Sedaka loved one of the songs he wrote for himself; however, he felt it spelled the end of his career as a pop star. Davy Jones covered the song after The Monkees broke up. Sedaka's version of the song was far less popular than Jones' cover.

The Monkees' Davy Jones sang one of his most famous songs in 'The Brady Bunch Movie.' The songwriter behind this track hated that rendition, which changed the genre of the original song. Regardless, 'The Brady Bunch Movie' became a massive hit at the box office.

Ariana Grande and another pop star sampled one of the most famous songs from the Broadway smash 'Wicked' for a duet. The duet was supposed to subvert elements of the original song from 'Wicked.' Broadway's Stephen Schwartz loved the new song. The duet became a minor hit.

Pat Monahan said the virgin referenced in Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" is not Madonna. The song was inspired by the Burning Man festival as well as one of the most famous religious figures of all time. The track became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Kid Cudi moved in with his uncle with a few hundred dollars in his pocket. His uncle later kicked him out of the house, so he wrote "Day 'N' Nite." "Day 'N' Nite" became a huge hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

During the 1970s, Barbra Streisand recorded Paul Williams songs for one of her most famous movies. Williams really liked Streisand’s vocal performance on one of his songs. His wife said the song was her second-favorite song ever. The songs from the movie became very popular.

George Harrison and a rock star from the 1970s, wrote a song inspired by the music of The Beatles that may have specifically drawn influence from 'The White Album.' They wrote the song in Australia. The track became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Paul Williams wrote songs by several other artists, including The Monkees, Barbra Streisand, The Carpenters, and Kermit the Frog. Williams tried out for The Monkees' show and he loved hearing The Monkees' Davy Jones perform one of his songs. Willaims later recorded the song in question on his own.

George Harrison wrote and performed one of the songs on The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.' He once said the song was subpar but he later said he liked it. John Lennon enjoyed the song as well. 'Sgt. Pepper' became a hit.

The Beatles reviewed one of Elvis Presley's hit songs on television. George Harrison liked Elvis but he didn't like the song at all. John Lennon predicted the song would be a hit. It became successful in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Mike Nesmith wanted to work with musicians who collaborated with Aretha Franklin to create one of The Monkees' songs. Nesmith was proud of the track, but a notable producer said he wouldn't buy it on principle. The song became a hit in the United States.

Elvis Presley really loved a song by a 16-year-old artist. Subsequently, the King of Rock 'n' Roll decided to send this artist a letter telling him how much he enjoyed the song. He and Priscilla Presley would later meet the singer behind his favorite song in Las Vegas. Interestingly, the song in question was co-written by a showbusiness legend.

Elvis Presley's favorite song was written by a superstar

Carole King is most known as a singer today. At one time, she was most known for writing songs for other artists. King and her songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin, were behind many classic hits. 

Some of these hits include The Monkees' "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Porpoise Song," The Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," and Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." According to the Vancouver Sun, King and Goffin once wrote a song for a record company called Quality Records. A young singer recorded the track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jCFzreP1ng

RELATED: This Singer Said Elvis Presley Was a ‘Good Person’ Because of 1 Thing He Did When He Recorded Songs

Elvis Presley sent a letter to the teenage artist who sang his favorite tune

The song in question was "Halfway to Paradise" by Tony Orlando. Orlando discussed how much Elvis liked the song. "As a matter of fact, I got a letter from Elvis," he said. "I think I was 16. The letter said, 'I just want you to know I put 'Halfway to Paradise' in my jukebox.'"

Orlando eventually met the King of Rock 'n' Roll. "When I finally met him in the '70s, I was headlining the same hotel he headlined in, the Hilton in Las Vegas," he said. "I was following him a week later. I sat with him in his dressing room. I said, 'Let me ask you a question. Do you remember writing a letter to me, saying that you liked 'Halfway to Paradise?" And he calls Priscilla, who remains a good friend, into the room, and he said, 'Tell Tony what my favorite song is.' And sure enough, it was 'Halfway to Paradise.'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz35gIKB4eE

RELATED: Elvis Presley’s Producer Said the 1st Rock ‘n’ Roll Song Wasn’t 1 of Elvis’ Songs

The way the public reacted to the song

"Halfway to Paradise" was a modest hit in the United States. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition: Complete Chart Information About America's Most Popular Songs and Artists, 1958 - 2009 reports the song peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for two weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwGM6c2P2eQ

RELATED: Elvis Presley’s Former Bodyguard Once Claimed the King of Rock and Roll Had a Strict Rule About Priscilla Presley – And Those Who Broke It Got the ‘Third Degree’

On the other hand, the song was not popular in the United Kingdom. The Official Chart Company reports "Halfway to Paradise" did not chart in the U.K. Subsequently, Orlando would find success in the U.K. with his singles "Bless You" and "Who's in the Strawberry Patch With Sally." While "Halfway to Paradise" wasn't a massive hit, it meant something to Elvis.

During an interview, John Lennon said one of The Beatles' famous songs was about the War in Vietnam even though their manager didn't want them to discuss the subject. John felt the lyrics of the song aged well. The song became a hit in the United States.

Paris Hilton was going to record an album of rock songs. She heard a reggae song that she knew would be a big hit and put it on her album. The song triggered a lawsuit that was settled out of court. Hilton's song became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

George Harrison liked sharing his religion with others and he helped a 1970s rock star embrace Eastern spirituality. This star helped George create his version of "Got My Mind Set on You." That track became George's final No. 1 song in the United States. It was successful in the United Kingdom as well.

George Harrison's son, Dhani Harrison, has been involved with his father's songs for a long time. Dhani told his mother he would like to take a break from those songs after he remastered 'All Things Must Pass.' The reissue of 'All Things Must Pass' became a hit in the United States.

After The Monkees went on a long hiatus, Micky Dolenz stopped singing songs for 10 years. Afterward, he was cast in a famous musical with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice. This helped him learn to sing "properly." The musical included a hit song.

"Rock and Roll All Nite" is one of Kiss' most famous songs; however, Paul Stanley said a different song was Kiss' mission statement. That song showed that Kiss was about positivity and self-empowerment, not Satanism as some believed. The song in question became a hit.

Jewel wrote her song "Who Will Save Your Soul" to raise money for a trip. She made a music video for "Who Will Save Your Soul," which she shot in a bathroom. "Who Will Save Your Soul" became one of her biggest hits in the United States.