Private Dancer

The kind of album that makes you wanna sing along to it at the top of your voice.

4/5. Just a crazy good collection of hits, even though none of them written by her. Although I usually feel weird about a song of other people's songs, only a few were performed by other artists, many were written for her. And does she sing them like she owns them. These are ingrained in pop music forever. Even the slower ballads are good, sometimes hard to find in the 80s. And the production is phenomenal, everything revolves around Tina and there is no doubt who is the star of the show. I think the last few songs are a little hit/miss but the first half is a classic collection for sure. Best Song: I Can't Stand The Rain, What's Love Got To Do With It, I Might Have Been Queen

Tina Turner's *Private Dancer* marked a pivotal moment in her career, transforming her from a has-been to one of the biggest stars of the 1980s. The album blends sleek pop production with rock energy, thanks to key collaborators like Terry Britten, Rupert Hine, and Martyn Ware. Standouts like "What’s Love Got to Do with It" and her version of "I Can’t Stand the Rain" showcase Tina's raw power and ability to reinvent herself. While the album is full of compelling performances, the reliance on covers—like "Help!" and "1984"—can sometimes feel less essential, especially when viewed through a modern lens where original interpretations are available at a click. Still, *Private Dancer* remains a testament to Tina’s resilience and her ability to reclaim control of her career and image, making it an iconic part of the '80s musical landscape.

This is definitely not cool to like in 2025, it was extremely dated. And yet here I am giving it a 4… what can I say, I am a sucker for the 80s production, I love the sax and What’s Love Got To Do With It is an all time banger

Tina Turner is an incredible performer. What a rockstar! A lot of this music sounds dated to my modern ears but she’s a powerhouse singer. She does some great covers too. Her version of “Let’s Stay Together” is excellent. And she transforms The Beatles’ “Help!” into a power ballad, and it sounds fantastic.

A confident, high flying album by an incredible performer. "What's Love Got To Do With It" is the big track here with play counts that dwarf the others on the album with more than the rest combined. The main melody has such a great conversational rhythm to it that makes it incredibly catchy, and the band is super strong behind her- with a simple yet tight bass and drum groove, and some interesting chord progressions that pop in and out. This is one of the better songs of the 1980's, but for me it's always seemed more like an early 90's (or atleast very late 80's) song. I don't really know why, but it could be because the production is so cohesive and refined, which is a shift that happened closer to the 90s. "Private Dancer" is a popular one too but I always just thought it was OK. I think the lyrics are a bit straightforward and kind of bland. It's a shame because it's a great topic but it just doesn't give enough. At least the guitar solo rips.

Tine Turner is an incredible singer and some of her best work is to be found on this album, it's just unfortunate that the surrounding material doesn't live up to those same heights.

Nice.

One of the best voices in the biz, buttttt... This album is an absolute relic. WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO - GOT TO DO WITH It gets a whole point by itself however!

Slightly surprised by how EIGHTIES this sounds.. I thought Tina Turner was a timeless artist but I'm not sure about this. The drums are tinny and I'm not a fan of a lot the keyboard / synth sounds either. Just comes across as really sonically dated due to the production. I wrote that before the slightly cheesy saxophone of the title track as well Vocals are amazing of course and the lyrics are ok. I'll give 3* just about for the power of her voice and the triumph of being able to come back after the trauma of her relationship with Ike.

Many people here are not fond of this production, and I completely agree. This production is a true child from the 1980s, which certainly contributed to its success at the time and helped Tina Turner make a well-deserved comeback. Unfortunately, the overall feel and sound are very artificial and plastic. The heavy use of overly polished synthesizers, drum machines, and gated reverb on drums gives parts of the album a cold sound that strips the songs of any emotion. The exceptions are the two tracks produced by John Carter: "Private Dancer" and "Steel Claw." Carter's work on these songs shows much more rawness and emotional depth, which stands in stark contrast to the synthetic 1980s pop production found elsewhere on the album. This really allows Tina's voice to shine through. Interestingly, this is one of the first times an 'Anniversary Edition' truly adds value. In this case, it includes a substantial number of bonus tracks produced by Carter that have a much more organic and soulful feel. I would recommend everyone check out the 30th Anniversary Edition.

About the most fun you can have listening to an album you don't like and hope to never hear again.

Love Tina!!

Tina has one volume, loud. Even when she tries to sing lower, she's way too loud. I'm also not the biggest fan of power ballads, and every song is a power ballad. Nope.

6/10

Overall good due to Tina’s performances. Song selection is interesting as there doesn’t seem to be a consistent theme. Not that there has to be but a few songs felt odd next to each other. The big hits are the best tracks in my opinion and the last song, 1984, sucks. I can’t figure out what the point of that song was. Was it going to be used for the 84 Olympics or Ronald Reagan’s reelection? I’ve never heard a song so focused on a particular year without a good lyrical narrative. It sounded like someone came up with a rhythm and sung -“Nineteen Eighty Four” over that and said “There’s the chorus! Now add a few tossed off phrases and, ta-dah, we got another song!” Baffling.

very fumky

Sounds incredibly dated. A big voice needs big music, which eventually does come. Unfortunately, the elevator music in a lot of this album doesn’t do nearly enough to showcase Tina Turner’s ample talents.

Absolutely amazing! But I can't help imaging the producers bopping their head with an uncomfortable look on their face listening to pop bangers about domestic abuse. At least that's how I reacted.

I remember young teenage me thinking Private Dancer sure had a lot of pathos. Now I'm not as sure. As always, it is hard to listen to the major hits objectively, since they are so familiar. Tina is great but listening with modern ears the music itself is mostly just painful. Is this an important album? Yes! Does it hold up? Almost. Such is Tina's power that she manages to drag this album just over the line into "listenable" territory.

Private dancers are nasty ass tramps.

4⭐ just for Auntie Tina's voice

2 incredible songs and a bunch of other songs. Bumping to my 3 stars because this album was sampled by mouth Eazy E and Missy Elliot.

Go Tina! A CMBC artist too. Mad respect to her after that ep.

Funky, groovy, soulful. I love Tina’s powerful, raspy voice. Her lower register and higher register are equally strong.

All filla

I'm not sure what is about Tina but she always stood out from the other female pop/rock/r&b singers to me. I guess maybe her edge and rasp is a big part of it, but even though I enjoyed the radio songs I never listened to a full album. This one is supposedly the big ones and I knew a couple tracks coming in to it. "what's love got to do with it" is a classic but I think the cover of "1984" may be my favorite here. There are some other songs that definitely feel 40 years old, but not really in a bad way. Solid album that I feel like could be translated very easily to a modern style and still sound great--kind of like the Buddy Holly tribute album a while back. Favorite track "What's love got to do with it" 4.4/5

What's love got to do with it, and we don't need another hero are tunes that anybody growing up in the 80s and 90s will have heard a million times, and probably still love! The rest of album is carried by Tina's powerful voice and force if personality.

could i write poetry to this? n Tina is an icon tho

Of the legacy artists that enjoyed a resurgence in the 1980's, few were as deserving as Ms. Turner. With the doors at MTV finally opened to Black musicians, she left an indelible mark on the era. An all-star team of studio musicians, songwriters, and producers gathered to lift the Acid Queen to Pop superstardom. Her overwhelming success after leaving an abusive ex-husband, bandleader Ike Turner, added an air of empowerment to the work.

