Top 10 Iconic Tina Turner Moments

In his autobiography, Ike Turner recalled heading to the studio to record “A Fool in Love,” which he’d written for singer Art Lassiter. However, Lassiter was a no-show. So, one of the backing singers, Anna Mae Bullock, or “Little Ann,” offered to step up instead. Initially, Turner only planned on using Bullock’s vocals as a placeholder until Lassiter returned. However, the demo reached the president of the R&B label Sue Records, who was so impressed by what he heard that he gave Turner a $20,000 advance. Ike then gave the young vocalist a new stage name: Tina Turner. “A Fool in Love” became a hit, soaring straight to No. 2 on the Hot R&B Sides chart.

Anna Mae Bullock grew up in the “unincorporated rural community” of Nutbush in Haywood County, Tennessee. In 1973 she and Ike took us on a musical tour of the neighborhood with their hit “Nutbush City Limits” —and they really sell it, don’t you think? The song charted worldwide, even peaking at no.1 in Austria, and became a certified Silver track in the U.K. It even inspired a line-dancing trend that’s still popular in Australia. It was one of the final songs the duo recorded together, and Turner would re-record the number numerous times as a solo artist. Needless to say, her voice put Nutbush on the map! Now, those are some powerful vocals.

After leaving Ike in 1978, Tina opened up about the violence she’d experienced in their relationship. The singer was praised for “breaking the silence” on such a serious issue. She first opened up about her experiences during an interview with People magazine in 1981, becoming one of the first big names to address the previously taboo subject. At that moment, Tina became a voice and a beacon of hope for women everywhere who were enduring similar situations. She’s often credited with giving others the courage to speak up too. This is reflected through the many tributes that poured in after her passing in May 2023.

We’ve all been there, you have an insanely tight deadline, and you simply can’t imagine how you’ll ever meet it. Well, what if we told you that Tina Turner recorded an entire album in a fortnight? As the story goes, her label, Capitol, was keen to jump on the success of her previous hit “Let’s Stay Together” and asked her to assemble the album under tight time constraints. Well, she did, and it became one of her most successful albums. It was a worldwide hit, earning her multi-platinum certifications and four Grammy Awards. Just think about that next time the pressures of a quick turnaround start to get to you. We know we will.

We all know Tina Turner is a music icon. But did you know she tried her hand at acting too? And she was good! Fans of The Who’s “Tommy” might remember her powerful performance as the Acid Queen. She also had a small role in “Last Action Hero” in 1993. However, perhaps her most notable role was as Aunty Entity in 1985’s “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.” You might also be familiar with the song playing over the film’s end credits, “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” proving that Turner was a triple threat and a force to be reckoned with. She also sang the title song for the 1995 James Bond movie “GoldenEye.” Now, that’s one impressive resume.

Few artists can simply take to the stage without glitz, glamor, or theatrics and rely on their voices to make their performance soar. But in 1985, anyone watching the Grammy Awards witnessed magic in the making. Turner’s powerhouse vocals and effortless charisma made this performance of “What’s Love Got to Do with It” one for the ages. Then Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich recalled planning the iconic moment. He suggested they go minimal and have Turner perform on stage solo since “if Tina Turner couldn’t hold her own onstage, who could?” Touché. The audience’s standing ovation was more than deserved, as was the Best Pop Vocal award she took home that night.

On November 25, 1967 “Rolling Stone” put Tina Turner on the cover of their magazine. This was a significant moment for music, culture, and women, particularly women of color. Not only was Turner the first woman to grace the magazine’s cover, but she was the first black artist ever to be given this honor. The magazine described her as “an incredible chick” and told their readers, “Tina Turner is worth sitting down and paying close attention to.” Needless to say, they couldn’t have been more spot on! Of course, Turner would continue to break the mold throughout her career but more on that soon.

After leaving Ike, Tina rebranded as a solo artist. And so, in the 1980s, she ushered in “one of the greatest comebacks in music history.” We already talked about her commercially successful album “Private Dancer” and her Grammy Award-winning “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” But would you believe that, aged 44, she finally achieved her one and only Billboard Hot 100, no.1 with the famous track? Now that’s how you make a comeback! And proof that there’s no real timeline for achieving one’s goals or hitting milestones. Turner’s success only continued after that, and of course, she’s still up there among the best-selling recording artists.

The 80s really were a high point for the icon who, as we just stated, made the comeback of all comebacks. In 1988 she embarked on her “Break Every Rule World Tour.” 180,000 people came to watch her at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium, thus breaking the then record previously set by Frank Sinatra for “the largest paying audience for a solo performer.” Then, in 1990 Turner set out on her Europe-only “Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour.” The tour drew in roughly 3 million spectators across the continent, once again breaking a record, this time previously set by The Rolling Stones. We can’t think of many artists more deserving to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame… twice!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Cose Della Vita” with Eros Ramazzotti, “Live Munich” (1998)
If Only These Two Released a Whole Album. Heavenly.

Recording The Grammy Hall of Fame Admitted “River Deep – Mountain High”
The Title Also Describes Just How Much We Love This Tune

That Iconic Eiffel Tower Photo
Only a True Queen Could Pull Off Such an Epic Shot with No Photoshop. That’s Right Folks, She Really Did That, High Heels & All

Originally a Creedence Clearwater Revival track, it’s fair to say that most people would associate “Proud Mary” with Tina Tuner. Her version, recorded with Ike in 1971, added a level of funk that still makes us leap out of our seats whenever we hear it. It became her signature track and a quintessential part of her live performances. We could easily create a list of her best “Proud Mary” performances, with the “Live Wembley” and her 1997 “SNL” renditions vying for the top spot. “The Best,” initially written by Bonnie Tyler, is another example of how Turner’s unrivaled vocals and style elevate covers into iconic status. To put it plainly, she was “Simply the Best.”