# In 1984, Tina Turner was pushed into recording an “awful” pop song. In 2026, it has been streamed over 675,000,000 times

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1984-tina-turner-was-pushed-into-recording-an-awful-pop-song-in-2026-it-has-been-streamed-over-675000000-times/
- Published: 2026-10-26T18:40:16+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-26T20:55:18+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/tina-turner-initially-hated-whats-love-got-to-do-with-it/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Turner initially disliked “What’s Love Got to Do with It”.
- The 1984 single revived her solo career.
- It has surpassed 675 million streams.

## Summary

After her split from Ike Turner, Tina Turner’s solo career lost momentum, and her first four albums failed to chart. In 1984 she was persuaded to record “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, despite initially dismissing it as an awful pop song that did not fit her rock identity; the track became a defining comeback hit.

Songwriters Graham Lyle and Terry Britten had struggled to find a singer for the song, which other artists, including Donna Summer, had rejected. Turner’s manager, Roger Davies, encouraged her to meet Britten, and she agreed to try it; she said her powerful voice helped make the track her own. It sold more than two million copies worldwide, was the best-selling single of 1984, won three Grammys and has since been streamed more than 675 million times.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.