The Goddess of Pop, Cher has been the face of music for over six decades. She is a singer, an actress, a media artist, and a personality lauded for many talents. Her smash-hit discography has topped charts worldwide and left a mark on the history of pop music.
Cher has dominated the world of rock, disco, folk, and dance with her distinctive vocals and high-pitched tones. Not to mention, has become a fashion trendsetter worldwide. To honor her musical talents, we’ve researched a-plenty and jotted down the top 10 of Cher’s greatest hits.
10 of Cher’s Greatest Hits
Cher was first part of a husband-wife duo band, Sonny and Cher. Her distinctive vocals were part of songs that sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Then, she was contracted by CBS to host her own comedy show and it became an instant hit.
Safe to say, Cher has enjoyed the love of millions for a long time and with her natural aura of power and dominance, it’s not hard to see why. In a man’s world, she single-handedly dodged the bullets of marriage and submission by embodying female autonomy.
Here’s a list of ten of the best singles by Cher, the ultimate pop queen.
#1: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
The second-ever single by Cher, Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) is an epitome of how powerful Cher’s influence is. She had recently quit the famous Sonny and Cher band and released this single to learn the ropes of the industry.
It was a smash hit. The single Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the UK Singles Chart. That’s not all, the folk rock song peaked in Austria, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, and so many more countries.
The song is for anyone that has been used and abused. The intro: “Bang bang, he shot me down/ Bang bang, I hit the ground/ Bang bang, that awful sound/ Bang bang, my baby shot me down.” foreshadows the beginning of a new life.
It quickly changes to, “Bang bang, I shot you down/ Bang bang, you hit the ground/ Bang bang, that awful sound/Bang bang, I used to shoot you down.” and guarantees hope to many.
#2: Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves
A song that depicts a story, Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves is one of Cher’s Most creative works. It is inspired by a teenage Romani girl’s life at the time and how she manages to overcome racism, leave the shackles of prostitution and deal with teenage pregnancy.
The folk rock song was the first-ever single by a solo artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Singles Chart simultaneously. Not only that, in just her seventh song as an independent female pop vocalist, Cher was also nominated for a Grammy.
It sold over a million copies just in the United States and got certified gold. Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves was a definite breakthrough for Cher and her image as a solo artist and pop singer.
#3: Half-Breed
A folk rock song for the ages, Half-Breed by Cher is a raw depiction of how life turns out for a child born to a white mother and a Cherokee father. Rejection from society, unyielding racism, and harsh double standards are some of the main topics the story-song touches on.
Cher gave a voice to many Natives and Indigenous people around the world with her version of Half-Breed. Backed by her dominant vocals, the song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over a million copies in the United States alone which certified the song Half-Breed gold.
It also topped charts in Canada, New Zealand, Quebec, and more. Despite its specific niche for the US market, Half-Breed by Cher was loved and sold worldwide. The melodic tunes are especially perfect for a night’s stay at a camp, lying under the stars and singing along to Cher. It’s one of the greatest hits by the queen.
#4: Dark Lady
A pop rock song loved globally, the Dark Lady is the perfect image of a crime of passion. It is described as a murder ballad for its haunting visuals of the lover dying with the fortune teller.
Dark Lady was Cher’s third solo song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped charts in Canada, South Africa, and Denmark. It was also certified gold for selling over a million copies in the United States.
Cher became a best-selling artist and pop vocalist after releasing the rock song, Dark Lady.
#5: The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)
An R&B song for the blues fan, The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) was released by Cher to cover the soundtrack of the film Mermaids. It was an instant hit among film critics and music listeners.
The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) became Cher’s first-ever single as a solo artist to hit number one in the UK, Austria, Norway, and Ireland. It was also included in a compilation of Cher’s greatest hits released solely in the United States.
The Shoop Shoop Song for the Mermaids film was lauded by a global audience for its sweet music video and showing the perfect marriage between film and song.
#6: If I Could Turn Back Time
A soft rock song, the single If I Could Turn Back Time is a melodic art for people struck with grief and regret over past mistakes. It acknowledges the pain of holding on and letting go. Cher’s high-pitched vocals perfectly summarize the screaming hearts of many worldwide.
Despite being initially rejected by the Goddess of Pop, the song If I Could Turn Back Time was Cher’s first single to peak in Australia and it hit number three on the Hot 100 chart. Proportional to Cher’s female rebellion, the song was also deemed offensive by the Navy and banned from airing on the network.
#7: Believe
Dedicated to her former husband and showbiz partner, Sonny, the single Believe by Cher was released to reverse the damage of the previous album and in part, to scale towards a different genre of music: dance.
It consisted of a specific auto-tune that was later named the Cher Effect. Despite many critics upset over the unnatural tones, the single got nominated for a Grammy and grossed as one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Believe by Cher was granted a platinum x4 for selling over four million copies just in the United States.
#8: Heart of Stone
A pop rock song, the Heart of Stone depicts Cher in a low-light room watching clips of herself from the past. The music video is sad and not the usual quality of work seen by Cher; however, the song still managed to reach the top charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The soulful pop song is a mixture of autobiography and social upbringing. The lyrics: “But you and I/ We hurt together/ Hurt alone/ Don’t you sometimes wish your heart was a heart of stone?” define the song perfectly.
#9: All I Really Want to Do
The debut single of the Queen of Goddess, All I Really Want to Do was released as Cher’s first-ever performance as a solo artist and it managed to race up to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts worldwide. This alone speaks for how talented the pop artist is.
The powerful lyrics: “Now I ain’t lookin’ to compete with you/ Beat on, cheat on, mistreat you/ Simplify you, classify you/ Deny, defy or mystify you/ All I really want to do/ Is baby, be friends with you/ Baby, be friends with you.” perfectly capture the female autonomy Cher represented in her six-decade-long career.
#10: I Hope You Find It
A country pop ballad, I Hope You Find It is a cover song by Cher that speaks as a silent prayer for lost lovers and forgives them with happiness.
Speaking of the single I Hope You Find It, Cher says, “Love songs are [usually about] ‘I’m looking for love’ or ‘I’ve lost love’… They’re usually not ‘I found love, I lost love, and now I hope you find love with someone else’. Usually, we’re not that charitable.”
The single became the UK’s best and its biggest radio hit. The emotional ballad is Cher’s most widely-accepted single.
Need a Good Jam Session? Listen to Cher!
Whether you need a quick pick-me-up in the morning, a quiet soulful song alone at the beach, or a cathartic song to listen to on a hard day, Cher has the song for it. Choose your favorite from Cher’s greatest hits above and jam out until pleased.
