View source for Cher

{{Short description|American singer and actress (born 1946)}}
{{other uses}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Cher
| image              = Cher in 2019 cropped.jpg
| caption            = Cher in 2019
| alt                = Cher sings on stage in a gold, beaded outfit with fringe detailing, wearing a large sunburst-style headpiece and long, platinum blonde hair.
| birth_name         = Cheryl Sarkisian{{efn|name=Cheryl}}
| alias              = {{ubl|Cherilyn Sarkisian{{efn|name=Cheryl}}|Cheryl LaPiere<ref name=Cheryl-LaPiere>{{cite web |url=https://californiabirthindex.org/birth/cheryl_lapiere_born_1946_3214561 |title=Cheryl LaPiere, Born 1946 |publisher=[[California Birth Index]] |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=December 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201194927/https://californiabirthindex.org/birth/cheryl_lapiere_born_1946_3214561 |url-status=live}}</ref>|Bonnie Jo Mason|Chér|Cher Bono|Cher Allman}}
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1946|5|20}}
| birth_place        = [[El Centro, California]], US
| occupation         = {{hlist|Singer|actress}}
| years_active       = 1963–present
| works              = {{hlist|[[Cher albums discography|Albums]]|[[Cher singles discography|singles]]|[[List of songs recorded by Cher|songs]]|[[Sonny & Cher discography|duo discography]]|[[Cher videography|videography]]|[[Cher filmography|filmography]]|[[List of Cher concerts|concerts]]}}
| spouses            = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|[[Sonny Bono]]|1969|1975|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Gregg Allman]]|1975|1979|end=divorced}}}}
| partner            = Alexander "A.E." Edwards
| children           = {{unbulleted list|[[Chaz Bono]]|[[Elijah Blue Allman]]}}
| mother             = [[Georgia Holt]]
| awards             = {{hlist|[[List of awards and nominations received by Cher|Full list]]}}
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed              = yes
| genre              = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[rock music|rock]]|[[Folk music|folk]]|[[dance music|dance]]}}
| instrument         = Vocals
| label              = {{hlist|[[Atco Records|Atco]]|[[Casablanca Records|Casablanca]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]|[[Imperial Records|Imperial]]|[[Kapp Records|Kapp]]|[[MCA Records|MCA]]|[[Reprise Records|Reprise]]|[[United Artists Records|United Artists]]|[[Warner Records|Warner]]}}
| past_member_of     = {{hlist|[[Sonny & Cher]]|[[Two the Hard Way|Allman and Woman]]|[[Black Rose (Black Rose album)|Black Rose]]}}
| website            = {{URL|https://cher.com}}}}
| signature          = Cher signature.svg
}}

'''Cher'''{{efn|In 1979, she [[Name change|legally adopted]] the [[mononym]] Cher, with no surname.<ref name=mononym/>}} ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ɛər|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Cher.wav}} {{respell|SHAIR}}; born '''Cheryl Sarkisian''',{{efn|name=Cheryl|Cher's birth certificate lists her name as Cheryl Sarkisian, contrary to the long-reported Cherilyn. Cher later discovered this when formally changing her name to "Cher", attributing the discrepancy to her mother's recollection of naming her after actress [[Lana Turner]]'s daughter, [[Cheryl Crane]], and her grandmother, Lynda.<ref>{{cite web |last=Harvilla |first=Rob |date=November 19, 2024 |title=14 Stunning Stories From Cher's (First) Memoir |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/cher-the-memoir-best-stories-part-one.html |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |quote="Cher writes that when she later formally changed her name, she found out that the name on her birth certificate was, to her own mom's surprise, not Cherilyn but Cheryl. 'I was only a teenager and I was in a lot of pain,' Cher's mother told her. 'Give me a break.'" |archive-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241122212601/https://www.vulture.com/article/cher-the-memoir-best-stories-part-one.html |url-status=live}}</ref>}} May 20, 1946) is an American singer and actress. Dubbed the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Goddess of Pop]]", she is known for her [[Androgyny|androgynous]] [[contralto]] voice, [[Music and fashion|bold fashion and visual presentation]], and [[Multiple careers|multifaceted career]]. Her [[Cher filmography|screen roles]] often reflect her [[Public image of Cher|public image]] as a strong-willed, outspoken woman. An [[#Legacy|influential figure in popular culture]], Cher has sustained a career spanning more than six decades through continual reinvention.

Cher rose to fame in 1965 as part of the [[folk rock]] duo [[Sonny & Cher]], whose hit single "[[I Got You Babe]]" became emblematic of [[1960s counterculture]]. She simultaneously launched a solo career with moody [[Pop music|pop]] songs such as "[[Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)]]", whose theatrical [[storytelling]] foreshadowed her 1970s [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]] number-one singles "[[Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves]]", "[[Half-Breed (song)|Half-Breed]]" and "[[Dark Lady (song)|Dark Lady]]". After a period focusing on acting, she reemerged with the [[hair metal]] albums ''[[Cher (1987 album)|Cher]]'' (1987), ''[[Heart of Stone (Cher album)|Heart of Stone]]'' (1989) and ''[[Love Hurts (Cher album)|Love Hurts]]'' (1991), scoring international number-one hits "[[If I Could Turn Back Time]]" and "[[The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)#Cher version|The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)]]". At 52, she released the [[dance-pop]] album ''[[Believe (Cher album)|Believe]]'' (1998), which introduced the "Cher effect"—a stylized use of [[Auto-Tune]] to distort vocals. Its [[Believe (Cher song)|title track]] became [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1999|1999's number-one song in the US]] and [[List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom|the UK's best-selling single by a female artist]]. In the 21st century, she released her highest-charting [[Billboard 200|US ''Billboard'' 200]] albums, ''[[Closer to the Truth]]'' (2013) and ''[[Dancing Queen (album)|Dancing Queen]]'' (2018), each debuting at number three.

Cher became a TV star in the 1970s with ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'' and her solo [[variety show]] ''[[Cher (TV series)|Cher]]'', both on [[CBS]], which drew more than 30&nbsp;million weekly viewers. She later gained critical acclaim with her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut and the [[Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (play)|Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean]]'' (1982). Transitioning to film, she earned two [[Academy Award]] nominations—for ''[[Silkwood]]'' (1983) and ''[[Moonstruck]]'' (1987), winning [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] for the latter—and received the [[Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award]] for ''[[Mask (1985 film)|Mask]]'' (1985). Other starring roles include ''[[The Witches of Eastwick (film)|The Witches of Eastwick]]'' (1987), ''[[Mermaids (1990 film)|Mermaids]]'' (1990), ''[[If These Walls Could Talk]]'' (1996, her directorial debut), ''[[Tea with Mussolini]]'' (1999), ''[[Burlesque (2010 American film)|Burlesque]]'' (2010) and ''[[Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again]]'' (2018).

One of [[List of best-selling music artists|the best-selling music artists in history]], Cher has sold over 100&nbsp;million records and is the only solo artist with number-one singles on the [[Billboard charts|US ''Billboard'' charts]] in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s).{{efn|name=BillboardNumberOnes|Cher has achieved 16 number-one singles across [[Billboard charts|US ''Billboard'' charts]] over seven decades. In the 1960s, she topped the [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] with "[[I Got You Babe]]" (1965) as part of [[Sonny & Cher]].<ref name=BBcharts2011>{{cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473595/cher-shines-with-no-1-in-sixth-consecutive-decade |title=Cher Shines with No. 1 in Sixth Consecutive Decade |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=January 18, 2011 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201011748/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473595/cher-shines-with-no-1-in-sixth-consecutive-decade |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> She scored three solo Hot 100 number-ones in the 1970s: "[[Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves]]" (1971), "[[Half-Breed (song)|Half-Breed]]" (1973) and "[[Dark Lady (song)|Dark Lady]]" (1974), while Sonny & Cher's "[[All I Ever Need Is You (song)|All I Ever Need Is You]]" led [[Adult Contemporary]] in 1972.<ref name=BBcharts2011/> In the 1980s, she topped Adult Contemporary with "[[After All (Cher and Peter Cetera song)|After All]]" and "[[If I Could Turn Back Time]]" (both 1989).<ref name=BBcharts2011/> The 1990s saw "[[Believe (Cher song)|Believe]]" (1998) lead multiple charts, including the Hot 100, followed by [[Dance Club Songs]] number-ones "[[Strong Enough (Cher song)|Strong Enough]]" and "[[All or Nothing (Cher song)|All or Nothing]]" (both 1999).<ref name=BBcharts2011/> In the 2000s and 2010s, she topped Dance Club Songs with "[[Song for the Lonely]]"<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs/2002-04-06/ |title=Dance Club Songs: The Week of April 6, 2002 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=April 6, 2002 |access-date=March 1, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328002748/https://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs/2002-04-06/ |archive-date=March 28, 2018}}</ref> and "[[A Different Kind of Love Song]]"<ref name=BBcharts2011/> (both 2002), "[[When the Money's Gone#Cher version|When the Money's Gone]]" (2003),<ref name=BBcharts2011/> "[[You Haven't Seen the Last of Me]]" (2011)<ref name=BBcharts2011/> and "[[Woman's World (Cher song)|Woman's World]]" (2013).<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473595/cher-shines-with-no-1-in-sixth-consecutive-decade |title=Cher Runs the 'World': Diva Talks No. 1 Dance Single and 'Eclectic' New Album |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=August 2, 2013 |access-date=March 1, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250108115510/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/cher-runs-the-world-diva-talks-no-1-dance-single-and-eclectic-new-5638055/ |archive-date=January 8, 2025}}</ref> In the 2020s, "[[DJ Play a Christmas Song]]" (2023) led multiple charts, including Adult Contemporary.<ref name=BB2023>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cher-no-1-song-billboard-chart-seventh-decade-dj-play-a-christmas-song-1235518147/ |title=Cher Scores No. 1 Song on a ''Billboard'' Chart In Seventh Decade With 'DJ Play a Christmas Song' |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=November 30, 2023 |access-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215214212/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cher-no-1-song-billboard-chart-seventh-decade-dj-play-a-christmas-song-1235518147/ |url-status=live}}</ref>}} [[List of awards and nominations received by Cher|Her accolades]] include a [[Grammy Award]], a [[Primetime Emmy Award]], three [[Golden Globes]], the [[Billboard Icon Award|''Billboard'' Icon Award]] and the [[Kennedy Center Honors]]. She is the only performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and been [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees|inducted]] into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. Her 2002–2005 [[Living Proof: The Farewell Tour]] was [[List of highest-grossing concert tours|the highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist]] at the time, earning $250&nbsp;million—about ${{inflation|US|250|2005|r=-1|fmt=c}}&nbsp;million in {{inflation/year|US}}. Her life and career inspired the 2018 [[jukebox musical]] ''[[The Cher Show (musical)|The Cher Show]]''. Beyond entertainment, Cher is known for her [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]] politics and advocacy for causes including [[LGBTQ rights by country or territory|LGBTQ rights]] and [[HIV/AIDS]] awareness.

== Life and career ==
=== 1946–1961: Early life ===
Cheryl Sarkisian{{efn|name=Cheryl}} was born in [[El Centro, California]], on May 20, 1946. Her father, John Sarkisian, an Armenian-American truck driver with drug and gambling problems, was rarely present during her early life.<ref>Multiple sources:
* Sarkisian's nationality and personal problems: {{harvnb|Berman|2001|p=17}}.
* Sarkisian's profession: {{harvnb|Bego|2001|p=11}}.
* Sarkisian's absence during Cher's infancy: {{harvnb|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=147}}.</ref> Her mother, [[Georgia Holt]], was a model and actress of Irish, English, German and [[Cherokee]] descent.<ref>Multiple sources:
* Holt's profession: {{harvnb|Berman|2001|p=17}}.
* Holt's Irish, English, German and Cherokee descent: {{cite magazine |last=Cheever |first=Susan |author-link=Susan Cheever |url=http://people.com/archive/in-a-broken-land-vol-39-no-19/ |title=In a Broken Land |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=May 17, 1993 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227055224/http://people.com/archive/in-a-broken-land-vol-39-no-19/ |archive-date=December 27, 2016}}
* Cher's Cherokee heritage: {{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fFIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76 |title=The Changing of Cher |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=March 17, 1972 |access-date=January 10, 2025}}</ref> Cher's paternal grandparents were survivors of the [[Armenian genocide]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Sophie |last=Hirsh |title=Cher Joins Kim and Kourtney Kardashian at Premiere of Film About the Armenian Genocide |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/cher-joins-kim-and-kourtney-kardashian-on-red-carpet |magazine=[[W (magazine)|W]] |date=April 13, 2017 |archive-date=December 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223100055/https://www.wmagazine.com/story/cher-joins-kim-and-kourtney-kardashian-on-red-carpet |url-status=live}}</ref> Cher's parents divorced when she was 10 months old.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=17}} Before leaving, her father placed her in an orphanage for several months; Holt was allowed to visit once a week, only able to see Cher through a window.{{sfn|Cher|2024|pp=29–32}} Both found the experience traumatic.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=18}}

[[File:Cher HS Yearbook.jpg|upright|thumb|right|alt=Cher, as a teenager, smiles with dark, voluminous curls in her hair.|Cher in high school (1960)]]

In 1951, Holt married actor John Southall, with whom she had Cher's half-sister, Georganne.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=17–18}} Holt's marriage to Southall ended when Cher was nine; Cher later described him as her "real father" and a "good-natured man who turned belligerent when he drank too much".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=18}} Holt remarried and divorced several times, frequently moving the family across states, including New York, Texas and California.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=147}} They often struggled financially, and Cher recalled using rubber bands to hold her shoes together.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=18}} While living in Los Angeles, Holt pursued acting while working as a waitress, occasionally securing minor TV roles for her daughters in shows such as ''[[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]''.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=147}}

By fifth grade, Cher organized a class performance of the musical ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', taking on male roles when boys refused to participate. At nine, her voice was unusually low for a female child.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=39}} Fascinated by film stars, Cher idolized [[Audrey Hepburn]], particularly in ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'' (1961), emulating Hepburn's character's unconventional outfits and demeanor.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=22}} She also admired [[Marlene Dietrich]], [[Bette Davis]] and [[Katharine Hepburn]],<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FSf_HZmAa68C&pg=PA170 |page=170 |title=A Woman at War: Marlene Dietrich Remembered |isbn=0814332498 |last1=David Riva |first1=J. |last2=Stern |first2=Guy |year=2006 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]]}}</ref> but felt discouraged by the lack of dark-haired actresses in Hollywood.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=22}} She recalled, "In the [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney cartoons]], [[Racism in early American film|all the witches and evil queens were really dark]]. There was nobody I could look at and think, 'That's who I'm like.'"{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=22}} As a child, she dreamed of fame but struggled with feelings of inadequacy, describing herself as "unattractive" and "untalented".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=21}} Reflecting on her ambitions, she later said, "I couldn't think of anything that I could do&nbsp;... I just thought, 'I'll be famous'. That was my goal."{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=21}}

In 1961, Holt married bank manager Gilbert LaPiere, who adopted Cher (under the name Cheryl LaPiere)<ref name=Cheryl-LaPiere/> and Georganne and enrolled them at [[Montclair College Preparatory School]], a private school in [[Encino, Los Angeles|Encino]]. Coming from a modest background, Cher faced challenges in the upper-class environment, where, as biographer Connie Berman wrote, her "striking appearance" and "outgoing personality" set her apart.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=21}} A former classmate recalled, "I'll never forget seeing Cher for the first time. She was so special&nbsp;... like a movie star, right then and there&nbsp;... She said she was going to be a movie star and we knew she would."{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=21}} Known for her creativity and wit, Cher excelled in French and English but struggled with other subjects, later discovering she has [[dyslexia]]. Her unconventional behavior also stood out: she performed songs for students during lunch and surprised peers when she wore a [[midriff]]-baring top.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=22}} Reflecting on her lack of focus in school, Cher said, "I was never really [there]. I was always thinking about when I was grown up and famous."{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=147}}

=== 1962–1965: Solo breakthrough ===
[[File:Cher - All I Really Want to Do ad - Cash Box 1965.jpg|alt=An advertisement features a black-and-white portrait of Cher with long, straight hair and bangs, wearing a dark outfit. The text promotes her "phenomenal talent" and upcoming TV appearances.|thumb|upright=0.8|Advertisement for Cher's third solo single, "[[All I Really Want to Do#Cher version|All I Really Want to Do]]", featured in ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'', June 26, 1965]]
At 16, Cher left school and moved out of her mother's home to live with a friend. She took acting classes and supported herself by dancing in [[nightclub]]s along Hollywood's [[Sunset Strip]], where she introduced herself to performers, managers and agents.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=23}} According to Berman, "&#8288;<!-- prevents line break between quote/bracket on mobile -->[Cher] did not hesitate to approach anyone she thought could help her get a break".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=24}} She met [[Sonny Bono]], 11 years her senior, in November 1962 while he was working for record producer [[Phil Spector]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=24}} After her friend moved out, Cher accepted Sonny's offer to work as his [[Housekeeper (domestic worker)|housekeeper]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=27}}

Sonny introduced Cher to Spector, who used her as a backing vocalist on several recordings, including [[the Righteous Brothers]]' "[[You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin']]" and [[the Ronettes]]' "[[Be My Baby]]".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=28}} Spector also produced her first single, "[[Ringo, I Love You]]", released in early 1964 under the name Bonnie Jo Mason.<ref name=Eder>{{cite web |last=Eder |first=Bruce |title=Cher – Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cher-mn0000107090/biography |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201025517/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cher-mn0000107090/biography |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> Many radio programmers rejected the song, mistaking Cher's deep [[contralto]] for a male voice and assuming it was a [[gay]] man singing to [[the Beatles]] drummer [[Ringo Starr]].{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=92}}

Cher and Sonny became close friends, then lovers, and held an unofficial wedding ceremony in a hotel room in [[Tijuana]], Mexico, on October 27, 1964.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=28}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19750628&id=dRNIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3860,3724402|title=Cher divorces Sonny|newspaper=[[Record-Journal]]|date=June 28, 1975|access-date=April 24, 2016|archive-date=September 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909170529/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19750628&id=dRNIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3860,3724402|url-status=live}}</ref> Although Sonny initially intended to launch Cher as a solo artist, she encouraged him to perform with her due to her [[stage fright]], and he began joining her onstage to sing backing vocals. Cher masked her nervousness by looking at Sonny; she later said she sang to the audience through him.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=94}}

In early 1964, Cher and Sonny recorded together for the first time, releasing "[[The Letter (Don & Dewey song)#Sonny & Cher version|The Letter]]" as Caesar & Cleo on [[Vault Records]].{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=29–30}} It featured inverted [[Vocal harmony|harmonies]]—Cher sang the lower part and Sonny the higher—a reversal of the typical male–female vocal roles they continued using in later recordings.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|pp=101–103}} Later that year, the duo signed a one-off deal with [[Reprise Records]] for another Caesar & Cleo single, "[[Love Is Strange]]". A week before its release, their managers reintroduced them to Reprise as a new act—[[Sonny & Cher]]—in an effort to secure a more lucrative contract. Unaware they were the same duo, Reprise released both singles simultaneously: "Love Is Strange" as Caesar & Cleo and "[[Baby Don't Go]]" as Sonny & Cher. Reprise declined a long-term deal after discovering the connection.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=29–30}} While the Caesar & Cleo singles were commercially unsuccessful, "Baby Don't Go" found success in Los Angeles, prompting [[Atlantic Records]] to sign them to its [[Atco Records|Atco]] label.<ref name=Eder/>{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=98}}

In late 1964, Cher signed a solo contract with [[Liberty Records]]' [[Imperial Records|Imperial]] imprint, with Sonny as producer. The single "Dream Baby", released under the name Cherilyn, received airplay in Los Angeles. Encouraged by its early momentum, Imperial requested a follow-up. In summer 1965, she released a cover of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[All I Really Want to Do]]", now credited as "Chér".<ref name=Eder/> The single peaked at number 15 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and number nine on the [[UK singles chart]].<ref name=Caulfield-2014>{{cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/cher-biggest-hot-100-hits/ |title=Cher's 20 Biggest ''Billboard'' Hits |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105221030/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/1563030/cher-birthday-billboard-hits |archive-date=January 5, 2017}}</ref><ref name=UKChartHistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11931/cher/ |title=Cher – Full Official Chart History |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102190239/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11931/cher/ |archive-date=January 2, 2016}} Chart history for the UK and Scotland can be accessed via drop-down menus on the webpage. Select the relevant chart for details.</ref> Meanwhile, [[the Byrds]] released their own version of the song. As the two versions began competing on the charts, the Byrds' label shifted focus to promoting [[I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better|their single's B-side]]. [[Roger McGuinn]] of the Byrds recalled, "We loved the Cher version&nbsp;... We didn't want to hassle. So we just turned our record over."{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=40}} Cher's debut album, ''[[All I Really Want to Do (album)|All I Really Want to Do]]'' (1965), reached number 16 on the [[Billboard 200|US ''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name=Cher-Billboard /> AllMusic's Tim Sendra later called it "one of the stronger folk-pop records of the era".<ref>{{cite web |last=Sendra |first=Tim |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-i-really-want-to-do-mw0000457386 |title=''All I Really Want to Do'' – Cher |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128015527/http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-i-really-want-to-do-mw0000457386 |archive-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref>

=== 1965–1967: Sonny & Cher's breakthrough ===
While launching her solo career, Cher continued recording with Sonny as a duo. Sonny & Cher's first Atco single, "[[Just You]]", failed to chart upon its release in April 1965.{{efn|After "[[I Got You Babe]]" topped the [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]], "[[Just You]]" debuted on the same chart in August 1965—four months after its original release—and eventually peaked at number 20.<ref name=Cher-Billboard />}} After recording "[[I Got You Babe]]", they traveled to England in July 1965 on the advice of [[the Rolling Stones]]. Cher recalled the Stones saying, "Americans just didn't get us and that if we were going to make it big, we were going to have to go to England.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|pp=108–109}} According to writer [[Cintra Wilson]], <blockquote>English newspaper photographers showed up when S&C were thrown out of the [[London Hilton on Park Lane|London Hilton]] [because of their outfits] the night they arrived—literally overnight, they were stars. London went gaga for the heretofore-unseen S&C look, which was neither [[Mod (subculture)|mod]] nor [[Mods and rockers|rocker]].<ref name=Wilson-2000>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Cintra |author-link=Cintra Wilson |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/02/22/cher/ |title=Cher |website=[[Salon.com]] |date=February 22, 2000 |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201223450/http://www.salon.com/2000/02/22/cher/ |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:TeenIn11968a.jpg|alt=Sonny and Cher stand against a stone wall; Sonny wears a vest over a white shirt and dark pants, while Cher wears a striped sleeveless top with matching flared pants.|thumb|left|upright|1960s publicity photo of [[Sonny & Cher]]]]

"I Got You Babe" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/rewinding-the-charts-fifty-years-ago-sonny-cher-got-to-no-1/|title=Rewinding the Charts: Fifty Years Ago, Sonny & Cher 'Got' to No. 1|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 14, 2015|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201011733/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6221458/rewinding-the-charts-fifty-years-ago-sonny-cher-got-to-no-1|archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> and became, according to AllMusic's Bruce Eder, "one of the biggest-selling and most beloved pop/rock hits of the mid-'60s".<ref name=Eder/> As the song displaced the Beatles at the top of the UK charts, English teenagers began emulating Sonny & Cher's fashion—[[bell-bottoms]], striped pants and fur vests.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|pp=110–111}} According to ''Time''{{'}}s [[Ginia Bellafante]], they became "rock's [[Supercouple|'it' couple"]].<ref name=Bellafante-1998>{{cite magazine|last=Bellafante|first=Ginia|author-link=Ginia Bellafante|url=http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/12/time/Bellafante.html |title=Appreciation: The Sonny Side of Life|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=January 19, 1998|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201195234/http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/12/time/Bellafante.html |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> After returning to the US in late 1965, the duo made their film debut with a cameo in ''[[Wild on the Beach]]'' (1965),<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019161853/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95871/Wild-on-the-Beach/ |archive-date=October 19, 2012 |url-status=live |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95871/wild-on-the-beach |title=''Wild on the Beach'' (1965) – Overview |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> appeared on teen-oriented TV shows such as ''[[Hullabaloo (TV series)|Hullabaloo]]'' and ''[[Shindig!]]''{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=114}} and toured major arenas across the country.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=149}} Their concerts drew numerous Cher look-alikes, with girls straightening and dyeing their hair black and adopting her signature vests and bell-bottoms.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=116}}

Sonny & Cher's debut album, ''[[Look at Us]]'' (1965),<ref name=Eder/> spent eight weeks at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, behind the Beatles' ''[[Help!]]''.<ref name=Caulfield-2013>{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5740752/cher-earns-highest-charting-solo-album-ever-on-billboard-200|title=Cher Earns Highest-Charting Solo Album Ever on ''Billboard'' 200|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=October 2, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117201554/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5740752/cher-earns-highest-charting-solo-album-ever-on-billboard-200|archive-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' magazine described Sonny & Cher, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as "global stars" whose success in both the US and UK showed that national origin was no longer a barrier to international stardom.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=November 27, 1965 |first=Irv |last=Lichtman |title=Patterns of Change |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1965/CB-1965-11-27.pdf#page=3 |url-status=live |page=3 |volume=27 |number=19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920171836/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1965/CB-1965-11-27.pdf#page=3 |archive-date=September 20, 2024 |access-date=September 8, 2025}}</ref> Despite the dominance of the [[British Invasion]] and [[Motown]], the duo emerged as major chart competitors.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=148}} Author Joseph Murrells called them "leading exponents of the rock-folk-message type of song", blending rock instrumentation, [[Folk music#Traditional folk music|folk themes]] and [[Protest song|protest lyrics]],{{sfn|Murrells|1978|p=197}} while ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'}}s [[Alexis Petridis]] described their music as "the sound of the growing [[Counterculture of the 1960s|60s counterculture]]".<ref>{{cite web |author-link=Alexis Petridis |first=Alexis |last=Petridis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/18/chers-30-greatest-songs-ranked |title=Cher's 30 greatest songs – ranked! |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 18, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018120450/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/18/chers-30-greatest-songs-ranked |archive-date=October 18, 2018}}</ref>

Following Sonny & Cher's breakthrough, Reprise reissued "Baby Don't Go", which became their second consecutive US top-ten single.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=43}} At one point, five of their songs appeared simultaneously in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100's top 50—a feat previously achieved only by [[Elvis Presley]] and the Beatles.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=Style Over Substance; Got You Babe: Cher Reclaims Her History|first=Frank|last=DeCaro|author-link=Frank DeCaro|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/31/style/style-over-substance-got-you-babe-cher-reclaims-her-history.html |date=May 31, 1998|access-date=February 6, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207005011/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/31/style/style-over-substance-got-you-babe-cher-reclaims-her-history.html |archive-date=February 7, 2016}}</ref> Their next studio albums were ''[[The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér]]'' (1966) and ''[[In Case You're in Love]]'' (1967), the latter featuring the US top-ten single "[[The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher song)|The Beat Goes On]]" and the international number-one single "[[Little Man (Sonny & Cher song)|Little Man]]".<ref>Chart positions for "[[Little Man (Sonny & Cher song)|Little Man]]":
* Number one in Sweden: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=October 29, 1966 |title=Sweden's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-29.pdf#page=77 |url-status=live |page=79 |volume=28 |number=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910074837/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-29.pdf#page=77 |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |access-date=August 30, 2025}}
* Number one in the Netherlands: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=November 12, 1966 |title=Holland's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=57 |url-status=live |page=57 |volume=28 |number=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811043131/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=57 |archive-date=August 11, 2024 |access-date=August 30, 2025}}
* Number one in Norway: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=November 12, 1966 |title=Norway's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=56 |url-status=live |page=56 |volume=28 |number=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811043131/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=56 |archive-date=August 11, 2024 |access-date=August 30, 2025}}</ref>{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=49}}

Cher's solo career progressed in parallel.<ref name=Eder/> Her second studio album, ''[[The Sonny Side of Chér]]'' (1966), includes "[[Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)]]", which reached number one in Italy,<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=December 24, 1966 |title=Italy's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-12-24.pdf#page=130 |url-status=live |page=128 |volume=28 |number=23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250806084740/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-12-24.pdf#page=130 |archive-date=August 6, 2025 |access-date=October 25, 2025}}</ref> number two in the US and number three in the UK, becoming her first million-selling solo single.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=45–54}} Her third studio album, ''[[Chér (1966 album)|Chér]]'' (1966), features the international number-one single "[[Sunny (Cher song)|Sunny]]"<ref>Chart positions for "[[Sunny (Cher song)|Sunny]]":
* Number one in Norway: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=October 29, 1966 |title=Norway's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-29.pdf#page=77 |url-status=live |page=79 |volume=28 |number=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910074837/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-10-29.pdf#page=77 |archive-date=September 10, 2024 |access-date=April 1, 2025}}
* Number one in the Netherlands: {{cite magazine |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=November 12, 1966 |title=Holland's Best Sellers |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=57 |url-status=live |page=79 |volume=28 |number=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811043131/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-11-12.pdf#page=57 |archive-date=August 11, 2024 |access-date=April 1, 2025}}</ref> and the [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]] composition "[[Alfie (Cher song)|Alfie]]"—the first US recording of the song, which was featured in the American release of the 1966 film [[Alfie (1966 film)|''Alfie'']].{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=45–54}} Her fourth studio album, ''[[With Love, Chér]]'' (1967), presents songs described by biographer [[Mark Bego]] as "little [[soap-opera]] stories set to rock music", among them the US top-ten single "[[You Better Sit Down Kids]]".{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=45–54}}

=== 1967–1970: From counterculture icon to lounge act ===
[[File:Sonny and Cher David McCallum Man From Uncle 1967 Cropped.JPG|thumb|right|alt=Cher smiles with her arm raised, wearing large hoop earrings and a patterned outfit, surrounded by bold geometric-patterned hanging garments.|Cher on the set of the TV series ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'', 1967]]

Sonny committed the duo to a feature film in 1965 during their commercial peak, and production on the [[musical film|musical]] ''[[Good Times (film)|Good Times]]'' ran through 1966. As the press circulated [[Film still|studio still]]s throughout that year, their public image shifted away from the [[Bohemian style|bohemian]] look that had defined their early success.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=31}} Journalists considered the film-oriented presentation out of sync with the [[youth culture]] they had helped symbolize, and their monogamous lifestyle during the [[Sexual revolution in 1960s United States|sexual revolution]] and anti-drug stance amid widespread drug use added to the distance.<ref name=Brush-1988>{{cite news|last=Brush|first=Stephanie|title=Cher: Yes? No? (Check Only One)|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 20, 1988|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/20/arts/cher-yes-no-check-only-one.html |access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207022506/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/20/arts/cher-yes-no-check-only-one.html |archive-date=February 7, 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=55–56}} Bego later wrote that "in spite of their revolutionary [[Unisex clothing|unisex clothes]], Sonny and Cher were quite 'square' when it came to sex and drugs."{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=55–56}}

Directed by [[William Friedkin]], ''Good Times'' was released in May 1967 and failed commercially at a moment when their record sales were already sliding. By early 1968 the duo's singles had stopped charting.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=31}} Berman observed that the "heavy, loud sound" of newer acts such as [[Jefferson Airplane]] and [[Cream (band)|Cream]] made their folk rock seem "too bland".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=31}} Cher later said she "loved" the [[electric guitar]]-driven style of [[Led Zeppelin]] and [[Eric Clapton]] and wanted to adapt, but Sonny refused.{{sfn|Cher|Coplon|1998|p=134}}