Bangers none stop bangers. Favorite fact about this album is “Private Dancer” was written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.

I was hoping to really like this, but as I was listening I kept realizing that I'd have to rate it low. And I felt bad about it, cuz she's an icon. But the 80s production is too bad to overcome. When I got to the Help cover I didn't feel bad anymore. That was hot garbage!

The production is cheesy as hell on this but there are just too many great songs and her vocal performances are incredible. She also more than does justice to both a classic Beatles song and Bowie song.

meh 2/5

This album is solid overall, with standout tracks like What's Love Got to Do with It and Private Dancer, which showcase some truly memorable pop moments. These big hits are undeniably catchy and demonstrate Tina Turner's incredible vocal talent. However, the rest of the album feels a bit lackluster and doesn't quite live up to the strength of those iconic songs. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some tracks feeling forgettable or uninspired. Favorite Songs: What's Love Got to Do with It and Private Dancer Least Favorite: Help – I wasn’t fond of the cover version at all. It didn’t capture the energy I expected. Album Artwork: I really like the album cover—it’s stylish, and the cat adds a cool, quirky touch!

some fun songs, not biggest stand-out

Enjoyable sometimes. Great vocals. Questionable arrangement.

I’ve never really got to listening to Tina turner, but she’s good. I suppose it’s not exactly my taste, but it’s good music that lands it just around a four stars, for me at least.

This is a lively album featuring Tina Turner's powerful vocals.

Very 80s, but what a voice. The classics on this album (Private Dancer and What's Love Got To Do With It) are forever classics. Only thing that bothered me is that the album felt a little too long.

Liked it more than I thought I would

Some real jams on here Grandma loved it

I can’t stand the rain!!

Enjoyable.

Straight heat, Tina Turner knew what she was doing, banger after banger.

Tina turner is just timeless. This album is full of bangers and even if you don’t like it, it’s a must listen for general knowledge.

Super 80s but she rules and some of the covers were great.

this shit rocks. 4.5 because the songs are awesome but nothing totally blew me away. except maybe the title track. her voice is also just incredible wow. and me and gideon disagree but i love the silly 80s production.

Maso

It has a bunch of pretty solid songs. It is a nice sounding, rocking, and funky album but not that interesting for me.

Not my cuppa

It's pretty good, but I'm not drawn to it.

Iconic singer / voice overtop of pure 80s cheese.

Really great pop album, maybe my favorite I’ve gotten in the 80s. I was surprised because I usually find this genre super cheesy. The Help cover was pretty abysmal tho. Her voice is great on it but the instrumentals are as cheesy as you could imagine. Rating: 4.5

RIP Tina

Always enjoyed Tina - she developed her own sound and there's good stuff on this.

I'm sorry Tina Read a lot about her online now but the album was just not something I would be eager to go back to

Better than Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

didn't care for it, not my thing, it's fine, etc.

Tina Turner is great singer, but this album didn't left me wanting to hear it again.

doesn't get much more 80s than this. we should all aspire to be tiny turner at age 45.

Tina Turner’s Private Dancer is an undeniable showcase of her powerhouse vocals. It’s packed with memorable hits, emotional depth, and a sense of raw power that’s undeniable. While not every song resonates on the same level, the album as a whole is a testament to Turner’s artistry and determination. The first thing that grabs me is Tina Turner’s voice. it’s phenomenal. Her raspy, powerful delivery carries so much emotion, and she balances vulnerability and strength with ease. Tracks like “What’s Love Got to Do with It” are iconic for a reason; her performance is both tender and commanding, making the song unforgettable. The production is polished, blending 80s flair with timeless appeal. Synths, crisp guitars, and steady rhythms create a rich soundscape. “Private Dancer” shines with its haunting, moody arrangement, perfectly matching Tina Turner’s soulful delivery. Mark Knopfler’s masterful guitar work adds depth and sophistication, elevating the track to an unforgettable level of artistry. While the production is strong, it occasionally feels too polished, especially on the uptempo tracks. The 80s influence works well but can make some songs feel slick and impersonal. At times, there’s a longing for a rawer, grittier edge that would allow Tina Turner’s powerful voice to take centre stage even more, offering a more intimate, authentic listening experience. The album boasts strong songwriting, exploring themes of independence, heartbreak, and empowerment. “Better Be Good to Me” stands out as a fiery anthem, resonating as a personal statement from Tina Turner. Her cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” is a standout reinterpretation, infusing the classic with her unique flair and soulful energy, making it truly her own. Private Dancer is a testament to Tina Turner’s incredible talent and resilience. Her powerful voice elevates even the weaker tracks, with highlights like “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Private Dancer,” and “Let’s Stay Together” being unforgettable. Though some songs feel dated or overproduced, the album remains a strong statement of Turner’s artistry. A solid 4.3/5 from me.

Tina is assuredly a wonderful singer and the ability to have so many hands on deck for the making of this album without it sounding completely like a mess is astounding, but in the end it's just a bunch of covers or songs written to be sung by a singer, not to be great art on their own imho. Jeff Beck's solos were funny and weird and welcome as well. Every guitarist sounded the same as the other so that was pretty funny. Overall great start; mediocre finish. RIP legend.

The title track on this goes so crazy, I love her voice so much and I am tired of what's love got to do with it. On first listen everyone called it aggressively 80s and I didn't know what that meant but upon clicking the album one more time i get it and it's a bit distracting but you know... --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- I love you reader! unless you're homophobic :(

Very close to a 4 and objectively a classic, her voice and much of the instrumentation just struck me the wrong way in the headspace I was in listening to it. Perhaps my favorite Marvin Gaye cover.

7/10 80s nostalgia has been kind and not too kind to various scenes and moments in music. We’re very much still worshiping a lot of Synthpop today, retro-aesthetics have hugely been based off a lot of New Wave, but we’ve also been reevaluating and have been critical of the over saturation of Pop Rock. This is slightly irrelevant but I thought about the weird worship of City-Pop that’s occurred in the past few years, records that have been overplayed to death in Japan to the point where they’re mainly vinyl to overcharge tourists with, even though those records have been based off of a lot of our Boogie, R&B, Funk, and Rock fusions here in the states that haven’t had the same level of reappraisal. Is there ever going to be a moment in time where the Ameriboo that wears cowboy hats everywhere, quotes Family Guy, and eats McDonald’s constantly will walk into a record store and pick up a copy of a pretty decent album like Private Dancer for $80? I can only hope so. In a just world, Forget Me Nots is bigger than Plastic Love.

The original songs are good 80s. The covers are bad 80s.

Very eighties in sound and very dated, but frankly, it still manages to pull off more than one good song!

