The song Simply The Best began as a personal rock ballad by Holly Knight, rumored to be inspired by a crush on KISS front man Paul Stanley. Her version is a high quality 80s rock track with powerful vocals. For Tyler, the song was a professional success and a respected single in Europe. But it remained a ‘good job well done’ rather than a cultural phenomenon.
Tina Turner had completely hijacked the track and turned it into what felt like a cultural moment. She was fresh off the back of an impossible career comeback, and she brought this heavy sense of personal history and grit that Bonnie Tyler’s version just didn’t have. For Tina it was a declaration of survival that the whole world bought into.
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Tina Turner vs Bonnie Tyler — Who Really Made “Simply the Best”?
Viewers often note how different the vibe feels before the magic happens. They said that the original version sounds like a hidden gem that was waiting for a spark.
That spark arrived in 1989 when Tina Turner decided to make the song her own mission statement. She had just performed for 188,000 people in Rio and was ready to conquer the world with that massive energy.
Tina Turner – The Best (Live in Barcelona 1990)
Tina even added a brand new bridge and a key change to give the music a massive punch. You hear a woman who survived the hardest storms and finally reached the top of the mountain. The audience felt her strength in every note. Especially during the famous saxophone solo that still echoes in our hearts today.
Tina Turner lived her life with a bold voice and an honest heart. She proved that age and struggle are just stepping stones to becoming a force of nature. Follow Tina Turner on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to keep her legendary fire alive.