Cher's fifth studio album, ''[[Backstage (album)|Backstage]]'' (1968), which explores a range of styles including [[bossa nova]] and [[Anti-war movement|anti-war]] protest songs, did not chart.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=54}} In 1969, Cher was dropped by Imperial Records, and Sonny & Cher were dropped by Atco. Atco then offered Cher a solo deal.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=58–59}} Her sixth studio album, ''[[3614 Jackson Highway]]'' (1969), recorded at [[Muscle Shoals Sound Studio]] without Sonny's involvement, marked a shift toward [[R&B]] and [[Soul music|soul]]. Decades later, AllMusic called it "the finest album of her career" and "still a revelation".<ref>{{cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/3614-jackson-highway-mw0000694186 |title=''3614 Jackson Highway'' – Cher |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128015526/http://www.allmusic.com/album/3614-jackson-highway-mw0000694186 |archive-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref> Displeased with the album, Sonny blocked Cher from releasing further recordings for Atco.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=58–59}}

Meanwhile, Sonny dated others and by the end of the 1960s their relationship had begun to unravel. According to ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'', "&#8288;<!-- prevents line break between quote/bracket on mobile -->[Sonny] tried desperately to win her back, telling her he wanted to marry and start a family."<ref name=Green-1991>{{cite magazine|last=Green|first=Michelle|url=http://people.com/archive/sonny-on-cher-vol-36-no-4/|title=Sonny on Cher|date=August 5, 1991|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221914/http://people.com/archive/sonny-on-cher-vol-36-no-4/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> They officially married after Cher learned she was pregnant,{{sfn|Cher|2024|pp=197–199}} and she gave birth to [[Chaz Bono]] on March 4, 1969.<ref name=Green-1991/> In an effort to regain their young audience, the duo spent $500,000 and mortgaged their home to make the film ''[[Chastity (1969 film)|Chastity]]'' (1969). Written and produced by Sonny, it tells the story of a young woman, played by Cher, searching for the meaning of life.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=31–32}} The art film failed commercially, putting the couple $190,000 in debt with back taxes. Some critics noted that Cher showed acting potential;{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=149}} ''[[Cue (magazine)|Cue]]'' magazine wrote, "Cher has a marvelous quality that often makes you forget the lines you are hearing."{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=31}}

At the lowest point in their career, the duo developed a nightclub act with a more adult sound and style.<ref name=Johnson-2002>{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Anne Janette |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/cher#3495300016 |website=[[Encyclopedia.com]] |title=Cher |date=May 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240625085139/https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/cher |archive-date=June 25, 2024}}</ref> According to writer Cintra Wilson, "Their lounge act was so depressing, people started heckling them. Then Cher started heckling back. Sonny&nbsp;... reprimanded her; then she'd heckle Sonny".<ref name=Wilson-2000/> The heckling became a highlight of the act and began drawing audiences.<ref name=Wilson-2000/> TV executives took notice, and the couple began appearing on prime-time shows with a "new, sophisticated and mature" image.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=32–33}} Cher adopted alluring, low-cut gowns that became her signature look.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=32–33}}

=== 1971–1974: TV stardom and first musical comeback ===
[[File:Cher 1971.JPG|upright=0.7|alt=Cher holds up an ornate multi-strand beaded necklace with a large pendant, wearing a paisley-patterned blouse with billowy sleeves.|thumb|right|Cher on ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'', 1971]]

[[CBS]] head of programming [[Fred Silverman]] offered Sonny and Cher their own TV program after he noticed them as guest-hosts on ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]'' in 1971.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=33}}{{efn|On May 31, 1971, Sonny and Cher starred in ''[[The Sonny & Cher Nitty Gritty Hour]]'', a Canadian TV special recorded in 1970 and sometimes described as a precursor to their [[CBS]] series. In 2015, [[David Winters (choreographer)|David Winters]] claimed he created the comedy-music format and pitched it to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], which opted for the [[Smothers Brothers]] instead. Winters said CBS later used his concept to develop ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]''. He considered legal action but ultimately did not pursue it, maintaining that the show was based on his idea.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXLaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT195 |page=195 |title=Tough Guys Do Dance |isbn=978-1948080538 |first=David |last=Winters |author-link=David Winters (choreographer) |year=2018 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]}}</ref>}} ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'' premiered as a summer replacement series on August 1, 1971 and had six episodes. Following its ratings success, the couple returned that December with a full-time show.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=149}}

Watched by more than 30&nbsp;million viewers weekly during its three-year run,<ref name=Johnson-2002/> ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'' was praised for the comedic timing, as a deadpan Cher mocked Sonny about his looks and short stature. According to Berman, they "exuded an aura of warmth, playfulness and caring that only enhanced their appeal. Viewers were further enchanted when a young [Chaz] appeared on the show. They seemed like a perfect family."{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=33–34}} Cher honed her acting skills through [[sketch comedy|comedy sketches]],{{sfn|Mansour|2005|p=450}} including her original character Laverne LaShinsky, a brash and over-the-top housewife,<ref name=Erickson>{{cite web |last=Erickson |first=Hal |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |title=Cher – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos |url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/cher-p12664 |work=[[AllMovie]] |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211184517/http://www.allmovie.com/artist/cher-p12664 |archive-date=February 11, 2016}}</ref> while her [[Bob Mackie]]-designed outfits set [[1970s in fashion|1970s fashion trends]].{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=76–78}}

In 1971, Sonny and Cher signed with the [[Kapp Records]] division of [[MCA Records]] and Cher released the single "Classified 1A", in which she sings from the point of view of a soldier who bleeds to death in Vietnam. Written by Sonny, who felt that her first solo single on the label had to be poignant and topical, the song was rejected by radio station programmers as uncommercial.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=68–72}}

[[File:A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done - Cash Box ad 1972.jpg|upright=0.8|alt=Cher stands in a white, fringed two-piece with long sleeves and a high-slit skirt, her long black hair parted in the middle. Behind her, Sonny Bono wears a black tuxedo with a bow tie, arms crossed. An inset in the bottom right shows their All I Ever Need Is You album cover.|thumb|left|Advertisement for Sonny & Cher's single "[[A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done]]" featured in ''Cashbox'', February 12, 1972]]

Since Sonny's first attempts at reviving their recording career as a duo had also been unsuccessful, Kapp Records recruited [[Snuff Garrett]] to work with them. He produced Cher's second US number-one single, "[[Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves]]", which "proved that&nbsp;... Garrett knew more about Cher's voice and her persona as a singer than Sonny did", wrote Bego.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=68–72}} "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" was the first single by a solo artist to rank number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at the same time as on the [[Canadian singles chart]].<ref>{{cite web |date=February 4, 2020 |title=The 6 Best Songs of Cher |url=https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41649347/the-6-best-songs-of-cher |access-date=February 17, 2021 |publisher=[[WBBH-TV|NBC2 News]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215132251/https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41649347/the-6-best-songs-of-cher |archive-date=February 15, 2020}}</ref> It was featured on the 1971 album ''[[Chér (1971 album)|Chér]]'' (later reissued under the title ''Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves''), which was certified [[RIAA certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)]].{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=72}} Its second single, "[[The Way of Love#Cher version|The Way of Love]]", reached number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart{{sfn|Bronson|1997|p=301}} and established Cher's more confident sound as a recording artist.<ref name=Eder/>

In 1972, Cher released the all-ballad album ''[[Foxy Lady (Cher album)|Foxy Lady]]'', demonstrating the evolution of her vocal abilities, according to Bego.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=81}} Following its release, Garrett quit as producer after disagreeing with Sonny about the kind of material Cher should record.{{sfn|Bronson|1997|p=345}} At Sonny's insistence, Cher released the [[Standard (music)|standards]] album ''[[Bittersweet White Light]]'' (1973), which was commercially unsuccessful.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=81–82}} Later that year, lyricist Mary Dean brought Garrett "[[Half-Breed (song)|Half-Breed]]", a song about the daughter of a Cherokee mother and a white father, which she had written for Cher. Although no longer working with her, Garrett believed the song was a perfect fit and held onto it until Cher dismissed Sonny as producer and rejoined him.{{sfn|Bronson|1997|p=345}} "Half-Breed" became the title track of [[Half-Breed (album)|her 10th studio album]] and her third US number-one single.{{sfn|Bronson|1997|p=359}} Both the album and the single were certified gold by the RIAA.<ref name=RIAA>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/|title=Gold & Platinum|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=January 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212231947/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/|archive-date=February 12, 2018}}</ref>

Cher's next single, "[[Dark Lady (song)|Dark Lady]]", was released in December 1973<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1973/Billboard%201973-12-29.pdf#page=51 |title=''Billboard'' advertisement for 'Dark Lady' by Cher |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=December 29, 1973 |access-date=November 3, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519160715/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1973/Billboard%201973-12-29.pdf#page=51 |archive-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref> as the lead single from her 11th studio album, ''[[Dark Lady (album)|Dark Lady]]'' (1974).{{sfn|Bronson|1997|p=359}} It became her second consecutive and fourth overall number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, tying her with [[Rosemary Clooney]], [[Patti Page]] and [[Connie Francis]] for the most number-one singles by a female solo artist in US history at the time.{{efn|name=NumberOnes|Some sources credit Cher as the female solo artist with the most [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]] number-one singles by the time she released "[[Dark Lady (song)|Dark Lady]]" in 1974—counting [[Sonny & Cher]]'s "[[I Got You Babe]]" as her first number one.{{sfn|Murrells|1978|p=380}}<ref>{{cite web |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-dua-lipa-join-cher-for-believe-at-rock-hall-2024-induction |title=Watch Dua Lipa Join Cher for 'Believe' at Rock Hall 2024 Induction |first1=Walden |last1=Green |first2=Jazz |last2=Monroe |date=October 20, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241021201722/https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-dua-lipa-join-cher-for-believe-at-rock-hall-2024-induction/ |archive-date=October 21, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> This claim likely stems from ''Billboard''{{'}}s current rules, which credit a song to a solo artist if their name appears in the official billing. ''Billboard''{{'}}s reporting in 1974 did not include "I Got You Babe" among Cher's solo number ones, suggesting that the current rules did not apply at the time and are not applied retroactively.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1974/Billboard%201974-03-30.pdf#page=10 |title=Joel Whitburn's Record Research Report |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=March 30, 1974 |access-date=February 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519152305/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1974/Billboard%201974-03-30.pdf#page=10 |archive-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref>}} Later that year, she released a ''[[Greatest Hits (Cher album)|Greatest Hits]]'' album that, according to ''Billboard'', proved her to be "one of the most consistent hitmakers of the past five years", as well as a "proven superstar who always sells records".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top Album Picks|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lAkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54|access-date=January 16, 2016|date=November 17, 1974|first=Bob|last=Kirsch}}</ref>

Between 1971 and 1973, Sonny & Cher's recording career was revived with four albums released under Kapp Records and MCA Records: ''[[Sonny & Cher Live]]'' (1971), ''[[All I Ever Need Is You (1971 Sonny & Cher album)|All I Ever Need Is You]]'' (1972)—which contains the US top-ten singles "[[All I Ever Need Is You (song)|All I Ever Need Is You]]" and "[[A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done]]"{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=73}}—''[[Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs]]'' (1973) and ''[[Live in Las Vegas Vol. 2]]'' (1973).{{sfn|Larkin|2011|p=2999}} Cher later commented that her tight schedule during this period required her to record entire albums in just a few days while also touring and filming ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/features/a/CherBackDean.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050917153552/http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/features/a/CherBackDean2.htm |archive-date=September 17, 2005 |title=Cher: Back To The Dance Floor! (Part 2) |last1=Danza |first1=Johnny |last2=Ferguson |first2=Dean |website=[[About.com]]}}</ref>

=== 1974–1979: Divorce, marriage to Gregg Allman and media scrutiny ===
Cher and Sonny ended their relationship in late 1972 but stayed legally married for two more years to protect their careers.<ref name=SonnyDiary>{{cite magazine |url=http://people.com/archive/on-the-record-vol-49-no-18/ |title=On the Record |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=May 11, 1998 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221615/http://people.com/archive/on-the-record-vol-49-no-18/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> Their relationship had been troubled for years due to Sonny's infidelity and controlling behavior.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=November 20, 2024 |last=Spanos |first=Brittany |title=Cher Says Lucille Ball Told Her to Leave Sonny – and More Things We Learned From Her Memoir |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/cher-memoir-sonny-relationship-1235173707/ |access-date=March 3, 2025 |archive-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241120205513/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/cher-memoir-sonny-relationship-1235173707/ |url-status=live}}</ref> By 1973, they lived in the same house while dating other people. "The public still thinks we are married," Sonny wrote in his diary, "&#8288;<!-- prevents line break between quote/bracket on mobile -->[and] that's the way it has to be."<ref name=SonnyDiary/>

In January 1974, Cher won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe Award for Best TV Actress]] for ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour''.<ref name=GoldenGlobes>{{cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/cher |title=Cher – Golden Globes |publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226131525/http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/cher |archive-date=December 26, 2015}}</ref> Sonny filed for separation the next month, citing "[[irreconcilable differences]]".{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=35}} A week later, Cher countered with a divorce suit, accusing him of "[[involuntary servitude]]" and withholding her rightful share of their earnings.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=35}} Their show was cancelled in April 1974.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sonny and Cher Show Cancelled |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-sonny-and-cher-show-ca/167555252/ |newspaper=[[Vancouver Sun]] |publisher=[[United Press International]] |date=April 6, 1974 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Later that year, Sonny launched ''[[The Sonny Comedy Revue]]'' with the same creative team, but it was canceled after 13 weeks.{{sfn|Hyatt|2003|p=231}}

[[File:David Bowie and Cher 1975.JPG|thumb|alt=Cher, holding a microphone, wears a dark floral-patterned outfit and a short bob hairstyle. Beside her, David Bowie wears a dark suit with a buttoned-up shirt.|right|Cher performing with [[David Bowie]] (in his American TV debut) on the variety show ''[[Cher (TV series)|Cher]]'', 1975]]

During divorce proceedings, Cher learned she was legally an employee of Cher Enterprises, a company 95% owned by Sonny and 5% by his lawyer. She was also required to work exclusively for Sonny's company, leaving her with no career or financial control.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Laura |author-link=Laura Miller (writer) |date=November 22, 2024 |title=Cher's memoir is totally fabulous |url=https://slate.com/culture/2024/11/cher-book-memoir-review-hell-yeah.html |magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |access-date=November 22, 2024}}</ref> Record executive [[David Geffen]], with whom Cher had begun a relationship in 1973, helped her break free from the contract.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/grammys-cher-david-geffen-289539 |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=November 2, 2012 |last=Higgins |first=Bill |access-date=January 17, 2016 |title=How David Geffen Romanced Cher and Built a Music Empire |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121132802/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/grammys-cher-david-geffen-289539 |archive-date=January 21, 2016}}</ref> Cher won custody of Chaz after a highly publicized legal battle,{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=35}} and their divorce was finalized on June 26, 1975.{{sfn|Bono|1992|p=4}} Geffen hoped to marry Cher, but she ended the relationship due to his possessiveness and struggles with his sexuality.{{efn|According to biographer [[Tom King (writer)|Tom King]], Cher's relationship with [[David Geffen]] began when he confided in her about his struggles with his sexual identity and his hope that a relationship with a woman might lead to true love. Moved by his honesty, she entered the relationship while in the final stages of her marriage to [[Sonny Bono]]. They planned to marry within a year, but Cher reconsidered due to Geffen's controlling behavior—similar to Sonny's—and his persistent attraction to men. Geffen later came out as gay.<ref name=Geffen>{{cite news |title=Cher Tore Geffen's Heart Out, Dumped Bi-Guy Mogul for Allman |url=https://nypost.com/2000/02/25/cher-tore-geffens-heart-out-dumped-bi-guy-mogul-for-allman-bio/ |date=February 25, 2000 |last=Hoffmann |first=Bill |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |access-date=March 2, 2025 |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823004006/https://nypost.com/2000/02/25/cher-tore-geffens-heart-out-dumped-bi-guy-mogul-for-allman-bio/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/k/king-operator.html |title=The Operator: David Geffen Builds, Buys, and Sells the New Hollywood |isbn=0679457542 |last=King |first=Tom |author-link=Tom King (writer) |year=2000 |publisher=[[Random House]] |access-date=March 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512111208/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/k/king-operator.html |archive-date=May 12, 2018}}</ref>}}

Cher debuted her solo CBS show, ''[[Cher (TV series)|Cher]]'', on February 12, 1975.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=101}} The show showcased Cher's music, comedy, monologues and an extensive wardrobe—the largest for a weekly TV series.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=36}}{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=102}} Critics praised it, with the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' stating, "Sonny without Cher was a disaster. Cher without Sonny&nbsp;... could be the best thing that's happened to weekly television this season."{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=102}} Musical guests included [[David Bowie]] (in his American TV debut), [[Ray Charles]], [[Elton John]], [[Bette Midler]], [[Tina Turner]] and [[the Jackson 5]], with ''Billboard'' crediting Cher for bringing "a rock sensibility to [[Prime time|prime-time TV]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/cher-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-reasons-why/ |access-date=March 4, 2025 |date=December 19, 2023 |last=Grein |first=Paul |url-status=live |title=12 Reasons Cher Belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219164951/https://www.billboard.com/lists/cher-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-reasons-why/ |archive-date=December 19, 2023}}</ref>

Despite high ratings, the ''Cher'' show ended after two seasons, replaced by a reunion show with Sonny.{{sfn|Lonergan|Studwell|1999|p=208}} ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]''{{'}}s Lindsay Zoladz commented that [[Television censorship|network censors]] were stricter with Cher as a single woman, viewing her as more provocative alone than as Sonny's wife.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zoladz |first=Lindsay |url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/7/30/20732359/cher-believe-life-career-sonny-bono-moonstruck-mask-silkwood-oscars |title=Believe in Her or Not, Cher Has Always Believed in Herself |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |date=July 30, 2019 |accessdate=May 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730155250/https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/7/30/20732359/cher-believe-life-career-sonny-bono-moonstruck-mask-silkwood-oscars |archive-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> Cher later reflected, "Doing a show alone was more than I could handle."{{sfn|Lonergan|Studwell|1999|p=208}}

In 1975, Cher signed a $2.5&nbsp;million contract with [[Warner Bros. Records]],{{sfn|Crampton|Rees|1999|p=194}} aiming to establish herself as a serious rock artist rather than "just a pop singer".{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=97–98}} Influenced by the introspective style of singer-songwriters such as [[Joni Mitchell]], [[Carly Simon]] and [[James Taylor]], she recorded her 12th studio album, ''[[Stars (Cher album)|Stars]]'' (1975).{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=97–98}} Richard Seeley of the ''[[Daily Breeze]]'' praised the album as "an important link between the [[rock and roll]] subculture and the mass [[popular music]] audience", noting that Cher showed "real talent" by choosing lesser-known rock songwriters over "surefire hit makers like [[John Lennon|John [Lennon]]] and [[Paul McCartney|[Paul] McCartney]]".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Seeley |first=Richard |date=April 18, 1975 |title=Cher album provides a missing link |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-breeze-stars-review-by-richa/178513533/ |access-date=August 9, 2025 |work=[[Daily Breeze]]}}</ref> In contrast, [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' argued that she lacked rock credibility, writing that "image, not music, is Cher Bono's main ingredient for both records and TV."{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=41}} Though ''Stars'' was a commercial failure, it later developed a [[cult following]] and has been regarded as one of her best works.<ref name=Danza>{{cite web |url=http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/features/a/CherBackDean.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050918071057/http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/features/a/CherBackDean.htm |archive-date=September 18, 2005 |title=Cher: Back To The Dance Floor! |last1=Danza |first1=Johnny |last2=Ferguson |first2=Dean |website=[[About.com]]}}</ref>

[[File:Cher and Gregg Allman (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Cher, in a fitted tank top and jeans, stands next to Gregg Allman, who has long blond hair and a beard, wearing a buttoned-up shirt.|right|upright=0.9|Cher with then-husband [[Gregg Allman]] in 1976]]

On June 30, 1975, four days after finalizing her divorce from Sonny, Cher married rock musician [[Gregg Allman]], co-founder of [[the Allman Brothers Band]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cher-marries-greg-allman |title=Cher marries Greg Allman |work=[[History (U.S. TV channel)|History]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106054924/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cher-marries-greg-allman |archive-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref> whom she had been dating since January, shortly after ending her relationship with Geffen.{{sfn|Paul|2014|p=234}} She filed for divorce nine days later due to his heroin and alcohol problems, but they reconciled within a month.<ref name=Cagle-1992>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1992/07/10/gregg-allman-and-chers-troubled-marriage|title=Gregg Allman and Cher's troubled marriage|first=Jess|last=Cagle|date=July 10, 1992|access-date=January 17, 2016|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117034138/http://www.ew.com/article/1992/07/10/gregg-allman-and-chers-troubled-marriage|archive-date=November 17, 2015}}</ref> Their son, [[Elijah Blue Allman]], was born on July 10, 1976.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=42}} Cher's TV reunion with Sonny, ''[[The Sonny and Cher Show]]'', debuted on CBS in February 1976—the first show ever to star a divorced couple. Although it premiered to strong ratings,{{sfn|Hochman|1999|p=1004}} their biting onscreen banter about the divorce{{sfn|Lonergan|Studwell|1999|p=208}} along with her troubled relationship with Allman sparked a public backlash{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=150}} that contributed to the show's cancellation in August 1977.{{sfn|Hochman|1999|p=1004}}

In 1976, [[Mego Corporation|Mego Toys]] released a line of [[Sonny & Cher dolls]]. The Cher doll outsold [[Barbie]], becoming the year's best-selling doll.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cherry |first=Rona |date=December 19, 1976 |title=Toying With a Name |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/19/archives/toying-with-a-name-toying-with-a-name-helps-sell-the-toys.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723073935/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/19/archives/toying-with-a-name-toying-with-a-name-helps-sell-the-toys.html |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |access-date=July 20, 2018 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Under pressure from Warner Records to return to her earlier [[Storytelling|narrative]] pop style, Cher recorded her 13th and 14th studio albums, ''[[I'd Rather Believe in You]]'' (1976) and ''[[Cherished]]'' (1977), neither of which charted.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=116}} ''[[Orange Coast (magazine)|Orange Coast]]'' writer Keith Tuber suggested that her weekly TV shows may have hurt record sales by giving audiences regular access to her music.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Tuber |first=Keith |date=April 10, 1979 |title=Music |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zg0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76 |access-date=March 4, 2025 |magazine=[[Orange Coast (magazine)|Orange Coast]]}}</ref> Reviews were largely negative: [[Larry Rohter]] of the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' called ''I'd Rather Believe in You'' "atrocious", citing "dreary vocals" and describing it as "one of the lamest records of the year",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-houston-chronicle-chers-new-album/178508912/ |title=Cher's new album is evidence that when you have the plumage of a peacock but the voice of a starling, no amount of studio magic will help |newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times–Washington Post News Service]] |date=October 24, 1976 |access-date=August 9, 2025 |first=Larry |last=Rohter |author-link=Larry Rohter}}</ref> while Christine Brown of the ''[[Miami Herald]]'' wrote of ''Cherished'', "It might help to stare at the album cover as you listen ... It takes your mind off what you're hearing."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-chers-cherished-just/178508829/ |last=Brown |first=Christine |title=Cher's ''Cherished'' Just a Bore |newspaper=[[Miami Herald]] |date=August 28, 1977 |access-date=August 9, 2025}}</ref>

In 1977, under the rubric Allman and Woman, Cher and Allman recorded the duet album ''[[Two the Hard Way]]''.<ref name=Cagle-1992/> The couple toured Europe to support the album,<ref>{{cite news |title=Gregg and Cher are singing together |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-news-gregg-and-cher-are-singing/163947797/ |newspaper=[[Valley News]] |last=Gruber |first=Ruth |publisher=[[United Press International]] |date=November 16, 1977 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> though audience reception was mixed.{{sfn|Allman|Light|2012|p=280}} With a combination of Cher fans and Allman Brothers fans in attendance, fights frequently broke out at venues, prompting Cher to cancel the tour.{{sfn|Allman|Light|2012|p=281}} Their relationship ended soon after the tour's cancellation,{{sfn|Quirk|1991|p=118}} and their divorce was finalized in 1979.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[A&E Networks]] |url=http://www.biography.com/people/gregg-allman-20791309 |website=[[Biography (TV program)|Biography.com]] |title=Gregg Allman Biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131191342/http://www.biography.com/people/gregg-allman-20791309 |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref> In 1978, Cher began a two-year [[live-in relationship]] with [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] member [[Gene Simmons]].<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite magazine|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-chers-new-flame-vol-9-no-14/|title=Cher's New Flame|first=Lois|last=Armstrong|date=April 10, 1978|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221806/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-chers-new-flame-vol-9-no-14/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}
* {{cite magazine|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-chers-life-with-gene-vol-12-no-17/|title=Cher's Life With Gene|first=Lois|last=Armstrong|date=October 22, 1979|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221846/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-chers-life-with-gene-vol-12-no-17/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}
* {{cite magazine |date=August 18, 1980 |title=Rock On! |url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-rock-on-vol-14-no-7/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221505/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-rock-on-vol-14-no-7/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> She briefly returned to prime-time TV with the specials ''[[Cher... Special]]'' (1978)—featuring a segment in which she performs all of the roles in her version of ''[[West Side Story]]''—and ''[[Cher... and Other Fantasies]]'' (1979).{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=119}}{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=133}}

=== 1979–1982: Second musical comeback—from disco diva to rock frontwoman ===
In 1979, she [[Name change|legally adopted]] the [[mononym]] Cher, with no surname.<ref name=mononym>{{cite web |last=Heching |first=Dan |title=Cher 'shocked' to discover her legal name when she applied to change it |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=November 23, 2024 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/23/entertainment/cher-first-name-memoir |access-date=June 9, 2025}}</ref> Facing financial pressures as a single mother of two, she decided to steer her singing career toward greater commercial success. Temporarily setting aside her desire to be a rock singer, she signed with [[Casablanca Records]] and launched a comeback with the single "[[Take Me Home (Cher song)|Take Me Home]]" and the [[Take Me Home (Cher album)|album of the same name]], both of which capitalized on the [[disco]] craze.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=44}} The album and single became instant successes, remained bestsellers for more than half of 1979 and were certified gold by the RIAA.<ref name="RIAA" />{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=44}} The album's sales were likely enhanced by the image of a scantily clad Cher in a [[Viking]] outfit on its cover.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=44}}{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=124}}

[[File:Cher live 1981.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Cher sings into a microphone, wearing a wide-brimmed rhinestone-studded cowboy hat and a revealing outfit accented with large turquoise jewelry.|Cher performing on the [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]] in 1981]]

Encouraged by the popularity of ''Take Me Home'', Cher sought a return to rock with her 16th studio album, ''[[Prisoner (Cher album)|Prisoner]]'' (1979).{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=45}} The album cover, showing her naked and draped in chains, symbolized her struggle as a "prisoner of the press" amid intense [[Tabloid journalism|tabloid]] scrutiny.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=45–46}} The imagery drew criticism from [[Second-wave feminism|feminist groups]] for her perceived portrayal of a [[Sexual slavery|sex slave]], while critics found the album's mix of rock and disco tracks inconsistent, contributing to its commercial failure.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=45–46}} The single "[[Hell on Wheels (song)|Hell on Wheels]]", featured on the soundtrack of the film ''[[Roller Boogie]]'' (1979), reflected Cher's personal embrace of the late 1970s [[Roller skating|roller-skating]] craze, which she had helped popularize.<ref name=Danza/> Cher collaborated with [[Giorgio Moroder]] to write "Bad Love", her final Casablanca disco track, for the film ''[[Foxes (film)|Foxes]]'' (1980).{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=139}}

In 1980, Cher formed the rock band Black Rose with guitarist and then-partner [[Les Dudek]]. To blend in and avoid overshadowing the group with her celebrity status, she adopted a [[Punk fashion|punk-inspired look]], cutting her signature long hair. Although she was the lead singer, she chose not to take top billing to present the band as equal. Despite TV appearances, the band struggled to book concerts.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=46–47}} Their album, ''[[Black Rose (Cher album)|Black Rose]]'', received poor reviews; Cher told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', "&#8288;<!-- prevents line break between quote/bracket on mobile -->[Critics] didn't attack the record, they attacked me. It was like, 'How dare Cher sing rock & roll?'"<ref name=Johnson-2002/> Black Rose disbanded in 1981.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=143}}

During Black Rose's run, Cher was also performing a residency at [[Caesars Palace]], Las Vegas, with two shows nightly, seven days a week,<ref>{{cite news |last=Egan |first=Elisabeth |title=Cher Can, and Does, Turn Back Time |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/books/cher-memoir.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 17, 2024 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217163124/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/books/cher-memoir.html |url-status=live}}</ref> earning $300,000 weekly.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=47}} Beginning in June 1979 and running until 1982, the residency evolved into Cher's first solo tour, the [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]], with dates in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia.{{efn|name=takemehometour|Cher's 1979–1982 concert series had no official name but was promoted under various titles, such as "Cher",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-ad-cher-caesars-tahoe/163816768/ |title=June 16–22: Cher – Caesars Tahoe |newspaper=[[Oakland Tribune]] |date=July 12, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> "Cher in Concert",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pottsville-republican-cher-in-concert/163815585/ |title=Calendar |newspaper=[[Republican Herald]] |date=June 30, 1979 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> "The Cher Show"<ref>{{cite news |last=Schall |first=Ted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-of-atlantic-city-the-cher-show/163817172/ |title=Center Stage |newspaper=[[The Press of Atlantic City]] |date=August 21, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> and "The Cher Tour".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-the-cher-tour-has-been/163818560/ |title=The Cher Tour has been cancelled indefinitely |newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]] |date=February 17, 1980 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> It later became known as the [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]], a name adopted by Cher{{sfn|Cher|2024|p=338}} and biographers.{{sfn|Howard|2014|pp=230–231}} The tour had dates in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia, with extended stays in venues including [[Caesars Palace]] in Las Vegas.{{sfn|Howard|2014|pp=230–231}} Though combining elements of both [[Concert tour|tours]] and [[Concert residency|residencies]], the media often called it a Vegas residency, referring to shows outside Las Vegas as extensions of her "Vegas act".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-breeze-cher-brings-las-vegas-t/163817482/ |title=Cher brings Las Vegas to L.A. |last=Kreiswirth |first=Sandra |newspaper=[[Daily Breeze]] |date=June 9, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> At the time, Vegas residencies were seen as signs of career decline, influencing public perception and Cher's career choices.<ref name=iheart/> Consequently, the concert series is also listed among her residencies.}} Described by ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'' as "the biggest [[cabaret]] act ever seen on any stage",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-of-atlantic-city-cher-has-assembl/163817125/ |title=Cher May Give Her Regards&nbsp;... to Broadway |last=Spatz |first=David J. |newspaper=[[The Press of Atlantic City]] |date=August 7, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> the concert series yielded two TV specials: ''[[Standing Room Only: Cher in Concert]]'' (1981)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-adams-transcript-standing-room-onl/163874278/ |title=TimeOut: Specials |newspaper=[[North Adams Transcript]] |date=February 6, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> and ''[[Cher... A Celebration at Caesars]]'' (1983),<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |title=Picks and Pans Review: ''Cher... A Celebration at Caesars'' |date=April 4, 1983 |url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-cher-a-celebration-at-caesars-vol-19-no-13/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221121/http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-cher-a-celebration-at-caesars-vol-19-no-13/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> the latter earning her the [[CableACE Award|CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Variety Program]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-sinatra-cher-win/163871998/ |title=Sinatra, Cher win cable-TV awards |newspaper=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=December 13, 1983 |access-date=January 25, 2025 |agency=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> In 1981, Cher collaborated with [[Meat Loaf]] on the duet "[[Dead Ringer for Love]]", which peaked at number five on the UK singles chart and was praised by AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco as "one of the more inspired rock duets of the 1980s".<ref>{{cite web |last=Guarisco |first=Donald A. |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/dead-ringer-for-love-mt0004520252 |title='Dead Ringer for Love' – Meat Loaf |access-date=January 17, 2016 |work=[[AllMusic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126032701/http://www.allmusic.com/song/dead-ringer-for-love-mt0004520252 |archive-date=January 26, 2016}}</ref> The following year, Cher released the [[New wave music|new wave]] album ''[[I Paralyze]]'', a commercial failure and her only album under [[Columbia Records]].{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=159}}

