Before she became the Goddess of Pop, we first watched Cher and husband Sonny Bono rise to fame with their hit song “I Got You Babe” in 1965. The track reached #1 on the charts, and by the end of 1967, the folk-rock husband and wife duo had sold in excess of 40 million records worldwide.
After rock’s “it” couple dissolved, Cher established a solo career that lead to five chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and numerous awards in music, television, film and fashion.
The pop icon has maintained her status as a pioneer and powerful musical force in a male-dominated industry over the past six decades. Listen to this stack of hits if you want to hear the timeline of Cher’s career. The I Like: Cher playlist is full of pop rock, early 70s smashes and musical comebacks.
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
Featured track, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” comes with the anticipated release of Cher’s ABBA covers album Dancing Queen set for release on September 28 and available to pre-order here. ABBA, the Swedish pop group that defined the sound of the 70s, inspired Cher to create the album following her performance of “Fernando” in the new movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again in which she plays a starring role. Cher proves ABBA’s music is timeless!
Read more: The Evolution Of Cher
Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves
The 1971 release of “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” marks a major comeback for Cher. As the lead single on her seventh solo album, the track quickly rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained there for two weeks. Packed with plot and emotional complexity – the tale of “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” is told by the narrator of the song, who was “born in the wagon of a traveling show.” It is a story about prejudice, poverty and class consciousness. Although we all sang along to the 70s smash, Cher did not consider it a reflection of her personal aesthetic.
Read more: Cher Announces Australian Tour
If I Could Turn Back Time
“If I Could Turn Back Time” came on Cher’s nineteenth studio album Heart of Stone. The track reached #1 in Australia and was considered her biggest hit in 15 years.
At first, MTV banned the official music video, until agreeing to show it during after hours (9 PM to be exact). The video was deemed controversial because of its risqué content - who can forget those leather chaps and cannon straddling?!
Believe
In 1998, Cher reached a new commercial peak with “Believe” – the lead single from her 23rd studio album of the same name. Little did Cher know, “Believe” would become the biggest hit of her career with a quick climb to the top of pop charts. The track remained at #1 for four consecutive weeks, sold over 11 million copies and won a Grammy Award for the Best Dance Recording. The instantly recognisable tone of “do you believe in life after love?” is a karaoke favourite. Fun fact: the song is the first major pop hit to use auto-tune! Might be the last time we can appreciate this type of audio enhancement...
Read more: Cher Wins Billboard's Icon Award