På grænsen til 4. Ud over titelnummeret synes jeg, at alle originalnumrene lyder vildt godt! Pusten går bare lidt af det, når man lige propper 3 covers i anden halvdel, ingen af dem på niveau med den originale

Banger fra fars cd samling, kan godt lide hvor no chill det er og synes at produktionen er et sjældent W for den her æra af 80er-pop. Flere plader burde have en god kat på coveret

This is that 80's sound.. That one great pussy on the cover! It's kind of fun to end the album by just repeating the year this album was released in.. 198-fooooouuurr. Loads of great songs, covers and stuff; felt a bit too frontloaded.

Start of the second career for Tina Turner, a classic 80s style record, with support from her friedn David Bowie.

tina turner the clocks back

Near perfect album.

Der Sound meiner Studienzeit Unverwechselbare Stimme

Can’t do it

As 80s as it gets. Not the biggest fan of Tina.

5 stars because it's the Goddess Tina Turner and because What's Love Got to Do With It and Private Dancer were two major hits of my youth. Plus, I'm totally here for her cover of Let's Stay Together. I'm taking a star away because of the Help! cover, though.

Some good songs but a full album of Tina is a bit much

No Goldeneye? No The Best? No party.

"Private Dancer" signaled a sort of turning point and revitalization in Tina Turner's music career. We don't have to get into her early career with her former spouse, instead focusing on the sound & success of this album. This is what the 80's sounds like, rolled up into one album. (That's good or bad depending on who you ask) Pop, with the occasional guitar riffs blended in, mixed with some jazz and R&B throughout. All the while, Turner sounds strong and liberated via her raspy voice and lyrics. I can't speak for her level of stardom prior to this album's release, but this certainly launched her into the stratosphere and into diva status. This rolled into her subsequent albums, as the next few seem to have at least one instantly recognizable hit. I did find the cover songs to be subpar for the most part (with the exception of "I Can't Stand the Rain", which is probably the best track on the album). Fun 80's album that gets dragged down a bit by the few covers. But the good ones are GOOD.

Her backing band wanted nothing to do with her Michael Jackson impersonation - they wanted to unleash the sickest, funkiest grooves ever. This was okay. She's got a few good jams.

I really did not connect with this album at all. Generic melodies with a frankly unappealing singing style made the songs come off very grating and hard to listen to at times. Unremarkable at its best, shrill at its worst

Solid pop album Standout songs: Lets stay together Better be good to me

I feel like it's been a while since I got some real classic 80s pop from this site. Most 80s albums I've gotten have been a lot more focused on stuff like new-wave and post-punk, so it's nice to get something like this for a change. Anyways, Private Dancer is pretty good. Tina Turner is an absolute icon, and she may not have that status without this album. Despite many of these songs being written by different people (including David Bowie and Mark Knopfler by the way!), the tone of this whole album fits the liberation that represents this part of her career so well. Tina's voice is strong. I like it. The sound is nice. It's very 80s, but I wouldn't say it's aged poorly. It's aged in a way that paints a positive picture of the time it's from. Maybe I'm biased. I don't know. The album's not perfect. Some of the songs don't hit as hard as the others. But generally speaking, I think this is a solid album that I like. Low 4/5.

Another really fun album this week, wow. It feels like the slog through shitty britpop fans might finally be over, or more likely temporarily on hold. Tina Turner was such an incredible vocal powerhouse, it’s hard not to get goosebumps from her singing. This is an album with some really incredible singles, but also some underrated deep cuts that deserve a little more credit. It’s soulful and bluesy, but it’s got that 80’s energy coming from the electric guitar style and all the synths. It’s such a fun sound throughout, it’s really hard to find any fault at all. The way she reimagined the classic Beatles tune “Help” is really quite striking. It’s a beautiful version of an already excellent song. The kind of cover where an artist really makes it their own. This album really earned its 5 stars here.

What a fantastic run of albums the past few days! “What’s Love Got to Do With It” is of course the most recognizable song on this album and it is an absolute 10/10 no notes classic. But the rest of this album holds its own, as well. Her (or her producers’) reimagining of “I Can’t Stand the Rain” and “Let’s Stay Together” are both fantastic, but “I Might Have Been Queen” and the title track are both standouts as well. Interesting to note Mark Knopfler wrote the title track and originally intended it for Dire Straits. I could happily listen to Tina Turner belt the phone book. Another 5 ⭐️!!!

Fun album

Strong 80s vibes

3 Sterne

❤️

This album has a very cheesy, dated sound and it exemplifies what I hated about 80's music. I didn't even like the hits when they came out and the covers were meh to awful. I would never choose to listen to this.

It feels disrespectful to say this album isn’t good, but it isn’t good. That doesn’t mean Tina Turner is talentless. Her powerful voice might be this album’s saving grace. But man, these songs…whether it’s the thin ‘80s instrumentation, the disparate stylistic hodgepodge of rock, soul, and pop that never gels together to sound like you’re listening to a song, or the horrendous covers that insist on taking a new sonic approach that no one needed, asked for, or wanted…this whole thing is a mess. It’s best moments are “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” a pretty good song that is certainly more dated than Boomer radio would have you believe, and the title track, which is not only a successful showcase of Turner’s vocal talents, but a song that fits her vocal tone a million times better than anything else on here. There’s also a few other songs that could’ve been contenders: “Steel Claw” if it wasn’t so sloppy, and “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” if it’s instruments were less ‘80s, and not one but two better versions didn’t exist. Private Dancer is a great example of how just because an artist deserves multiple spots on 1001 Songs to Listen to Before You Die, and more than one of those spots might come from one album, that doesn’t mean said album belongs on 1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die. To be honest, I’m shocked how rarely this feels like the case, but damn, this might be the most obvious case I’ve come across so far.

Very subdued instrumentation that encourages (forces) you to focus on Tina's voice. Simple jams written by talented people and sang by a great singer. Also, Welcome to the Thunderdome. 3.5/5

Not for me

The sound of 1984. Great re-invention of a wonderful singer - she sings especially well on this, but the music sounds very dated

Not really my thing, but some good ones here when I get passed the very 80s style.

Alright

Much more to the album that I had remembered.

This album started off AMAZINGLY strongly until the title track presented itself like a blood-sucking vampire and killed the energy. Following that, it was like being upset in a nightclub, the party still takes place around you, you sober up a bit and try to get back into the groove, occasionally getting another drink, and giving it your best dance even though you keep being pulled back to being upset. It just doesn't feel the same after track 5.

Fun, funky and full of expression. Tina is a legend and will forever be timeless. She brings such passion and energy to each song, making it a very uplifting experience. Good record.

Every song is a masterpiece

THE Comeback Album

Excellent. 4.5.

Despite the coking up of the BPM, par for the course in ‘83-‘84, this is absolutely mastery of a songstress at the top of her game.

WHAT’S LOVE be glad you aren’t in the car with me because some songs must be belted I Can’t Stand the Rain— oh fuck this is a jam I understand that covering a song is a show of respect, but just let Al Green do it. Better Be Good to Me was in the movie IF, and you should see that movie if only for the scene with that song.

The woman can sing, but what in the Saved By The Bell are these instrumentals? It’s been interesting how some of these albums hold up and feel literally timeless. This one…does not. But “I Can’t Stand the Rain” is an absolute 11/10 banger.

Favorite Track: What's Love Got To Do With It?

