One of my favorite monster ballads from the 1980s is Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got To Do With It. This rock ballad comes from Tina Turner’s first solo album Private Dancer, which was released in 1984. Rumor has it that Tina Turner disliked this particular love ballad, but her manager persuaded her to record it for the album because he felt certain it would be a hit.
What’s Love Got To Do With It is one of my favorite monster ballads because it has attitude. It’s all about a woman protecting her heart during the courtship phase of a relationship, and being reluctant to let anybody in. I can understand this outlook perfectly. There was a time in my life when my attitude towards certain members of the opposite sex was highly sarcastic and very spiky. I have since mellowed out considerably, but I think many of us are inclined to put barriers up at the commencement of a relationship to guard ourselves against getting hurt, and this is precisely what Tina Turner is singing about in this love ballad.
I also enjoy the video for the love ballad What’s Love Got To Do With It. Although this video is somewhat dated now, I still get a kick out of watching Tina strut down the street like she owns it in that tiny black leather mini skirt.