=== 1982–1987: Broadway debut, acting breakthrough and musical hiatus ===
With declining record sales and radio airplay, Cher shifted her focus to acting.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=49}} Despite earlier aspirations, her only film credits, ''Good Times'' and ''Chastity'', were critical and commercial failures, and Hollywood did not take her seriously as an actress.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=49}} Reflecting on this period, Cher said, "I was dropped by my [label] and couldn't get a job&nbsp;... [so] I went to Las Vegas", which she likened to an "[[elephant's graveyard]]" for fading stars.<ref name=iheart>{{Cite magazine |last=Garcia |first=Thania |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Meryl Streep Praises Cher's 'Open, Battered, Giant Heart,' Beyoncé Talks ''Cowboy Carter'' at iHeartRadio Music Awards |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/meryl-streep-cher-beyonce-iheartradio-awards-2024-1235957510/ |access-date=December 20, 2024 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409091109/https://variety.com/2024/music/news/meryl-streep-cher-beyonce-iheartradio-awards-2024-1235957510/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite her success performing there, she felt unfulfilled: "I was making a fortune&nbsp;... but I was dying inside."{{sfn|Wheway|2018|p=31}}

In 1982, Cher moved to New York to study acting with [[Lee Strasberg]] at the [[Actors Studio]], but skipped enrollment after auditioning for and being cast in [[Robert Altman]]'s Broadway production ''[[Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (play)|Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean]]''.<ref name=Wilson-2000/> Co-starring with [[Karen Black]] and [[Sandy Dennis]], she played a [[James Dean]] fan club member at a 20-year reunion, earning unexpectedly positive reviews.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} [[Frank Rich]] of ''The New York Times'' praised her "cheery, ingratiating nonperformance" as a refreshing contrast in a dull [[Ensemble cast|ensemble]], suggesting the play needed more of her and less of her co-stars.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Rich |title=Stage: Robert Altman Directs Cher |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/19/theater/stage-robert-altman-directs-cher.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 19, 1982 |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203200015/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/19/theater/stage-robert-altman-directs-cher.html |access-date=March 22, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Altman later cast her in the [[Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (film)|film adaptation]] of the same title.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}}

[[File:RickyCher1985.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|alt=Cher, in a spiked hairstyle and dark outfit, signs an autograph while interacting with a man in a tuxedo.|Cher attending an autograph session in New York, 1985]]

Director [[Mike Nichols]], who had seen Cher onstage in ''Jimmy Dean'', offered her the part of [[Dolly Pelliker]], the lesbian roommate of [[Karen Silkwood]] (played by [[Meryl Streep]]) in the 1983 [[biopic]] ''[[Silkwood]]''.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} Audiences initially questioned Cher's acting ability; she later recalled attending a [[film screening]] where the crowd laughed upon seeing her name in the [[opening credits]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=54}} For ''Silkwood'', Cher was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] and won a [[Golden Globe Award]] in the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|same category]].{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}}

The biopic ''[[Mask (1985 film)|Mask]]'' (1985) marked Cher's first critical and commercial success as a leading actress,{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} reaching number two at the box office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=mask85.htm |title=''Mask'' (1985) – Weekend Box Office Results |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228021134/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=mask85.htm |archive-date=December 28, 2015}}</ref> During production, Cher clashed with director [[Peter Bogdanovich]], refusing to support his call to boycott the film's promotion in protest of [[Universal Pictures]]' edits to the final cut.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=165–166}} While promoting the film, she remarked, "From working with Peter, it's no surprise to me that he would serve his own interests before those of the film."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/15/movies/reporter-s-notebook-cannes-sans-sun-or-hit.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Reporter's Notebook: Cannes Sans Sun or Hit |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |author-link=Aljean Harmetz |date=May 15, 1985 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |archive-date=May 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524170403/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/15/movies/reporter-s-notebook-cannes-sans-sun-or-hit.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

For her portrayal of [[Rusty Dennis]], a drug-addicted biker raising a [[Roy L. Dennis|disfigured teenage son]], Cher won the [[Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress]].{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} Despite critical predictions, she was ultimately left off the Oscar nomination list.<ref>{{cite news |title=An Unusual Mother: Helping Her Children Face Down Death |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214173705/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/05/11/an-unusual-mother/ |date=May 11, 1986 |archive-date=February 14, 2024 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/05/11/an-unusual-mother/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 3, 2025 |last=Witt |first=Linda}}</ref> Bego suggested that her public feud with Bogdanovich and unconventional image may have contributed to the Academy's decision.{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=166–171}} At the [[58th Academy Awards]], she wore a dramatic, tarantula-like outfit, which ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]''{{'s}} Esther Zuckerman later called Cher's "Oscar revenge dress".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Zuckerman |first=Esther |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/awards-insider-the-making-of-chers-oscar-revenge-dress |title=The Making of Cher's Oscar Revenge Dress |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=February 3, 2022 |accessdate=February 20, 2022 |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204081714/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/awards-insider-the-making-of-chers-oscar-revenge-dress |url-status=live}}</ref> Presenting the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] nominees, Cher quipped,
"As you can see, I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress".<ref>{{cite web |first=Hannah |last=Lack |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/cher-remember-when/index.html |title=Remember when Cher wore a towering feather headdress at the 1986 Oscars? |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=May 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211233536/https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/cher-remember-when/index.html |archive-date=February 11, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The incident garnered her much publicity.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8557447.stm |title=Talking Shop: Designer Bob Mackie |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=March 18, 2010 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |last=Hassan |first=Genevieve |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131231928/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8557447.stm |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>

Cher's May 1986 guest appearance on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'', during which she called [[David Letterman]] "an [[asshole]]", attracted much media coverage. Letterman later recalled, "It did hurt my feelings. Cher was one of the few people I've really wanted to have on the show&nbsp;... I felt like a total fool, especially since I say all kinds of things to people."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Late Night Letterman|url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-late-night-letterman-vol-26-no-2/|last=Hall|first=Jane|date=July 14, 1986|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=July 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726133451/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20094089,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She returned in November 1987, reuniting with Sonny for the last time before his death for an impromptu performance of "I Got You Babe". Reflecting in 2015, ''Rolling Stone''{{'s}} Andy Greene wrote, "They weren't exactly the best of friends at this point, but both of them knew it would make for unforgettable television. Had [[YouTube]] existed back then, this would have gone insanely viral the next morning."<ref>{{cite news|title=David Letterman's Top 10 Musical Moments|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/david-lettermans-top-10-musical-moments-172461/sonny-cher-i-got-you-babe-1987-162565/|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=May 6, 2015|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=June 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620101111/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/david-lettermans-top-10-musical-moments-172461/sonny-cher-i-got-you-babe-1987-162565/|url-status=live}}</ref> That same month, Cher released ''[[The Ugly Duckling (audiobook)|The Ugly Duckling]]'', an [[audiobook]] adaptation of the [[The Ugly Duckling|1843 fairy tale]]. ''The Washington Post'' praised her as "a warm, unaffected storyteller" whose voice was "particularly suited for very young listeners".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/11/27/off-the-beaten-kiddie-tracks/8e630d63-e18a-4453-ad26-238d3aae718a/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Off the Beaten Kiddie Tracks |date=November 26, 1987 |first=Dorothy |last=MacKinnon |access-date=April 19, 2025 |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226132126/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/11/27/off-the-beaten-kiddie-tracks/8e630d63-e18a-4453-ad26-238d3aae718a/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1987–1992: Hollywood stardom and third musical comeback ===
Cher starred in three films in 1987.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} In [[Peter Yates]]' [[legal thriller]] ''[[Suspect (1987 film)|Suspect]]'', she portrayed a public defender aided and romanced by a juror ([[Dennis Quaid]]) in a homicide case. In [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]]'s [[comedy horror]] ''[[The Witches of Eastwick (film)|The Witches of Eastwick]]'', she played one of three small-town divorcees—alongside [[Michelle Pfeiffer]] and [[Susan Sarandon]]—seduced by a mysterious, wealthy visitor ([[Jack Nicholson]]). In [[Norman Jewison]]'s romantic comedy ''[[Moonstruck]]'', she starred as an Italian widow who falls for her fiancé's younger brother ([[Nicolas Cage]]).{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} The latter two films ranked among 1987's top 10 highest-grossing movies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1987|title=1987 Yearly Box Office Results|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=March 14, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307024545/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1987|archive-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref>

''The New York Times''{{'}} Janet Maslin wrote ''Moonstruck'' "offers further proof that Cher has evolved into the kind of larger-than-life movie star who's worth watching whatever she does".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/16/movies/film-moonstruck-with-italians-in-love.html |title=Film: ''Moonstruck'', With Italians in Love |first=Janet |last=Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 16, 1987 |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |access-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723133336/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/16/movies/film-moonstruck-with-italians-in-love.html |url-status=live}}</ref> For that film, Cher won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]{{sfn|Bego|2001|pp=213}} and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy]].<ref name=GoldenGlobes/> By 1988, Cher had become one of the most bankable actresses of the decade, commanding $1&nbsp;million per film.{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=151}} That year, she released the fragrance Uninhibited, which earned about $15&nbsp;million in its first year sales.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=68–72}}

By the late 1980s, Cher had developed a reputation for her exhibitionist fashion, plastic surgeries and relationships with younger men.{{sfn|Mansour|2005|p=82}} She dated actors [[Val Kilmer]], [[Eric Stoltz]] and [[Tom Cruise]], [[Bon Jovi]] guitarist [[Richie Sambora]], hockey player [[Ron Duguay]], film producer [[Joshua Donen]] and Rob Camilletti, a baker 18 years her junior—dubbed the "Bagel Boy" by the media—whom she was with from 1986 to 1989.<ref>Cher's romantic relationships during the 1980s:
* Rob Camilletti: {{cite magazine|ref=none|last=Miller|first=Samantha|url=http://people.com/archive/the-ex-files-vol-52-no-21/|title=The Ex Files|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=November 29, 1999|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221942/http://people.com/archive/the-ex-files-vol-52-no-21/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}
* Tom Cruise: {{cite news |ref=none |first=Amanda |last=Sidman |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/turn-back-time-cher-mrs-tom-cruise-article-1.278126 |title=If she could turn back time, Cher might be Mrs. Tom Cruise |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |date=April 29, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203053457/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/turn-back-time-cher-mrs-tom-cruise-article-1.278126 |archive-date=February 3, 2016}}
* Joshua Donen: {{cite magazine|ref=none|last=Jerome|first=Jim|url=http://people.com/archive/chers-got-critics-raving-over-her-risky-role-and-offscreen-shes-got-a-loving-new-man-vol-23-no-11/|title=Cher's Got Critics Raving Over Her Risky Role – And Offscreen She's Got a Loving New Man|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=March 18, 1985|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221832/http://people.com/archive/chers-got-critics-raving-over-her-risky-role-and-offscreen-shes-got-a-loving-new-man-vol-23-no-11/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}
* Ron Duguay: {{harvnb|Bego|2001|p=377}}
* Val Kilmer: {{cite magazine|ref=none|last=Jerome|first=Jim|url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-cher-finds-a-new-life-vol-21-no-3/|title=Cher Finds a New Life|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=January 23, 1984|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019083440/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-cher-finds-a-new-life-vol-21-no-3/|archive-date=October 19, 2016}}
* Richie Sambora: {{cite magazine|ref=none|url=http://people.com/archive/engaging-behavior-vol-42-no-14/|title=Engaging Behavior|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=October 3, 1994|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221922/http://people.com/archive/engaging-behavior-vol-42-no-14/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}
* Eric Stoltz: {{harvnb|Bego|2001|p=377}}</ref>

[[File:Pediatric AIDS Foundation - Washington, D.C. - seen on Wednesday, June 21, 1989.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Cher sings on stage in a black fringed mini dress with spaghetti straps, her dark curly hair framing her face. A drum set is visible in the background.|Cher performing during a benefit concert for [[Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation]] in 1989]]

In 1987, Cher signed with [[Geffen Records]] and revived her musical career with what music critics Johnny Danza and Dean Ferguson described as "her most impressive string of hits to date", establishing her as a "serious rock and roller&nbsp;... a crown that she'd worked long and hard to capture".<ref name=Danza/> [[Jon Bon Jovi]], [[Michael Bolton]], Richie Sambora and [[Desmond Child]] produced her first Geffen album, ''[[Cher (1987 album)|Cher]]''.<ref name=Danza/> Despite facing strong retail and radio airplay resistance upon its release,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1988/BB-1988-07-02.pdf |title=Cher's Singing Career Has Sunny Outlook |last=Morris |first=Chris |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=July 2, 1998 |page=30 |volume=100 |number=27 |access-date=August 12, 2021}}</ref> the album proved to be a commercial success, certified platinum by the RIAA.<ref name=RIAA/> ''Cher'' features the [[hair metal]] power ballad "[[I Found Someone (Cher song)|I Found Someone]]",<ref name=cher-stands-alone>{{cite news|title=We Got Her, Babe: Cher Stands Alone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/cher-stands-alone-800801/|last=Sheffield|first=Rob|date=February 28, 2019|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=March 19, 2021}}</ref> her first US top-ten single in eight years.<ref name=Danza/>

Cher won the Favorite All-Around Female Star Award at the 1989 [[People's Choice Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://search.peopleschoice.com/v/26948576/and-the-15th-annul-people-s-choice-for-favorite-all-around-female-star-is-cher.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222084320/http://search.peopleschoice.com/v/26948576/and-the-15th-annul-people-s-choice-for-favorite-all-around-female-star-is-cher.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |title=And the 15th Annual People's Choice for "Favorite All Around Female Star" is&nbsp;... Cher! |publisher=[[People's Choice Awards]]}}</ref> Her 19th studio album, ''[[Heart of Stone (Cher album)|Heart of Stone]]'' (1989), reached number one in Australia<ref>{{cite web |url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=Heart+of+Stone&cat=a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226082317/https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=Heart+of+Stone&cat=a |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live |title=Australian-charts.com – Cher – ''Heart of Stone'' (album) |publisher=Hung Medien}}</ref> and entered the top 10 in Canada,<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=February 3, 1990 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-02-03.pdf#page=96 |title=Hits of the World – Canada |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110053441/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-02-03.pdf#page=96 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> New Zealand,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=Heart+of+Stone&cat=a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250226001456/https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=Heart+of+Stone&cat=a |archive-date=February 26, 2025 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live |title=Charts.org.nz – Cher – ''Heart of Stone'' (album) |publisher=Hung Medien}}</ref> the UK<ref name=UKChartHistory/> and the US,<ref name=Cher-Billboard>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/cher/chart-history/hsi/ |title=Cher – Chart History |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204191513/https://www.billboard.com/artist/cher/chart-history/hsi/ |archive-date=December 4, 2024}} ''Billboard'' and international chart history can be accessed via the drop-down menu on the ''Billboard'' artist webpage. Select the relevant chart for details.</ref> where it was certified triple platinum.<ref name=RIAA/> The album yielded three US top-ten singles: "[[After All (Cher and Peter Cetera song)|After All]]" (with [[Peter Cetera]]), "[[Just Like Jesse James]]" and "[[If I Could Turn Back Time]]".<ref name=Cher-Billboard/> The latter spent seven weeks at number one in Australia,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/50698/this-week-in...-1989 |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA Music News]] |title=This Week In&nbsp;... 1989 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114012716/http://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/50698/this-week-in...-1989 |archive-date=November 14, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> became one of her [[List of signature songs|signature songs]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Chuck |url=https://nypost.com/2021/08/26/songwriter-diane-warren-spills-secrets-about-cher-whitney/ |title=Hitmaker Diane Warren spills secrets about working with Cher, Whitney |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |date=August 26, 2021 |access-date=March 28, 2025 |archive-date=July 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710213836/https://nypost.com/2021/08/26/songwriter-diane-warren-spills-secrets-about-cher-whitney/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and drew controversy for its [[Sexual suggestiveness|sexually suggestive]] music video, filmed aboard the [[battleship]] {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|6}}.{{sfn|Roedy|2011|p=87}}{{sfn|Semonche|2007|p=161}} Cher launched the [[Heart of Stone Tour]] in 1989, which continued through 1990. Critics praised the tour for its nostalgic appeal and her [[Showmanship (performing)|showmanship]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=67}} The TV special ''[[Extravaganza: Live at the Mirage|Cher... at the Mirage]]'', filmed during a Las Vegas concert, aired in February 1991.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Connor |first=John J. |author-link=John J. O'Connor (journalist) |title=Review/Television; A Potpourri Of Cher's Mood Swings |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 4, 1991 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/04/arts/review-television-a-potpourri-of-cher-s-mood-swings.html |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127045358/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/04/arts/review-television-a-potpourri-of-cher-s-mood-swings.html |archive-date=January 27, 2016}}</ref>

In ''[[Mermaids (1990 film)|Mermaids]]'' (1990), Cher's first film in three years, she drew inspiration from her mother to portray a woman who moves her daughters ([[Winona Ryder]], [[Christina Ricci]]) from town to town after failed relationships.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Kevin|last=Sessums|author-link=Kevin Sessums|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1990/11/cher-199011|title=Cher: Starred and Feathered|magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=October 31, 1990|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113140231/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/1990/11/cher-199011|archive-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref> She clashed with the film's first two directors, [[Lasse Hallström]] and [[Frank Oz]], who were replaced by [[Richard Benjamin]].<ref name=Kennedy-1996>{{cite magazine|last=Kennedy|first=Dana|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1996/05/31/cher-plots-her-next-comeback|title=Cher plots her next comeback|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=May 31, 1996|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224015847/http://www.ew.com/article/1996/05/31/cher-plots-her-next-comeback|archive-date=February 24, 2016}}</ref> Producers, seeing Cher as the star attraction, granted her creative control.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=69–71}} The film was a box office success and received positive reviews.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=228}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mermaids |title=''Mermaids'' (1990) |date=February 6, 2001 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-date=May 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520102042/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mermaids/ |url-status=live}}</ref> One of the two songs Cher recorded for the film's [[Mermaids (soundtrack)|soundtrack]], a cover of [[Merry Clayton]]'s "[[The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)#Cher version|The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)]]", topped the UK singles chart for five weeks.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Mansfield |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mermaids-mw0000317768 |title=''Mermaids'' – Original Soundtrack |access-date=January 17, 2016 |work=[[AllMusic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201025201/http://www.allmusic.com/album/mermaids-mw0000317768 |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref>

Cher's final Geffen studio album, ''[[Love Hurts (Cher album)|Love Hurts]]'' (1991),<ref name=Bessman-1996>{{cite magazine|title=Cher Changes Approach For Her ''Man's World'' On Reprise|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uA0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13|access-date=January 16, 2016|date=May 18, 1996|first=Jim|last=Bessman}}</ref> spent six weeks at number one in the UK and was certified gold by the RIAA.<ref name="RIAA"/> It produced the UK top-ten single "[[Love and Understanding]]".<ref name=UKChartHistory/> Writing for ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Jim Farber praised Cher's "sexually autonomous persona" as "one of the surest of any pop female", noting how she turned heartbreak lyrics into expressions of revenge rather than victimhood.<ref name=lovehurts-ew>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/06/14/love-hurts/ |first=Jim |last=Farber |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=June 14, 1991 |title=''Love Hurts'' Album Review |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126002936/https://ew.com/article/1991/06/14/love-hurts/ |access-date=March 12, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> She then launched the [[Love Hurts Tour]] (1991–1992){{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=152}} and released the UK-only{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=234}} [[compilation album]] ''[[Greatest Hits: 1965–1992]]'' (1992), which topped the [[UK Albums Chart|UK chart]] for seven weeks.<ref name="UKChartHistory"/> She also capitalized on public interest in her youthful looks with the [[Wellness (alternative medicine)|wellness]] book ''[[Forever Fit]]'' (1991){{sfn|Bego|2001|p=231}} and the exercise videos ''[[CherFitness: A New Attitude]]'' (1991) and ''[[CherFitness: Body Confidence]]'' (1992).{{sfn|Crampton|Rees|1999|p=194}}

=== 1992–1998: From A-list actress to "Infomercial Queen"; death of Sonny Bono ===
In the early 1990s, Cher contracted the [[Epstein–Barr virus]] and developed [[myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome]], leaving her too exhausted for music or film projects.<ref name=Kennedy-1996/>{{sfn|Sonneborn|2002|p=40}} She declined leading roles in ''[[Thelma & Louise]]'' and ''[[The War of the Roses (film)|The War of the Roses]]''.<ref name=Kennedy-1996/> Her next film appearances were [[Cameo appearance|cameos]] in Robert Altman's ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' (1992) and ''[[Prêt-à-Porter (film)|Prêt-à-Porter]]'' (1994).{{sfn|Parish|Pitts|2003|p=152}} To generate income, she appeared in [[infomercial]]s for health, beauty and diet products, earning nearly $10&nbsp;million.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=73}}<ref name=Murphy-1994>{{cite news|last=Murphy|first=Ryan|author-link=Ryan Murphy (writer)|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1994/05/30/the-beat-doesnt-go-on-where-the-heck-is-cher/|title=The Beat Doesn't Go On: Where The Heck Is Cher?|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=May 30, 1994|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201022311/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-05-30/lifestyle/9405280175_1_cher-strung-beads-epstein-barr-virus|archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> Critics saw it as a sellout and speculated her film career was over,<ref name=Murphy-1994/><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Murphy|first=Ryan|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1993/05/21/cher-her-movie-career-dead|title=Cher: Is her movie career dead?|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=May 21, 1993|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120043839/http://www.ew.com/article/1993/05/21/cher-her-movie-career-dead|archive-date=January 20, 2016}}</ref> with ''Entertainment Weekly'' stating she had eroded her "hard-won [[A-list]] actress status".<ref name=Kennedy-1996/> The ads were parodied on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and referenced in ''[[Clueless]]'' (1995), where protagonist Cher Horowitz jokes she was named after a "great [singer] of the past who now does infomercials".{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=238}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tribecafilm.com/news/tribeca-cinemas-summer-series-clueless-august-14 |title=Make A Cameo At Tribeca Cinemas For ''Clueless'' On August 14 |publisher=[[Tribeca Festival]] |first=Karen |last=Kemmerle |date=July 30, 2014 |access-date=March 4, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250304144948/https://tribecafilm.com/news/tribeca-cinemas-summer-series-clueless-august-14 |archive-date=March 4, 2025}}</ref> Cher later reflected, "Suddenly I became the Infomercial Queen&nbsp;... people stripped me of all my other things."{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=73}}

[[File:Cher singing.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Cher sings into a microphone, her long dark hair framing her face, wearing a simple, casual light-colored outfit and a ring.|Cher performing in New York, 1996]]

In 1993, Cher re-recorded "I Got You Babe" with [[MTV]]'s animated duo [[List of Beavis and Butt-Head characters|Beavis and Butt-Head]], [[Self-deprecation|mocking her own image]] as they introduce her as "a chick that's got tattoos on her butt&nbsp;... who's older&nbsp;... done it a lot of times [and] used to be married to some dork" (referring to Sonny Bono).<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 14, 1993 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-14-ca-56606-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618123011/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-14-ca-56606-story.html |archive-date=June 18, 2021 |access-date=March 8, 2025 |first=Steve |last=Hochman |title=Cher Gets Cheeky with Beavis and Butt-Head}}</ref> She topped the UK singles chart in 1995 with the charity single "[[Love Can Build a Bridge]]", alongside [[Chrissie Hynde]], [[Neneh Cherry]] and Eric Clapton.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Chart Beat: 2Pac Finally Wins ''Against The World''|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6gsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98|access-date=January 17, 2016|date=April 1, 1995|last=Bronson|first=Fred|author-link=Fred Bronson}}</ref> After signing with Warner Music UK's [[Warner Music Group|WEA]] label, Cher released ''[[It's a Man's World (Cher album)|It's a Man's World]]'' (1995), an album of songs originally performed by men.<ref name=Bessman-1996/> Critics praised its R&B influences and Cher's vocal growth,{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=82}} with [[Stephen Holden]] of ''The New York Times'' calling it a "soulful collection of grown-up pop songs".<ref name=Holden-1996>{{cite news|first=Stephen|last=Holden|author-link=Stephen Holden|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/30/arts/pop-jazz-queen-of-the-comeback-cher-tries-yet-again.html |title=Queen of the Comeback, Cher Tries Yet Again|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 30, 1996|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118021350/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/30/arts/pop-jazz-queen-of-the-comeback-cher-tries-yet-again.html |archive-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> The album features "[[Walking in Memphis#Cher version|Walking in Memphis]]", certified [[BPI certification|silver]] by the [[British Phonographic Industry (BPI)]], and the UK top-ten single "[[One by One (Cher song)|One by One]]".<ref name=UKChartHistory/> ''Man's World'' reached the top 10 in Austria<ref>{{cite web |language=de |url=https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=It%27s+a+Man%27s+World&cat=a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209171140/https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=It%27s+A+Man%27s+World&cat=a |archive-date=December 9, 2024 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live |title=Austriancharts.at – Cher – ''It's a Man's World'' |publisher=Hung Medien}}</ref> and the UK.<ref name=UKChartHistory/> A remixed US version, shifting from rock to a more radio-friendly sound, was commercially unsuccessful, peaking at number 64 on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9AsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|title=Dance Trax: Daphne Gets New Lease On Her Career With ''Rent''|first=Larry|last=Flick|date=May 11, 1996|access-date=February 13, 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=259}}

In 1996, Cher appeared alongside [[Demi Moore]] and [[Sissy Spacek]] in ''[[If These Walls Could Talk]]'', a three-part [[Anthology film|anthology]] [[TV film]] about [[abortion]]. The project marked Cher's directorial debut, as she both directed and starred in the film's final segment, playing a doctor targeted by an [[Anti-abortion movements|anti-abortion group]].{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=82}} ''Walls'' became [[HBO]]'s highest-rated original movie to date, drawing 6.9&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/hbo-climbing-another-walls-1117779197/ |first=Paula |last=Bernstein |title=HBO climbing another ''Walls'' |date=March 7, 2000 |access-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206084155/http://variety.com/2000/tv/news/hbo-climbing-another-walls-1117779197/ |archive-date=February 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/arts/tv-notes-going-out-blazing.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=TV Notes; Going Out Blazing|first=Bill|last=Carter|date=April 12, 2000|access-date=February 5, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527133701/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/arts/tv-notes-going-out-blazing.html |archive-date=May 27, 2015}}</ref>
Cher's first leading role in a [[Movie theater|theatrical release]] in six years came with [[Paul Mazursky]]'s [[Black comedy|dark comedy]] ''[[Faithful (1996 film)|Faithful]]'' (1996), in which she played a suicidal woman whose husband hires a hitman ([[Chazz Palminteri]]) to kill her.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=83–84}} Although praised for her performance, with ''The New York Times'' noting she "does her game best to find comic potential in a victim's role", Cher refused to promote the film, calling it "horrible".<ref name=Kennedy-1996/> ''Faithful'' was both a critical failure and a [[box-office bomb]], grossing $2&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250308202104/https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/05/19/hollywoods-fatal-femmes-springs-box-office-report-shows-that-so-far-1996-has-not-been-the-year-of-the-woman/ |url-status=dead |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/05/19/hollywoods-fatal-femmes-springs-box-office-report-shows-that-so-far-1996-has-not-been-the-year-of-the-woman/ |date=May 19, 1996 |title=Hollywood's Fatal Femmes Spring's Box Office Report Shows That So Far 1996 Has Not Been the Year of the Woman |archive-date=March 8, 2025 |access-date=March 8, 2025}}</ref>

Following Sonny Bono's death in a skiing accident in 1998, Cher delivered a tearful [[eulogy]] at his funeral, calling him "the most unforgettable character" she had met.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tearful Cher remembers Sonny's wit, tenacity|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19980110&id=uaoyAAAAIBAJ&pg=6636,3792974|access-date=January 17, 2016|newspaper=[[Lawrence Journal-World]]|date=January 10, 1998}}</ref> She paid tribute to him by hosting the CBS special ''[[Sonny & Me: Cher Remembers]]'', which aired on May 20, 1998.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=281}} That month, Sonny and Cher received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for their work on television.<ref name=walkoffame>{{cite web |url=http://www.walkoffame.com/sonny-and-cher |title=Sonny & Cher |publisher=[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308040851/http://www.walkoffame.com/sonny-and-cher |archive-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> Later that year, Cher published ''[[The First Time (memoir)|The First Time]]'', a collection of autobiographical essays of "first-time" events in her life. Critics praised the book as sincere and relatable.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=90}} The [[Manuscript (publishing)|manuscript]] was nearly complete when Sonny died, and Cher was initially reluctant to include his death, concerned it might appear exploitative. She told ''Rolling Stone'', "I might have [ignored it] if I cared more about what people think than what I know is right for me."{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=91}}

=== 1998–2002: Fourth musical comeback and songwriting debut ===
[[File:WKTU-FM's Miracle on 34th Street show - New York - seen on December 11, 1998 Cropped.jpg|right|upright=0.9|thumb|alt=Cher performs in a glittering blue outfit with a black coat and layered necklaces, with sleek, straight dark hair.|Cher performing "[[Believe (Cher song)|Believe]]" during [[WKTU]]'s Miracle on 34th Street concert in 1998]]

Cher's 22nd studio album, ''[[Believe (Cher album)|Believe]]'' (1998), marked a shift from her previous rock sound to 1970s disco-inspired [[dance-pop]].<ref name=Danza/> It sold 11&nbsp;million copies worldwide,<ref>{{cite news |first=Melinda |last=Newman |date=October 10, 2023 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-talks-first-holiday-album-christmas-1235435413/ |title=Cher on Making Her First Holiday Record: 'I Had No Intention of Doing a Christmas Album' (Exclusive) |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=March 24, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320062306/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-talks-first-holiday-album-christmas-1235435413/ |archive-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref> earning quadruple platinum certification in the US and gold, platinum or multi-platinum status in 39 countries.<ref name=RIAA/>{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=283}} ''Entertainment Weekly'' described the album as "the most dramatic comeback Hollywood has seen", emphasizing its role in introducing her to a new generation of fans who "hadn't yet been born when 'I Got You Babe' ruled the charts in 1965".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/04/23/hip-be-cher/ |first=Benjamin |last=Svetkey |title=Hip to be Cher |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=April 23, 1999 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217010115/https://ew.com/article/1999/04/23/hip-be-cher/ |archive-date=December 17, 2024}}</ref>