Household name that never was big in my household. Great strong voice that sounds like it would destroy anyone else’s throat to sing like that. At least two of the songs were covers, which were probably my favorite two songs, not sure if that is good or bad. The biggest hit on the album, Tiny Stripper Dancer, was ok, just repeated the same line over and over for like 5 minutes. I liked the funky upbeat stuff a bit more than the slow synth pop stuff. Pretty solid album that sounds a bit dated due to being in the middle of the 80s. 7/10

This was gas! Ty Tina

Better than I expected.

Tina Turner has such a distinct sound of the time. Good singer and composition. Makes sense to be on the list. Easy to hear but don't think I'd ever really hunt it out.

A great use of her voice and what she can do with it. I do not care for the instrumentation. The original I Can't Stand the Rain by Ann Peebles is much better. If I film a montage in the future, I hope I can use Steel Claw to accompany it. 1984 is ... interesting, oh it's Bowie.

The change of sound from her past songs is welcomed and at some points in the album, invited. Her raspy vocals still provide a strong and seamless album that is enjoyable to listen to.

There’s something heartwarming about the knowledge that TT’d renaissance was eased along the way by the blokes from Heaven 17. (See also ‘The Hardline According to TTD’A’, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis X The Human League) (I wonder whether Northern Soul might have nurtured , unconsciously or not, this fertile valley.)

I can see it, and I like how it’s so much less insipid overall than Taylor Swift types - here there are some things to say, in a voice that can actually sing. All this said, it’s not one for me.

An odd experience. Like most people, I've been bombarded by the singles from this album (although, somehow, not the massacred version of Help) without having heard the whole thing in one sitting. I swear I did not know there was a longer version of the title track. Undoubtedly, this record made TT a solo star. And it is very good, except Help!

Legend before and a Legend after. A true survivor and deserved everything and more after this album

so 80s :D

3.5 stars. Great voice, some great tracks and some duds and just a bit too 80's cheesy overall. Not a fan of end of album which gets too glam-rockish. Standout is "Better Be Good To Me" along with the catchy pop hit "What's Love Got To Do With It".

I didn't know what to expect with this album. I certainly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, that's for sure. It's so 80's. Ridiculously 80's. Possibly the most 80's thing I've ever heard. The sound, the production, the instruments. Not a bad thing necessarily. I like it all. The songs themselves are strong for the most part other than a really terrible cover of Beatles classic 'Help' which was truly crap. It was turned into a slow, desperate sounding ballad and I actively disliked it. Everything else though is really great. Fun, upbeat tracks. The pop and rock genres are perfectly moulded together with Tina's fantastic voice shining through. I really enjoyed the Bowie cover of '1984' and obviously everyone knows 'What's Love Got To Do With It'. I've seen that people dislike the solo on 'Steel Claw' and I couldn't disagree more. A bit screechy to start with but it's great and fits the song well. Overall a really fun album from Tina.

Awesome all classics!

Bueno

The live tracks read very very well, the rest felt like something was missing. Great songwriting all the same.

Not great.

so many bops, she is one of the best favorite track: private dancer

Great voice and a great album. A lot of hits on this one.

Queen of rock, they say. I certainly like it.

Why not use a real piano when you are trying to get natural piano sounds? Because it's '80's pop music and it sucks. The 80's produced great music. So there is no excuse to sound like this.

She pours her entire soul into these performances. I was carried away on the wave of raw emotion. The only miss is the song penned by my personal music god David Bowie and I feel like I’m committing a crime by saying so.

Well, so as a kid I hated What’s Love Got to do with It, but I like it much better now. She’s got an interesting voice, in a good way. Some of the music itself was not that interesting to me, but not terrible.

Opener Soul Survivor sounds like Talking Heads. It does. I don't really need to hear What's love got to do with it again. Listening to it on decent speakers somehow it seems less powerful than it did on the radio in my mum's kitchen. I just thank god Simply the Best isn't here. Hmm, oh ok, so they just wrote 2 smash hits and banged out a load of covers and called it an album. That's how you print money in the 80s I guess. I can't stand the rain is a great track but the Ann Peebles version is untouchable really. Missy Elliott one was also great, this less so. Same with Let's Stay Together, didn't need covering and making worse. Just listen to Al Green. Why would you pass up an opportunity to listen to Al Green? I know I didn't. Took a short break after this to stick his version on to remind me how good it was. Sweet jesus the chasm of quality between the two is simply breathtaking when you do that. The only cover here that was worth making is Help, because they do something significantly different with it, that some people may really like even if I don't. The 1984 one is kind of Ok, sounds very Heaven 17. I go look at the credits and oh look! There's Martyn Ware. Well done, me. Although it's not exactly a difficult spot. All of that said, this was by no means as annoying as I was expecting, and it goes without saying she's a fabulous singer. Not my bag though. I feel sad that her talent isn't better represented here. Well done Tina, congratulations, you rocked.

Tina's voice is timeless and the lyrics are solid and work with her vocals but the music and production are incredibly dated. As a teenage metal head/punk rock kid I hated this album. As an adult I can appreciate it for what it is but it is so incredibly dated. 5 for Tina and 1 for the rest equals a generous 3

They should have just left this where it belongs…..back in the 80’s! As bad as I expected unfortunately.

A tough listen. Can’t stand her voice and the songs are woeful.

Poor Tina, she’s tried quite hard here, but even a lady of her talents can’t polish a turd. To repeat previous variations on the topic. WTF HAPPENED IN THE 80s!?!? It’s like in large swathes they gave up on musicianship. Shit synths, basic guitars and whatever drums happens to go along. This music is just incredibly generic and bland, and sounds like some random Weds night bog standard bar band are backing. Tina’s got a great voice, but even in these songs she seems a bit nasal and restrained compared to the stuff she used to really let rip on in earlier years. Other than ‘I can’t stand the rain’, there was nothing on here I vaguely enjoyed. Obviously the sales figures say the contrary, but the 80s can generally do one.

I would struggle at a Tina cover band concert but would be clapping along with all the old ladies to a few of these.... she was a pioneer so hats off and loved some sax

80s style 2.5/5

Oh wow. All this time I thought ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ was by Michael Jackson. Shows what I know. This was good, even if it’s not really my kind of music. Tina Turner is good

The flute sounding synth in “What’s Love Got To Do With It” instantly connects me to my 7 year old self. This album is very much steeped in the 80’s synth world. Tina shines above it all with some incredible vocal performances. I give this one a 3.5.

Tina Turner rules! Just super strong, powerful vocals. You can definitely jazzersise to the opening track. Sweat it out!! What's Love Got to Do With It? Dope! Much nostalgia. I Can't Stand the Rain sounds a bit like a Peter Gabriel tune. Man, so many hits on this album. Private Dance is a karaoke favorite. Interesting cover on Let's Stay Together, and I love her take on it, as well as Ball of Confusion. Good stuff. This is a solid 80's album with passionate vocals. 4 stars here.

