Most people think they know the song. You’ve heard it at weddings, at sports stadiums, and probably during a late-night karaoke session where someone tried—and failed—to hit those raspy high notes. It’s the ultimate "feel-good" track. But honestly? The story of Tina Turner Simply the Best is way weirder and more interesting than just a 1980s pop hit.
For starters, the song isn't actually called "Simply the Best." It’s just "The Best."
We added the "Simply" because Tina’s 1991 greatest hits album was titled Simply the Best, and the phrase stuck like glue. It’s also not originally her song. Yeah, you read that right. Before Tina turned it into a global phenomenon, it belonged to someone else entirely.
The Bonnie Tyler Mystery
Imagine being Bonnie Tyler. You’ve got the voice of a rock goddess. You release a song called "The Best" in 1988. It has the same lyrics. It has the same energy. And... it goes basically nowhere.
Bonnie’s version was a minor hit in a few spots, but it didn't set the world on fire. Fast forward one year. Tina Turner hears the track, realizes it’s a diamond in the rough, and decides to polish it. But she didn't just cover it. She rebuilt it.
Tina called up Holly Knight, one of the original songwriters, and told her the song needed a "bridge." She wanted a moment of tension, a climb, a reason for the listener to hold their breath before the final chorus exploded. Knight added that iconic middle section—“Each time you leave me, I start losing control...”—and changed the key. That one move turned a decent pop song into an arena-filling anthem.
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Why the 1991 Simply the Best Album Was a Pivot Point
By the time 1991 rolled around, Tina wasn't just a singer. She was a survivor who had conquered the world. After escaping a brutal marriage with Ike Turner in the mid-70s with nothing but her stage name, she spent years in the "wilderness." People in the industry thought she was done. They called her a "cabaret act."
Then Private Dancer happened in 1984.
By the early 90s, she needed to consolidate that second act. The Tina Turner Simply the Best compilation was more than a greatest hits record; it was a victory lap. Released on October 22, 1991, it featured 18 tracks that defined her rebirth. It didn't just include the big solo hits like "What’s Love Got to Do with It" or "Private Dancer." It also grabbed the legendary "River Deep – Mountain High" and a 90s remix of "Nutbush City Limits."
It sold over 7 million copies worldwide. In the UK, it stayed on the charts for over 140 weeks. People couldn't get enough of it. It’s funny because, in the US, the tracklist was actually different. They swapped out "Addicted to Love (Live)" for "What You Get Is What You See." Regional licensing is a headache, isn't it?
The Songs You Forgot Were on There
We all remember the title track, but that 1991 album had some deep cuts that still slap.
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- "Love Thing": A gritty rock track that reminded everyone Tina was a rocker at heart.
- "I Want You Near Me": One of the "new" songs recorded specifically for the compilation.
- "Way of the World": A soulful, mid-tempo track that showed off her lower register.
The Saxophone, the Legs, and the Pepsi Commercial
You can’t talk about this song without mentioning the saxophone. That solo, played by Edgar Winter on the record (though Tim Cappello is the one everyone remembers from the live shows with his chains and body oil), is the soul of the track. It provides a masculine counterpoint to Tina’s feminine power.
Then there was the Pepsi deal.
In the early 90s, Pepsi was the king of music marketing. They put Tina in commercials. They sponsored her tours. They even put her face on soda cans. It was a massive branding exercise that turned "The Best" into a corporate anthem, yet somehow, the song didn't lose its soul. That’s the "Tina Magic." She could sell you a soda and make you feel like she was singing about the love of your life.
It Became a Sports Anthem by Accident
If you go to a rugby match in Australia, you’re going to hear this song. It’s unavoidable. In the late 80s and early 90s, the New South Wales Rugby League used it for a marketing campaign. Tina even recorded a version with Jimmy Barnes called "(Simply) The Best" specifically for the Aussie market.
It worked too well.
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The song became the unofficial anthem of the sport. It’s a bit weird when you think about it—a song about intense romantic devotion being used to celebrate guys tackling each other in the mud. But the energy fits. "You're better than all the rest." Who doesn't want to hear that after a win?
Why It Still Matters in 2026
Tina passed away in 2023, but her music hasn't aged a day. When you listen to Tina Turner Simply the Best now, you aren't just hearing a pop song. You’re hearing the sound of a woman who refused to stay down.
There's a reason why the West End and Broadway musical is such a hit. There's a reason why her 2018 memoir, My Love Story, was a bestseller. We crave stories of redemption. We love a "phoenix from the ashes" narrative, and Tina Turner is the patron saint of the comeback.
She was 44 when Private Dancer hit. In an industry that discards women once they hit 30, she became a global superstar in her mid-forties. That’s incredible. It’s a middle finger to every executive who told her she was "too old" or "too dated" in the early 80s.
How to Appreciate the Legend Today
If you want to truly dive into the legacy of this era, don't just stream the radio edit.
- Watch the 1988 Rio de Janeiro performance: She played to 180,000 people. It’s in the Guinness World Records. The energy is terrifyingly good.
- Listen to the Bonnie Tyler version first: It’ll make you realize exactly what Tina added—the pauses, the build-up, and that explosive bridge.
- Check out the 1991 remixes: Some of the 12-inch versions of "The Best" have extended sax solos that are just pure joy.
Tina didn't just sing songs; she owned them. Whether it was Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" or Bonnie Tyler's "The Best," once Tina touched it, the original version basically became a demo. She was, quite literally, better than all the rest.
If you're looking to build the perfect Tina playlist, start with the 1991 Simply the Best tracklist. It’s the most cohesive look at her peak solo years. From there, head back to her 1960s soul roots with the Ike & Tina Revue to see where that "gravel" in her voice actually came from. Seeing the evolution from a young girl in Nutbush to a Swiss citizen and global icon is one of the most satisfying journeys in music history.