The album's [[Believe (Cher song)|title track]] reached number one in 23 countries and sold over 10&nbsp;million copies globally.<ref name=BBCWorldPoll>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/12_december/20/ws_worldsfavsong.shtml |title=Global music taste revealed in BBC World Service poll |date=December 20, 2002 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |publisher=[[BBC]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161217144725/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/12_december/20/ws_worldsfavsong.shtml |archive-date=December 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/music/2010/08/complex-presents-the-25-greatest-auto-tune-songs/ |title=Complex Presents: The 25 Greatest Auto-Tune Songs |first=Insanul |last=Ahmed |magazine=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |date=August 5, 2010 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131215759/http://www.complex.com/music/2010/08/complex-presents-the-25-greatest-auto-tune-songs/ |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=13}} It was the best-selling single of 1998 in the UK and of 1999 in the US.<ref name=BBCWorldPoll/><ref name=Hay-2000>{{cite magazine|last=Hay|first=Carla|date=February 5, 2000|title=Backstreets, Cher, TLC Among Those Up For Record of the Year|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1A0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20|access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> "Believe" debuted at number one in the UK, held the position for seven weeks and became [[List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom|the country's best-selling single by a female artist]].<ref name=believeuk>{{cite web |first=Rob |last=Copsey |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-flashback-1998-cher-believe__20834/ |title=Official Charts Flashback 1998: Cher – 'Believe' |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=November 3, 2018 |date=October 25, 2018 |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619165830/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-flashback-1998-cher-believe__20834/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In the US, it led the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for four weeks,<ref name=BillboardRecordBreakers>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-chart-record-breaking-songs-albums-longest-music-moments-ever/ |title=''Billboard'' Chart Record-Breakers: The Longest Music Moments Ever |date=May 9, 2014 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120170044/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/470364/billboard-chart-record-breaking-songs-albums-longest-music-moments-ever |archive-date=January 20, 2016}}</ref> making Cher, at 52, the oldest woman to top the chart.{{efn|name=oldest2023|Cher's record as the oldest woman to top the [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]] was surpassed by [[Mariah Carey]], who was 53 when "[[All I Want for Christmas Is You]]" (1994) reached number one in December 2023, and [[Brenda Lee]], who was 78 when "[[Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree]]" (1958) topped the chart that same month. Excluding catalog songs, Cher remains the oldest female artist to top the chart.<ref>{{cite web |website=[[American Songwriter]] |url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-story-behind-chers-smash-hit-believe-which-topped-the-billboard-charts-25-years-ago/ |title=The Story Behind Cher's Smash Hit 'Believe', Which Topped the ''Billboard'' Charts 25 Years Ago |first=Matt |last=Friedlander |date=March 12, 2024 |access-date=March 29, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312223537/https://americansongwriter.com/the-story-behind-chers-smash-hit-believe-which-topped-the-billboard-charts-25-years-ago/ |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>}}<ref name=oldest1999>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6A0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA118 |title=Chart Beat: Did She Or Didn't She? Cher She Did! |first=Fred |last=Bronson |date=March 13, 1999 |access-date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' wrote that "coming from Cher—a confident, charismatic, and massively talented woman who'd been subjected to frequent [[Celebrity culture|public ridicule over her personal life]]—'Believe' took on an extra survivalist edge".<ref>{{cite web |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-songs-of-the-1990s/ |title=The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s |date=September 27, 2022 |access-date=March 29, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927130919/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-songs-of-the-1990s/ |archive-date=September 27, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

"Believe" won the [[Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording]] and the 1999 [[Billboard Music Award|''Billboard'' Music Award]] for [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1999|Hot 100 Single of the Year]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Chuck|last=Taylor|url=https://www.billboard.com/specials/hot100/charts/top50-no1s-90s.shtml |title=The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Songs of the Year (1990–1999)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413152443/http://www.billboard.com/specials/hot100/charts/top50-no1s-90s.shtml|archive-date=April 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915075014/https://www.billboardmusicawards.com/winners-database/?winnerKeyword=&winnerYear=1999&winnerCategory= |url=https://www.billboardmusicawards.com/winners-database/?winnerKeyword=&winnerYear=1999&winnerCategory= |title=1999 Winners Database |url-status=live |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=March 11, 2025 |website=[[Billboard Music Awards|BillboardMusicAwards.com]]}}</ref> The album's second single, "[[Strong Enough (Cher song)|Strong Enough]]", reached number one in Hungary<ref name=europe-1999-04-24>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-04-24.pdf#page=12 |title=Top National Sellers – Week 17/99 |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=April 24, 1999 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519200935/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-04-24.pdf#page=12 |archive-date=May 19, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> and entered the top five in Austria,<ref name=europe-1999-04-03>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-04-03.pdf#page=19 |title=Top National Sellers – Week 14/99 |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=April 3, 1999 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519201711/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-04-03.pdf#page=19 |archive-date=May 19, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Belgium,<ref name=europe-1999-04-24/> France,<ref name=europe-1999-04-24/> Germany,<ref name=europe-1999-03-27>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-03-27.pdf#page=8 |title=Top National Sellers – Week 13/99 |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=March 27, 1999 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519201052/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-03-27.pdf#page=8 |archive-date=May 19, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Iceland,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timarit.is/page/2982863#page/n9/mode/2up |title=Íslenski listinn – NR. 318 – vikuna 9.4–16.4. 1999 |newspaper=[[DV (newspaper)|Dagblaðið Vísir]] |language=is |page=10 |date=April 9, 1999 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604162706/https://timarit.is/page/2982863#page/n9/mode/2up |archive-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref> Poland,<ref name=europe-1999-05-01>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-05-01.pdf#page=23 |title=Major Market Airplay – Week 18/99 |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=May 1, 1999 |access-date=March 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519201837/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-05-01.pdf#page=23 |archive-date=May 19, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Scotland,<ref name=UKChartHistory/> Spain,<ref name=europe-1999-03-27/> Switzerland<ref name=europe-1999-04-03/> and the UK.<ref name=UKChartHistory/> In 1999, Cher starred in [[Franco Zeffirelli]]'s critically acclaimed [[war film]] ''[[Tea with Mussolini]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tea_with_mussolini |title=''Tea with Mussolini'' (1999) |date=April 2, 1999 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820105713/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tea_with_mussolini |url-status=live}}</ref> playing a flamboyant American socialite unwelcome among Englishwomen ([[Judi Dench]], [[Maggie Smith]]) in Italy.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=287}} [[Lisa Schwarzbaum]] of ''Entertainment Weekly'' described her performance as "always likable, always soft-focus, always strange",<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Lisa |last=Schwarzbaum |author-link=Lisa Schwarzbaum |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/05/21/tea-mussolini-2/ |title=Tea With Mussolini |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=May 21, 1999 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201083125/https://ew.com/article/1999/05/21/tea-mussolini-2/ |url-status=live}}</ref> while ''[[Film Comment]]'' wrote that she proved "how sorely she's been missed from movie screens".{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=86–87}}

[[File:22-57-41 Cher Concert in Ahoy, Rotterdam op 27 oktober 1999 van Gerben Bosma 07 (cropped).jpg|left|upright|thumb|alt=Cher performs on stage in a black bodysuit with sheer panels, jagged embellishments, a short black bob, and a beaded hip scarf. A large screen behind her shows a close-up as she sings.|Cher performing on the [[Do You Believe? Tour]] in 1999]]

On January 31, 1999, Cher sang "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]", the US [[national anthem]], at the [[Super Bowl XXXIII]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Deborah|last=Wilker|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1999-01-28/sports/9901280029_1_cher-anthem-super-bowl-xxxiii|title=A Reason To Believe|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|date=January 28, 1999|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201004305/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1999-01-28/sports/9901280029_1_cher-anthem-super-bowl-xxxiii|archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> She co-headlined the TV special ''[[Divas Live '99|VH1 Divas Live '99]]'', which drew 19.4&nbsp;million viewers and became the highest-rated program in VH1's history at the time.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Mayfield|first=Geoff|title=Between the Bullets|date=May 8, 1999|access-date=February 6, 2016|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA84}}</ref>{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=286}} Her [[Do You Believe? (tour)|Do You Believe? Tour]] (1999–2000) sold out in every American city it visited,{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=290}} drawing a global audience of over 1.5&nbsp;million.<ref name=BelieveIt>{{cite magazine|date=January 22, 2000|title=Believe it|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sA0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP2|access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> The tour's TV special, ''[[Live in Concert (video)|Cher: Live in Concert – From the MGM Grand in Las Vegas]]'' (1999), became HBO's top-rated original program of 1998–1999.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=291}}<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Cable World|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-78333850.html |date=September 3, 2001|access-date=February 6, 2016|title=Sunday's Madonna's Night|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220165843/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-78333850.html |archive-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref> ''Billboard'' named Cher the top dance artist of 1999.<ref name=Hay-2000/> Capitalizing on her success, former label Geffen released the US-only compilation ''[[If I Could Turn Back Time: Cher's Greatest Hits]]'' (1999),<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[CMJ|CMJ New Music Report]]|first=Kelso|last=Jacks|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lVwOt5tiDncC&pg=PA9|title=Record News|date=April 12, 1999|access-date=February 6, 2016}}</ref> certified gold by the RIAA.<ref name=RIAA/> Meanwhile, Cher oversaw ''[[The Greatest Hits (Cher album)|The Greatest Hits]]'' (1999) for international markets, reaching number one on the [[European Top 100 Albums]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-12-04.pdf#page=131 |title=Hits of the World |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=December 4, 1999 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519152305/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-12-04.pdf#page=131 |archive-date=May 19, 2024}}</ref>

In 2000, Cher released ''[[Not Commercial]]'', an album she wrote after attending a songwriting conference in 1994. She chose the title after her label's chief dismissed the project as "nice, but not commercial" and rejected it for its [[profanity|explicit language]] and unsparing themes, including the [[suicide of Kurt Cobain]], homelessness, [[Veteran#Health effects of military service and treatment for veterans|veteran neglect]] and personal trauma. She sold it independently on her website, an unusual move for an artist under contract with a major label. The song "Sisters of Mercy", which describes the nuns who prevented her mother from retrieving her from a Catholic orphanage as "daughters of hell", drew condemnation from the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite news|first=Deborah|last=Wilker|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/11/14/ive-got-e-babe/|title=I've Got E, Babe|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=November 14, 2000|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105025506/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-11-14/features/0011130180_1_cher-songwriting-record|archive-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref>

Cher's dance-focused follow-up to ''Believe'',<ref name=Flick-2002>{{cite magazine|last=Flick|first=Larry|date=January 12, 2002|title=Warner's Cher Offers ''Living Proof''|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Q8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA100|access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Living Proof (Cher album)|Living Proof]]'' (2001), reached number one in Greece<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=January 12, 2002 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2002/MM-2002-01-12.pdf#page=11 |title=Top National Sellers – Week 2–3/02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115180427/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2002/MM-2002-01-12.pdf#page=11 |archive-date=January 15, 2025 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> and number nine in the US,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/76521/chart-beat-bonus |title=Chart Beat Bonus |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=March 8, 2002 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201011721/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/76521/chart-beat-bonus |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> where it was certified gold.<ref name=RIAA/> It features the UK top-ten single "[[The Music's No Good Without You]]",<ref name=UKChartHistory/> the Grammy-nominated "[[Love One Another#Cher version|Love One Another]]"<ref name=grammynoms>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/cher/10931 |title=Cher – Artist |publisher=[[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=April 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929222306/https://www.grammy.com/artists/cher/10931 |archive-date=September 29, 2022}}</ref> and "[[Song for the Lonely]]", a tribute to "the courageous people of New York" after the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref name=Flick-2002/> Named ''Billboard''{{'}}s top dance artist of 2002, Cher received the Artist Achievement Award from [[Steven Tyler]] at the [[2002 Billboard Music Awards|2002 ''Billboard'' Music Awards]] for having "helped redefine popular music with massive success on the ''Billboard'' charts".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73191/2002-billboard-music-awards|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=December 9, 2002|access-date=January 17, 2016|title=2002 ''Billboard'' Music Awards|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520141406/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73191/2002-billboard-music-awards|archive-date=May 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name=Waddell-2002>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Og0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Award Is ''Living Proof'' Of Success|date=December 7, 2002|access-date=January 17, 2016|first=Ray|last=Waddell}}</ref> That year, her wealth was estimated at $600&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5313046.stm |title=In pictures: Cher empties wardrobe |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=September 4, 2006 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131222043/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5313046.stm |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>

=== 2002–2015: Farewell tours, musical film comeback and return to dance-pop ===
[[File:Cher at Farewell Tour.JPG|thumb|right|upright=0.6|alt=Cher sings on stage in a shimmering gold beaded outfit with fringe, a matching headpiece and long platinum blonde hair, surrounded by backup dancers.|Cher on [[Living Proof: The Farewell Tour]] (2002–2005), then the highest-grossing tour by a female artist]]

In June 2002, Cher launched [[Living Proof: The Farewell Tour]],<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Greenblatt|first=Leah|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2007/10/05/retirements-didnt-last |title=Retirements that didn't last|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=October 5, 2007|access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307144149/http://www.ew.com/article/2007/10/05/retirements-didnt-last |archive-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref> promoted as her [[Farewell tour|final concert tour]], though she planned to keep recording and acting.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Newman|first=Melinda |date=January 18, 2003|title=The Beat |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQ4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 |access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> [[Jon Pareles]] of ''The New York Times'' praised it as a celebration of Cher's resilience, highlighting her ability to "triumph over restraint, aging and gravity" and calling her "a hit machine immune to sagging flesh".<ref name=Pareles2002>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Pareles |title=Pop Review: Cher's Goodbye Tour Reaches New York, With Glitter and Nostalgia Galore |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/29/arts/pop-review-cher-s-goodbye-tour-reaches-new-york-with-glitter-nostalgia-galore.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 29, 2002 |access-date=December 9, 2024 |archive-date=September 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918221836/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/29/arts/pop-review-cher-s-goodbye-tour-reaches-new-york-with-glitter-nostalgia-galore.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Initially set for 49 shows, the tour was repeatedly extended.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adobe.com/motion/cher.html |title=On the road with Cher |publisher=[[Adobe Systems]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222162955/https://www.adobe.com/motion/cher.html |archive-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref> By October 2003, it had become the most successful tour by a female artist, grossing $145&nbsp;million from 200 shows with 2.2&nbsp;million attendees.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bonin |first=Liane |author-link=Liane Bonin |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2003/10/31/chers-tour-most-successful-ever-woman |title=Cher's tour is the most successful ever by a woman |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 31, 2003|access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402083139/http://www.ew.com/article/2003/10/31/chers-tour-most-successful-ever-woman |archive-date=April 2, 2016}}</ref> The [[NBC]] special ''[[The Farewell Tour (video)|Cher: The Farewell Tour]]'' drew 17&nbsp;million viewers,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004707,00.html |title=Numbers |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=April 21, 2003 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222133237/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004707,00.html |archive-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref> becoming the highest-rated network concert special of 2003 and earning Cher the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hay|first=Carla|date=December 27, 2003|title=Tuned In: Rating Hits And Misses |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bA8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA71 |access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/cher-farewell-tour |title=''Cher: The Farewell Tour'' |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222145154/http://www.emmys.com/shows/cher-farewell-tour|archive-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref>

After leaving Warner UK in 2002, Cher signed a global deal with Warner Bros. Records in September 2003.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Melinda |date=September 13, 2003 |title=The Beat: Cher Signs Worldwide Warner Bros. Deal |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bw8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 |access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' named her the [[Forbes list of highest-earning musicians#Female|highest-paid female musician]] of 2003, earning $33.1&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/2003/06/18/cz_celebs_musicians.html|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20220727053357/https://www.forbes.com/2003/06/18/cz_celebs_musicians.html |title=The Best Paid Musicians |magazine=[[Forbes]] |date=June 18, 2003 |archive-date=July 27, 2022 |access-date=July 27, 2022}}</ref> The compilation album ''[[The Very Best of Cher]]'' (2003) peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/70667/chers-farewell-tour-beats-on|title=Cher's 'Farewell' Tour Beats On|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=June 9, 2003|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131230635/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/70667/chers-farewell-tour-beats-on|archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref> and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.<ref name=RIAA/> In the [[Farrelly brothers]]{{'}} comedy ''[[Stuck on You (film)|Stuck on You]]'' (2003), she played a satirical version of herself in a relationship with a high schooler ([[Frankie Muniz]]), referencing media scrutiny of her relationships with younger men.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/12/12/farrelly-brothers-comedy-chops-come-unglued-in-stuck-on-you/|first=Mark|last=Caro|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |title=Farrelly brothers' comedy chops come unglued in ''Stuck on You'' |date=December 12, 2003 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505062655/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-12-12/entertainment/0312120301_1_quickee-burger-farrelly-brothers-peter-and-bobby-farrelly|archive-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref>

Cher's Farewell Tour concluded in April 2005 after 325 shows, drawing over 3.5&nbsp;million attendees and grossing $250&nbsp;million, ranking among [[List of highest-grossing concert tours#2000s|the top-ten highest-grossing tours of the 2000s]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billboard-bits-stingfiction-plane-cher-hey-ya-62916/ |title=Billboard Bits: Sting/Fiction Plane, Cher, 'Hey Ya!' |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=August 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831200240/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billboard-bits-stingfiction-plane-cher-hey-ya-62916/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Forbes]] |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/03/23/with-strong-demand-for-tickets-will-chers-dressed-to-kill-tour-really-be-farewell/ |title=With Strong Demand For Tickets, Will Cher's Dressed To Kill Tour Really Be Farewell? |date=March 23, 2014 |first=Jesse |last=Lawrence |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429045520/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2014/03/23/with-strong-demand-for-tickets-will-chers-dressed-to-kill-tour-really-be-farewell/ |archive-date=April 29, 2014}}</ref> After three years of retirement,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5386479/cher-starts-australian-tour-in-newcastle/ |title=Cher starts Australian tour in Newcastle |first=Lisa |last=Rockman |date=May 8, 2018 |access-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619201532/https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5386479/cher-starts-australian-tour-in-newcastle/ |url-status=live}}</ref> she signed a $60 million&nbsp;deal for a 200-show residency at [[the Colosseum at Caesars Palace]] in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McFadden |first1=Cynthia |author-link=Cynthia McFadden |last2=Orso |first2=Alberto |last3=Ibanga |first3=Imaeyen |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/WinterConcert/story?id=4255476&page=1 |title=Cher Is Back&nbsp;... Again |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=April 30, 2008 |access-date=March 20, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320181140/https://abcnews.go.com/amp/GMA/WinterConcert/story?id=4255476 |archive-date=March 20, 2021}}</ref> Titled [[Cher (2008–2011 concert residency)|Cher]] (2008–2011), the production featured advanced stage effects and over 20 costume changes.<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 21, 2010 |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cher-announces-final-shows-of-three-year-residency-at-the-colosseum-at-caesars-palace-103420589.html |title=Cher Announces Final Shows of Three Year Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace |agency=[[PR Newswire]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201000916/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cher-announces-final-shows-of-three-year-residency-at-the-colosseum-at-caesars-palace-103420589.html |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/fashion/cher-talks-about-what-else-being-cher.html |title=Cher Talks About (What Else?) Being Cher |date=July 3, 2013 |first=Jacob |last=Bernstein |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220182150/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/fashion/cher-talks-about-what-else-being-cher.html |archive-date=December 20, 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Cher Believe D2K.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.6|alt=Cher sings on stage in a revealing bejeweled outfit with cascading silver fringe and a heart-shaped pastie on her left chest. She wears a platinum blonde wig with pink streaks.|Cher performing on the [[Dressed to Kill Tour (Cher)|Dressed to Kill Tour]] (2014)]]

Cher returned to film in ''[[Burlesque (2010 American film)|Burlesque]]'' (2010)—her first musical since ''Good Times'' (1967)—playing an intimidating nightclub owner who mentors an aspiring performer ([[Christina Aguilera]]).<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/950591/christina-aguilera-and-cher-shine-on-burlesque-soundtrack |first=Mikael|last=Wood |title=Christina Aguilera and Cher Shine on ''Burlesque'' Soundtrack |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=November 19, 2010|access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125011407/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/950591/christina-aguilera-and-cher-shine-on-burlesque-soundtrack |archive-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref> Initially met with mixed reviews and modest box office results, the film was later reassessed; ''Entertainment Weekly'' called it "a [[Camp (style)|campy]], [[Cult film|niche classic]] [that] inspired everything, from drag queen revues to viral internet moments".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/movies/burlesque-oral-history-cher-christina-aguilera/ |title=Cher, Christina Aguilera sing justice for ''Burlesque'', 10 years later |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 23, 2020 |access-date=March 29, 2025 |first=Joey |last=Nolfi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123180406/https://ew.com/movies/burlesque-oral-history-cher-christina-aguilera/ |archive-date=November 23, 2020}}</ref> Her ballad "[[You Haven't Seen the Last of Me]]", from the [[Burlesque (soundtrack)|soundtrack]], topped the [[Dance Club Songs|''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs]] chart in January 2011, making her the only artist with ''Billboard'' number-one singles in six consecutive decades (1960s–2010s).{{efn|name=BillboardNumberOnes}} After [[Voice-over|voicing]] Janet the Lioness in ''[[Zookeeper (film)|Zookeeper]]'' (2011),<ref>{{cite web |first=Roger |last=Ebert |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/zookeeper-2011 |title=A buddy comedy with a gorilla as the buddy |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129014246/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/zookeeper-2011 |archive-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref> she produced the documentary ''[[Dear Mom, Love Cher]]'' (2013). It follows her efforts to support her mother Georgia Holt's dream of becoming a singer, culminating in the release of [[Honky Tonk Woman (album)|Holt's debut album]] at age 87.<ref>{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Gilbert |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2013/05/05/cher-love-letter-her-mother/Xo0L5A4HCkVwAGJ0QA74HI/story.html |title=Cher's love letter to her mother |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=May 6, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630233040/http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2013/05/05/cher-love-letter-her-mother/Xo0L5A4HCkVwAGJ0QA74HI/story.html |archive-date=June 30, 2013}}</ref>

''[[Closer to the Truth (Cher album)|Closer to the Truth]]'' (2013), Cher's first studio album since 2001's ''Living Proof'', debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200—her highest position on that chart to date<ref name=Caulfield-2013/>—and reached the top 10 in Canada,<ref name=Cher-Billboard/> Germany,<ref name=Cher-Billboard/> Scotland<ref name=UKChartHistory/> and the UK.<ref name=UKChartHistory/> ''The Boston Globe'' wrote that "Cher's 'Goddess of Pop' sash remains in little danger of undue snatching; at 67, she sounds more convincing than [[Jennifer Lopez|J-Lo]] or [[Madonna]] reporting from 'the club'".<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael Andor |last=Brodeur |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/09/23/album-review-cher-closer-truth/ULMSsWNd4TQFU0Ywth8sdM/story.html |title=Album Review: Cher, ''Closer to the Truth'' |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=September 24, 2013 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124122911/http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/09/23/album-review-cher-closer-truth/ULMSsWNd4TQFU0Ywth8sdM/story.html |archive-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref> She premiered the lead single "[[Woman's World (Cher song)|Woman's World]]" during the [[The Voice (American TV series) season 4|season four]] finale of ''[[The Voice (U.S.)|The Voice]]''—her first live TV performance in over a decade<ref>{{cite news |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cher-celebrate-release-single-womans-192934556.html |title=Cher to Celebrate Release of New Single 'Woman's World' With Performance on Final Episode of NBC's ''The Voice'' on Tuesday, June 18th |publisher=[[Yahoo! Finance]] |date=June 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721224554/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cher-celebrate-release-single-womans-192934556.html |archive-date=July 21, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>—and returned in [[The Voice (American TV series) season 5|season five]] as team adviser to judge [[Blake Shelton]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/videos/the-voice-recap-cher-chews-out-contestant-20131016 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |title=''The Voice'' Recap: Cher Chews Out Contestant |date=October 16, 2013 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |first=Katy |last=Kroll |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112095216/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/videos/the-voice-recap-cher-chews-out-contestant-20131016 |archive-date=January 12, 2016}}</ref>

In June 2013, Cher headlined the annual [[Heritage of Pride#Events|Dance on the Pier]] benefit, celebrating LGBTQ [[Pride Day]], achieving the event's first full-capacity crowd in five years.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/07/03/its-a-womans-world-for-cher-and-all-her-fans/ |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |first=Liz |last=Smith |title=It's a 'Woman's World' for Cher – and all her fans! |date=July 3, 2013 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928065155/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-07-03/entertainment/sns-201307021400--tms--lizsmittr--x-a20130703-20130703_1_dj-gay-men-all-fans |archive-date=September 28, 2013}}</ref> She embarked on the [[Dressed to Kill Tour (Cher)|Dressed to Kill Tour]] in March 2014, over a decade after announcing her "farewell tour",<ref name=Caulfield-2014a>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/6157652/cher-tour-grosses-55-million-so-far |title=Cher Tour Grosses $55 Million (So Far) |first=Keith|last=Caulfield|date=July 15, 2014|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129174638/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/6157652/cher-tour-grosses-55-million-so-far |archive-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref> joking during shows that this would be her last farewell tour while [[Crossed fingers|crossing fingers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/sdut-cher-concert-dressed-to-kill-san-diego-review-2014jul12-story.html |date=July 12, 2014 |first=Michael James |last=Rocha |newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |access-date=January 17, 2016|title=Pop diva Cher still reigns supreme |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221557/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/sdut-cher-concert-dressed-to-kill-san-diego-review-2014jul12-story.html |archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> The tour's first leg, comprising 49 sold-out shows in North America, grossed $54.9&nbsp;million.<ref name=Caulfield-2014a/> Later that year, she canceled all remaining dates due to a kidney infection.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/6327218/cher-cancels-remaining-tour-dates-to-recover |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |date=November 20, 2014 |first=Diana |last=Swartz |title=Cher Cancels Remaining Tour Dates to Recover |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131225105/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/6327218/cher-cancels-remaining-tour-dates-to-recover |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref> Cher collaborated with American [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] group [[Wu-Tang Clan]] on their 2015 album ''[[Once Upon a Time in Shaolin]]'', credited under her 1964 alias, Bonnie Jo Mason.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=January 17, 2016|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/cher-wu-tang-collaborate-for-two-songs-on-secret-album-20140507|title=Cher, Wu-Tang Clan Collaborate for Two Songs on Secret Album |first=Jason |last=Newman |date=May 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231145714/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/cher-wu-tang-collaborate-for-two-songs-on-secret-album-20140507 |archive-date=December 31, 2015}}</ref> The album, produced as a single copy and sold via online auction,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/11/24/wu-tang-clan-secret-album-sold-by-paddle8-but-to-whom/ |magazine=[[Forbes]] |title=Wu-Tang Clan Secret Album Sold By Paddle8, But To Whom? |first=Zack O'Malley |last=Greenburg |author-link=Zack O'Malley Greenburg |date=November 24, 2015 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119060743/https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/11/24/wu-tang-clan-secret-album-sold-by-paddle8-but-to-whom/ |archive-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> became the most expensive album ever sold.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/11/24/new-details-emerge-on-wu-tang-clan-secret-album-sale/ |title=New Details Emerge On Wu-Tang Clan Secret Album Sale |magazine=[[Forbes]] |access-date=January 6, 2019 |archive-date=September 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921002622/https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/11/24/new-details-emerge-on-wu-tang-clan-secret-album-sale/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2015–2022: ABBA-inspired projects and fashion ventures ===
[[File:Classic Cher 4 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Cher wearing an elaborate bejeweled costume with a veil, singing into a microphone while seated atop a large, ornately decorated mechanical elephant during a stage performance.|Cher performing during her [[Classic Cher]] residency in 2017]]

[[Classic Cher]], a three-year concert residency at the [[Dolby Live|Park Theater]] in Las Vegas and [[MGM National Harbor|The Theater at MGM National Harbor]] in Washington, D.C., began in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web |first=Macon |last=Prickett |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Legendary-Superstar-Cher-Announces-Additional-2018-Vegas-Dates-20180319 |title=Legendary Superstar Cher Announces Additional 2018 Vegas Dates |website=[[BroadwayWorld]] |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727203708/https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Legendary-Superstar-Cher-Announces-Additional-2018-Vegas-Dates-20180319 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the [[2017 Billboard Music Awards|2017 ''Billboard'' Music Awards]], Cher performed "Believe" and "If I Could Turn Back Time", her first awards show performance in over 15 years. [[Gwen Stefani]] presented Cher with the [[Billboard Icon Award|''Billboard'' Icon Award]], calling her the "definition of the word Icon" and a role model of strength and authenticity.<ref name=Lewis-2017>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cher-accepts-icon-award-at-billboard-music-awards-2017-1005047 |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=May 21, 2017 |last=Lewis |first=Hilary |access-date=August 15, 2017 |title=Cher Accepts Icon Award at ''Billboard'' Music Awards 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816014420/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cher-accepts-icon-award-at-billboard-music-awards-2017-1005047 |archive-date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> In March 2018, Cher headlined the 40th [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]], with tickets selling out in three hours after she hinted at her involvement on [[Twitter]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Christopher |last=Knaus |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/30/chers-sydney-mardi-gras-tweet-fans-tickets-sold-out |title=Cher's Sydney Mardi Gras tweet sends fans scrambling for tickets |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 30, 2017 |access-date=June 23, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511081438/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/30/chers-sydney-mardi-gras-tweet-fans-tickets-sold-out |archive-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref>

Cher returned to film after nearly a decade in ''[[Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again]]'' (2018), a [[jukebox musical]] romantic comedy based on the songs of [[ABBA]]. Serving as both a prequel and a sequel to the 2008 film ''[[Mamma Mia! (film)|Mamma Mia!]]'', it features Cher as Ruby Sheridan, the grandmother of Sophie ([[Amanda Seyfried]]) and mother of Donna (Meryl Streep).<ref>{{cite web |first=Emily |last=Bruno |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Cher-No-Meryl-What-We-Learned-From-the-MAMMA-MIA-2-Trailer-20171221 |title=Grandma Cher, No Meryl? What We Learned From the ''Mamma Mia! 2'' Trailer |website=[[BroadwayWorld]] |date=December 21, 2017 |access-date=June 23, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511013142/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Cher-No-Meryl-What-We-Learned-From-the-MAMMA-MIA-2-Trailer-20171221 |archive-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref> Director [[Ol Parker]] addressed casting Cher as Streep's mother despite their three-year age difference by stating, "Cher exists outside of time."<ref name=shonfaye>{{cite magazine |first=Shon |last=Faye |author-link=Shon Faye |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/40777/1/cher-review-mamma-mia-2-here-we-go-again |title=A review of Cher and only Cher, in the new ''Mamma Mia'' |magazine=[[Dazed]] |access-date=January 9, 2019 |archive-date=May 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516213522/https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/40777/1/cher-review-mamma-mia-2-here-we-go-again |url-status=live}}</ref> Critics highlighted her performance as a standout, with ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' remarking, "Every single movie&nbsp;... would be infinitely better if it included Cher."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/07/cher-should-be-in-every-single-movie.html |title=Cher Should Be in Every Single Movie |first1=Vivian |last1=Olen |first2=Matt |last2=Harkins |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |date=July 17, 2018 |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620004030/https://www.vulture.com/2018/07/cher-should-be-in-every-single-movie.html |url-status=live}}</ref> For the [[Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: The Movie Soundtrack|soundtrack]], she recorded two ABBA songs, "[[Fernando (song)#Cher version|Fernando]]" and "[[Super Trouper (song)#Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again version|Super Trouper]]".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Julie |date=July 19, 2018 |title=''Mamma Mia'': Why Cher Chose Playing Meryl Streep's Mother Over Her Best Friend |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/07/mamma-mia-cher-meryl-streep |access-date=May 27, 2024 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |archive-date=June 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608094601/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/07/mamma-mia-cher-meryl-streep |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Björn Ulvaeus]] of ABBA commented, "She makes 'Fernando' her own. It's her song now."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44857367 |title=Abba say 'Fernando' is Cher's song now |date=July 17, 2018 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |archive-date=August 23, 2020 |access-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823033418/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44857367 |url-status=live}}</ref>