Tina's voice is on point: emotional, weary, and raspy. After leaving an abusive relationship, Tina sings of a yearning for love and respect but not trusting it fully, a theme that heart-breakingly resonates throughout the album. The hits I recall from this album are "What's Love Got To Do With It", "Private Dancer", and "Better Be Good To Me", but there are other notable songs here as well such as "I Can't Stand The Rain", "Steel Claw", and some well-performed renditions of cover songs. Stylistically, the album moves through a couple of genres (mostly pop, upbeat soft rock, and R&B) and yet remains cohesive as an album. Overall, the production is a compilation of 80's clichés; programmed drums, synthesized horns, warm pads, mildly distorted guitar chords and common arpeggios, and orchestral hits. These same songs and instrumental lines played more organically would hold up better with time. The sound is too dated to be classically timeless; you have to be willing to revisit the 80's when you put this one on. It makes me wonder how The Killers, MGMT, and Radiohead breathe so much life and emotion into their electronic productions, avoiding the pitfalls of feeling so robotic and distant. Tina delivers on the album, but the production generally doesn't rise to her greatness.

I'm here for this '80s Mom-Rock! Yes, it definitely sounds of its time, but what can I say, I love the 80s, cheese and all. And especially with Tina Turner, a great singer and all around performer. Her voice is so warm but world-weary, and she brings so much depth of feeling to these songs about triumph over bad times in love. Glad she went on to have a happy ending IRL. RIP!

Tina Turner has such a raw soulful and bluesy voice that truly gets showcased throughout the album. The sounds on the album, everything going on in the background makes it sound dated though. I know there are other albums that have 'that 80s sound' but somehow they don't sound dated like this one. Tina shines powerfully through the time stamp though.

Deep respect and love for Tina Turner. However, that is the most 80's sounding album, and it has not aged well.

Not for me thanks

Ouch, that production, those covers..

Surprised how enjoyable this was. Very of its time in terms of production, but accessible and not overly cringe

Y this 80s cheese when there is so much better from b4?

Classy

Not expecting to enjoy this much, but here goes... I have to say i slipped through songs I already knew. Show Some Respect is a straight ripoff of the Nutbush City Limits beat. Let’s Stay Together is OK, i guess. Steel Claw is Tina does Meat Loaf.

Well that was the most eighties thing I've listened to in a long while, and it has all the associated problems with that - heavy on the synth that doesn't match the song, never quite giving the singer room to breathe, some frankly terrible lyrics that are, in fairness, sang with talent and gusto, and some deeply unnecessary covers of classics! Safe to say, this is a one-listen-and-done for me.

I love the title track. The album is full of bops. The only thing I disliked was some of the repetitive nature of a few songs.

3.6

The goddess is back!

I could really have done without all the covers, but the highlights go *just* hard enough for this to edge or to three stars.

Tina Turner does the same thing as the other popular artists of her time, but not quite as well.

Ein paar großartige Klassiker in diesem Album

Schöne Klassiker.

Some very solid 80s pop, better than I expected. Her performances are great all over this, the title track especially is excellent. There's a decent bit of range across the tracklist too, doesn't just feel like a bunch of similar throwaway tracks. A nice surprise.

I like the melodies and singing, but it’s just so 80’s sounding, and that cover of Help is more like the lyrics of the original song over a completely different melody.

couple bangers

there is some great classic songs on here.

Still incredible, but doesnt hold up as well as I thought it would

Delightfully fucking weird

This is a no-brainer. So choc-full of 80's goodness and hits it's no wonder it's a solid 5*****

80s trash. She can't sing

I’ve never sought Tina Turner out so this is the first body of work I’ve listened in full. It was okay - didn’t hate it but didn’t love it. There’s of course the classics “what’s love..” and “private dancer” and one or two others I thought were pretty alright. But I saw another review here call the cover songs “uninspiring” and that’s how to summarise those covers for me. Would I go back as a whole? No. Have I saved any songs since listening? No. But you could throw it on in the car and find it pleasant enough to listen to on any journey. Probably more a 2.5, but let’s round it to 3.

3.5

too 80's can't give it more than 3

The album Private Dancer is about as stereotypically 80s as it gets and that's fine. I'm not crazy about it, but it doesn't make the album bad in any sense. It is just clearly a product of it's time. Best Songs: What's Love Got to Do with It, Steel Claw Worst Songs: Help, 1984

I like Tina Turner the person. This album - and pop is not my thing - reeks of 80s cheesy production.

Tina Turner lived her life so that the music biopic machine could run… and run… and run. Perverse as it feels to say so, her story is the perfect blueprint: an unsustainable rise to fame alongside her abusive husband, years of brutal and harrowing exploitation, a high-profile and high-cost divorce, endurance through the wilderness of obscurity, wildly successful solo comeback with “Private Dancer”, and “legend” status that would follow for the rest of her life. It’s almost impossible not to project all of this onto the opener of “Private Dancer”, “I Might Have Been Queen” (I listened to the international edition of the album, which has a slightly altered track list). It was written as an autobiographical track for Turner, and finds her wistful, snarling, passionate: it’s a winning performance, instantly bringing the listener on side and compelling them to hear her story. The same passion follows across the rest of the album, which is a hitmaking tour de force (seven of its ten songs were at some point released as singles). In amongst the inescapable hits are some more left-field choices: a Beatles reworking? A deep-cut Bowie cover from “Diamond Dogs”? Jeff Beck on guitar? Sure, throw them all in: it’s just a shame that, in all honesty, not many of them pay off. While Turner’s vocals are flawless throughout, they’re swamped in stylistic boo-boos, like overbearing 80’s production (in fairness, hardly her fault) or irritating onomatopoeic guitar (Jeff Beck might be a god, but he should have really read the room and understood “Steel Claw” wasn’t calling for a tortured coyote solo). Case in point: the covers of The Beatles’ classic “Help!” and Al Green’s gorgeous “Let’s Stay Together” are both hot messes. Take the latter: all the subtlety and tenderness of the original is stripped away by a poor mix and a bludgeon of a drum machine. The final track, “1984”, is even worse: choked out with synths, drums, over-compression and a truly jarring key change, it ends the album on a real sour note. But there are enough highs to make the album a decent listen overall. I’ve never been keen on the biggest hits, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and “Private Dancer”, but in amongst the rest of the album they do work, standing out as runaway successes. As well as the rousing “I Might Have Been Queen”, the track to surprise me the most here was “Better Be Good To Me”, one I hadn’t heard before: it boasts a groovy bassline, a simple and heartwarming hook, and a lovely percussive breakdown. Turner’s ad-libbed vocals during the break- and the call-and-response that follows- is the perfect icing on the cake.

Best Song: Steel Claw. I liked the more rock elements here, especially the quick and staccato delivery. Worst Song: When I Was Young. Once again I just tired of what was on offer by this point. Overall: There are a few standout tracks, but mostly I found myself just bored and waiting for it to end. To that end: it's also much longer than it needed to be.

85% Best: I Might Have Been Queen; What's Love Got to Do with It; Show Some Respect; Steel Claw; 1984 Must-Hear? Sure

I Can't Stand The Rain (or a variant of it) two nights in a row, with Missy Elliott's yesterday. The cover of Help is pretty hideous; it seems to have been merged with "Do you like Pina Coladas" in a horrible hybrid. The production is extremely eighties; the whole thing is somewhat remedied by Tina Turner's compelling voice.

