‘What’s Love Got to Do With It?’: Tina Turner’s Epic Comeback Song
“What’s love got to do with it?” If you’ve ever belted that chorus like nobody was watching, you owe that moment to Tina Turner—and a twist of fate. Her 1984…
“What’s love got to do with it?” If you’ve ever belted that chorus like nobody was watching, you owe that moment to Tina Turner—and a twist of fate. Her 1984 smash hit didn’t just top the charts; it flipped the script on her career. But here’s the wild part: Tina almost passed on it.
Let’s rewind.
From Rock Bottom to Rock Royalty
By the early 1980s, Tina Turner’s life had hit some serious lows. After escaping an abusive relationship and a professional partnership with ex-husband Ike Turner, her solo career was stuck in limbo. She was performing in Vegas lounges and TV variety shows—not exactly where music legends are made.
A Song She Didn’t Even Want
The song “What’s Love Got to Do With It” wasn’t written with Tina in mind. In fact, the track had already been offered—and rejected—by artists like Cliff Richard and Phyllis Hyman. Even when it landed in Tina’s lap, she wasn’t thrilled.
“I had no desire to sing it,” she said in her autobiography I, Tina. “I was rock and roll! This was some light pop thing.”
But her manager convinced her to record a demo. When Tina sang it her way—with grit, edge, and emotion—it stopped sounding like “light pop” and started sounding like a declaration of independence.
A Chart-Topping, Record-Breaking Hit
Released in May 1984, the song soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Tina’s first and only solo chart-topper, and it made her—at age 44—the oldest female solo artist to ever reach No. 1 at that time.
The hit also earned her three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year. It cemented her place as a global icon.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” wasn’t just a catchy tune. It was a comeback with teeth. Tina’s raw delivery gave new meaning to the lyrics, turning a cynical love song into a powerful statement of survival and self-worth.