While promoting ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'', Cher announced that she was recording an album of ABBA covers.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Cher records album of ABBA covers|url=https://www.list.co.uk/article/102044-cher-records-album-of-abba-covers/|magazine=[[The List (magazine)|The List]]|access-date=July 17, 2018|date=July 17, 2018|archive-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619210404/https://www.list.co.uk/article/102044-cher-records-album-of-abba-covers/|url-status=live}}</ref> Her 26th studio album, ''[[Dancing Queen (album)|Dancing Queen]]'' (2018), debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, tying with 2013's ''Closer to the Truth'' as her highest-charting solo album in the US.<ref name=cttt-record>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/cher-dancing-queen-billboard-200-no-3/|title=Cher Ties Solo-Career-Best Rank on Billboard 200 as ''Dancing Queen'' Debuts at No. 3|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=October 7, 2018|access-date=October 7, 2018|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725021736/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8478578/cher-dancing-queen-billboard-200-no-3|url-status=live}}</ref> With first-week sales of 153,000&nbsp;units, it achieved the year's largest sales week for a pop album by a female artist.<ref name=cttt-record/> ''Dancing Queen'' received widespread critical acclaim; ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that Cher makes the ABBA songs sound as if they were written for her,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-cher-dancing-queen-abba-mamma-mia-730316/ |title=Review: Cher Lovingly Updates ABBA's Hits on ''Dancing Queen'' |last=Spanos |first=Brittany |date=September 28, 2018 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531064355/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-cher-dancing-queen-abba-mamma-mia-730316/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Entertainment Weekly'' called it her "most significant release since 1998's ''Believe''".<ref name=ew2018>{{cite news |url=https://ew.com/music/2018/09/28/cher-dancing-queen-review/ |title=Cher sends ABBA into disco bliss on ''Dancing Queen'' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=September 28, 2018 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620092634/https://ew.com/music/2018/09/28/cher-dancing-queen-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:CherO2201019-6 (48933060976) cropped.jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=Cher performs on stage in an elaborate blue costume with metallic accents and shoulder embellishments, wearing a voluminous bright blue wig with bangs.|Cher performing on the [[Here We Go Again Tour]] in 2019]]

Cher's [[Here We Go Again Tour]] ran from 2018 until its indefinite postponement in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Daniel |last=Kreps |date=September 7, 2018 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-announces-here-we-go-again-tour-in-support-of-abba-tribute-lp-720385/ |title=Cher Announces Here We Go Again Tour in Support of ABBA Tribute LP |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=January 26, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725172636/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-announces-here-we-go-again-tour-in-support-of-abba-tribute-lp-720385/ |archive-date=July 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://heritagebankcenter.com/event/2020/09/canceled-cher-here-we-go-again-2020-tour |publisher=[[Heritage Bank Center]] |title=Canceled: Cher – Here We Go Again 2020 Tour |date=September 14, 2020 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613165823/https://heritagebankcenter.com/event/2020/09/canceled-cher-here-we-go-again-2020-tour |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' deemed the tour proof that Cher "can wipe the floor with any pop star from any generation".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 3, 2019 |last=Spanos |first=Brittany |title=Cher Succeeds at Everything She Does During Brooklyn 'Here We Go Again' Stop |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/cher-tour-review-barclays-center-brooklyn-abba-mamma-mia-829976/ |access-date=March 18, 2025 |archive-date=October 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017205807/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/cher-tour-review-barclays-center-brooklyn-abba-mamma-mia-829976/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Cher Show (musical)|The Cher Show]]'', a jukebox musical with three actresses playing Cher at different stages of her life, premiered in Chicago in June 2018 and ran on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] from December 2018 to August 2019,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Oxman |first=Steven |url=https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/cher-show-review-chicago-broadway-1202861646/ |title=''Cher Show'' Review: Pre-Broadway Run in Chicago Opened June 28 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=June 29, 2018 |access-date=July 14, 2018 |archive-date=April 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424032021/https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/cher-show-review-chicago-broadway-1202861646/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Adam |last=Hetrick |date=August 18, 2019 |title=Broadway's The Cher Show Takes Final Bow August 18 |url=https://playbill.com/article/broadways-the-cher-show-takes-final-bow-august-18 |magazine=[[Playbill]] |access-date=November 22, 2024}}</ref> later touring the UK, Ireland and the US.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Meg |last=Masseron |date=May 28, 2019 |title=The Cher Show Will Embark on National Tour This Fall |url=https://playbill.com/article/the-cher-show-will-embark-on-national-tour-this-fall |magazine=[[Playbill]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240625092625/https://playbill.com/article/the-cher-show-will-embark-on-national-tour-this-fall |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Dan |last=Meyer |date=May 10, 2022 |title=The Cher Show Is Heading to UK and Ireland in a New Production |url=https://playbill.com/article/the-cher-show-is-heading-to-uk-and-ireland-in-a-new-production |magazine=[[Playbill]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=May 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526045709/https://playbill.com/article/the-cher-show-is-heading-to-uk-and-ireland-in-a-new-production |url-status=live}}</ref> On December 2, 2018, [[Whoopi Goldberg]] presented Cher with the [[Kennedy Center Honors]] for her "extraordinary contributions to culture",<ref name=kennedy>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/arts/kennedy-center-cher-hamilton.html|title=Kennedy Center 2018 Honorees Include Cher and ''Hamilton''. Will President Trump Attend?|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 25, 2018|archive-date=April 6, 2020|access-date=July 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406205656/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/arts/kennedy-center-cher-hamilton.html|url-status=live}}</ref> with tribute performances by [[Adam Lambert]], [[Cyndi Lauper]] and [[Little Big Town]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/adam-lambert-scorches-kennedy-center-honors-with-ballad-version-of-chers-believe-watch/ar-BBRupwE|title=Adam Lambert and Cyndi Lauper Tribute Cher at Kennedy Center Honors: Watch the Performances|publisher=[[MSN]]|access-date=November 11, 2019|archive-date=November 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111145531/https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/adam-lambert-scorches-kennedy-center-honors-with-ballad-version-of-chers-believe-watch/ar-BBRupwE|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2019, she launched Cher Eau de Couture, a "[[Gender neutrality|genderless]]" follow-up to her 1988 fragrance Uninhibited.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/cher-eau-de-couture-perfume.html |title=Cher Shares Some Thoughts on Perfume |first=Erica |last=Smith |date=November 4, 2019 |magazine=[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]] |access-date=November 13, 2019 |archive-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105041747/https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/cher-eau-de-couture-perfume.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Cher focused on projects that could be completed from home. In May, she released her first Spanish-language song, a cover of ABBA's "[[Chiquitita#Cher version|Chiquitita]]", with proceeds donated to [[UNICEF]].<ref name=coronavirus>{{Cite magazine |first=Ian |last=Drew |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9370577/cher-coronavirus-interview |date=May 4, 2020 |title=How Cher Is Combatting Coronavirus: Exclusive |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530013608/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9370577/cher-coronavirus-interview |url-status=live}}</ref> Later that year, she voiced a [[bobblehead]] version of herself in ''[[Bobbleheads: The Movie]]''<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Nick |last=Romano |url=https://ew.com/movies/cher-bobbleheads-trailer/ |title=Cher voices her own bobblehead in exclusive animated ''Bobbleheads'' trailer |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017221458/https://ew.com/movies/cher-bobbleheads-trailer/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and joined the [[charity supergroup]] BBC Radio 2 Allstars for a cover of [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]' "[[Stop Crying Your Heart Out#BBC Radio 2 Allstars charity single|Stop Crying Your Heart Out]]". The recording, made in support of the [[Children in Need]] charity,<ref>{{cite web |first=Jack |last=White |title=All-star BBC Children in Need charity single announced |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/bbc-radio-2s-allstars-including-cher-kylie-and-robbie-williams-to-release-stop-crying-your-heart-out-cover-for-bbc-children-in-need__31577/ |access-date=November 13, 2020 |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |archive-date=November 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110131011/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/bbc-radio-2s-allstars-including-cher-kylie-and-robbie-williams-to-release-stop-crying-your-heart-out-cover-for-bbc-children-in-need__31577/ |url-status=live}}</ref> became a UK top-ten single.<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Singles Chart on 20/11/2020 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20201120/7501/ |access-date=January 26, 2025 |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128135011/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20201120/7501/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Cher was featured in ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]''{{'}}s annual "Best Actors" list for 2020,<ref name=Morris-2020>{{Cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Wesley|last2=Scott |first2=A. O.|date=December 9, 2020 |title=The Best Actors of 2020 |magazine=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/09/magazine/best-actors.html |access-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-date=December 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224004733/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/09/magazine/best-actors.html |url-status=live}}</ref> becoming the first actor included without appearing in a theatrical release that year;<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hays|first=Kali|date=December 9, 2020|title=TV and Taylor Swift to the Rescue for ''New York Times Mag''{{'}}s Great Performers Issue|url=https://wwd.com/business-news/media/nyt-great-performers-2020-list-tv-tiktok-michaela-coel-sarah-cooper-1234672957/|access-date=February 17, 2021|magazine=[[Women's Wear Daily]]|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212160310/https://wwd.com/business-news/media/nyt-great-performers-2020-list-tv-tiktok-michaela-coel-sarah-cooper-1234672957/|url-status=live}}</ref> her performance in ''Moonstruck'' (1987) was praised as "radiant" and a source of comfort during [[COVID-19 lockdowns|quarantine]].<ref name=Morris-2020/>

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Cher collaborated with major fashion brands. After attending the 2015 [[Met Gala]] as [[Marc Jacobs]]' guest, Cher became the face of his Fall/Winter campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/cher-stars-new-marc-jacobs-ad-article-1.2237957 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |first=Elizabeth |last=Vanmetre |date=May 27, 2015 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |title=Cher looks beautiful in new Marc Jacobs ad |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128072617/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/cher-stars-new-marc-jacobs-ad-article-1.2237957|archive-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref> She then starred alongside rapper [[Future (rapper)|Future]] in [[Gap Inc.|Gap]]'s Fall 2017 campaign,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a12235096/cher-future-gap-campaign/ |first=Lauren Alexis |last=Fisher |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |title=Cher and Future Team Up For The Duet You Never Knew You Needed |date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916052007/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a12235096/cher-future-gap-campaign/ |archive-date=September 16, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2025}}</ref> followed by [[Dean and Dan Caten|Dsquared2]]'s Spring/Summer 2020 campaign,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://vmagazine.com/article/cher-stars-in-dsquared2-ss20-campaign/ |title=Cher Stars in Dsquared2 SS20 Campaign |magazine=[[V (American magazine)|V]] |date=February 4, 2020 |access-date=February 8, 2020 |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619054001/https://vmagazine.com/article/cher-stars-in-dsquared2-ss20-campaign/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[MAC Cosmetics]]' "Challenge Accepted" campaign in January 2022 and [[UGG (brand)|UGG]]'s "Feel" campaign the same month.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/shop/saweetie-cher-mac-challenge-accepted-campaign-1235146625/ |title=Cher and Saweetie Make a Glamorous Duo in Mac's Challenge Accepted Campaign |first=Anna |last=Tingley |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 5, 2022 |access-date=January 23, 2022 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125053924/https://variety.com/shop/saweetie-cher-mac-challenge-accepted-campaign-1235146625/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/55161/1/youd-better-believe-it-cher-is-the-new-face-of-ugg-boots-feel-campaign |title=You'd better believe it! Cher is the new face of UGG |date=January 4, 2022 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=November 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231125003631/https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/55161/1/youd-better-believe-it-cher-is-the-new-face-of-ugg-boots-feel-campaign |url-status=live}}</ref> For [[Pride Month]] in June 2022, Cher partnered with [[Versace]] to launch the "Chersace" [[Capsule wardrobe|capsule collection]], with proceeds benefiting the LGBTQIA+ charity Gender Spectrum.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://crfashionbook.com/cher-partners-with-versace-for-chersace-collection/ |title=Cher Partners with Versace for 'Chersace' Collection |magazine=[[CR Fashion Book]] |date=June 7, 2022 |accessdate=June 26, 2022 |archive-date=June 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625082327/https://crfashionbook.com/cher-partners-with-versace-for-chersace-collection/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2022, she walked the runway at [[Paris Fashion Week]], closing [[Balmain (fashion house)|Balmain]]'s Spring/Summer 2023 show, and in November, she starred in the brand's "Balmain Blaze" campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/sep/29/cher-steals-the-balmain-show-at-paris-fashion-week |title=Cher steals the Balmain show at Paris fashion week |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 29, 2022 |last=Ferrier |first=Morwenna}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/the-new-face-of-the-balmain-blaze-bag-cher-talks-fashion-politics-and-boyfriends |first=Lynn |last=Yaeger |author-link=Lynn Yaeger |title=The New Face of the Balmain Blaze Bag, Cher Talks Fashion, Politics and Boyfriends |magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] |date=November 7, 2022 |access-date=November 20, 2024 |archive-date=December 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224211547/https://www.vogue.com/article/the-new-face-of-the-balmain-blaze-bag-cher-talks-fashion-politics-and-boyfriends |url-status=live}}</ref> That month, Cher confirmed she was dating music executive Alexander Edwards, 40 years her junior. Their age gap sparked criticism online, which she addressed by tweeting, "Love doesn't know math."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Perry |first=Whitney |date=February 17, 2025 |title=Cher and Alexander Edwards: A Complete Relationship Timeline |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/cher-alexander-edwards-relationship-timeline |magazine=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]] |access-date=June 9, 2025}}</ref> Cher's mother, Georgia Holt, died in December 2022 at the age of 96.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cain |first=Sian |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Georgia Holt, actor, singer and Cher's mother, dies aged 96 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/12/georgia-holt-actor-singer-and-chers-mother-dies-aged-96 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212012742/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/12/georgia-holt-actor-singer-and-chers-mother-dies-aged-96 |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |access-date=August 3, 2025 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

=== 2023–present: Christmas album, Rock Hall induction and memoirs ===
Cher's first holiday album, ''[[Christmas (Cher album)|Christmas]]'' (2023), features duets with Cyndi Lauper, [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Michael Bublé]], [[Darlene Love]] and rapper [[Tyga]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-holiday-album-single-dj-play-a-christmas-song-1234847962/ |title=Cher Is Making Requests on Holiday Single 'DJ Play a Christmas Song' |date=October 6, 2023 |last=Paul |first=Larisha |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=November 1, 2023 |archive-date=October 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006153911/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-holiday-album-single-dj-play-a-christmas-song-1234847962/ |url-status=live}}</ref> It reached number one at the [[Top Holiday Albums|''Billboard'' Top Holiday Albums]] chart,<ref name=Cher-Billboard/> as well as the top 10 in Austria,<ref>{{cite web |language=de |url=https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=Christmas&cat=a |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214214159/https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Cher&titel=Christmas&cat=a |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |url-status=live |title=Austriancharts.at – Cher – ''Christmas'' |publisher=Hung Medien}}</ref> Germany,<ref name=Cher-Billboard/> Scotland<ref name=UKChartHistory/> and the UK.<ref name=Cher-Billboard/> The album's lead single, "[[DJ Play a Christmas Song]]", topped the ''Billboard'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] and [[Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales]] charts in December 2023,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cher-dj-play-a-christmas-song-number-one-adult-contemporary-chart-1235520898/ |title=Cher's 'DJ Play a Christmas Song' Dashes to No. 1 on Adult Contemporary Chart |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=December 1, 2023 |access-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-date=December 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226220757/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/cher-dj-play-a-christmas-song-number-one-adult-contemporary-chart-1235520898/ |url-status=live}}</ref> extending Cher's record as the only solo artist with ''Billboard'' number-one singles in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s).{{efn|name=BillboardNumberOnes}}

In December 2023, Cher criticized the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] for excluding her since becoming eligible in 1990, saying, "I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars", and suggesting the institution "can just you-know-what themselves".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=October 4, 2024 |title=Cher Thought: 'What Do I Have to Do to Get Into the Rock Hall?' |url=https://people.com/cher-thought-what-do-i-have-to-do-to-get-into-rock-hall-8732359 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207081159/https://people.com/cher-thought-what-do-i-have-to-do-to-get-into-rock-hall-8732359 |url-status=live}}</ref> Two months later, she received her first nomination and was [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees|inducted]] on October 19, 2024, becoming the first performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<ref name=rockhall1>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=February 10, 2024 |title=Rock Hall Fame Nominees Include Cher, Mariah Carey and Sinéad O'Connor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/arts/music/rock-hall-fame-nominees-cher-mariah-sinead.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212012426/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/arts/music/rock-hall-fame-nominees-cher-mariah-sinead.html/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=rockhall2>{{cite magazine |first=Annie |last=Zaleski |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/rock-roll-hall-fame-cher-foreigner-cleveland-induction-ceremony-1236183988/ |title=Cher on Her 'Love-Hate Relationship' with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction, Peter Frampton on Being 'Scared' to Come and Other Highlights from the Cleveland Ceremony |date=October 20, 2024 |access-date=December 20, 2024 |archive-date=December 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208051623/https://variety.com/2024/music/news/rock-roll-hall-fame-cher-foreigner-cleveland-induction-ceremony-1236183988/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=rockhall3>{{cite web |title=Cher |url=https://rockhall.com/inductees/cher/ |publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825114739/https://rockhall.com/inductees/cher/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Cher decided to accept the honor out of admiration for her fellow inductees.<ref name=rockhall2/> At the ceremony, she performed "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "Believe", the latter as a duet with [[Dua Lipa]].<ref name=rockhall2/>

In May 2024, Cher won a legal dispute against [[Mary Bono]], the widow of Sonny Bono, over royalties from her recordings with him. Under a 1978 divorce settlement, Cher was entitled to half the publishing revenue, but Mary Bono stopped payments in 2021 after invoking a copyright termination clause. A federal judge ruled that the royalties were a separate contractual obligation and ordered her to pay Cher around $418,000 in withheld earnings.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=May 30, 2024 |title=Cher wins royalties lawsuit against Sonny Bono's widow |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/may/30/cher-wins-royalties-lawsuit-against-sonny-bonos-widow |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530092317/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/may/30/cher-wins-royalties-lawsuit-against-sonny-bonos-widow |archive-date=May 30, 2024 |access-date=July 15, 2025 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In September, Cher withdrew a [[conservatorship]] petition over her son Elijah, originally filed in December 2023 due to concerns about his ongoing substance abuse. The court had earlier denied her requests for temporary control, citing Elijah's demonstrated ability to manage his affairs. The matter was resolved privately.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Dillon |first=Nancy |date=September 13, 2024 |title=Cher Ends Conservatorship Battle With Son Elijah Blue Allman |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-conservatorship-son-elijah-blue-allman-1235101811/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913200349/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-conservatorship-son-elijah-blue-allman-1235101811/ |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |access-date=July 15, 2025 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>

To celebrate 60 years in music, Cher released the compilation album ''[[Forever (Cher album)|Forever]]'' (2024), available as a 21-track standard edition and a 40-track digital edition, ''Forever Fan'', featuring Sonny & Cher songs and lesser-known tracks curated by Cher.<ref name=forever-fan>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/offensive-songs-cher-rolling-stones-censorship-1235087496/ |title='Half-Breed' and 'Brown Sugar' Vanished: Why Classic Artists Are Censoring Themselves |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |first=David |last=Browne |author-link=David Browne (journalist) |date=September 1, 2024 |access-date=November 21, 2024 |archive-date=November 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241121185251/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/offensive-songs-cher-rolling-stones-censorship-1235087496/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' noted the absence of "Half-Breed", her third ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one, linking it to a trend of artists [[Self-censorship|reevaluating their catalogs]] in light of changing [[Cultural sensitivity|cultural sensitivities]].<ref name=forever-fan/> In November 2024, she published ''[[Cher: The Memoir|Cher: The Memoir, Part One]]'', the first of a two-part autobiography covering her childhood and early career.<ref name=HRJul24>{{cite magazine |last=Perez |first=Lexy |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/cher-memoir-two-parts-1235956701/ |title=Cher's Memoir to Be Released in Two Parts, First Will Publish in November |date=July 24, 2024 |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |accessdate=July 26, 2024 |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725220307/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/cher-memoir-two-parts-1235956701/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Written over seven years,<ref name=HRJul24/> it debuted at number one on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]], holding the position for three weeks.<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/12/08/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/ |title=Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 8, 2024 |access-date=November 30, 2024 |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204222504/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/12/08/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/12/15/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/ |title=Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 15, 2024 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207201336/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/12/15/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2024/12/21/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/ |title=Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 21, 2024 |access-date=December 12, 2024}}</ref> The second part is set for release on May 19, 2026, on the eve of her 80th birthday.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Cher to Turn Back Time With ''The Memoir, Part One'' |first=Angie |last=Martoccio |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-announces-memoir-part-one-1235066725/ |access-date=July 24, 2024 |date=July 24, 2024 |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724175646/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-announces-memoir-part-one-1235066725/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Artistry ==
=== Music and voice ===
Cher has explored diverse musical styles, including [[Rock music|rock]] ([[Folk rock|folk]], [[Punk rock|punk]], [[arena rock|arena]] and [[Pop rock|pop]] subgenres), [[Soul music|soul]], [[jazz]], [[Disco music|disco]], [[new wave music|new wave]], [[power ballad]]s, [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] and [[electronic dance music]],<ref name=rockhall3/>{{sfn|Tawa|2005|p=217}} aiming to "remain relevant and do work that strikes a chord".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Flick |first=Larry |date=October 31, 1998 |title=Cher Wants You to ''Believe'' in Pop |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> Music historian [[Annie Zaleski]] wrote in Cher's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction essay that she sings "nearly every style of music" effortlessly.<ref name=rockhall3/> Cher's music often centers on [[Broken heart|heartbreak]], independence and [[women's empowerment]], making her a "brokenhearted symbol of a strong but decidedly single woman", according to ''[[Out (magazine)|Out]]''{{'}}s Judy Wieder.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |last=Wieder |first=Judy |title=Cher shares |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qWIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52 |date=May 2002 |access-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]''{{'}}s Phill Marder credited Cher's musical success to her "nearly flawless" song selection, noting that while Sonny Bono contributed to early hits, most of her solo successes came from independent songwriters she chose.<ref name=Marder-2010>{{cite magazine |first=Phill |last=Marder |url=https://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/rock-hall-of-fame-would-be-a-lot-sunnier-with-cher |title=Rock Hall of Fame would be a lot sunnier with Cher |magazine=[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]] |date=November 15, 2010 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211102306/http://www.goldminemag.com/blogs/rock-hall-of-fame-would-be-a-lot-sunnier-with-cher |archive-date=February 11, 2016}}</ref> Her 2000 album ''Not Commercial'', largely self-written, has a "1970s [[singer-songwriter]] feel" that highlights her [[storytelling]] skills, according to AllMusic's [[Promis (musician)|Jose F. Promis]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Promis |first=Jose F. |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/notcommercial-mw0000968870 |title=''Not.Com.mercial'' – Cher |access-date=January 18, 2016 |work=[[AllMusic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201062105/http://www.allmusic.com/album/notcommercial-mw0000968870 |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref>

[[File:CherO2201019-44 (48932502383) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|alt=Cher sings on stage with one arm extended, wearing a black sheer bodysuit adorned with sparkling embellishments and dark curly hair cascading down.|Cher performing on the Here We Go Again Tour in 2019]]

[[Robert Hilburn]] of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote, "There were a lot of great records by female singers in the early days of rock&nbsp;... None, however, reflected the authority and command that we associate with rock 'n' roll today as much as [Cher's] key early hits".<ref name=Hilburn-2002>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-18-ca-hilburn18-story.html|first=Robert|last=Hilburn|author-link=Robert Hilburn|title=Written Off&nbsp;... Unfairly?|date=August 18, 2002|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203165909/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/aug/18/entertainment/ca-hilburn18|archive-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> Some of Cher's early songs discuss subjects rarely addressed in American popular music such as divorce, prostitution, unplanned and underaged pregnancy, and racism.<ref name=Marder-2010/> According to AllMusic's Joe Viglione, the 1972 single "The Way of Love" is "either about a woman expressing her love for another woman or a woman saying au revoir to a gay male she loved".<ref name=wayoflove>{{cite web |last=Viglione |first=Joe |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/gypsys-tramps-thieves-mw0000309635 |title=''Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves'' – Cher |access-date=January 18, 2016 |work=[[AllMusic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201025643/http://www.allmusic.com/album/gypsys-tramps-thieves-mw0000309635 |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> Her ability to carry both male and female ranges allowed her to sing solo in [[Androgyny|androgynous]] and gender-neutral songs.<ref name=wayoflove/>

Cher's [[contralto]] voice has been praised for its distinctiveness.<ref>{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Holden |title=Cabaret Review; On Life's Rough-and-Tumble, via Mama's Tender Heart |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 18, 1997 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/18/arts/cabaret-review-on-life-s-rough-and-tumble-via-mama-s-tender-heart.html |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165743/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/18/arts/cabaret-review-on-life-s-rough-and-tumble-via-mama-s-tender-heart.html |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> Ann Powers of ''The New York Times'' described it as "a quintessential rock voice: impure, quirky [and] a fine vehicle for projecting personality."<ref>{{cite news|last=Powers|first=Ann|author-link=Ann Powers|title=Pop Review; Quirky but Real, the Beat Goes On|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 7, 1999|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/07/arts/pop-review-quirky-but-real-the-beat-goes-on.html |access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120743/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/07/arts/pop-review-quirky-but-real-the-beat-goes-on.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> Zaleski called her [[timbre]] "recognizable, dusky and sultry, like exquisite black velvet", with a [[Vocal range|wide range]] and "warbling" [[vibrato]].<ref name=rockhall3/> AllMusic's Bruce Eder stated that her voice's "intensity and passion" are amplified by her acting skills, creating "an incredibly powerful experience for the listener".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/half-breed-mw0000615307 |title=''Half-Breed'' – Cher |first=Bruce |last=Eder |access-date=January 18, 2016 |work=[[AllMusic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201062140/http://www.allmusic.com/album/half-breed-mw0000615307 |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> ''The Guardian''{{'}}s Laura Snapes called her voice "miraculous", capable of expressing "vulnerability, vengeance and pain" simultaneously.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/sep/28/cher-dancing-queen-review-ingenious-abba-dabbling |title=Cher: ''Dancing Queen'' review – ingenious Abba-dabbling |first=Laura |last=Snapes |date=September 28, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=September 28, 2018 |archive-date=March 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301204253/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/sep/28/cher-dancing-queen-review-ingenious-abba-dabbling |url-status=live}}</ref> Zaleski added that her vocal delivery feels like "a direct line to her soul",<ref name=rockhall3/> while author Paul Simpson observed that "she spits out the words&nbsp;... with such conviction you'd think she was delivering an eternal truth about the human condition".{{sfn|Simpson|2003|p=116}}

{{Listen
|filename=Believe - Cher.ogg
|title="Believe" (1998)
|description="[[Believe (Cher song)|Believe]]" pioneered the use of [[Auto-Tune]] to intentionally distort vocals—a technique later known as the "Cher effect".
|filename2=Believe - Cher (No Auto-Tune).ogg
|title2="Believe" without Auto-Tune
|description2=For comparison, Auto-Tune is not applied in this section.}}

Writing about Cher's musical output during the 1960s, Hilburn stated that "no one matched the pure, seductive wallop of Cher".<ref name=Hilburn-2002/> By contrast, her vocal performances during the 1970s were described by Eder as "dramatic, highly intense&nbsp;... [and] almost as much 'acted' as sung".<ref name=Eder/> First heard in the 1980 record ''Black Rose'',{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=142}} Cher employed sharper, more aggressive vocals on her hard rock-oriented albums, establishing her sexually confident image.<ref name=lovehurts-ew/> For the 1995 album ''It's a Man's World'', she restrained her vocals, singing in higher registers and without vibrato.<ref name=Bessman-1996/>

Cher's 1998 song "Believe" was the first commercial recording to use [[Auto-Tune]]—an [[audio processor]] for correcting [[off-key]] vocals—as a stylistic effect, creating a robotic, futuristic sound.<ref name=Sillitoe-1999>{{cite magazine |last1=Sillitoe |first1=Sue |last2=Bell |first2=Matt |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/recording-cher-believe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229092557/https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/recording-cher-believe |url-status=live |archive-date=December 29, 2024 |title=Recording Cher's 'Believe' |magazine=[[Sound on Sound]] |date=February 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Flashback: Cher Brings the Future of Pop to ''Top of the Pops'' With 'Believe' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-believe-top-of-pops-737084/ |last=Weingarten |first=Christopher R. |access-date=December 20, 2024 |date=October 15, 2018 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620060908/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cher-believe-top-of-pops-737084/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Cher, who proposed the effect,<ref name=autotune-nytimes>{{cite news |title=Cher Resurrected, Again, by a Hit; The Long, Hard but Serendipitous Road to 'Believe' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/11/arts/cher-resurrected-again-by-a-hit-the-long-hard-but-serendipitous-road-to-believe.html |first=Neil |last=Strauss |author-link=Neil Strauss |date=March 11, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102162318/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/11/arts/cher-resurrected-again-by-a-hit-the-long-hard-but-serendipitous-road-to-believe.html |archive-date=November 2, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=live}}</ref> faced resistance from her label but insisted it remain, saying, "You can change [the song] over my dead body".<ref name=autotune-nytimes/> Dubbed the "Cher effect",<ref name=Sillitoe-1999/> the technique was later described by ''Pitchfork''{{'}}s [[Simon Reynolds]] as having "revolutionized the sound of popular music" and as "the sound of the 21st century".<ref>{{cite web |title=How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/how-auto-tune-revolutionized-the-sound-of-popular-music/ |first=Simon |last=Reynolds |author-link=Simon Reynolds |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=September 17, 2018 |access-date=December 21, 2024 |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726001852/https://pitchfork.com/features/article/how-auto-tune-revolutionized-the-sound-of-popular-music/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Cher used Auto-Tune extensively on ''Living Proof'' (2001) and later albums.<ref name=ew2018/>

=== Acting style and screen persona ===
{{Further|Cher filmography}}
[[File:Good Times 3.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Cher with a voluminous blonde bouffant hairstyle and winged eyeliner, wearing a gold sequined top while seated in a red booth.|Cher in ''[[Good Times (film)|Good Times]]'' (1967), her first leading film role]]

''[[Maclean's]]'' magazine's Barbara Wickens described Cher as "probably the most fascinating [[movie star]] of her generation", highlighting her "magnetic" screen presence and her ability to be both "boldly [[shock value|shocking]]" and "ultimately enigmatic".<ref name=Wickens-1989>{{cite magazine |title=The Cher Effect |url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1989/3/6/the-cher-effect |date=March 6, 1989 |last=Wickens |first=Barbara |magazine=[[Maclean's]] |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620073930/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1989/3/6/the-cher-effect |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Film Comment'' wrote, "For Cher is a star. That is, she manages the movie star trick of being at once a character and at the same time never allowing you to forget: that's Cher."{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=86–87}} ''[[New York Post]]'' critic [[David Edelstein]] attributed Cher's "top-ranking [[Charisma|star quality]]" to her capacity for projecting "honesty, rawness and emotionality", adding that she "wears her vulnerability on her sleeve".<ref name=Wickens-1989/> ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine's [[David Denby]] pointed to her distinctive appearance as a key factor in her appeal, describing her look as "odd, a bit oriental and snaky" and suggesting that it aligns with "the traditional definition of a Hollywood star—that you always want to see more".<ref name=Wickens-1989/>

