{"id":578536,"date":"2026-04-11T20:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T20:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/578536\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T20:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T20:40:10","slug":"did-you-know-tina-turner-initially-rejected-the-song-that-became-her-first-no-1-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/578536\/","title":{"rendered":"Did You Know Tina Turner Initially Rejected the Song That Became Her First No. 1 Hit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1984, Tina Turner<\/a> had her first No. 1 hit, and it was with a song she almost passed on. \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It<\/a>\u201c, on Turner\u2019s fifth studio album, Private Dancer, came after almost a decade of releasing singles without having any massive success. Some of Turner\u2019s songs became moderate hits, including \u201cBaby, Get It On\u201d, her first single, and a duet with her then-husband, Ike Turner. But by 1984, Turner had yet to have a big radio hit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d says in part, \u201cWhat\u2019s love got to do, got to do with it, what\u2019s love but a second-hand emotion? \/ What\u2019s love got to do, got to do with it? \/ Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?\u201d 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 \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d, she almost passed on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know that when I first read the lyrics for \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d, I rejected the song?\u201d Turner shares<\/a>. \u201cCrazy to think about that now. Hearing the song in the documentary \u2018TINA\u2019 was one of the most touching moments for me in the movie. It reminded me how far I\u2019ve come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Tina Turner Almost Passed On Recording \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d<\/p>\n

When Turner was recording music, she was still reeling from her marriage to Ike Turner, which was abusive. Although she hadn\u2019t had much measurable success yet, Turner still knew the kind of music she wanted to make, which wasn\u2019t \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got to Do With It\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was rock and roll,\u201d Tuner says (per B<\/a>usiness Insider<\/a>). \u201cThat was a pop song.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, Turner\u2019s manager, Roger Davies, convinced her to record \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d but make it her own. Turner heeded his advice, and it changed everything for her.<\/p>\n

Not only did \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d become Turner\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most importantly, \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d is the beginning of a historic career in rock music. About 44 years old when the song came out, \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d became the start of an incredibly successful run for Turner. She follows \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got To Do With It\u201d with songs like \u201cBetter Be Good To Me\u201d, \u201cPrivate Dancer\u201d, \u201cOne Of The Living\u201d, and more.<\/p>\n

Photo by Gary Gershoff\/Getty Images<\/p>\n