What a pleasant surprise. This absolutely rips. Phenomenal powerhouse vocal performance backed by the most maximalist, genre-smashing, sensual, bombastic production money could buy. Even the cover songs are transformative. I fucking loved this.

A classic album. Great songs all around! My favorite songs were probably, “Let’s Stay Together”, and “1984”.

I loved Nuts Crush Titty Remit or whatever it was called. Reminds me of a great holiday in Newquay Cornwall when that song was in the charts. So a great song and part of my musical formitive years. As regards other Tina Turner stuff well it’s a big turn off for me. Cannot deny that she has one of the strongest, best and recognisable voices ever and deserves all the plaudits for that. But her musical output does not do anything for me at all. Know most of the songs on this album partly because you cannot avoid hearing them. If not on the radio but when at wedding evening do’s or Christmas party’s. But her records are nowhere near my collection apart from that song about a little old town in Tennessee. The nice little kitty on the cover is the best thing for me about this album. 2/5 3/10/24

omg!! older than others pop stars and STILL MAKING THE SAME SHITTY MUSIC NEVER BECOMING AN ARTIST .....AINOA HYVÄ BIISI PRIVATE DANCER INSENSITEETTI JA KUMMITTELAVA MELODIA JA LYYRIIKAT SOPII TÄYDELLISESTI... ymmärsikö itsekkään miksi niin special... kaikki muu on vain niin pitkää ripulipaskaa Mark knopfler genius.... vika biisi naulasi tämän ykköseen...

That voice can pull the most mundane production up into listenability. Pop soul seems self-contradictory. The soft jazz of Private Dancer takes away any edge it might have had and as the album goes on pulls hard against her voice. The rock edge of Better be Good and others works much better and she owns these tunes and her performance of them. Things seem pretty hit and miss throughout. I'm very glad for her career-wise. Just not totally on this album for me.

Love the hits but didn’t love this as much as I wanted to. I remember everyone having this album in school - not me, though. But it brings back fun memories of going dancing and Tina belting out her hits.

The hits were great, the covers were not and the rest was ok. I am more an admirer of Tina as a person than a fan of her singing.

This album is hopelessly tethered to questionable '80s production aesthetics, and it doesn't help that the majority of the material is just OK. But damn, Tina Turner is singing like she means it, and her voice is the one thing that transcends the production and the material. She's singing at a 5 and swimming against the current of the material and production. Except on "What's Love Got to Do With It." That sounds like a hit. I wrote a retrospective of Tina Turner last year (she died in May of 2023), and this album has a pretty dramatic story. It was her first release as a solo artist after her tumultuous divorce from Ike Turner, and probably her one shot at putting a solo career on track, and she ultimately had to pull the whole thing together (and record it) in two weeks. So, I suppose the choices were born of trying to sound as relevant and current at the time, and I guess she really was singing like it was her last chance. Good for her on achieving massive success with this, but it doesn't exactly hold up as a great body of songs, IMO.

Huh. I was hoping to like this more. I generally like Tina Turner and I know the story behind this is pretty gripping. But damn, other than two of the hits, this really failed to hit home for me. You Better Be God to Me and What's Love Got to Do with it are great. The material and even the 80s production work with her voice. But the other songs, I really didn't like anything that was going on: songwriting, production, arrangements, or even her singing. The real key to understanding what a miss this project was (for me) was her cover of Let's Stay Together. Like, what was the point of this song? Nothing worked at all. And it bummed me out to not even enjoy her singing because she's such a powerhouse. But more often than not she was powerhousing songs that required subtlety and nuance. I still like Tina Turner, but I won't be returning to this album.

Better Be Good to Me was the standout song on this album for me. All the others sounded trite. I guess it's one to listen to b/c it's Tina's big comeback?

Pop refinado da msm qualidade que MJ

I liked this album more than I thought I would

Maybe the greatest comeback album ever

Private Dancer is 100% a big "fuck you" to Tina Turner's abusive ex-husband. These songs hold so much empowerment; I feel her strength forty years later. Despite Private Dancer being Turner's fifth solo album, she is reclaiming herself and her music. I'm just beside myself--because it's so clear her songs were created with such purpose. I mean, she has songs entitled "Show Some Respect" and "Better Be Good To Me"! Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" was released when she was 45, yet it revived her career. A Black woman in her mid-forties singing about physical attraction and pondering if love is even worth it? Ob-sessed. Also, the music video is iconic. ✨ Turner had such a voice! You can hear her charisma through every note. She's mesmerizing. Her cover of "Help!" is so emotive and tender; I've never heard that song covered that way. And the way she wails? Oh, there is and was never anyone like her. Speaking of "Help!", I love what Turner did with the covers. She gave each of them the 80s synth treatment, and they sound so unique from the originals. The sax on "Help!" is a stellar choice, and so is that gospel choir backing her up in the chorus. "Let's Stay Together" still has Al Green's soul but she puts this disco-pop spin on it!

Tina Turner just slays and leaves no survivors on this album. "Private Dancer" marks a very stark departure from her previous R&B sound. In this rebirth, she creates what is no doubt the musical form that she is most known for. Her gravelly voice is a perfect fit for this pop-rock/rock and roll style. And speaking of style, the album cover is simple and yet iconic, and it captures Tina's new physical appearance that she would become known for too, including her iconic "mullet". Don't get me wrong, not every song is a "What's Love Got To Do With It", but they come damn close. For me, there were no skips on this album; her voice and the music do a fantastic job of driving this album beyond just this one particular hit. No other notes -- just a legendary album by a legendary woman.

Hark - a new contender for the most 80s sounding album on the list! For better (WLGTDWI, Steel Claw!) and for worse (that cover of Help - ewww).

3.5

It's very 80s, and not for me. But a few classic bangers on here.

Eh. The generic 80s sound is not for me.

So 80s

Awful. Classic, but awful.

decent

2.5/5. This is fine. I imagine this was pretty popular back then. Not really into this, though. I found it a little boring.

Are these just all covers?

I don’t go out of my way to pop in a Tina Turner CD in my sweet Magnavox portable CD player with skip protection, but if I did, I wouldn’t be mad about it. Girl can belt some good tunes.

A great voice, but other than the hits, the rest is sort of forgettable. Tina is a fantastic singer, but I was kind of bored, especially with the cheesy 80's music.

Hyvää laulantaa? Kyllä, kolme tähteä. Kuuntelisinko uudelleen? En, kaksi tähteä.

For better or worse, Tina's best songs came from her Ike & Tina period. Is this really the album we're gonna go with here? It's mostly subpar covers, and poorly aged 80's ballads. A far cry from Nutbush City Limits.

This is a fine album that deserves to be on the list. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it because I associate Turner with the disco era. And while it was hairdresser music, you know, the music on KISS108 radio that wasn’t disco and allways on at beauty shops, it is 80s soul. Turner was a talented singer and created songs with emotion and power. Even her covers, which for many artists are throw away fillers on their albums, are good.