Author Yvonne Tasker noted that Cher's film roles mirror her public image as a rebellious, sexually autonomous and [[self-made woman]].{{sfn|Tasker|2002|pp=191–192}} She often portrays women who help [[Social exclusion|marginalized]] male characters navigate mainstream society.{{sfn|Negra|2001|pp=170–177}} This perception was reinforced in ''[[The X-Files]]'' episode "[[The Post-Modern Prometheus]]" (1997), which follows a scientist's grotesque creature who idolizes Cher because of her role in ''Mask'' (1985), where her character cares for her disfigured son.<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]] |year=2005 |title=Audio Commentary for "The Post-Modern Prometheus" |medium=DVD |work=[[The X-Files (season 5)|The X-Files: The Complete Fifth Season]] |publisher=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Deans |first=Meghan |title=Reopening ''The X-Files'': 'The Post-Modern Prometheus' |url=http://www.tor.com/2012/08/23/reopening-the-x-files-qthe-post-modern-prometheusq/ |website=[[Tor.com]] |access-date=January 17, 2016 |date=August 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328024925/http://www.tor.com/2012/08/23/reopening-the-x-files-qthe-post-modern-prometheusq/ |archive-date=March 28, 2016}}</ref> Film critic [[:de:Kathleen Rowe Karlyn|Kathleen Rowe]] wrote of ''Moonstruck'' (1987) that the depiction of Cher's character as "a '[[Women in positions of power|woman on top]]' [is] enhanced by the unruly star persona Cher brings to the part'".{{sfn|Tasker|2002|p=192}}

Cher was ranked first by ''Billboard'' on its list of "The 100 Best Acting Performances by Musicians in Movies" for her role in ''Moonstruck'', with the performance described as "the standard by which you mentally check all others".<ref>{{cite news|title=The 100 Best Acting Performances by Musicians in Movies|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8477854/musician-movie-performances-top-100|date=October 4, 2018|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|archive-date=July 25, 2020|access-date=October 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725071006/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8477854/musician-movie-performances-top-100|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was named the eighth-greatest [[romantic comedy]] of all time by the [[American Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=2 |title=AFI's 10 Top 10: The 10 Greatest Movies in 10 Categories |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=June 23, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222429/http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=2 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> ''People'' included Cher among its "100 Greatest Movie Stars of our Time"{{sfn|Laufenberg|2005|p=120}} and ''[[Biography (magazine)|Biography]]'' ranked her the third-favorite leading actress of all time, behind Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Audrey+Hepburn+Named+Favorite+All-Time+Oscar-Winning+Actress+by...-a075081004|title=Audrey Hepburn Named Favorite All-Time Oscar-Winning Actress by ''Biography'' Magazine Readers|agency=[[PR Newswire]]|date=May 29, 2001|archive-date=November 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110213336/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Audrey+Hepburn+Named+Favorite+All-Time+Oscar-Winning+Actress+by...-a075081004|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Music videos and performances ===
{{Further|Cher videography}}
[[File:Cher Dressed to Kill D2K (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|alt=Cher sits on a chandelier-like stage prop, wearing a black and nude vampire-themed outfit with a feathered headpiece. Bare-chested male dancers with fake horns pose around her.|Cher performing on the Dressed to Kill Tour in 2014]]

Cher's music videos and live performances have frequently reflected her public image, addressing themes such as [[Self-concept|self-construction]], [[Human female sexuality|female sexuality]] and the [[Perfectionism (psychology)|pursuit of perfection]].{{sfn|Tasker|2002|p=193}} Her concerts often include biographical montages and [[self-referential]] visuals. Author Diane Negra described them as multimedia retrospectives that merge different phases of her career into a cohesive stage narrative and frame performance as a form of autobiography.{{sfn|Negra|2001|p=175}} ''The New York Times'' observed that Cher's onstage appearances alongside projected images of her younger selves function to reaffirm and reclaim earlier identities,<ref name=Pareles2002/> while the ''Los Angeles Times'' described her shows as rooted in "her larger-than-life story [and] [[Personal mythology|mythology of self-reinvention]]".<ref name=powers2008>{{cite news |date=May 8, 2008 |title=Full of Vegas sparkle |first=Ann |last=Powers |author-link=Ann Powers |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-may-08-et-cher8-story.html |access-date=March 15, 2025 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625063437/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-may-08-et-cher8-story.html |archive-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref>

In her 1991 ''Cher... at the Mirage'' concert video, she subverted the typical staging of female pop performances by replacing female backup dancers with a [[Female impersonation|male dancer impersonating her]]. Dressed in a replica of her 1986 Academy Awards outfit, the impersonator initially appeared to be Cher. Cher then emerged in a different costume and began performing, while the impersonator interacted with oversized [[prop]]s symbolizing fame and media attention.{{sfn|Tasker|2002|p=193}} Negra interpreted this segment as Cher casting herself as the narrator of her own life story, using the impersonator to emphasize her status as a "[[Persona|fictionalized production]]" shaped by media and performance—a dynamic she described as offering audiences a "pleasurable plurality".{{sfn|Negra|2001|p=175}} Commenting on the scale of her shows, Tony Spilde of ''[[The Bismarck Tribune]]'' wrote that "&#8288;<!-- prevents line break between quote/bracket on mobile -->[Cher's] lavish concerts have become bigger than the music they're meant to promote".<ref>{{cite news |first=Tony |last=Spilde |date=April 11, 2003 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |title=Waiting for Cher |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bismarck-tribune-waiting-for-cher/163895112/ |newspaper=[[The Bismarck Tribune]]}}</ref> James Sullivan of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' credited her with influencing the development of stadium-scale concerts, stating, "She's comfortable enough to see such imitation as flattery, not theft."<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Sullivan |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Cher-s-still-a-diva-to-believe-in-Farewell-Tour-2814925.php |title=Cher's still a diva to believe in / Farewell Tour takes Oakland crowd on glitzy, sentimental ride |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=August 5, 2002 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131213145/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Cher-s-still-a-diva-to-believe-in-Farewell-Tour-2814925.php |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>

Cher's 1980 video for "[[Hell on Wheels (song)|Hell on Wheels]]" employed cinematic techniques,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.questia.com/magazine/1P3-1308990661/filming-the-hell-on-wheels-spot |date=March 1980 |title=Filming the 'Hell on Wheels' Spot |first=Roger |last=Flint |magazine=[[American Cinematographer]] |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216044526/https://www.questia.com/magazine/1P3-1308990661/filming-the-hell-on-wheels-spot |archive-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> and film historian [[Lawrence J. Quirk]] described it as one of the earliest examples of a modern [[music video]].{{sfn|Quirk|1991|p=272}} The 1989 music video for "[[If I Could Turn Back Time]]" was the first to be banned by MTV,{{sfn|Tasker|2002|p=193}} due to controversy over Cher's performance aboard the battleship {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|6}}, where she straddled a cannon in a leather thong that revealed her tattooed buttocks,{{sfn|Semonche|2007|p=161}} accompanied by [[homoerotic]] imagery featuring [[sailor]]s.{{sfn|Horn|2017|p=198}}

== Public image ==
=== Fashion icon status ===
[[File:Sonny & Cher Show 1977 Cropped.JPG|upright|thumb|left|alt=Cher wears an Egyptian-inspired costume featuring an ornate beaded headdress, jeweled collar and a shimmering two-piece outfit with matching bracelets.|Cher exposing her navel during a skit on ''[[The Sonny and Cher Show]]'', 1977]]

''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' described Cher as a "cultural phenomenon [who] has forever changed the way we see celebrity fashion".<ref name=Lang2016>{{cite magazine |last=Lang |first=Cady |url=https://time.com/4341151/cher-best-looks/ |title=Cher Birthday: Fashion Evolution |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=May 20, 2016 |archive-date=May 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524011738/https://time.com/4341151/cher-best-looks/ |url-status=live |quote=There's a reason Cher is called the goddess of pop[.]}}</ref> She emerged as a [[fashion icon|fashion trendsetter]] in the 1960s, popularizing "hippie fashion with [[bell-bottoms]], [[bandana]]s and Cherokee-inspired [[tunic]]s".<ref name=Aminosharei-2010>{{cite magazine|first=Nojan|last=Aminosharei|url=http://www.elle.com/fashion/g2102/fashion-high-notes-446376/?slide=5|title=Influential Women in Music {{ndash}} Influential Musicians|magazine=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|date=June 2010|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222115603/http://www.elle.com/fashion/g2102/fashion-high-notes-446376/?slide=5|archive-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref> In 1967, she caught the attention of then-''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' editor [[Diana Vreeland]] at a party for [[Jacqueline Kennedy]] and began modeling for photographer [[Richard Avedon]].<ref name=Aminosharei-2010/> She appeared five times as [[List of Vogue (US) cover models|the cover model for US ''Vogue'']].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=1892, Now It's Online |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/fashion/vogues-archives-go-online.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215021216/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/fashion/vogues-archives-go-online.html |archive-date=December 15, 2011 |access-date=April 6, 2025 |first=Eric |last=Wilson |date=December 14, 2011}}</ref>

Avedon photographed Cher in a beaded and feathered [[See-through clothing|nude gown]] by [[Bob Mackie]] for the cover of ''Time'' in 1975;{{sfn|Howard|2014|pp=125–126}} ''Billboard'' called it "one of the most recreated and monumental looks of all time".<ref name=Mazurek-2017>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=How Cher Transformed Fashion And Became One Of The Most Influential Style Icons In Red Carpet History|first=Brooke|last=Mazurek|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/lifestyle/7800945/how-cher-transformed-fashion-and-became-one-of-the-most-influential|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=September 8, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519173955/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/lifestyle/7800945/how-cher-transformed-fashion-and-became-one-of-the-most-influential|archive-date=May 19, 2017}}</ref> Cher had first worn the gown to the 1974 [[Met Gala]]. According to [[André Leon Talley]] of ''Vogue'', "it was really the first time a Hollywood celebrity attended and it changed everything. We are still seeing versions of that look on The Met red carpet 40 years later."<ref name=Mazurek-2017/> ''Billboard'' wrote that Cher has "transformed fashion and [become] one of the most influential style icons in red carpet history".<ref name=Mazurek-2017/>

''[[The Hamilton Spectator]]'' declared Cher "the [[It girl|It Girl]] of the '70s".<ref>{{cite news |last=Lynn |first=Darling |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator-cher-just-how-lo/163880925/ |title=Cher: Just how long can Hollywood's oldest teenager remain at 17? |newspaper=[[The Hamilton Spectator]] |date=July 21, 1979 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> She became a [[sex symbol]] through her TV shows, wearing inventive and revealing Mackie-designed outfits and successfully fighting network censors to bare her [[navel]].{{sfn|Mansour|2005|p=82}} Because she did so by choice rather than at the direction of male producers, Cher is often credited as the first woman to expose her navel on TV.{{efn|The first woman to expose her navel on TV was [[Yvette Mimieux]] in 1964.<ref>{{cite web |title=Navel gazing: The first female belly buttons ever seen on TV |url=https://www.metv.com/lists/navel-gazing-the-first-female-belly-buttons-ever-seen-on-tv|access-date=July 25, 2020 |publisher=[[MeTV]] |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725051024/https://www.metv.com/lists/navel-gazing-the-first-female-belly-buttons-ever-seen-on-tv|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}<ref name=navel>Sources identifying Cher as the first woman to expose her navel on television:
* {{harvnb|Chunovic|2000|p=57}}.
* {{cite news|ref=none|last=Fury|first=Alexander|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/cher-on-the-cover-of-love-magazine-queen-of-chiffon-and-sequins-is-the-ultimate-fashion-icon-10411943.html |title=Cher on the cover of Love magazine: Queen of chiffon and sequins is the ultimate fashion icon|newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=July 23, 2015|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221213920/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/cher-on-the-cover-of-love-magazine-queen-of-chiffon-and-sequins-is-the-ultimate-fashion-icon-10411943.html |archive-date=December 21, 2015}}
* {{cite news|ref=none|last=Hagwood|first=Rod Stafford|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-08-29/lifestyle/0208280334_1_cher-comedy-hour-doll-bob-mackie|date=August 29, 2002|title=A Living Dress-up Doll|access-date=February 12, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216055107/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-08-29/lifestyle/0208280334_1_cher-comedy-hour-doll-bob-mackie|archive-date=February 16, 2016}}
* {{cite web|ref=none|last=Johnson|first=Zach|url=http://www.eonline.com/au/news/521262/cher-and-bob-mackie-end-42-year-partnership-i-m-crying-the-singer-tweets|publisher=[[E! (Australia)|E!]]|title=Cher and Bob Mackie End 42-Year Partnership: "I'm Crying," the Singer Tweets|date=March 14, 2014|access-date=February 12, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303032935/http://www.eonline.com/au/news/521262/cher-and-bob-mackie-end-42-year-partnership-i-m-crying-the-singer-tweets|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}
* {{harvnb|Trier-Bieniek|2014|p=105}}.</ref> ''People'' dubbed Cher the "pioneer of the belly beautiful".<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://people.com/archive/for-those-who-can-stomach-it-the-belly-beautiful-emerges-as-the-seasons-hot-new-look-vol-25-no-16/|title=For Those Who Can Stomach It, the Belly Beautiful Emerges as the Season's Hot New Look|first1=Kristina|last1=Johnson|first2=Cathy|last2=Nolan|first3=Jacqueline|last3=Savaiano|date=April 21, 1986|access-date=February 12, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221920/http://people.com/archive/for-those-who-can-stomach-it-the-belly-beautiful-emerges-as-the-seasons-hot-new-look-vol-25-no-16/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> In 1972, after she was featured on the [[International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List]], Mackie stated: "There hasn't been a girl like Cher since [Marlene] Dietrich and [[Greta Garbo|[Greta] Garbo]]. She's a high-fashion star who appeals to people of all ages."{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=77}}

In 1999, after the [[Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)]] honored Cher with its Influence on Fashion Award, [[Robin Givhan]] of the ''Los Angeles Times'' called her a "fashion visionary" for "striking just the right note of contemporary wretched excess".<ref name=Givhan-1999>{{cite news |first=Robin |last=Givhan |author-link=Robin Givhan |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-14-cl-36955-story.html |title=And the Fashion Award Goes to&nbsp;... Cher? |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 14, 1999 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618213206/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/may/14/news/cl-36955 |archive-date=June 18, 2012}}</ref> Givhan noted that designers such as [[Tom Ford]], [[Anna Sui]] and [[Dolce & Gabbana]] have cited Cher as "source of inspiration and guidance".<ref name=Givhan-1999/> She added that "Cher's Native American showgirl sexpot persona now seems to epitomize the fashion industry's rush to celebrate [[ethnicity]], adornment and sex appeal."<ref name=Givhan-1999/> ''Vogue'' proclaimed Cher "&#8288;<!-- prevents line break between quote/bracket on mobile -->[their] favorite fashion trendsetter", calling her "eternally relevant [and] the ruler of outré reinvention".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Satenstein|first=Liana|url=http://www.vogue.com/article/cher-turns-70-style-evolution|title=All Hail Cher, Queen of the Red Carpet Rebels|magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|date=May 20, 2016|access-date=May 10, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507072650/http://www.vogue.com/article/cher-turns-70-style-evolution|archive-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref> ''[[The Independent]]''{{'}}s Alexander Fury traced her influence on celebrities including [[Beyoncé]], [[Halle Berry]], Jennifer Lopez and [[Kim Kardashian]], stating, "They all graduated from the Cher school of never sharing the stage with anyone."<ref name=Fury-2015>{{cite news|last=Fury|first=Alexander|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/cher-on-the-cover-of-love-magazine-queen-of-chiffon-and-sequins-is-the-ultimate-fashion-icon-10411943.html |title=Cher on the cover of Love magazine: Queen of chiffon and sequins is the ultimate fashion icon|newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=July 23, 2015|access-date=February 12, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218142818/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/cher-on-the-cover-of-love-magazine-queen-of-chiffon-and-sequins-is-the-ultimate-fashion-icon-10411943.html |archive-date=February 18, 2016}}</ref>

=== Physical appearance ===

Cher has attracted media attention for her physical appearance, including her youthful looks, hairstyles and tattoos. Journalists have often called Cher the "poster girl" of plastic surgery.<ref name=McCracken>{{harvnb|McCracken|2008|p=27}}</ref> Cher has admitted to plastic surgery but criticized media speculation, denying most rumored procedures. She stated she doesn't need to justify her choices, saying in 2002, "If I want to put my tits on my back, it's nobody's business but my own."<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |title=The World According to Cher |date=February 26, 2002 |access-date=March 15, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141119182400/https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132108 |archive-date=November 19, 2014 |url-status=live |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132108}}</ref>

Author Caroline Ramazanoglu wrote that Cher's appearance has evolved from "a strong, decidedly 'ethnic' look [to] a more symmetrical, delicate&nbsp;... and ever-youthful version of female beauty". She argued that Cher's [[Feminine beauty ideal|idealized beauty]] "now acts as a standard against which other women will measure, judge, discipline and 'correct' themselves".{{sfn|Ramazanoglu|1993|p=197}} Paddy Calistro of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that during Cher's rise as a movie star in the 1980s, her "highly articulated bone structure captured audience attention", which led to an increased number of medical requests for "surgically inserted '[[Zygomatic bone|cheekbones]]'".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-16-vw-245-story.html |title=Porizkova's Eyes. Cher's Cheekbones. Basinger's Lips. A Surgical Search for the Ideal Face |first=Paddy |last=Calistro |date=March 16, 1990 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215235706/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-16-vw-245-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| total_width       = 290
| align             = left
| image1            = Sonny and Cher Love American Style 1971 Cropped.JPG
| caption1          = "The Cher Hair", Cher's signature hairstyle, in 1971
| alt1              = Cher smiling with long, straight dark hair parted in the center, wearing a light-colored top with buttons and a beaded necklace.
| image2            = CherO2201019-35 (48933042391) (cropped).jpg
| caption2          = Cher with a blonde wig at a 2019 performance
| alt2              = Cher performs on stage in a black outfit with silver and crystal embellishments. Her voluminous platinum blonde wig complements her glittery pink eye makeup and glossy lips. She sings into a sparkling black microphone.
}}

Cher's signature hairstyle, known as "the Cher hair"—long, straight, jet-black hair parted in the center—was a 1970s fashion trend that saw multiple revivals in later decades.<ref name=Givhan-1999/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/hair/g39034982/1970s-hairstyles/ |url-status=live |date=February 17, 2022 |first=Lindy |last=Segal |access-date=March 15, 2025 |title=The Most Iconic 1970s Hairstyles We Still Want to Wear Now |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228012614/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/hair/g39034982/1970s-hairstyles/ |archive-date=February 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]] |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/these-70s-hair-trends-will-be-everywhere-this-summer |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622010729/https://www.glamour.com/story/these-70s-hair-trends-will-be-everywhere-this-summer |access-date=March 15, 2025 |title=These '70s Hair Trends Will Be Everywhere This Summer |first=Elle |last=Turner |url-status=live |date=June 21, 2021}}</ref> In the 1970s, she started wearing [[wig]]s on her TV shows to play various characters in the same episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/cher-songbook-era-by-era-comebacks-videos |first=Nathan |last=Smith |title=Songbook: How Cher's Perseverance And Rule-Breaking Persona Created A Career To Believe In |publisher=[[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=March 14, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923195800/https://www.grammy.com/news/cher-songbook-era-by-era-comebacks-videos |date=September 23, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2024}}</ref> By the 1990s, wigs became a staple of her public appearances, enabling her to experiment with colors and lengths.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=307}} She has stated that wigs help her "stay current" while protecting her natural hair.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=307}} Professor [[:de:Katrin Horn|Katrin Horn]] from [[University of Greifswald]] wrote that Cher's use of wigs has surpassed typical celebrity fashion, elevating her into "the realms of [[AFAB queen|feminine drag]]".{{sfn|Horn|2017|p=198}}

Cher has six tattoos. ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' called her the "Ms. Original Rose Tattoo".<ref name=Sullivan-1996>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/06/02/cher-thinks-the-unthinkable-removing-all-but-one-tattoo-gasp-actress-singer-rebel-ponders-if-its-time-for-a-change-now-that-tattoos-are-so-popular-she-bets-that-even-bob-dole-has-one/|title=Cher thinks the unthinkable: removing all but one tattoo Gasp: Actress-singer-rebel ponders if it's time for a change, now that tattoos are so popular. She bets that even Bob Dole has one|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=June 2, 1996|access-date=January 16, 2016|first=Jim|last=Sullivan|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115053620/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1996-06-02/news/1996154167_1_cher-tattoo-bob-dole|archive-date=January 15, 2013}}</ref> She got her first tattoo in 1972.<ref name=Sullivan-1996/> According to Sonny Bono, "Calling her butterfly tattoos nothing was like ignoring a sandstorm in the [[Mojave Desert|Mojave]]. That was exactly the effect Cher wanted to create. She liked to do things for the shock they created."{{sfn|Bono|1992|p=237}} In the late 1990s, she began having laser treatments to remove her tattoos.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Jim|last=Jerome|title=Being Cher|url=http://people.com/archive/cover-story-being-cher-vol-49-no-20/|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=May 25, 1998|access-date=January 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221737/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-being-cher-vol-49-no-20/|archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> She commented, "When I got tattooed, only bad girls did it: me and [[Janis Joplin]] and [[:Category:Motorcycling subculture|biker chick]]s. Now it doesn't mean anything. No one's surprised."<ref>{{cite news|first=Edna|last=Gundersen|author-link=Edna Gundersen|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-02-06-cher-side_N.htm|title=Cher shares: Life, love, tattoos, politics, paparazzi|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|access-date=January 16, 2016|date=February 6, 2008|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125001357/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-02-06-cher-side_N.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cher was the inspiration for [[Mother Gothel]], a fictional character who appears in [[Walt Disney Pictures]]' animated feature film ''[[Tangled]]'' (2010). Director [[Byron Howard]] stated that Gothel's exotic appearance was based on Cher's "exotic and Gothic looking" appearance, continuing that the singer "definitely was one of the people we looked at visually, as far as what gives you a striking character".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/tangled-nathan-greno-and-byron-howard-interview |title=''Tangled'' – Nathan Greno and Byron Howard interview |year=2010 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |website=IndieLondon |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006071418/http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/tangled-nathan-greno-and-byron-howard-interview |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1992, [[Madame Tussauds]] wax museum honored Cher as one of the five "most beautiful women of history" by creating a life-size statue.{{sfn|Ullman|2007|p=165}}

=== Social media presence ===
Cher's social media presence has been noted for its unconventional and candid style. ''Time'' named Cher "Twitter's most outspoken (and beloved) commentator",<ref name=Lang2016/> while ''The New York Times''{{'}} [[J Wortham]] highlighted her authenticity, contrasting it with the heavily curated [[Online identity|online personas]] typical of celebrity accounts. Wortham described Cher as "an outlier, perhaps the last unreconstructed high-profile Twitter user", whose posts combine "nakedness and honesty" that is "rarely celebrated" in mainstream culture.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/magazine/theres-only-love-and-fear-on-chers-twitter.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |first=Jenna |last=Wortham |author-link=J Wortham |date=January 29, 2016 |access-date=February 12, 2016 |title=There's Only Love and Fear: On Cher's Twitter |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209090325/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/magazine/theres-only-love-and-fear-on-chers-twitter.html |archive-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref> Similarly, ''The Guardian''{{'}}s [[Monica Heisey]] described Cher's Twitter account as "a jewel in the bizarro crown of the internet", noting, "While many celebrities use Twitter for carefully crafted self-promotion, Cher just lets it all hang out."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/30/cher-twitter-feed-the-bizarro-crown-of-the-internet |author-link=Monica Heisey |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |first=Monica |last=Heisey |date=April 30, 2015 |access-date=February 12, 2016 |title=The brilliance of Cher's Twitter – a jewel in the bizarro crown of the internet|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216203410/http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/apr/30/cher-twitter-feed-the-bizarro-crown-of-the-internet |archive-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> Journalists have also remarked on her frequent use of [[emoji]]s, which Cher has linked to her [[dyslexia]], describing them as intuitive tools for visualizing emotions.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bellis |first=Rich |title=Cher shares why she loves emojis: they're 'modern-day hieroglyphs' |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/4023787/cher-shares-why-she-loves-emojis-theyre-modern-day-hieroglyphics |magazine=[[Fast Company]] |date=November 2, 2016 |access-date=December 7, 2024}}</ref>

=== Gay icon status ===
[[File:GLAAD Awards 2012-79 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|alt=Cher stands on stage with Chaz Bono, smiling. She wears a black outfit with an afro hairstyle, while Chaz wears a suit and tie.|Cher presenting son [[Chaz Bono]] with the [[GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award]] at the 2012 [[GLAAD Media Award]]s]]

Cher is revered by the [[LGBTQ community]], a status attributed to her career accomplishments, distinctive style and enduring longevity.<ref name=Mapa-2003>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7WQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 |title=We love you, Auntie Cher |first=Alec |last=Mapa|author-link=Alec Mapa |date=April 15, 2003 |access-date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> Many of her songs are considered [[List of gay anthems|gay anthems]], including "If I Could Turn Back Time",<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite magazine |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a31136515/lgbt-songs-queer-anthems/ |first=Keely |last=Weiss |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |title=20 LGBTQ+ Anthems to Celebrate Pride All Year Long |url-status=live |date=June 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502032239/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a31136515/lgbt-songs-queer-anthems/ |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}
* {{cite magazine |first1=Joe |last1=Lynch |first2=Stephen |last2=Daw |first3=Hannah |last3=Dailey |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |title=70 Top LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/lgbtq-anthems-queer-pride-songs/if-i-could-turn-back-time-cher-1989/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809172614/https://www.billboard.com/lists/lgbtq-anthems-queer-pride-songs/if-i-could-turn-back-time-cher-1989/ |archive-date=August 9, 2023 |date=June 2, 2023 |access-date=March 26, 2025}}</ref> "Believe",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/music/lgbtq-anthems/ |first=Seija |last=Rankin |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=June 19, 2018 |title=The best LGBTQ anthems of all time |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623143709/http://ew.com/music/lgbtq-anthems |access-date=March 26, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> "Strong Enough"<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite news |title=Pride 50: Here are the Top 25 Pride Anthems of All Time |newspaper=[[The Mercury News]] |first=Jim |last=Harrington |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/17/pride-50-here-are-the-top-25-pride-anthems-of-all-time/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704002202/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/17/pride-50-here-are-the-top-25-pride-anthems-of-all-time/ |date=June 26, 2020 |archive-date=July 4, 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=March 26, 2025}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.laweekly.com/top-lgbtq-anthems-part-2-the-80s-and-90s/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812132644/https://www.laweekly.com/top-lgbtq-anthems-part-2-the-80s-and-90s/ |title=Top LGBTQ Anthems Part 2: The '80s and '90s |first=Michael |last=Cooper |date=September 6, 2019 |archive-date=August 12, 2024 |url-status=live |newspaper=[[LA Weekly]]}}</ref> and "Song for the Lonely".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Into |title=20 Ultimate Gay Anthems For Pride |date=June 9, 2017 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |url=https://www.intomore.com/culture/20-ultimate-gay-anthems-for-pride/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124222954/https://www.intomore.com/culture/20-ultimate-gay-anthems-for-pride/ |archive-date=January 24, 2025}}</ref> She is regarded as a [[gay icon]] and is frequently imitated by [[drag queen]]s.<ref name=Rogers-2009>{{cite web |last=Rogers |first=Thomas |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/01/31/drag/ |title=Where have all the drag queens gone? |website=[[Salon.com]] |date=February 21, 2009 |access-date=January 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514144332/http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/01/31/drag/ |archive-date=May 14, 2009}}</ref> According to ''[[Salon magazine|Salon]]'' writer Thomas Rogers, drag queens emulate figures like [[Judy Garland]], [[Dolly Parton]] and Cher because they "overcame insult and hardship on their path to success"—narratives that resonate with the struggles many gay men face when coming out.<ref name=Rogers-2009/>

''[[Maclean's]]'' journalist Elio Iannacci stated that Cher was "one of the first to bring drag to the masses", hiring two drag queens to perform with her during her [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Las Vegas residency]] in 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 8, 2013 |last=Iannacci |first=Elio |title=Cher on the art of the comeback |url=https://www.macleans.ca/general/on-singing-for-jackie-kennedy-working-with-lady-gaga-and-the-art-of-the-comeback/ |magazine=[[Maclean's]] |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620060906/https://www.macleans.ca/general/on-singing-for-jackie-kennedy-working-with-lady-gaga-and-the-art-of-the-comeback/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]''{{'}}s Jeff Yarbrough described Cher as "one of the first superstars to '[[History of homosexuality in American film|play gay]]' with compassion and without a hint of [[LGBTQ stereotypes|stereotyping]]", as she portrays a lesbian in the 1983 film ''Silkwood''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6|magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]|title=Hollywood lives|first=Jeff|last=Yarbrough|date=August 20, 1996|access-date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> Cher's social activism has further solidified her status as a gay icon.{{sfn|Bernstein|2003|p=166}} As the mother of a [[trans man]], Chaz Bono, Cher has advocated for visibility and support for trans families.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://xtramagazine.com/culture/trans-parent-cher-zaya-wade-220706|title=Why trans family visibility matters|magazine=[[Xtra Magazine]]|date=March 31, 2022|access-date=April 24, 2023|archive-date=December 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224041407/https://xtramagazine.com/culture/trans-parent-cher-zaya-wade-220706|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cher's influence on [[LGBTQ culture]] was highlighted in the NBC sitcom ''[[Will & Grace]]'', where she was the idol of gay character [[Jack McFarland]]. She appeared as herself in two episodes, including "[[Gypsies, Tramps and Weed]]" (2000)—referencing her 1971 song "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"—which became the show's second-highest-rated episode.<ref>{{cite news|title=Celebrity Update|date=November 18, 2000|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|page=A2|quote=And Cher's guest spot on ''Will & Grace'' gave the show its second-highest rating ever}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2006/03/30/memorable-will-grace-guest-stars-cher/|title=Memorable ''Will & Grace'' guest stars: Cher|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=March 30, 2006|access-date=March 22, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104064650/http://www.ew.com/article/2006/03/30/memorable-will-grace-guest-stars-cher|archive-date=November 4, 2015}}</ref> Cher's impact on the drag community is also evident in the reality competition ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]'', which has honored her through challenges like the musical performance "[[The Unauthorized Rusical|Cher: The Unauthorized Rusical]]" in [[RuPaul's Drag Race season 10|season 10]] and the runway theme "[[RDR Live! (RuPaul's Drag Race season 16)|Everything Every-Cher All at Once]]" in [[RuPaul's Drag Race season 16|season 16]].<ref>"[[The Unauthorized Rusical]]". ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]].'' Season 10. Episode 8. May 10, 2018. [[VH1]] / [[WOW Presents Plus]].</ref><ref>"[[RDR Live! (RuPaul's Drag Race season 16)|RDR Live!]]". ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]''. Season 16. Episode 4. January 26, 2024. [[MTV]] / [[WOW Presents Plus]].</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Cher - Casablanca.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|1970s publicity photo of Cher|alt=Cher poses with voluminous curly hair, wearing an off-the-shoulder white garment and gazing at the camera.]]

