Released: November 24
Celebrating 50 years since the start of Tina Turner’s solo career, ‘Queen Of Rock ‘N’ Roll’ collects 55 tracks as a thundering anthology of her enduring legacy.
Ironically, Tina’s first release as a solo artist, the 1974 album ‘Tina Turns The Country On!’, spawned no singles and is omitted from the set, which instead launches with her soaring cover of Whole Lotta Love, reintroducing the soul star in a whole new light.
That’s lifted from her second LP, ‘Acid Queen’ (1975), while selections from ‘Rough’ (1978) and ‘Love Explosion’ (1979) showcase the powerhouse performer in the years prior to her ‘80s renaissance, documenting an often overlooked chapter in her history.
It’s that decade and the years after that form the basis of the majority of the collection, which brings together all-time classics such as What’s Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer, Typical Male and The Best.
The double-punch of Let’s Stay Together and Help highlights the transition from ‘60s and ‘70s Tina to the rock goddess that dazzled in stadiums around the globe, with all seven singles from the ‘Private Dancer’ (1984) album displayed on the collection. It’s much the same for subsequent albums ‘Break Every Rule’ (1986), ‘Foreign Affair’ (1989), ‘Wildest Dreams’ (1996) and ‘Twenty Four Seven’ (1999), all of which are cohesively documented with a complete run of releases.
Also referenced is Tina’s screen career, with the ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ (1985) singles We Don’t Need Another Hero and One Of The Living, along with her legendary live legacy with tracks from ‘Tina Live in Europe’ (1988).
Rounding out in 2020 with Norwegian DJ and record producer Kygo’s remix of What’s Love Got To Do With It – which saw the song return to the Top 10 across the world – it’s a reminder of the lasting appeal of Tina’s hits and apt for a set that’ll no doubt introduce a whole new generation of fans to her music.
The occasional omission aside – the B.E.F. collaboration Ball Of Confusion in particular would have been a key addition in documenting her early-’80s evolution – as a collective there’s no greater celebration of Tina Turner’s work and, in light of her passing, it’s a fitting tribute to an undisputed icon.