Tina Turner's big break after breaking off from Ike Turner. She obviously deserves the world after everything she went through, but her powerful approach to soul proved to be a winning move. A lot of the album is dragged down by the typical '80s pop production, but Tina Turner's charisma and incredible voice make these songs stand out. Her rendition of the Beatles' "Help" on the rerelease is perhaps the weakest choice, but it wasn't on the original tracklist so I'll try to ignore that. Overall it's an enjoyable experience that I feel would be improved with better songs for Tina to sing.

One of the best performers of the 80s. I'll always remember the roadtrip I made with a friend from Nashville to Chicago to see Tina live. It was incredible. This album has some of my favorites along with a few I've never heard before. I love her feist, strength, and raspy rocker voice. 4.5 stars.

Any old music won't do, Tina. Pretty dull and repetitive, with a screechy voice that made my throat feel sore. Petition to give Tina a throat lozenge?

Luxurious pop-rock sound with a soul character. Maybe people who say the '80s had the best music are right.

Solid performance!

Not a bad album, considering I assumed I wouldn't like this album and I've heard very little of her work outside of "What's Love Got to Do with It". The album has a decent cover of Al Green's Let's Stay Together. Not sure what else to say about it. My fave track is Show Some Respect.

Rock star! I enjoyed this album and I was surprised to -- I appreciate how revolutionary this music and this artist would have been at the time. I also have a little nostalgic spot for the extreme '80s-ness of this album, complete with MIDI. :)

Bangers

This album sounded fairly dated and was difficult to get into. Some hit songs but overall it doesn’t hold up well.

Not a fan of this.

Iconic

9/10

Really fun with good tunes and better lyrics

Not really my thing.

Ugh. What a waste of an interesting voice. I don't like the music at all. I understand that others will. It's just not my taste and I found it grating at times. Mary would nit be proud.

I’m not a fan of this one. Firstly, it can’t escape all the 80’s trappings, which make it sound incredibly dated. I really don’t like the idea of ‘vocals above all else’ either, which probably applies to a number of tracks here. Her cover of Let’s Stay Together is probably the perfect example of the fusion of these two things. The original is this incredibly soulful ballad, and here it’s turned into some kind of grotesque parody. She belts the whole thing out and in doing so strips out all depth of feeling from it, and it’s so abundantly worse for it. This may be sacrilegious to some, but I don’t even particularly like her vocals. I much preferred the upbeat campy tracks, that had a bit of flavour of Meatloaf. I had way more fun with those.

Show Some Respect for this album.

I love Tina Turner! Even though this album sounds a bit too 80's, it's great and it's different from other records because of her voice.

I love Tina Turner and this has some nice songs on it, that have not aged well. Better Be Good to ME still sounds great but some of the covers just feel like she is vamping rather than exuding emotion.

....

You don't have to love this album but if you give it less than a three you're on Ike's side.

I am familiar with Tina Turner as the so-called "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" after launching a solo career post-divorce. In fact, I've previously heard "What's Love Got to Do With It" off this album and enjoyed that. After listening, I can say that the rest of Private Dancer mostly live up to the same quality as that track. Tina showed off her pipes on this album, as her charisma and delivery carry these songs while playing across 80's rock and R&B styles. "Show Some Respect", the title track, and "Better Be Good to Me" make for an excellent showcase of what she was capable of with outside songwriters lending their hand. My only complaints are with the dated production - not helped by the multiple producers involved for inconsistent quality, and that nearly half of these songs are covers. Granted, she does pull off unique spins on the Beatles' "Help!" and David Bowie's "1984" which work, but the rest of them don't quite live up to the bar set by the original tracks. Overall, I had a fun time with Private Dancer, and give it a solid recommendation.

I was only slightly disappointed that the Nutbush wasn't on this album. But there were definitely a few on here that came close. For her fifth solo album she had cemented herself as one of the largest artists of the 80s. Best: What's Love Got to Do With It Worst: Private Dancer Note: Spotify had the extended version of the album, I only listened to the original 10 tracks.

Albumi #12, 08.08.2024 Taattua kasarisoundia. Hittibiisit hyviä, muutoin vähän tylsä levy.

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

Great album for the mid 80s but it’s pretty dated now. Second part of the album is a little bit mailed in. It’s ok

Big 80s sound. Some of lyrics are a little on the nose, but a pretty fun listen overall. Particularly liked the cover of Help! More impassioned take on a classic.

Beaucoup de reprises et j’aime pas sa voix C’est vraiment du commercial des années 80

It's honestly such a slay. This is what we call in the industry "bulletproof hospitality" because it's never not serving. This is for a specific vibe.

This was wonderful. I was really struck by the lyrics and the musical vibes throughout the entire album. Nothing short of fantastic.

A little slick, as one would expect from this era. However, Turner’s voice is still powerful and her passion carries through. It’s also an interesting choice of covers. Good album for sure.

More covers than I was expecting. But she has earned her stripes, she can do now wrong.

Today I learned that I really don’t enjoy Tina Turner.

One of the great musicians of the twenthieth century, although not one of my favourites. But there is no doubt that this album is very good.

148/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

This album has so many good memories for me. Vicky and I saw her live on the Private Dancer tour before we were married. Probably the biggest album of Tina's career.

Great singer, wonderful energy, really solid album.

Since she's clearly not a fan of ending songs and would rather repeat the same 3 lines over and over again why not go further and make the songs literally infinite, so the listener could skip to the next song after deciding they've thoroughly enjoyed it. I would skip rather early then

Hope the strip club closes down

ok, somewhat too soft

My review condensed: Hell yeah Tina. Get it. So Spotify only had the 30th anniversary version with extra tracks. I looked up the original release, and only listened to the songs that were on there. They also changed the track order for the 30th anniversary, so I reordered them as well. So my review is based on recreating the original release. This sound isn't usually my thing, but Tina just went so all out on every song that I ended up loving it. She goes 200% at every moment. Especially on "I cant stand the rain". I also like that she put a real solid rock song on there (Steel Claw). This album went all over the place, tried a lot of different things, and made them all work while still sounding totally cohesive. Album cover: B+. Saucy.

Okay Tina. OKAY TINA!

I'd never listened to Tina Turner before and this album didn't disappoint. The songs are all over the place and don't really flow into one another but I never felt like it was an issue. It sounds like an album of 10 separate songs, but Tina does such an amazing job that it makes the album feel fresh the entire time. My favorite songs are "Show Some Respect" "I Can't Stand the Rain" "Better Be Good to Me" and "Steel Claw". Did the same person really Make Show some Respect and Steel Claw and put them on the same album? This is a ton of fun. Good stuff Tina. 8/10

Good listen but did she really do anything that original? The best songs were not even hers

Can you dance to it? Yes Can you rock to it? Yes What's cheese got to do with it?

As others have stated before me: A classic example of 80s production, which I'm the first to say hasn't aged well at all. Although this is still way better done production-wise than Leonard Cohen's I'm Your Man, which is probably the lowest depth the 80s sunk to. His estate should really consider doing a re-recorded version to strip off the 80s shite. Wouldn't be a bad idea for Private Dancer, either. Weirdly, I can't stand the Rain somehow works with just that production. PS: Oh dear, this also contains not one but two butcherings of classic songs by The Beatles and Bowie.

