‘Pissed Off’ Adele Wrote ‘Rumour Has It’ With a Rock Star
Some rock stars write music for other artists. For example, Adele‘s “Rumour Has It” was co-written by a rock star. He wanted the track to resemble “dirty Louisiana porch stomping.”
Adele, Taylor Swift, and the Jonas Brothers all worked with the main singer of OneRepublic
Ryan Tedder is a rock star from the band OneRepublic, which is famous for singles such as “All the Right Moves,” “Counting Stars,” and “Secrets.” He also wrote songs for other artists, including the Jonas Brothers’ “Sucker,” Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York,” and Ella Henderson’s “Ghost.”
During a 2012 interview with NPR, Tedder discussed some of his work with Adele. “Well, I did two songs with Adele: ‘Turning Tables’ and ‘Rumour Has It,'” he said. “And ‘Rumour Has It’ came about in Los Angeles. It was our second time to get together with me and Adele.”
Adele’s ‘Rumour Has It’ was inspired by how sick she was of hearing about her breakup
Tedder discussed how Adele’s personal life influenced “Rumour Has It.” “She walked in, and she was already pissed off from a conversation she had had the night before with her ex, and she came up with this phrase ‘rumor has it’ because people were saying that this is why they broke up or this happened and that happened and she was sick of hearing all the rumors surrounding their breakup,” he said. “So that was kind of the catalyst for the song.”
The OneRepublic star discussed what he brought to the table. “And I started playing this kind of dirty Louisiana porch stomping blues riff on a guitar, and she just started singing,” he added. “And about three hours later, we had the song.”
How ‘Rumour Has It’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom
“Rumour Has It” became a modest hit for Adele, hitting the top 40 but missing the commercial heights of “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone like You.” The tune peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 27 weeks. The tune appeared on Adele’s blockbuster album 21. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks, lasting on the chart for 554 weeks.
According to The Official Charts Company, “Rumour Has It” was not nearly as successful in the United Kingdom. There, the tune reached No. 85 and stayed on the chart for four weeks. On the other hand, 21 reached No. 1 for 23 weeks. The album lasted on the U.K. chart for a whopping 357 weeks.
“Rumour Has It” had an impact outside of its time on the charts. The tune was in Glee as part of a mashup with “Someone like You.” R&B singer Jeremih also put his spin on “Rumour Has It.” Tedder and Adele went on to work together on her track “Remedy” from her subsequent album 25.
“Rumour Has It” came from an angry place but it became part of one of the most famous albums of all time.
