Did You Know Tina Turner Initially Rejected the Song That Became Her First No. 1 Hit?

In 1984, Tina Turner had her first No. 1 hit, and it was with a song she almost passed on. “What’s Love Got To Do With It“, on Turner’s fifth studio album, Private Dancer, came after almost a decade of releasing singles without having any massive success. Some of Turner’s songs became moderate hits, including “Baby, Get It On”, her first single, and a duet with her then-husband, Ike Turner. But by 1984, Turner had yet to have a big radio hit.

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“What’s Love Got To Do With It” says in part, “What’s love got to do, got to do with it, what’s love but a second-hand emotion? / What’s love got to do, got to do with it? / Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” Written by Graham Lyle and Terry Britten, Turner later reveals, while celebrating the release of her 2021 documentary, TINA, that after reading the lyrics in “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, she almost passed on it.

“Did you know that when I first read the lyrics for “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, I rejected the song?” Turner shares. “Crazy to think about that now. Hearing the song in the documentary ‘TINA’ was one of the most touching moments for me in the movie. It reminded me how far I’ve come.”

Why Tina Turner Almost Passed On Recording “What’s Love Got To Do With It”

When Turner was recording music, she was still reeling from her marriage to Ike Turner, which was abusive. Although she hadn’t had much measurable success yet, Turner still knew the kind of music she wanted to make, which wasn’t “What’s Love Got to Do With It”.

“I was rock and roll,” Tuner says (per Business Insider). “That was a pop song.”

Fortunately, Turner’s manager, Roger Davies, convinced her to record “What’s Love Got To Do With It” but make it her own. Turner heeded his advice, and it changed everything for her.

Not only did “What’s Love Got To Do With It” become Turner’s first No. 1 hit, but it stayed at the top of the charts for three weeks. It also gave Turner a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Perhaps most importantly, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” is the beginning of a historic career in rock music. About 44 years old when the song came out, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” became the start of an incredibly successful run for Turner. She follows “What’s Love Got To Do With It” with songs like “Better Be Good To Me”, “Private Dancer”, “One Of The Living”, and more.

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