This is the good shit. Didn’t know she was this good.

So 80s My dad grew up in north St. Louis and saw Tina a lot when she was coming up. Talked about raucous shows. Missed that here as it just sound like corporate 80s rock. Given her story, I wish they made the backing fit her story and a lot of the lyrics. Vocals are great, just feel it contrasts with the music not in a good way.

it goes without saying that tina turner has an incredible voice. her voice is the reason you listen to this album. the production is violently mid-1980s and has not held up particularly well. it sounds really clunky and cheesy. there are a handful of old overs on here that i don't think are amazing covers, just sort of whatever. nothing here stood out to me as great, but was solid enough. pretty middle of the road.

Good record, good songs, awesome singer - but not my cup of tea. Would deserve more if it was but for my appetite I’ve had my fill of this album. Still a good one mind you.

There's a certain kind of synth from the early 80s that is at once very playful, but also sounds silly? It's tough to take Tina seriously with this sound on the first track. Oddly enough a lot of it seems to come from Rupert Hine as a producer I have just found out. I might be bias because I love the film Better Off Dead, which he produced a lot of the music on the soundtrack.

Kind of obsessed with I Can't Stand the Rain, both versions

That was a good dose of 80s pop with some very iconic instrumentals and singing. It was mainly easy listening, but by the end it felt longer than 44 minutes.

Not an artist I listen to other than very casually. This was a nice change of pace.

Good pop music, not my style. I enjoyed the instrumentals and her voice sounded good most of the time.

She has a wonderful, powerful voice, but I don’t love the instrumentation here—too 80s and not super interesting

Was ready to give this a 4 until 1984 hit. Listening to that song is worse that living in an actual Orwellian nightmare.

Great

Piercing vocals in a Pop, R&B Smoothie Maker. I won't relisten.

This album starts off pretty calm, but gets pretty hype in the second half when the covers start. I enjoyed this album a lot and liked every song. I will consider it a high 4/5.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but alright. I think if I had heard this on a different day I might have liked it much more, but it just came at the wrong time for me to get fully into. Such is life

Nope

I didn't connect much, but I can see why she's so loved.

was horrific on the 80s couldn't listen to this

You know what, before this I never really liked her music, cuz it's just the same two singles over and over on the radio. But this was pretty great.

Looking at all the 1 and 2 star reviews for this banger of an album leads me to ask the question: are any women doing the 1001 album challenge? Or is this site strictly just loser dudes in stupid hats? 5 star album, bite it you scum. Queen Tina forever

An ok album. The cover of I Cant Stand the Rain is fun, but on the flip side the cover of HELP is atrocious!

I’m not sure if timeless is how I’d describe it. Still fun.

This is a lengthy one. I think the rating here reflects more on the mood that I was in when listening to it, I was really struggling with enjoying it.

Fairly cheesy, with waaaay too much saxomophone, but plenty of good songs too. I've got a lot of time for Tina, and this is one of her best. I Can't Stand the Rain in particular is outstanding

luckily i have all the time in the world to listen to music today since i am studying. some very fun tunes! 4/5

I was a kid when this came out and back then I thought her hair was weird. Decades later I think it's even worse. It looks like she scalped a sasquatch and stuck it on her head. The music itself has not aged particularly well because of the 80's production. Luckily it has her powerful, raspy voice to elevate it.

very well produced pap

first listen in entirety. not my cup of tea.

Some good stuff, but not a genre I enjoy.

Meh

Never was into Tina in the 80s

Tante Tina... ze stelt nooit teleur, maar toch te 80's gelikt voor mij

A great eighties pop/R&B album with Turner’s rocking voice.

What a cracking voice Tina Turner has. It is the kind of voice where you can’t imagine her ever being anything else but a singer. Imagine if she spend her life in construction or something. That would be crazy. Anyway, I was surprised to find so much guitar throughout this album. I could easily imagine a glam rock band doing a cover of this whole album and it wouldn’t even sound that weird. My one gripe is that I really don’t like this version of Let’s Stay Together, but otherwise this was pretty banging.

🎧Mad respect for Tina, but this just didn’t click for me. The covers are kind of weak. The 80s rock production sheen sounds dated. Still, I found the title track’s lyrics charmingly dumb/on the nose (“I'm your private dancer / A dancer for money”). Yup, that’s what a private dancer is. Interesting song, Mark Knopfler wrote it. Lastly, What’s Love Got to Do with It is fantastic, probably Tina’s best.

Super 80s that I actually quite liked it. The more cheesy 80s songs were the better ones. No need for the Al Green or Beatles covers and pretty naff ender. But other than that I somewhat guiltily enjoyed it.

yeeeeea motherfuckerrrrrrr

Queen Turner has so much fun. I love her covers.

#239. Well, I mean, her voice is great, but these songs just aren't. This is one that probably should have been left alone, because it's simply just not as good as you remember, I promise. 2/5: meh. Song added to playlist: What's Love Got To Do With It? I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

What’s Love Got To Do With It // 1.5/5

This terrific album by Tina Turner turned (no pun intended) me from familiar with her work to a bona fide fan. The ratio of absolute bops to skips is staggering. Obviously there are multiple tracks that exhibit her chops as a soul icon with the album opener "I Might Have Been Queen", the seminal "What's Love Got To Do With It", and another smash "Let's Stay Together". The catchiness and vocal performance on these songs stands the test of time even in 2024. Another aspect of Turner that I was only partially aware of was her rock influence, which are evident on the tracks "Show Some Respect" and "Steel Claw". These songs blend the rock sound of that era with some 70s funk sounds wonderfully. These songs combined with the titular epic "Private Dancer" create one of the most complete R&B records I've ever heard. An absolute powerhouse of an album. 9/10

Good and of course uniquely Tina. But a bit dated.

71/100

Classic Tina

Großartige Songs einer tollen Künstlerin!

ok album not for me really but cant deny is good 3.3/5

I don’t usually give 1 star just because something isn't really my thing but this whilst not with merit for some people was pretty bad to my ears.

Doesn't get more 80s than this.

I started off thinking "This is fun!" It's got that very eighties sound. It reminded me of Huey Lewis and the News and that type of thing. It has a couple of classic songs that Tina Turner is best known for, like "I can't stand the rain," "What's love got to do with it," and "Private dancer". And Tina, obviously has a great voice. But... are these all covers? When it gets to the ones I know best from the originals like "Let's Stay Together" or "Help!" they just sound very very silly with the 80s MOR Rock treatment. On Spotify, this seems to be another secret expanded edition. The original U.S. version had 9 songs and the International one has 10. This version has 14 and then another 3 Extended 12" remixes of the hits. Unusually, it seems to have been reordered too, so it's hard to tell if the shorter version of the album would have not outstayed it's welcome. Having said that, I'm now getting toward the end and there's some better tracks so who knows. ...Oh! I've just noticed it says "20th anniversary edition" in tiny writing on the cover. Also I wondered why the guitar was so good and I've just read Jeff Beck plays on the album, so that explains that. I'll give it 3 stars but you have to be in the right mood and / or skip some tracks.