Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
This week we’d love to replay ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ – the first and only time Rock Queen Tina Turner saw her name printed atop the Hot 100.
Despite having four solo studio albums to her credit across the 70’s, Tina Turner was still having difficulty finding footing on the Hot 100 – a predicament that seemed poise to continue by the turn of the next decade. That is, until she tried her hand at a soulful remix of Al Green classic #1 hit, ‘Let’s Stay Together.’
Her version, which saw her reunite with the masterminds behind her remake of The Temptations‘ ‘Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today),‘ was a fireball on the Hot 100 – burning up the chart all the way to a #26 peak.
Using that momentum to shine a spotlight on the original material from her fifth studio effort, ‘Private Dancer,’ the diva – then in her mid-40s – turned to the Terry Britten and Graham Lyle-penned ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It?’ to follow ‘Together’s success.
Passed on by the likes of Donna Summer and Phyllis Hyman, in later years Tina confessed she was not a fan of the song herself upon first hearing it.
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RELATED: Click here to read TGJ Replay – Tina Turner’s ‘Private Dancer’ Era
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Trusting execs at her label home, Tina launched the tune to the masses in June 1984. Quickly taking off at Urban and Pop radio respectively, ‘Love’ eventually shot to the top of charts on the wings of its Mark Robinson-directed music video (now etched in the singer’s iconography as it followed those unforgettable legs as they strutted around New York City).
Hitting #1 on the Hot 100 this week 36 years ago (making her the oldest female artist at the time to have done so), the tune not only enjoyed a 3-week run atop the tally but landed at #2 on the chart’s year-end list. In fact, only Prince‘s ‘When Doves Cry’ was more popular in 1984. The RIAA certified ‘Love’ Gold – which denotes sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States alone.
When all was said and done, Turner nabbed three Grammy Awards at the next year’s ceremony (Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) for the song and by 2012 it was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.
As we celebrate this timeless classic, look below to see who joined her in the top 25 this week in 1984.
Hot 100 This Week in 1984
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to see this week’s full Chart Check: Hot 100.