Turner began her career with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, "Boxtop", in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single "A Fool in Love". The duo Ike & Tina Turner became "one of the most formidable live acts in history". They released hits such as "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep – Mountain High", "Proud Mary", and "Nutbush City Limits" before disbanding in 1976.
In the 1980s, Turner launched "one of the greatest comebacks in music history". Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song "What's Love Got to Do with It", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. At age 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100. Her chart success continued with "Better Be Good to Me", "Private Dancer", "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "Typical Male", "The Best", "I Don't Wanna Fight", and "GoldenEye". During her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.
Turner also acted in the films Tommy (1975), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Last Action Hero (1993). In 1993, What's Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which is the 15th highest-grossing tour of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of the jukebox musical Tina.
Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She received 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist, and first woman, to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year award.
In 2020, she came out of retirement to collaborate with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of "What's Love Got to Do with It". With this release, she became the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades in the UK.
Studio albums
Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)
Acid Queen (1975)
Rough (1978)
Love Explosion (1979)
Private Dancer (1984)
Break Every Rule (1986)
Foreign Affair (1989)
Wildest Dreams (1996)
Twenty Four Seven (1999)
The Best
Tina Turner Lyrics
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You come to me, come to me wild and wired
Oh, you come to me, give me everything I need
Give me a life time of promises and a world of dreams
Speak the language of love like you know what it means
Mm, and it can't be wrong, take my heart and make it strong, babe
You're simply the best, better than all the rest
I'm stuck on your heart, I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart, baby, I would rather be dead
In your heart I see the start of every night and every day
In your eyes I get lost, I get washed away
Just as long here in your arms I could be in no better place
You're simply the best, better than all the rest
Better than anyone, anyone I ever met
I'm stuck on your heart, I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart, baby, I would rather be dead
Each time you leave me I start losing control
You're walking away with my heart and my soul
I can feel you even when I'm alone
Oh, baby, don't let go
You're the best, better than all the rest
Better than anyone, anyone I ever met
I'm stuck on your heart
I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart
Baby I would rather be dead
Oh you're the best
The song "The Best" by Tina Turner is a timeless classic that has been covered by countless artists over the years. The lyrics tell the story of a passionate love affair between two people who can't live without each other. The first verse sets the tone as the singer sings about how their heart is on fire and how their lover comes to them "wild and wired." The chorus then proclaims that the lover is "simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone I ever met," highlighting the strength and intensity of their relationship.
The second verse continues the theme of the lovers' intense connection, describing how the singer sees the start of every night and day in their lover's heart, and gets washed away in their eyes. The bridge is a passionate plea not to let go of this perfect love, proclaiming that the lover is "walking away with my heart and my soul" and that the singer would rather be dead than tear them apart.
The power and emotion of "The Best" make it an anthem for anyone who has ever experienced the intensity of true love. Its status as a classic has only grown over the years, as it has been used in countless movies, TV shows, and commercials. Tina Turner's incredible vocal performance and the song's memorable chorus have made it a staple of classic rock radio and a beloved song around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I call you when I need you, my heart's on fire
I reach out to you when I need your help because I have intense feelings of love.
You come to me, come to me wild and wired
You rush straight to me when I call, full of energy and urgency.
Oh, you come to me, give me everything I need
You provide me with all the support that I need and more.
Give me a life time of promises and a world of dreams
Promise me that you will always be there for me and make my dreams come true.
Speak the language of love like you know what it means
Communicate with me in the language of love, showing me that you truly understand its meaning.
Mm, and it can't be wrong, take my heart and make it strong, babe
This relationship cannot be bad for me. Instead, please take my heart and make it stronger.
You're simply the best, better than all the rest
You are the best person I have ever known, superior to anyone else.
Better than anyone, anyone I ever met
You are better than anyone else that I have ever encountered in my life.
I'm stuck on your heart, I hang on every word you say
I am deeply connected to your heart, and I pay careful attention to everything you say.
Tear us apart, baby, I would rather be dead
Even the thought of separating from you is unbearable to me.
In your heart I see the start of every night and every day
I can sense the love that you have inside you at all times, shaping every night and every day.
In your eyes I get lost, I get washed away
I lose myself in the beauty of your eyes, feeling swept away by their power.
Just as long here in your arms I could be in no better place
As long as I stay in your loving embrace, I am in the best possible location.
Each time you leave me I start losing control
Whenever you go away from me, I feel like I am losing my grip on things.
You're walking away with my heart and my soul
As you leave, you take a piece of my heart and soul with you.
I can feel you even when I'm alone
Even when I am by myself, I can feel your presence near me.
Oh, baby, don't let go
Please don't leave me, I need you too much.
You're the best, better than all the rest
You truly are the best person in the world, better than anyone else.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Michael Donald Chapman, Holly Knight
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind