A light-hearted retrospective from American Songwriter highlights three well-known 20th-century songs that were initially met with indifference, resistance, or controversy before going on to become widely beloved classics. The piece argues that public taste can take time to catch up with genuinely innovative or unconventional music, using three very different genres and eras to make its point.

The songs featured are Bobby McFerrin's a cappella hit "Don't Worry Be Happy" (1988), which nonetheless reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite its unusual format; David Bowie's "'Heroes'" (1977), which only reached No. 24 on the UK Singles chart on release but climbed to No. 12 after his death in 2016; and Madonna's "Like a Prayer" (1989), which topped charts worldwide despite provoking backlash from religious groups over its music video's imagery, and is now regarded as one of her finest works.