[[Ann Powers]] of the ''Los Angeles Times'' called Cher a "mainstream translator" of [[1960s counterculture]], underscoring her role as the link between [[teenage rebellion]] and marketability.<ref name=powers2008/> Music critic Jeff Miers credited Cher with setting the template for generations of female pop artists, citing her mastery of [[Extravaganza|theatrical presentation]], seamless [[Crossover music|genre shifts]] and knack for provoking without losing mainstream appeal.<ref name=Miers-2014>{{cite news |url=https://buffalonews.com/2014/04/17/tracing-chers-influence-among-pop-divas/ |title=Tracing Cher's influence among pop divas |newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]] |first=Jeff |last=Miers |date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221407/http://buffalonews.com/2014/04/17/tracing-chers-influence-among-pop-divas/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', Cher "earned her [[:wikt:mononym|mononym]]" and inspired "an entire industry of imitators, both figurative and literal".<ref name=Schneier-2015>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/fashion/at-the-met-gala-cher-and-marc-jacobs-make-a-dream-duo.html |title=At the Met Gala, Cher and Marc Jacobs Make a Dream Duo |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 5, 2015 |access-date=January 17, 2016|first=Matthew |last=Schneier |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927050729/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/fashion/at-the-met-gala-cher-and-marc-jacobs-make-a-dream-duo.html |archive-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref> [[Shon Faye]] of ''[[Dazed]]'' wrote that her legacy underpins many modern pop stars: "If Madonna and [[Lady Gaga]] and [[Kylie Minogue]] and Cyndi Lauper were playing football, Cher would be the stadium they played on and the sun that shone down on them."<ref name=shonfaye/> [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''Rolling Stone'' called her "the one-woman embodiment" of [[pop music]].<ref name=cher-stands-alone/> Cher has been referred to as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Goddess of Pop]]" in publications such as ''[[The Washington Post]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''Billboard''.{{efn|Cher has been referred to as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Goddess of Pop]]" in various publications. Primary sources using the title include ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Quintero |first=Estevan |url=https://www.billboardmusicawards.com/2017/05/music-megastar-cher-to-perform-at-the-bbmas/ |title=What You Should Know About the Goddess of Pop, Cher |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706181855/https://www.billboardmusicawards.com/2017/05/music-megastar-cher-to-perform-at-the-bbmas/ |archive-date=July 6, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Fisher |first=Lauren Alexis |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a11248/cher-twitter/ |title=An Ode to Cher's Twitter |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |date=June 19, 2015 |archive-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719130954/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a11248/cher-twitter/ |url-status=live |quote=With the Goddess of Pop's natch for reinventing herself each decade, it's safe to say that this time she's coming back as a social media superstar.}}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Flemming |first=Jack |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-08-26/chers-former-miami-beach-mansion-seeks-22-million |title=Cher's former Miami Beach mansion seeks $22 million |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 26, 2020 |archive-date=April 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423211014/https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-08-26/chers-former-miami-beach-mansion-seeks-22-million |url-status=live |quote=An opportunity to live like the Goddess of Pop just surfaced in Miami Beach, where Cher's&nbsp;... mansion has hit the market[.]}}</ref> ''[[Love (magazine)|Love]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bardsley |first=Ella |url=https://www.thelovemagazine.co.uk/article/sonny-and-cher-who-the-goddess-of-pop-fronts-dsquared2s-ss20-campaign |title=Sonny and Cher who? The Goddess of Pop fronts Dsquared2's SS20 campaign |magazine=[[Love (magazine)|Love]] |date=February 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104181856/https://www.thelovemagazine.co.uk/article/sonny-and-cher-who-the-goddess-of-pop-fronts-dsquared2s-ss20-campaign |archive-date=November 4, 2020 |url-status=dead |quote=In 1995&nbsp;... Dean and Dan Caten had no idea they'd be swarmed by a rush of buyers keen to snap up their covetable designs. Fast forward 25 years, and the Goddess of Pop, Cher, stars in their 2020 campaign.}}</ref> ''[[The Mercury News]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Harrington |first=Jim |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_26081508/review-cher-says-farewell-fine-fashion |title=Review: Cher says farewell in fine fashion |newspaper=[[The Mercury News]] |date=July 3, 2014 |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408194946/http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_26081508/review-cher-says-farewell-fine-fashion |url-status=live |quote=Cher kicked off her first farewell tour in 2002. A dozen years later, the 'Goddess of Pop' is still on the road.}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Epstein |first=Dan |author-link=Daniel Mark Epstein |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/davewatch-countdown-to-lettermans-last-late-show-day-11-175169/ |title=DaveWatch: Countdown to Letterman's Last ''Late Show'', Day 11 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 7, 2015 |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816053209/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/davewatch-countdown-to-lettermans-last-late-show-day-11-175169/ |url-status=live |quote=... the evening's biggest surprise [was] an appearance by Cher, the real Armenian goddess of pop culture[.]}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref name=Lang2016/><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lang |first=Cady |url=https://time.com/4688449/cher-j-lo-britney-spears-las-vegas/ |title=Cher on Britney Spears and J. Lo: 'I Was Doing Vegas When They Were in Rompers' |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=March 2, 2017 |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215022442/https://time.com/4688449/cher-j-lo-britney-spears-las-vegas/ |url-status=live |quote=Before Britney Spears&nbsp;... there was Cher, who's held court as the 'Goddess of Pop' for nearly five decades.}}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Gundersen |first=Edna |author-link=Edna Gundersen |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/09/17/cher-talks-about-new-album-closer-to-the-truth/2824385/ |title=Cher's ''Truth'' is 'as good as I'm ever going to do' |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=September 17, 2013 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209104440/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/09/17/cher-talks-about-new-album-closer-to-the-truth/2824385/ |url-status=live |quote=Cher has blazed trails&nbsp;... and yet the Goddess of Pop hasn't quite mastered the art of self-promotion.}}</ref> ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue España]]''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hernando |first=Sara |url=https://www.vogue.es/moda/articulos/cher-looks-tendencias-primavera-verano-2020 |title=5 veces en las que Cher se adelantó a las tendencias del verano 2020 |trans-title=5 times Cher was ahead of summer 2020 trends |magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue España]] |date=June 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704181209/https://www.vogue.es/moda/articulos/cher-looks-tendencias-primavera-verano-2020 |archive-date=July 4, 2020 |url-status=live |quote=Excéntrica y osada, la diosa del pop se atrevió, en los años 70, con los colores y las prendas más arriesgadas de esta temporada. |trans-quote=Eccentric and daring, the goddess of pop boldly experimented in the '70s with this season's most daring colors and garments. |lang=es}}</ref> and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Polus |first=Sarah |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/04/22/celeb-endorsement-of-the-week-cher-for-hillary-clinton/ |title=Celeb endorsement of the week: Cher for Hillary Clinton |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 22, 2016 |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116032513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/04/22/celeb-endorsement-of-the-week-cher-for-hillary-clinton/ |url-status=live |quote=While it's unclear whether [Cher's] endorsement will noticeably help Clinton's campaign, it's safe to say the free publicity from the goddess of pop won't hurt the Democratic front-runner.}}</ref> Secondary sources describing her as "often called", "nicknamed" or "known as" the "Goddess of Pop" include [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Leib |first=Mason |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/cher-jennifer-hudson-perform-fiery-duet-2024-iheartradio/story?id=108750717 |title=Cher and Jennifer Hudson perform fiery duet of 'Believe' at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=April 2, 2024 |archive-date=April 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402223319/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/cher-jennifer-hudson-perform-fiery-duet-2024-iheartradio/story?id=108750717 |url-status=live |quote=Meryl Streep presented the award to Cher&nbsp;... with a heartwarming tribute to the singer known as the Goddess of Pop.}}</ref> ''[[CR Fashion Book]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Eismann |first=Eve |url=https://crfashionbook.com/cher-victorias-secret-fashion-show/ |title=Cher Headlines the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show's Return |magazine=[[CR Fashion Book]] |date=September 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918132826/https://crfashionbook.com/cher-victorias-secret-fashion-show/ |archive-date=September 18, 2024 |url-status=live |quote=Cher, often referred to as the 'Goddess of Pop,' revolutionized the model of the female pop star.}}</ref> ''[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Flanagan |first=Hanna |url=https://www.thecut.com/article/cher-best-looks-outfits-fashion.html |title=The Cher Lookbook |magazine=[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]] |date=June 28, 2024 |archive-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628121850/https://www.thecut.com/article/cher-best-looks-outfits-fashion.html |url-status=live |quote=Often referred to as the Goddess of Pop, Cher is a true triple threat[.]}}</ref> [[E!]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Kirk |first=Kamala |url=https://www.eonline.com/shows/house_of_dvf/news/598992/the-9-biggest-divas-in-the-history-of-forever |title=The 9 Biggest Divas in the History of Forever |publisher=[[E!]] |date=November 18, 2014 |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715040522/https://www.eonline.com/shows/house_of_dvf/news/598992/the-9-biggest-divas-in-the-history-of-forever |url-status=live |quote=Nicknamed the 'Goddess of Pop', [Cher]'s been able to establish herself across multiple music genres and has a huge fan base.}}</ref> ''[[The Independent]]''<ref>{{cite news |last=Usborne |first=David |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cher-donald-trump-asshole-world-youth-summit-2016-dangerous-candidate-a7340331.html |title=Cher denounces Donald Trump as 'an a**hole' at world youth summit and claims 'he traumatises me' |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=September 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108134942/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cher-donald-trump-asshole-world-youth-summit-2016-dangerous-candidate-a7340331.html |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |url-status=live |quote=Sometimes called the 'Goddess of Pop', Cher was invited to the annual summit[.]}}</ref> and ''[[New York Post]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kato |first=Brooke |url=https://nypost.com/2024/02/10/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-announces-15-nominees-including-cher-mariah-carey-ozzy-osborne/ |title=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces 2024 nominees: Mariah Carey, Cher, Ozzy Osborne make the list |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |date=February 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112011736/https://nypost.com/2024/02/10/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-announces-15-nominees-including-cher-mariah-carey-ozzy-osborne/ |url-status=live |quote=The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the 15 nominees for its Class of 2024, including&nbsp;... Cher, known as the 'Goddess of Pop.'}}</ref>}}

Cher's career has been marked by continual reinvention;{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=7}} [[Richard Aquila (historian)|Richard Aquila]] described her as "the ultimate pop chameleon",<ref>{{cite news|first=Marc |last=Ransford| url=http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,-1019-11364,00.html |title=Professor: Cher is the ultimate pop chameleon |publisher=[[Ball State University]] |date=May 27, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605011648/http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0%2C1370%2C-1019-11364%2C00.html |archive-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> while ''The New York Times'' dubbed her the "Queen of the [[Comeback (publicity)|Comeback]]".<ref name=Holden-1996/> ''[[The Atlantic]]''{{'}}s Sophie Gilbert wrote, "Decades before Madonna had reinventions and [[Taylor Swift]] had [[The Eras Tour|eras]], Cher had comebacks—triumphs over decline in which she'd reemerge stronger, shinier, and more resolute than ever."<ref name=atlantic2024>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/11/cher-memoir-review/680726/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124110508/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/11/cher-memoir-review/680726/ |access-date=April 6, 2025 |archive-date=January 24, 2025 |first=Sophie |last=Gilbert |website=[[The Atlantic]] |date=November 21, 2024 |title=Cher Has a History Lesson for Us All}}</ref> Cher remarked, "It's a thousand times harder to come back than to become. Becoming famous is hard, but making a comeback is almost impossible."{{sfn|Cher|2024|p=208}}

''Billboard'' highlighted Cher's role in expanding visual storytelling in [[pop music]], noting that her ability to shift personas on and off stage redefined the scope of [[Music and fashion|image-making for performers]].<ref name=Mazurek-2017/> ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' described her as a forerunner of transformation in pop music, crediting her with driving her own evolution and turning reinvention into a deliberate strategy rather than a survival instinct.<ref>{{cite news |last=Reed |first=James |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2014/04/03/before-she-was-icon-cher-was-simply-soul-singer/qZ9tqiAoXVkUXVr2hJzNWM/story.html |title=Before she was an icon, Cher was simply a soul singer |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620015313/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2014/04/03/before-she-was-icon-cher-was-simply-soul-singer/qZ9tqiAoXVkUXVr2hJzNWM/story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Author [[Craig Crawford]] described Cher as "a model of flexible [[career management]]", highlighting how she [[Positioning (marketing)|adapted her image]] to align with cultural trends while maintaining a [[Anticonformity (psychology)|rebellious persona]] that made her transformations both strategic and authentic.{{sfn|Crawford|2007|pp=31–32}} Author [[Lucy O'Brien]] saw her as embodying the [[American Dream]] of [[Self-actualization|self-reinvention]] by challenging [[Ageism|assumptions around aging]] in the entertainment industry.{{sfn|Carson|Lewis|Shaw|2004|p=130}}

[[File:Cher-Wax-338354947 Cropped.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|left|alt=A wax figure of Cher, barefoot and holding her shoes, wears a sheer black beaded gown with a dramatic cape and intricate embellishments.|Wax figure of Cher wearing a replica of her [[60th Academy Awards]] outfit]]

Cher's sustained success in a [[Gender inequality#In television and film|male-dominated entertainment industry]] has invited discussion around [[gender role]]s and autonomy in entertainment.<ref name=Miers-2014/>{{sfn|Negra|2001|p=164}} ''Billboard'' credited her with establishing an "androgynous musical identity" that predated and influenced artists such as [[David Bowie]] and [[Patti Smith]].<ref name=Lynch-2018>{{cite news|title=Why Cher Is More Musically Radical Than You Think|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-music-radical-icon-7800161/|last=Lynch|first=Joe|date=May 18, 2018|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=July 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719050246/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7800161/cher-music-radical-icon|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]''{{'}}s Phill Marder said Cher advanced "feminine rebellion" in 1960s rock, calling her "the prototype of the [[Women in rock|female rock star]]".<ref name=Marder-2010/> ''Billboard'' described her as a "pioneer of female autonomy" in the music industry, as her unconventional themes—including racism and prostitution<ref name=Marder-2010/>—challenged expectations for [[Women in music|female artists]] in a "male-driven" era.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Tom |first=Lauren |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-best-trump-tweets-7800173/ |title=Cher's 10 Best Trump Tweets |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 18, 2017 |archive-date=November 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119101215/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-best-trump-tweets-7800173/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Marder tied this perception of autonomy to her commanding, "near [[dominatrix]]" stage persona alongside Sonny Bono and her rise to greater prominence as a solo act.<ref name=Marder-2010/>

Early in her career, Cher's critics often framed her output as an extension of male collaborators,{{sfn|Negra|2001|p=170}} a view Cher addressed directly: "It was a time when girl singers were patted on the head for being good and told not to think".<ref name=Holden-1996/> Over time, her image evolved, reflecting what professor [[Yvonne Tasker]] described as her ambition to build an acting career "on her own terms" by rejecting both "dependence on a man [and] the conventional role assigned to women [over 40] in an industry that fetishises youth".{{sfn|Tasker|2002|p=191}} [[AllMusic]] noted that during her popular 1970s TV shows with Sonny Bono, "he was a diminutive [[Foil (narrative)|foil]] to Cher's sexually provocative comedienne", reversing traditional gender dynamics and positioning her as the comedic lead.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eder |first=Bruce |title=Sonny Bono – Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-bono-mn0000036402/biography |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=April 6, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814022740/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-bono-mn0000036402/biography |archive-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref> Director [[George Schlatter]] credited Cher with redefining women's roles in [[TV comedy]], stating, "Until Cher, women have been the joke, not [[Women in comedy|done the joke]]&nbsp;... She's the first female star to carry a show in the same way that men have".{{sfn|Howard|2014|p=82}}

Following her 1988 Academy Award win, ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} Stephanie Brush compared Cher's impact on women to [[Jack Nicholson]]'s cultural appeal among men, stating that she embodied women's "revenge fantasies" by confronting those who underestimated her: "You need to be more than beautiful to get away with this. You need to have been Cher for 40 years."<ref name=Brush-1988/> Later that year, ''[[Ms. (magazine)|Ms.]]'' magazine praised her as an "authentic [[feminist]] hero" and "the quintessential woman of the '80s", emphasizing her refusal to conform to expectations of feminine decorum—both in appearance and behavior.<ref name=msmag>{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/07/20/cher-as-feminist-extraordinaire-is-a-ms-erable-choice/|title=Cher As 'Feminist Extraordinaire' Is A ''Ms.''-erable Choice|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=July 20, 1988|access-date=January 18, 2016|last=Parker|first=Kathleen|author-link=Kathleen Parker|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201030811/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-07-20/lifestyle/0050360144_1_cher-extraordinaire-real-women|archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> It cited her flamboyant self-presentation, her public confrontations with David Letterman, TV censors and [[:wikt:patronizing|patronizing]] film directors, as well as her candor about single motherhood, younger partners, cosmetic surgery and her struggle to be taken seriously as a rock singer and actress.<ref name=msmag/> A 1996 ''[[Dateline NBC]]'' interview clip featuring Cher's response to her mother's advice to "marry a rich man"—"Mom, I am a rich man"—went [[viral video|viral]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/watch-this-vintage-clip-of-cher-explaining-why-men-arent-necessary_n_57daf31ee4b08cb140946293 |title=Watch This Vintage Clip Of Cher Explaining Why Men Aren't Necessary |first=Zeba |last=Blay |date=September 15, 2016 |website=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620101901/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/watch-this-vintage-clip-of-cher-explaining-why-men-arent-necessary_n_57daf31ee4b08cb140946293 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]'' magazine described the quote as a subversion of traditional gender norms and a landmark feminist statement.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/the-cher-quote-in-taylor-swifts-you-need-to-calm-down-video-might-have-a-deeper-meaning-18011002 |title=Taylor Swift Referenced This Iconic Cher Quote in The 'You Need To Calm Down' Video |magazine=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]] |date=June 17, 2019 |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619182456/https://www.bustle.com/p/the-cher-quote-in-taylor-swifts-you-need-to-calm-down-video-might-have-a-deeper-meaning-18011002 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Cher's public image—marked by defiance, flamboyance and an unwavering [[Self-concept|sense of self]]—has itself become a subject of cultural study and popular fascination.<ref name=Mapa-2003/><ref>{{cite web |website=[[Cleveland.com]] |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/10/does-she-believe-in-life-after-snubs-cher-deserves-her-roses-from-rock-hall-next-weekend.html |title=Does she 'Believe' in life after snubs? Cher deserves her roses from Rock Hall next weekend |date=October 9, 2024 |access-date=March 16, 2025 |first=Peter |last=Chakerian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211141739/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/10/does-she-believe-in-life-after-snubs-cher-deserves-her-roses-from-rock-hall-next-weekend.html |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Gilbert described Cher as "a walking, singing [[eye roll]] [who] has never met an obstacle without theatrically raising a [[The finger|middle finger]]."<ref name=atlantic2024 /> In ''Rolling Stone'', [[Jancee Dunn]] noted her enduring [[Cool (aesthetic)|coolness]], attributing it to her refusal to conform: "Her [[:wikt:motto|motto]] is, 'I don't give a shit what you think, I'm going to wear this multicolored wig.'"<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/cher-19960919|title=Cher|date=September 19, 1996|access-date=January 18, 2016|first=Jancee|last=Dunn|author-link=Jancee Dunn|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202150510/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/cher-19960919|archive-date=February 2, 2016}}</ref> [[Alexander Fury]] of ''The Independent'' described her celebrity as "seemingly immortal" and operating at a "[[Omnipotence|omnipotent]], [[Mononym|uni-monikered]] level",<ref name=Fury-2015/> while [[Frank Bruni]] of ''The New York Times'' wrote that she personifies "a magnitude of [[celebrity]] for which the word fame is pathetically insufficient".<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=An Ageless Diva of a Certain Age |author-link=Frank Bruni |first=Frank |last=Bruni |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/movies/21cher.html |date=November 18, 2010 |access-date=March 30, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211204633/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/movies/21cher.html |archive-date=February 11, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Bego emphasized her [[Multiple careers|multifaceted career]]: "No one in the history of show business has had a career of the magnitude and scope of Cher's. She has been a teenage pop star, a television hostess, a fashion model, a rock star, a Broadway actress, an Oscar-winning movie star, a disco diva and the subject of a mountain of press coverage."{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=3}} Lynch concluded, "The world would certainly be different if she hadn't stayed so irrevocably Cher from the start."<ref name=Lynch-2018/>

== Achievements ==
{{Further|List of awards and nominations received by Cher}}
[[File:Hollywood Walk of Fame stars - Sonny & Cher (2507940152).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|right|alt=A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, featuring a TV emblem in the center, honors the duo Sonny & Cher.|Star for [[Sonny & Cher]] on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. Cher has declined a solo star.]]

Cher has sold over 100&nbsp;million records as a solo artist, ranking among [[List of best-selling music artists|the best-selling music artists of all time]].<ref name=Bellafante-1998/><ref name=Smith-2010/><ref name=telegraph2016>{{cite news|title=Cher says sorry for eBay 'mistake'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/9228195/Cher-says-sorry-for-eBay-mistake.html |access-date=June 14, 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=April 24, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410115311/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/9228195/Cher-says-sorry-for-eBay-mistake.html |archive-date=April 10, 2016}}</ref> She is one of five singer-actors to have earned both an Academy Award for acting and a US number-one single<ref name=Erickson/> and the only Academy Award-winning actor [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees|inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref name=rockhall1/><ref name=rockhall2/><ref name=rockhall3/> Her breakthrough single "I Got You Babe" (1965) is a [[Grammy Hall of Fame]] [[List of Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients (E–I)|inductee]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/hall-of-fame |title=Grammy Hall Of Fame |date=October 18, 2010 |publisher=[[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=June 23, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122042616/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame |archive-date=January 22, 2011}}</ref> and appeared on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 2003 list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/sonny-and-cher-i-got-you-babe-20110526 |access-date=January 16, 2015 |title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=December 11, 2003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102131157/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/sonny-and-cher-i-got-you-babe-20110526 |archive-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> ''Billboard'' named "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (1971) one of the greatest songs of the 20th century<ref name=Tannenbaum-2017>{{cite magazine|last=Tannenbaum|first=Rob|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-gypsys-tramps-thieves-greatest-song-7801038/|title=Cher's 'Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves': Why It's One of the 20th Century's Greatest Songs|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=September 10, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726165425/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7801038/cher-gypsys-tramps-thieves-greatest-song|archive-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref> and listed "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989) among its "500 Best Pop Songs" in 2023.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/cher-if-i-could-turn-back-time-2/ |access-date=March 29, 2025 |date=October 19, 2023 |title=The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329210839/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/cher-if-i-could-turn-back-time-2/ |url-status=live |archive-date=March 29, 2025}}</ref> "Believe" (1998), [[List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom|the UK's best-selling single by a female artist]],<ref name=believeuk/> was included on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s updated "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list in 2021<ref name=rs-500-songs-2021>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/cher-believe-2-1225001/ |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915162053/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and ranked eighth in a 2003 [[BBC]] poll of the world's favorite songs—the only American entry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/features/topten/ |title=The World's Top 10 |publisher=[[BBC World Service]] |access-date=June 23, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330073900/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/features/topten/ |archive-date=March 30, 2015}}</ref>

Cher is the only solo artist to have achieved a number-one single on a [[Billboard charts|US ''Billboard'' chart]] in seven consecutive decades{{efn|name=BillboardNumberOnes}}<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Gabrielle |last=Rockson |date=November 30, 2023 |url=https://people.com/cher-earns-no-1-on-billboard-charts-for-seventh-decade-in-a-row-8408424 |title=Cher Earns Chart No. 1 for Seventh Straight Decade in a Row, Tying Record with the Rolling Stones |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref> and the only solo artist to have released new material that reached the [[Official UK Top 40]] in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s).<ref name=ukdjrecords>{{cite web |first=Carl |last=Smith |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/cher-chart-record-dj-play-christmas-song/ |title=Cher breaks all-time UK chart record with 'DJ Play a Christmas Song' |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=March 30, 2025 |date=December 22, 2023 |archive-date=December 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222180119/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/cher-chart-record-dj-play-christmas-song/ |url-status=live}}</ref> She held the previous record for the longest span between a first and most recent number-one single on the [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]]—33 years, seven months and three weeks—from "I Got You Babe" (August 14, 1965) to the final week at number one for "Believe" (April 3, 1999).{{efn|name=BrendaLee|[[Brenda Lee]] surpassed Cher's record for the longest span between a first and most recent number-one single on the [[Billboard Hot 100|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in December 2023, when "[[Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree]]" reached number one for the first time since its 1958 release. Until then, Lee's only number-one hits had been "[[I'm Sorry (Brenda Lee song)|I'm Sorry]]" and "[[I Want to Be Wanted]]", both released in 1960.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/brenda-lee-rockin-around-the-christmas-tree-number-one-hot-100/ |title=New Old-Fashioned No. 1: Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' Tops Hot 100, 65 Years After Its Release |first=Gary |last=Trust |date=December 4, 2023 |access-date=March 29, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204194813/https://www.billboard.com/lists/brenda-lee-rockin-around-the-christmas-tree-number-one-hot-100/ |archive-date=December 4, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>}}<ref name=BillboardRecordBreakers/> At 52, she became the oldest female artist to top the Hot 100.{{efn|name=oldest2023}}<ref name=oldest1999/> In 2023, "DJ Play a Christmas Song" made her the oldest female artist–at 77–to enter the Official UK Top 40.<ref name=ukdjrecords/>

Cher has received numerous [[List of lifetime achievement awards|lifetime and career achievement honors]], including the [[GLAAD Vanguard Award|Vanguard Award]] at the 1998 [[GLAAD Media Award]]s,<ref name=vanguard/> the Legend Award at the [[1999 World Music Awards]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dezzani |first=Mark |date=May 22, 1999 |title=Smith Leads A More Polished WMAs |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ig0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52 |access-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref> the Influence on Fashion Award from the [[Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)]] in 1999,<ref name=Givhan-1999/> the Lucy Award for Innovation in Television at the 2000 [[Women in Film Honors|Women in Film Awards]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wif.org/past-recipients|title=Past Recipients |publisher=[[Women in Film Honors|Women in Film]]|access-date=July 30, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724120329/http://wif.org/past-recipients|archive-date=July 24, 2011}}</ref> the [[Billboard Icon Award|Icon Award]] at the [[2017 Billboard Music Awards|2017 ''Billboard'' Music Awards]]<ref name=Lewis-2017/> and the Ambassador for the Arts Award at the 2019 [[Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Ruthie |last=Fierberg |date=April 9, 2019 |title=Cher, Graciela Daniele, Jeffrey Seller and Flody Suarez to Be Honored at the 2019 Chita Rivera Awards |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/cher-graciela-daniele-jeffrey-seller-and-flody-suarez-to-be-honored-at-the-2019-chita-rivera-awards |magazine=[[Playbill]] |access-date=November 22, 2024 |archive-date=November 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113112055/https://www.playbill.com/article/cher-graciela-daniele-jeffrey-seller-and-flody-suarez-to-be-honored-at-the-2019-chita-rivera-awards |url-status=live}}</ref> Her handprints and footprints are set in the forecourt of [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre]] in Hollywood.<ref name=graumans>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.advocate.com/news/daily-news/2010/11/19/cher-immortalized-cement|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006171552/http://www.advocate.com/news/daily-news/2010/11/19/cher-immortalized-cement|archive-date=October 6, 2014|title=Cher Immortalized in Cement|magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]|date=November 19, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> She has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] as part of Sonny & Cher<ref name=walkoffame/> and was offered a solo star in 1983 but declined the required personal appearance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Conklin |first=Ellis E. |date=November 2, 1986 |title=It's a Hollywood Walk of Shame |newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |agency=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-its-a-hollywood/163961016/}}</ref> In 2018, Cher received the [[Kennedy Center Honors]], the highest cultural recognition in the US,<ref name=kennedy/> and in 2024, she was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref name=rrhof24>{{cite web |title=2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees |url=https://rockhall.com/2024-inductees/ |publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] |access-date=April 22, 2024 |date=April 22, 2024}}</ref>

== Political views ==
[[File:1985 Cher.jpg|upright=0.55|left|thumb|alt=Cher smiles in a black outfit with metallic studs, sporting a voluminous, spiky hairstyle.|
Cher in 1985 at a [[White House]] reception hosted by First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]]]]

Cher has said that she is not a registered Democrat, but has attended many [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] events.<ref name=Wilker-2000>{{cite news |last=Wilker |first=Deborah |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=113900 |title=Cher Begs Voters Not to Choose Bush |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=November 1, 2000 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |archive-date=February 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201000740/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=113900 |url-status=live}}</ref> Her [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]] political views have attracted media attention and she has been an outspoken critic of the [[conservatism in the United States|conservative movement]].<ref name=Smith-2010>{{cite magazine |first=Krista |last=Smith |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/12/cher-201012 |title=Forever Cher |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=November 30, 2010 |access-date=January 17, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120001736/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/12/cher-201012 |archive-date=January 20, 2016}}</ref> She has commented that she did not understand why anyone would be a Republican because eight years under the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|administration of George W. Bush]] "almost killed [her]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/02/cher-i-dont-kno.html |title=Cher: 'I don't know why anyone would want to be a Republican'|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 6, 2009|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113184421/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/02/cher-i-dont-kno.html |archive-date=January 13, 2016}}</ref> During the [[2000 United States presidential election]], [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] wrote that she was determined to do "whatever possible to keep [Bush] out of office".<ref name=Wilker-2000/> She said, "If you're black&nbsp;... a woman [or] any minority in this country at all, what could possibly possess you to vote Republican?&nbsp;... You won't have one fucking right left."<ref name=Wilker-2000/> She added, "I don't like Bush. I don't trust him ... He's stupid. He's lazy."<ref name=Wilker-2000/>

On October 27, 2003, Cher anonymously called a [[C-SPAN]] phone-in program to recount a visit she made to maimed soldiers at the [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center]] and criticized the lack of media coverage and government attention given to injured servicemen. Although she identified herself as an unnamed entertainer, she was recognized by the C-SPAN host, who questioned her about her 1992 support for independent presidential candidate [[Ross Perot]]. She said: <blockquote>When I heard him talk right in the beginning, I thought that he would bring some sort of common-sense business approach and also less partisanship, but then&nbsp;... I was completely disappointed like everyone else when he just kind of cut and run and no one knew exactly why&nbsp;... Maybe he couldn't have withstood all the investigation that goes on now.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?178824-1/open-phones&start=1115|title=Cher called in to comment on her visit to wounded soldiers in Walter Reed Army Hospital|publisher=[[C-SPAN Video Library]]|date=October 27, 2003|access-date=July 21, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402030158/http://www.c-span.org/video/?178824-1%2Fopen-phones|archive-date=April 2, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:Photograph of President William Jefferson Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton on Stage during First Lady Hillary Clinton's Birthday Celebration in New York, New York - NARA - 5899965 (cropped).jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|right|alt=Cher standing beside President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton at a birthday celebration, all smiling.|Cher in 2000 with President [[Bill Clinton]] and First Lady [[Hillary Clinton]] at her birthday celebration in New York]]

In a 2006 ''[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]'' interview, Cher elaborated on her "against the [[Iraq War|war in Iraq]] but [[Support our troops|for the troops]]" position: "I don't have to be for this war to support the troops because these men and women do what&nbsp;... they're told to do&nbsp;... They do the best they can. They don't ask for anything."<ref>{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Mraz|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/cher-i-don-t-have-to-be-for-this-war-to-support-the-troops-1.51650|title=Cher: 'I don't have to be for this war to support the troops'|newspaper=[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]|date=July 16, 2006|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131232313/http://www.stripes.com/news/cher-i-don-t-have-to-be-for-this-war-to-support-the-troops-1.51650|archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>

