by ## 3 Songs Tina Turner Doesn’t Like to Listen To
While Tina Turner has had an illustrious career spanning over half a century, there are a few songs from her past that she reportedly doesn’t enjoy listening to. As one of the best-selling artists of all time with a legendary stage presence and powerful voice, Turner has given iconic performances of hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “The Best” that cemented her status as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. However, some of her earliest recordings with former husband and musical partner Ike Turner still stir up mixed emotions. Let’s take a deeper look at 3 songs that Tina Turner likely doesn’t care to hear anymore based on her own comments over the years.
### “River Deep – Mountain High” (1966)
Released in 1966, “River Deep – Mountain High” was a massive commercial flop in the United States but achieved major success in Europe, particularly the UK where it reached #3 on the singles chart. Musically, the song is considered ahead of its time with its soulful sound and intricate arrangements. However, Tina has expressed that revisiting the song is difficult due to the tumultuous circumstances surrounding its recording.
In her 1986 autobiography I, Tina, Turner describes the sessions for “River Deep – Mountain High” as outright “torture.” She claims Ike was physically and emotionally abusive, locking her in the bathroom for hours without food or water to preserve her voice. The pressure to deliver a hit single took its toll, with Tina stating “I was so unhappy…I was just crying all the time.” Even after the single found success overseas, Ike refused to share any of the profits or acknowledgement with Tina for her pivotal role in the song’s success.
In interviews later in life, Turner expressed mixed feelings when asked about “River Deep – Mountain High.” While acknowledging its importance musically, she said she didn’t enjoy listening to it because it brought back painful memories from that period with Ike. The trauma of the abusive recording process seems to have left Tina with little fondness for what should have been one of her biggest hits. It remains one of the few songs from her past she likely has no desire to revisit.
### “Nutbush City Limits” (1973)
Released in 1973 after Tina’s split from Ike, “Nutbush City Limits” became another massive hit for Tina Turner, reaching #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The uptempo, funk-infused track about Tina’s hometown in Nutbush, Tennessee showcased her powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence. It’s undoubtedly one of her most recognizable songs that still receives plenty of airplay today.
However, in later years Tina expressed feeling somewhat embarrassed by “Nutbush City Limits.” She has said the song’s lyrics about small-town life in Nutbush seem “childish” and don’t reflect her true self or experiences in the way her other material did. As one of her most popular singles, Tina also felt frustrated that “Nutbush City Limits” overshadowed some of her more personal work from that era that she connected with more.
The song’s enduring popularity also meant Tina was still performing it well into her legendary comeback era in the 1980s. By that point, she had grown past the simple subject matter of “Nutbush City Limits” and wanted to focus on songs more relevant to her life experience as an international superstar. While she understands its significance for fans, Tina doesn’t seem to listen to “Nutbush City Limits” much in her personal time due to those mixed feelings about its content.
### “A Fool in Love” (1960)
Released in 1960, “A Fool in Love” was Ike & Tina Turner’s first major hit single, reaching #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. A classic soul ballad, the song showcased Tina’s powerful yet emotive vocals during the early days of her partnership with Ike. It helped establish them as a force in the music industry and gain wider recognition.
However, Tina has said she doesn’t care for “A Fool in Love” because the sentimental lyrics about being helplessly in love didn’t align with her own experiences at that time. As a young woman still learning about relationships, Tina felt the over-the-top portrayal of love in the song was “too unrealistic.” She’s also criticized it as being “too sentimental” a portrayal of romance.
Most telling is that Tina has rarely if ever performed “A Fool in Love” live since splitting from Ike, instead focusing on songs more autobiographical to her journey. While their first hit together was an important career milestone, Tina doesn’t seem to find personal meaning in revisiting a song that didn’t truly represent her feelings about love and relationships during that period in her life.
So in summary, the three songs that Tina Turner likely doesn’t enjoy listening to again are “River Deep – Mountain High” due to traumatic memories, “Nutbush City Limits” because she outgrew its simple content, and “A Fool in Love” because its depiction of love didn’t ring true for her. At the same time, Tina acknowledges their historical significance in her catalog and career. But for personal enjoyment, she seems to prefer focusing on songs like “What’s Love Got to Do With It” that better reflected who she was as an artist in control of her own destiny. While fans still cherish these hits, only Tina knows which songs truly resonate with her perspective decades later.
