Tina Turner’s career was tumultuous in every sense of the word. Starting her music career in the mid-50s, Turner launched her career with the help of her partner and future husband, Ike Turner. The pair became massively successful in the 60s and 70s with hits such as “Proud Mary” and “River Deep Mountain”. However, during their success, Tina suffered emotional and physical abuse from her husband and partner, Ike.
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In 1976, Tina and Ike’s musical partnership ended. Two years later, a divorce was finalized in 1978, and Tina Turner was single both professionally and personally. Following the split, Tina Turner’s career took a significant dive, as her popularity did not translate into a solo career. As a matter of fact, her record label, United Artists, dropped her due to her failed solo records.
However, in 1984, Tina Turner’s fortune flipped with the release of her 1984 hit album, Private Dancer. The album earned Turner a Grammy Award for Record Of The Year, and her first and only No. 1 hit. Concerning the latter, Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on this day, 1984.
From The Bottom to The Top: Tina Turner Perserved
Tina Turner’s career arc is one of the most commendable in music history. Many musicians and public figures might have just called it a day if they’d experienced what Turner experienced. But, not the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, as she got back up on the horse after abuse and failure and procured her No. 1 hit roughly 25 years into her career.
On May 1, 1984, Tina Turner released her iconic hit single, “What’s Love Got to Do with It”. Weeks after release, the single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 92. Fast forward a few months, and Turner’s song climbed from the bottom to the top of the chart, as it peaked at No. 1 on September 1, 1984.
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. Once 1984 concluded, “What’s Love Got to Do with It” ended up being the second-best performing song of 1984 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. The single also peaked at No. 1 in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” garnered Tina Turner arguably the biggest musical accolade of her career. However, the song is not merely a commercial accolade, as it is also an intangible symbol attesting to Tina Turner’s resilience and hard-nosed will-power.
Photo by Sebastiao Moreira/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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