Linda Perry Wrote ‘Get the Party Started’ as a ‘Joke,’ Reveals the A-List Singer Who Rejected It Before Giving It to Pink

Few songwriters and producers have left a mark on modern pop music quite like Linda Perry.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee has spent decades behind some of the biggest hits for artists such as Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Gwen Stefani. But one of her most recognizable songs, P!nk’s explosive 2001 anthem “Get the Party Started,” almost went to a completely different superstar.

During an appearance on Go with Elmo Lovano, Perry revealed that the song started out as little more than a “joke.” Before P!nk ever heard it, Perry actually tried pitching the track to Madonna after spotting the pop icon at a club.

Perry recalled approaching Madonna and asking, “Do you believe in seizing the opportunity?” Madonna reportedly replied, “Of course.”

Excited by the encounter, Perry sent the song to Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary. But the response was blunt: the song “is not for Madonna.”

Soon afterward, Perry connected with a young P!nk, who had gotten her number through a mutual acquaintance and called her hoping to collaborate on her next album. Perry initially brushed off the call, but after seeing P!nk on MTV, she decided to call her back.

When they finally met, Perry played her the unconventional track.

That song became “Get the Party Started” — a massive breakout hit that helped propel P!nk to a new level of stardom and became one of the defining songs of her career.