Cher supported [[Hillary Clinton]] in her 2008 presidential campaign.<ref name=Smith-2010/> After Obama won the Democratic nomination, she supported his candidacy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/65355/cher-radios-it-in-for-barack-obama|title=Cher Radios It in For Barack Obama|publisher=[[E!]]|date=October 23, 2008|first=Marc|last=Malkin|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330221824/http://www.eonline.com/news/65355/cher-radios-it-in-for-barack-obama|archive-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/articles/cher-on-finding-love-guys-dont-want-to-be-mr-cher-66017/ |title=Cher On Finding Love: 'Guys Don't Want To Be Mr. Cher' |work=[[Access Hollywood]] |date=October 31, 2008 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131222622/http://www.accesshollywood.com/articles/cher-on-finding-love-guys-dont-want-to-be-mr-cher-66017/ |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref> In a 2010 interview with ''Vanity Fair'', she commented that she "still thinks Hillary would have done a better job", although she "accepts the fact that Barack Obama inherited insurmountable problems".<ref name=Smith-2010/> During the [[2012 United States presidential election]], Cher and comedian [[Kathy Griffin]] released a [[public service announcement]] titled "Don't Let Mitt Turn Back Time on Women's Rights", criticizing [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] presidential nominee [[Mitt Romney]] for his support of [[Richard Mourdock]], the US Senate candidate who suggested that pregnancies resulting from rape were "part of God's plan".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cher-kathy-griffin-slam-mitt-386235 |title=Cher, Kathy Griffin Slam Mitt Romney as 'Anti-Women' in PSA (Video) |date=November 3, 2012 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |first=Aaron |last=Couch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201012754/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cher-kathy-griffin-slam-mitt-386235 |archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref>

In September 2013, Cher declined an invitation to perform at the [[2014 Winter Olympics]] opening ceremony in Russia due to the country's [[Concerns and controversies at the 2014 Winter Olympics#LGBT rights|controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation]] that overshadowed preparations for the event.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/16/cher-winter-olympics-russia-gay-rights|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|title=Cher: I won't play Winter Olympics due to Russia's anti-gay laws|first=Sean|last=Michaels|date=September 16, 2013|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114213213/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/16/cher-winter-olympics-russia-gay-rights|archive-date=January 14, 2016}}</ref> In June 2015, after [[Donald Trump]] announced his candidacy for president, she made critical comments on Twitter, stating that "Donald Trump's punishment is being Donald Trump".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6605312/cher-donald-trump-twitter-hindenberg-punishment-is-being-donald|title=Cher Takes on Donald Trump on Twitter, Says His Punishment Is 'Being Donald Trump'|first=Natalie|last=Weiner|date=June 19, 2015|access-date=February 12, 2016|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206071155/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6605312/cher-donald-trump-twitter-hindenberg-punishment-is-being-donald|archive-date=February 6, 2016}}</ref> She endorsed Clinton in her [[Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign|2016 presidential campaign]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/04/22/celeb-endorsement-of-the-week-cher-for-hillary-clinton/|title=Celeb endorsement of the week: Cher for Hillary Clinton|first=Sarah|last=Polus|date=April 22, 2016|access-date=September 15, 2025|magazine=[[The Washington Post]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116032513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/04/22/celeb-endorsement-of-the-week-cher-for-hillary-clinton/|archive-date=January 16, 2025}}</ref> In 2018, after the victory in Brazil's presidential election of [[Right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] [[Jair Bolsonaro]], Cher called him a "pig" and "a politician from hell", before declaring that Bolsonaro should be "locked in prison for the rest of his life".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://f5.folha.uol.com.br/celebridades/2018/10/bolsonaro-e-um-porco-e-deveria-ser-preso-afirmou-a-cantora-cher.shtml |title='Bolsonaro é um porco e deveria ser preso', afirmou a cantora Cher |date=October 28, 2018 |newspaper=[[Folha de S.Paulo]] |language=pt-br |archive-date=April 7, 2020 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407121924/https://f5.folha.uol.com.br/celebridades/2018/10/bolsonaro-e-um-porco-e-deveria-ser-preso-afirmou-a-cantora-cher.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Cher (50536824728) (cropped).jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|left|alt=Cher, wearing a black face mask and long dark hair, stands at an outdoor event with microphones in front of her and a crowd of masked people in the background.|Cher in 2020 speaking to the media at an early voting center in the [[Fowler Elementary School District]]]]

Cher has advocated for recognition of the [[Armenian Genocide]]. At the 2016 premiere of ''[[The Promise (2016 film)|The Promise]]'', a war film depicting the genocide, she criticized Turkey's denial and highlighted the general public's lack of awareness. She cited the [[Hitler's Obersalzberg Speech|Obersalzberg Speech]] and the line, "[[Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?]]" She also discussed her Armenian heritage and her grandparents' survival of the genocide.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cher On ''The Promise'': Why Remembering The Armenian Genocide Is So Important |url=https://www.accessonline.com/videos/cher-on-the-promise-why-remembering-the-armenian-genocide-is-so-important |access-date=December 23, 2023 |website=[[Access Hollywood]] |date=April 17, 2017 |archive-date=December 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223095531/https://www.accessonline.com/videos/cher-on-the-promise-why-remembering-the-armenian-genocide-is-so-important |url-status=live}}</ref> Cher expressed support for Armenia and [[Republic of Artsakh|Artsakh]] on Twitter during the [[2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Zornosa |first=Laura |title=Why these Armenian American celebs are speaking out about a chronic conflict |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-10-08/kardashians-armenian-american-celebs-talk-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-online |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=October 15, 2020 |date=October 8, 2020 |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009041803/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-10-08/kardashians-armenian-american-celebs-talk-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-online |url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, she congratulated [[Joe Biden]] for being the first US President to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide.<ref>{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Kacala |title=Cher responds to Biden calling mass killing of Armenians a genocide |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/cher-responds-biden-calling-mass-killing-armenians-genocide-t216269 |access-date=December 23, 2023 |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |date=April 24, 2021 |archive-date=December 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223101033/https://www.today.com/today/amp/tdna216269 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2020, Cher raised nearly $2 million for [[Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|Biden's presidential campaign]] at a virtual LGBTQ-themed fundraiser.<ref>{{cite news|title='Do you believe in life after Trump?' Cher raises $2M for Biden at LGBTQ fundraiser|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/do-you-believe-life-after-trump-cher-raises-2m-biden-n1238985|access-date=February 17, 2021|publisher=[[NBC News]]|date=September 1, 2020|archive-date=December 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222122725/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/do-you-believe-life-after-trump-cher-raises-2m-biden-n1238985|url-status=live}}</ref> In October, she campaigned for Biden in Nevada and Arizona<ref>{{cite news |last=Napoli |first=Jessica |date=October 22, 2020 |title=Cher campaigning for Joe Biden in Nevada and Arizona |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cher-campaigning-biden-nevada-arizona |access-date=February 17, 2021 |publisher=[[Fox News]] |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223051741/https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cher-campaigning-biden-nevada-arizona |url-status=live}}</ref> and released a cover of "[[Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe]]", originally from the 1943 musical ''[[Cabin in the Sky (film)|Cabin in the Sky]]'', with lyrics updated to be about Biden.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Tyler |date=October 26, 2020 |title=Cher debuts 'Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe' cover at pro-Biden concert event |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cher-happiness-thing-called-joe-cover-biden-concert |access-date=February 17, 2021 |publisher=[[Fox News]] |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223051743/https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cher-happiness-thing-called-joe-cover-biden-concert |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, following [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's invasion of Ukraine]], Cher voiced support for Ukraine on Twitter and called for humanitarian aid.<ref>{{cite web |last=Giorgobiani |first=Natia |date=February 24, 2022 |title=Singer Cher spoke out in support of Ukraine |url=https://www.perild.com/2022/02/24/singer-cher-spoke-out-in-support-of-ukraine/ |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=Perild |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417215142/https://www.perild.com/2022/02/24/singer-cher-spoke-out-in-support-of-ukraine/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> She referred to Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] as a [[Despotism|despot]] seeking to [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|restore the Soviet Union]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/89822912.cms |title=Russia-Ukraine crisis: Angelina Jolie, Priyanka Chopra, Mark Ruffalo, Jared Leto and other Hollywood stars band together to condemn attack |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=February 25, 2022 |archive-date=March 4, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250304150210/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/hollywood/news/russia-ukraine-crisis-angelina-jolie-priyanka-chopra-mark-ruffalo-jared-leto-and-other-hollywood-stars-band-together-to-condemn-attack/articleshow/89822912.cms |url-status=live}}</ref> and announced plans to provide shelter to [[Ukrainian refugee crisis|Ukrainian refugees]] in her home.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cher supported the Ukrainians |url=https://frontnews.eu/en/news/details/23620/ |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=Front News Ukraine |archive-date=March 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325032039/https://frontnews.eu/en/news/details/23620 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2024, Cher endorsed the presidential ticket of [[Kamala Harris]] and [[Tim Walz]], stating on social media that Harris was "fighting for all of us" and would "protect our rights".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/cher-endorses-kamala-harris |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=August 5, 2025 |date=October 20, 2024 |first=Eve |last=Batey |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106183620/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/cher-endorses-kamala-harris |archive-date=November 6, 2024 |title=Cher Endorses Presidential Ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz}}</ref>

== Philanthropy ==
[[File:Cher at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center 2006.jpg|upright=0.9|thumb|right|alt=Cher wears a military beret and a white lace outfit, smiling with her arm around a US Army soldier in uniform.|Cher during her July 12, 2006, visit at [[Landstuhl Regional Medical Center]], Germany, which treats injured US military personnel serving in Afghanistan and Iraq]]

Cher's philanthropic work is channeled through the Cher Charitable Foundation, which focuses on [[Poverty reduction|combating poverty]], advancing [[medical research]], improving [[health care]] and supporting the rights of [[Social vulnerability|vulnerable groups]] such as [[veteran]]s, [[Children's rights|children]], [[LGBTQ rights by country or territory|LGBTQ individuals]], [[Elder rights|elders]] and [[animal rights|animals]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.juliensauctions.com/press/2006/cher-press-release.html |publisher=[[Julien's Auctions]] |title=The Collection of Cher Auction|date=October 3, 2006 |access-date=February 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216133542/https://www.juliensauctions.com/press/2006/cher-press-release.html |archive-date=February 16, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> She has been a vocal advocate for American soldiers, returning veterans and communities affected by war. In 1993, she joined a humanitarian mission to Armenia, delivering food and medical supplies to the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War|war-torn]] region.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cheever|first=Susan|author-link=Susan Cheever|url=http://people.com/archive/in-a-broken-land-vol-39-no-19/|title=In a Broken Land|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=May 17, 1993|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227055224/http://people.com/archive/in-a-broken-land-vol-39-no-19/|archive-date=December 27, 2016}}</ref> She has supported Operation Helmet, which provides free helmet upgrade kits to troops in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]], and contributed to the [[Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund]], aiding military personnel severely injured in war-related operations.<ref name=Philanthropy>{{cite news|date=November 12, 2007|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cher-presents-love-sees-no-color-premiere-at-los-angeles-fundraiser-party-59839397.html |title=Cher Presents ''Love Sees No Color'' Premiere at Los Angeles Fundraiser Party|agency=[[PR Newswire]]|access-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106034827/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cher-presents-love-sees-no-color-premiere-at-los-angeles-fundraiser-party-59839397.html |archive-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref>

Cher is a donor, fundraiser and international spokesperson for [[Keep a Child Alive]], which seeks to combat [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]], including providing [[antiretroviral medicine]] to children and their families.<ref name=Philanthropy/> In 1996, she hosted the [[American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)]] Benefit alongside [[Elizabeth Taylor]] at the Cannes Film Festival.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64 |magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]] |title=Cher – ''The Advocate'' interview by Chastity Bono |first=Chaz |last=Bono |author-link=Chaz Bono |date=August 20, 1996 |access-date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> In 2015, she received the amfAR Award of Inspiration for "her willingness and ability to use her fame for the greater good" and for being "one of the great champions in the fight against AIDS".<ref name=amfaraward>{{cite web |url=http://www.amfar.org/In-The-Spotlight/Press-Releases/CHER,-FELIPE-DINIZ-and-JEAN-PAUL-GAULTIER-HONORED-AT-FIFTH-ANNUAL-INSPIRATION-GALA--SÃO-PAULO/ |title=Cher, Felipe Diniz and Jean Paul Gaultier Honored at Fifth Annual Inspiration Gala São Paulo |publisher=[[amfAR]] |access-date=January 18, 2016 |date=April 11, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131210411/http://www.amfar.org/In-The-Spotlight/Press-Releases/CHER,-FELIPE-DINIZ-and-JEAN-PAUL-GAULTIER-HONORED-AT-FIFTH-ANNUAL-INSPIRATION-GALA--S%C3%83O-PAULO/ |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>

Cher has served as the Honorary National Chair of [[Habitat for Humanity]]'s "Raise the Roof" fundraising initiative, aimed at supporting the construction and repair of affordable homes for families in need.<ref name=Philanthropy/> In 2007, Cher became the primary supporter of the Peace Village School in [[Ukunda]], Kenya, which "provides nutritious food, medical care, education and extracurricular activities for more than 300 orphans and vulnerable children".<ref name=Philanthropy/> Her support enabled the school to acquire land and build permanent housing and school facilities and in partnership with [[Malaria No More]] and other organizations, she piloted an effort to eliminate [[malaria]] mortality and morbidity for the children, their caregivers and the surrounding community.<ref name=Philanthropy/>

[[File:21 - Cher-002 (17107158346).jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|left|alt=Cher, in a black lace top and blazer, with long, wavy dark hair, looks to the side with her tongue slightly out.|Cher at an [[amfAR]] event, 2015]]

In 2016, after the discovery of [[Flint water crisis|lead contamination in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan]], Cher donated more than 180,000&nbsp;bottles of water to the city.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] |url=http://www.vogue.com/13389707/cher-flint-water-crisis/ |title=In Praise of Cher's Response to the Flint Water Crisis |date=January 20, 2016|first=Lynn |last=Yaeger |access-date=January 22, 2016 |author-link=Lynn Yaeger |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122155843/http://www.vogue.com/13389707/cher-flint-water-crisis/ |archive-date=January 22, 2016}}</ref> During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cher launched the CherCares Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative (CCPRRI) alongside [[Irwin Redlener|Dr. Irwin Redlener]], the head of [[Columbia University]]'s Pandemic Resource and Response Center, to distribute $1&nbsp;million to "chronically neglected and forgotten people" through the [[Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF)]]. Cher told ''Billboard'', "There are rural areas where people of color and Latinos and Native Americans were getting no services. It's not a lot of money—$1 million goes in the blink of an eyelash!—so now I'm trying to get my friends to make it a lot more so we can do something that will really meet people's needs."<ref name=coronavirus/>

In 2017, Cher weighed in on the need to protect elder rights as she executive produced ''[[Edith+Eddie]]'', a documentary about a nonagenarian interracial couple, which was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Short]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cher-edith-eddie-they-were-not-treated-like-people-1087030 |title=Cher on ''Edith+Eddie'': 'They Were Not Treated Like People' |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=February 23, 2018 |access-date=August 10, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807124448/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cher-edith-eddie-they-were-not-treated-like-people-1087030 |url-status=live}}</ref> That same year, she co-founded Free the Wild, an international charity dedicated to protecting wild animals in captivity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fundraiso.com/en/organisations/free-the-wild |title=Free the Wild |website=Fundraiso |date=July 25, 2017 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207211001/https://www.fundraiso.com/en/organisations/free-the-wild |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Daw |first=Stephen |title=This Artist Is Selling Portraits of Cher to Help Animals in Captivity |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=March 4, 2020 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-portraits-free-the-wild-9328036/ |access-date=December 2, 2024 |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207164006/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-portraits-free-the-wild-9328036/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, Free the Wild partnered with [[Four Paws|Four Paws International]], prompting Cher to travel to [[Pakistan]] to advocate for and work with the country's government for the transfer of [[Kaavan]], an elephant confined to a zoo for 35 years, to a wildlife sanctuary in [[Cambodia]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cher-rescue-elephant-zoo-pakistan |publisher=[[Fox News]] |date=November 27, 2020 |title=Cher helps rescue world's 'loneliest elephant' from zoo in Pakistan |agency=[[Associated Press]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210111249/https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cher-rescue-elephant-zoo-pakistan |archive-date=December 10, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> This effort was chronicled in the documentary ''[[Cher & the Loneliest Elephant]]'', released on [[Paramount+]] in 2021, which detailed her collaboration with animal aid groups and veterinarians to free Kaavan.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=March 24, 2021|title='Cher & The Loneliest Elephant' to Premiere on a Very Fitting Day|url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/cher-loneliest-elephant-premiere-dates-9545388/|access-date=March 30, 2021|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|archive-date=November 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117013725/https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/cher-loneliest-elephant-premiere-dates-9545388/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cher's older child, Chaz Bono, first came out as a lesbian at age 17, which reportedly caused Cher to feel "guilt, fear and pain".{{sfn|Bernstein|2003|p=166}} She later accepted Chaz's sexual orientation and came to the conclusion that LGBTQ people "didn't have the same rights as everyone else, [and she] thought that was unfair".{{sfn|Plumez|2002|p=182}} Cher was the keynote speaker for the 1997 national Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays ([[PFLAG]]) convention and has since become one of the LGBTQ community's most vocal advocates.{{sfn|Plumez|2002|p=182}} In May 1998, she received the [[GLAAD Vanguard Award]] for having "made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for lesbians and gay men".<ref name=vanguard>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10 |magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]] |title=Quote, unquote |date=May 26, 1998 |access-date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> On June 11, 2009, Chaz came out as a [[transgender]] man and his transition from female to male was legally finalized on May 6, 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 6, 2010 |title=Chaz Bono Granted Name, Gender Change |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chaz-bono-granted-name-gender-change/ |publisher=[[CBS News]] |archive-date=May 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527140920/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chaz-bono-granted-name-gender-change/ |url-status=live |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

== Discography ==
{{Main|Cher albums discography|Cher singles discography|List of songs recorded by Cher}}
{{See also|Sonny & Cher discography}}

=== Solo studio albums ===
{{columns-list|colwidth=27em|
* ''[[All I Really Want to Do (album)|All I Really Want to Do]]'' (1965)
* ''[[The Sonny Side of Chér]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Chér (1966 album)|Chér]]'' (1966)
* ''[[With Love, Chér]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Backstage (album)|Backstage]]'' (1968)
* ''[[3614 Jackson Highway]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Chér (1971 album)|Chér]]'' (reissued as ''Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves'') (1971)
* ''[[Foxy Lady (Cher album)|Foxy Lady]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Bittersweet White Light]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Half-Breed (album)|Half-Breed]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Dark Lady (album)|Dark Lady]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Stars (Cher album)|Stars]]'' (1975)
* ''[[I'd Rather Believe in You]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Cherished]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Take Me Home (Cher album)|Take Me Home]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Prisoner (Cher album)|Prisoner]]'' (1979)
* ''[[I Paralyze]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Cher (1987 album)|Cher]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Heart of Stone (Cher album)|Heart of Stone]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Love Hurts (Cher album)|Love Hurts]]'' (1991)
* ''[[It's a Man's World (Cher album)|It's a Man's World]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Believe (Cher album)|Believe]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Not Commercial]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Living Proof (Cher album)|Living Proof]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Closer to the Truth]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Dancing Queen (album)|Dancing Queen]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Christmas (Cher album)|Christmas]]'' (2023)
}}

=== Collaborative studio albums ===
* ''[[Two the Hard Way]]'' (with [[Gregg Allman]] as Allman and Woman) (1977)
* ''[[Black Rose (Black Rose album)|Black Rose]]'' (as lead vocalist of Black Rose) (1980)

== Filmography ==
{{Main|Cher filmography|Cher videography}}

=== Films ===
{{columns-list|colwidth=27em|
* ''[[Wild on the Beach]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Good Times (film)|Good Times]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Chastity (1969 film)|Chastity]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (film)|Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Silkwood]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Mask (1985 film)|Mask]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Suspect (1987 film)|Suspect]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Witches of Eastwick (film)|The Witches of Eastwick]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Moonstruck]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Mermaids (1990 film)|Mermaids]]'' (1990)
* ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Prêt-à-Porter (film)|Prêt-à-Porter]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Faithful (1996 film)|Faithful]]'' (1996)
* ''[[If These Walls Could Talk]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Tea with Mussolini]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Stuck on You (film)|Stuck on You]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Burlesque (2010 American film)|Burlesque]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Zookeeper (film)|Zookeeper]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Bobbleheads: The Movie]]'' (2020)
}}

=== Headlining TV shows and specials ===
{{columns-list|colwidth=27em|
* ''[[The Sonny & Cher Nitty Gritty Hour]]'' (1971)
* ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'' (1971–1974)
* ''[[Cher (TV series)|Cher]]'' (1975–1976)
* ''[[The Sonny and Cher Show]]'' (1976–1977)
* ''[[Cher... Special]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Cher... and Other Fantasies]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Standing Room Only: Cher in Concert]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Cher... A Celebration at Caesars]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Cher Extravaganza: Live at the Mirage|Cher... at the Mirage]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Sonny & Me: Cher Remembers]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Live in Concert (video)|Cher: Live in Concert – From the MGM Grand in Las Vegas]]'' (1999)
* ''[[The Farewell Tour (video)|Cher: The Farewell Tour]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Dear Mom, Love Cher]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Cher & the Loneliest Elephant]]'' (2021)
}}

== Tours and residencies ==
{{Main|List of Cher concerts}}

=== Headlining tours ===
{{columns-list|colwidth=27em|
* [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]] (1979–1982)
* [[Heart of Stone Tour]] (1989–1990)
* [[Love Hurts Tour]] (1991–1992)
* [[Do You Believe? Tour]] (1999–2000)
* [[Living Proof: The Farewell Tour]] (2002–2005)
* [[Dressed to Kill Tour (Cher)|Dressed to Kill Tour]] (2014)
* [[Here We Go Again Tour]] (2018–2020)
}}

=== Co-headlining tours ===
* [[Two the Hard Way Tour]] (with Gregg Allman as Allman and Woman) (1977)

=== Residencies ===
* [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]] (1979–1982){{efn|name=takemehometour}}
* [[Cher (concert residency)|Cher]] (2008–2011)
* [[Classic Cher]] (2017–2020)

== Published works ==
* ''[[The Ugly Duckling (audiobook)|The Ugly Duckling]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Forever Fit]]'' (1991)
* ''[[The First Time (memoir)|The First Time]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Cher: The Memoir, Part One]]'' (2024)

== See also ==
{{Portal|Biography|Pop music|United States}}
{{div col}}
* [[Culture of the United States]]
* [[Forbes list of highest-earning musicians|''Forbes'' list of highest-earning musicians]]
* [[Honorific nicknames in popular music]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one in the United States]]
* [[List of best-selling music artists]]
* [[List of highest-grossing concert tours]]
* [[List of legally mononymous people]]
* [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees]]
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

=== Literary sources ===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Allman |first1=Gregg |author-link1=Gregg Allman |url=https://archive.org/details/mycrosstobear00allm |title=My Cross to Bear |last2=Light |first2=Alan |author-link2=Alan Light |publisher=[[William Morrow and Company]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-06-211203-3 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bego |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Bego |url=https://archive.org/details/cherifyoubelieve00bego |title=Cher: If You Believe |publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing |year=2001 |isbn=0-8154-1153-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Berman |first=Connie |url=https://archive.org/details/cherberm00berm |title=Cher |publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7910-5907-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bernstein |first=Robert A. |url=https://archive.org/details/straightparentsg0000bern |title=Straight Parents, Gay Children: Keeping Families Together |publisher=[[Perseus Books Group|Thunder's Mouth Press]] |year=2003 |isbn=1-56025-452-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bono |first=Sonny |author-link=Sonny Bono |url=https://archive.org/details/andbeatgoeson00bono |title=And the Beat Goes On |publisher=[[Pocket Books]] |year=1992 |isbn=0-671-69367-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bronson |first=Fred |author-link=Fred Bronson |url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn00fred |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Billboard Books]] |year=1997 |isbn=0-8230-7641-5}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Carson |first1=Mina |url=https://archive.org/details/girlsrockfiftyye0000cars_u4z9 |title=Girls Rock! Fifty Years of Women Making Music |last2=Lewis |first2=Tisa |last3=Shaw |first3=Susan M. |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |year=2004 |isbn=0-8131-2904-4}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Cher |url=https://archive.org/details/firsttime00cher |title=The First Time |last2=Coplon |first2=Jeff |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-684-80900-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cher |title=[[Cher: The Memoir, Part One]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2024 |isbn=9780062863102}}
* {{Cite book |last=Chunovic |first=Louis |url=https://archive.org/details/onefootonfloorcu0000chun |title=One Foot on the Floor: The Curious Evolution of Sex on Television from ''I Love Lucy'' to ''South Park'' |publisher=TV Books |year=2000 |isbn=1-57500-186-1}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Crampton |first1=Luke |url=https://archive.org/details/rockstarsencyclo00rees |title=Rock Stars Encyclopedia |last2=Rees |first2=Dafydd |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=1999 |isbn=0-7894-4613-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Crawford |first=Craig |author-link=Craig Crawford |url=https://archive.org/details/politicsoflife2500craw |title=The Politics of Life: 25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4422-1297-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hochman |first=Steve |url=https://archive.org/details/popularmusicians0000unse |title=Popular Musicians |publisher=Salem Press |year=1999 |isbn=0-89356-990-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Horn |first=Katrin |author-link=:de:Katrin Horn |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321078706 |title=Women, Camp, and Popular Culture: Serious Excess |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2017 |isbn=9783319648453}}
* {{Cite book |last=Howard |first=Josiah |url=https://archive.org/details/cherstrongenough0000howa |title=Cher: Strong Enough |publisher=[[Information Today|Plexus Publishing]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-85965-897-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hyatt |first=Wesley |title=Short-Lived Television Series, 1948–1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000&nbsp;Flops |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] |year=2003 |isbn=1-4766-0515-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofp006lark |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Laufenberg |first=Norbert B. |title=Entertainment Celebrities |publisher=[[Trafford Publishing]] |year=2005 |isbn=1-4120-5335-8}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Lonergan |first1=David F. |url=https://archive.org/details/classicrockrollr0000stud |title=The Classic Rock and Roll Reader: Rock Music from Its Beginnings to the Mid-1970s |last2=Studwell |first2=William Emmett |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis|Psychology Press]] |year=1999 |isbn=0-7890-0151-9 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mansour |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/fromabbatozoompo0000mans/page/n9/mode/2up |title=From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] |year=2005 |isbn=0-7407-9307-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=McCracken |first=Grant David |author-link=Grant McCracken |url=https://archive.org/details/transformationsi00unse |title=Transformations: Identity Construction in Contemporary Culture |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-253-21957-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Murrells |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr |title=The Book of Golden Discs |publisher=[[Barrie & Jenkins]] |year=1978 |isbn=0214204804}}
* {{Cite book |last=Negra |first=Diane |url=https://archive.org/details/offwhitehollywoo0000negr |title=Off-White Hollywood: American Culture and Ethnic Female Stardom |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis|Psychology Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=0-415-21678-8 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Parish |first1=James Robert |author-link1=James Robert Parish |url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodsongste0000pari |title=Hollywood Songsters: Allyson to Funicello |last2=Pitts |first2=Michael R. |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2003 |isbn=0-415-94332-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Paul |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Paul (author) |title=One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band |year=2014 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |isbn=978-1-250-04049-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/onewayoutinsideh0000paul}}
* {{Cite book |last=Plumez |first=Jacqueline Hornor |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781570718236 |title=Mother Power: Discover the Difference That Women Have Made All Over the World |publisher=[[EBSCO Information Services|EBSCO Publishing]] |year=2002 |isbn=1-4022-5247-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Quirk |first=Lawrence J. |author-link=Lawrence J. Quirk |url=https://archive.org/details/totallyuninhibit00quir |title=Totally Uninhibited: The Life and Wild Times of Cher |publisher=[[William Morrow and Company]] |year=1991 |isbn=0-688-09822-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ramazanoglu |first=Caroline |url=https://archive.org/details/upagainstfoucaul0000unse |title=Up Against Foucault: Explorations of Some Tensions Between Foucault and Feminism |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=1993 |isbn=0-415-05011-1 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Roedy |first=Bill |url=https://archive.org/details/whatmakesbusines00roed_0 |title=What Makes Business Rock: Building the World's Largest Global Networks |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-118-00476-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Semonche |first=John E. |url=https://archive.org/details/censoringsexhist0000semo |title=Censoring Sex: A Historical Journey Through American Media |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7425-5132-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Simpson |first=Paul |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetocult00simp |title=The Rough Guide to Cult Pop |publisher=[[Rough Guides]] |year=2003 |isbn=1-84353-229-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Sonneborn |first=Liz |url=https://archive.org/details/tozofamericanwom0000sonn |title=A to Z of American Women in the Performing Arts |publisher=Facts on File |year=2002 |isbn=0-8160-4398-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tasker |first=Yvonne |author-link=Yvonne Tasker |url=https://archive.org/details/workinggirlsgend0000task |title=Working Girls: Gender and Sexuality in Popular Cinema |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2002 |isbn=1-134-82660-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tawa |first=Nicholas E. |url=https://archive.org/details/supremelyamerica0000tawa |title=Supremely American: Popular Song in the 20th Century |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-8108-5295-0 |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Trier-Bieniek |first=Adrienne |url=https://archive.org/details/genderpopculture0000unse_i1y2 |title=Gender & Pop Culture: A Text-Reader |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-94-6209-575-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ullman |first=Dana |title=The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy |publisher=[[North Atlantic Books]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-55643-671-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wheway |first=Daniel |title=The Cher Bible |url=https://archive.org/details/cherbible |year=2018 |publisher=Daniel Wheway |isbn=978-0463773024}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|wikt=no|b=no|q=Cher|s=no|commons=Category:Cher (vocalist)|n=no|v=no|species=no|d=Q12003}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* {{Official website}}
* {{AllMusic}}
* {{Discogs artist}}
* {{Emmys person}}
* {{HWOF|sonny-cher}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* {{Rockhall}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
}}

{{Cher (navbox)|state=expanded}}
{{Cher singles}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Cher|Awards for Cher]]
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Actress}}
{{Billboard Icon Award}}
{{Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award}}
{{David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress}}
{{GLAAD Vanguard Award}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actress TV Comedy}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording}}
{{Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2010s}}
{{2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Articles related to Cher
|list =
{{Billboard Year-End number one singles 1980–1999}}
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}}
}}
{{Sonny & Cher}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cher| ]]
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
<!-- Award winner -->
[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Echo (music award) winners]]
<!-- Musician -->
[[Category:American contraltos]]
[[Category:American dance musicians]]
[[Category:American disco musicians]]
[[Category:American women pop singers]]
[[Category:American women rock singers]]
[[Category:American house musicians]]
[[Category:American pop rock singers]]
[[Category:Las Vegas shows]]
[[Category:Record producers from California]]
[[Category:Sonny & Cher]]
[[Category:American torch singers]]
[[Category:Atco Records artists]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]
[[Category:Geffen Records artists]]
[[Category:Imperial Records artists]]
[[Category:Kapp Records artists]]
[[Category:MCA Records artists]]
[[Category:Warner Records artists]]
<!-- Actress -->
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American voice actresses]]
[[Category:Ethnic Armenian actresses]]
<!-- Birth -->
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century people from California]]
[[Category:21st-century people from California]]
[[Category:Actors with dyslexia]]
[[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Actresses from Malibu, California]]
[[Category:American activists with disabilities]]
[[Category:American actors with disabilities]]
[[Category:American adoptees]]
[[Category:American musicians with disabilities]]
[[Category:American people of Armenian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Cherokee descent]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of French descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American women in electronic music]]
[[Category:American women record producers]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]
[[Category:LGBTQ rights activists from California]]
[[Category:Music and fashion]]
[[Category:Musicians with dyslexia]]
[[Category:People from El Centro, California]]
[[Category:People with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome]]
[[Category:Singers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Singers with disabilities]]
[[Category:Musicians from Malibu, California]]
[[Category:Activists from Malibu, California]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Malibu, California]]