When “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” blasts through stadium speakers or plays during a teary movie moment, it feels impossible to imagine anyone other than Steven Tyler singing it. The soaring chorus. The cracked vulnerability. The way the song somehow sounds both macho and heartbreakingly tender.
But according to legendary hitmaker Diane Warren, one of the biggest rock ballads of all time was never meant for Aerosmith at all. In fact, it was written for a woman — and not just any woman, but Celine Dion. And when Aerosmith stepped in, chaos followed.
This is the untold story of how a song meant for a powerhouse diva became Aerosmith’s only No. 1 hit… and how Steven Tyler nearly walked away from it.
“It Was Written for a Woman”
Diane Warren doesn’t mince words. The songwriter behind classics like “Because You Loved Me,” “Un-Break My Heart,” and “If I Could Turn Back Time” recently dropped a bombshell that stunned rock fans everywhere.
“I wrote ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ for a woman,” Warren admitted. “I never imagined a macho rock star singing it.”
In her mind, the song’s emotional DNA was pure Celine Dion — soft, romantic, vulnerable, and cinematic. The lyrics weren’t about swagger or sex appeal. They were about fear. About intimacy. About the terror of loving someone so deeply that you don’t want to close your eyes in case they disappear.
Hardly standard Aerosmith material.
Hollywood Wanted Celine — Not Aerosmith
The song was written for the 1998 blockbuster Armageddon, a film already drowning in high expectations, exploding asteroids, and studio pressure. Producers wanted a guaranteed emotional knockout for the soundtrack.
Their first choice?
Celine Dion.
From the studio’s point of view, it made perfect sense. She was unstoppable in the late ’90s. Titanic had just shattered records. A sweeping Diane Warren ballad sung by Celine felt like a no-brainer.
Then Aerosmith entered the picture.
Not because producers wanted them — but because Steven Tyler’s daughter, Liv Tyler, starred in the movie.
That connection changed everything.
The Producers Were Furious
Behind the scenes, the decision to hand the song to Aerosmith sparked serious backlash. According to insiders, film executives were furious. They worried the band would turn the song into a rock cliché or refuse to soften their sound.
This wasn’t “Walk This Way.”
This wasn’t “Love in an Elevator.”
This was a song about emotional nakedness.
And Steven Tyler? He wasn’t exactly convinced either.
Steven Tyler’s Private Struggle
Here’s the part fans rarely hear: Steven Tyler almost didn’t want to sing it.
The lyrics made him uncomfortable. They felt exposed. Too soft. Too emotional. Too… un-Aerosmith.
Tyler later admitted he struggled with how vulnerable the song made him sound. This wasn’t bravado or rebellion. This was a man admitting fear, longing, and devotion — feelings rock stars are often trained to hide.
“I don’t want to close my eyes / I don’t want to fall asleep…”
Those lines weren’t macho. They were raw.
But Diane Warren saw something others didn’t.
Diane Warren Knew Tyler Was Perfect — Even If He Didn’t
Warren has said that once Steven Tyler sang the song, everything changed.
His voice — cracked, raspy, emotional — gave the lyrics a completely new meaning. What was once a soft, feminine ballad became something else entirely: a rock star laying down his armor.
Instead of weakening the song, Tyler’s vulnerability amplified it.
Suddenly, the emotion felt dangerous. Real. Earned.
The same producers who were furious at the decision were soon silenced by what came out of the studio.
From Doubt to History
When “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was released, it didn’t just succeed — it exploded.
No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Aerosmith’s first and only chart-topper
A global anthem
An emotional centerpiece of Armageddon
The irony? The very thing that made executives nervous — Steven Tyler singing such a “feminine” song — is exactly what made it unforgettable.
Listeners didn’t hear a rock god pretending to be sensitive.
They heard a man actually feeling something.
A Song That Rewrote Aerosmith’s Legacy
For Aerosmith, the song changed everything. It introduced them to a new generation. It proved they could dominate not just rock radio, but pop charts and movie soundtracks.
For Steven Tyler, it became one of the most personal performances of his career — even if it terrified him at first.
And for Diane Warren? It became one of her most fascinating creations: a song that refused to stay in the box it was written for.
What If Celine Dion Had Sung It?
Fans still debate the ultimate “what if.”
Would Celine Dion’s version have been flawless? Absolutely.
Would it have been iconic? Probably.
But would it have had the same cultural impact?
That’s where things get interesting.
Steven Tyler didn’t just sing the song. He fought it, feared it, and then surrendered to it. And that struggle — the very thing he resisted — is etched into every note.
The Ballad That Shouldn’t Have Worked But Did
A song written for a woman.
Sung by a rock rebel.
Hijacked from its original destiny.
Delivered under pressure from Hollywood chaos.
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” shouldn’t have worked.
But sometimes, the songs that scare artists the most are the ones that define them forever.
And thanks to Diane Warren’s revelation, fans now know the truth: one of rock’s greatest anthems was born from doubt, defiance, and a voice that dared to feel.
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