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Our Top 10 Cher Songs list takes a look at one of music’s most iconic singers. In addition to being an iconic singer, she is an award-winning actress. She is known as the Goddess of Pop. She rose to fame by being one half of the folk-rock duo Sonny & Cher in 1965. By 1967, the duo sold 40 million records. She started her solo career in 1966 while she was still with Sonny Bono. As a solo artist, she sold an impressive 100 million records. She has won several awards. She is one award shy of being an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). She has an Emmy, Oscar and Grammy awards. She has also won Golden Globe and Billboard Awards. Cher is the only singer to have hits in six consecutive decades.
Let’s get to know Cher, the artist, a little bit better. Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946. Cher met Sonny Bono in 1962. He introduced her to Phil Spector, and he used her as a background singer. She is a backup singer on hit songs such as The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” Her first single is the rock song “Ringo, I Love You.” She performed the song under the name Bonnie Jo Mason. Unfortunately, radio stations rejected the song because they thought she was a man. People thought her deep contralto vocals belonged to a man.
Cher released her debut album All I Really Want To Do in 1965. The album peaked at number 16 on the charts. Sonny Bono produced the album. It is a cover album. The album received positive reviews. It features the single “All I Really Want To Do.” She released her second album The Sonny Side of Cher in 1966. The title of the album is a play on their names. Similar to her debut album, it’s a cover album. The album peaked at number 26 on the charts. It features the singles “Where Do You Go” and “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).”
Cher released her eponymous album in 1966. This is another cover album. This album was more of a French style than her previous ones. The album peaked at number 59 on the charts. It wasn’t as successful as the other two albums. It features the single “Alfie.” She released her fourth album With Love, Cher in 1967. Like her other albums, this is a cover album. It peaked at number 47 on the charts. It features the singles “Behind the Door,” “Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies),” “Hey Joe” and “You Better Sit Down Kids.”
She released her fifth album Backstage in 1968. She changed up her style of music for this project. She experimented with different genres of music as well as different themes for the songs. The album didn’t match the success of her other albums. This is the first album not to have hit singles. The album features the singles “The Click Song” and “Take Me for a Little While.” Her sixth album 3614 Jackson Highway was the first album she did without Bono. The album came out in 1969 and peaked at number 160 on the charts. It features the singles “For What It’s Worth,” “I Walk on Guilded Splinters” and “Lay, Baby Lay.”
In 1971, Cher and Sonny starred in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. It was a hit variety show and turned into a full-time show. She released her seventh album Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves in 1971. The album had positive reviews. It was her first successful album in the 70’s. The album peaked at number 16 on the charts. It features the hit singles “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves” and “The Way of Love.” The album sold over 500,000 copies. It was one of her biggest hits at the time. She changed her fashion style when she released this album. She used to dress like a hippie. Once she worked with fashion designer Bob Mackie, her style was more glamorous.
Cher released her eighth album Foxy Lady in 1972. It peaked at number 43 on the charts. It didn’t do as well as her last album. It features the singles “Living in a House Divided” and “Don’t Hide Your Love.” She released her ninth album Bittersweet White Light in 1973. This is the last album she did with Bono. The album didn’t do well on the charts. It peaked at number 140 on the charts. It features the single “Am I Blue.” She released her tenth album Half Breed in 1973. The album peaked at number 28 on the charts. It features the number one single “Half Breed.” The album sold over 500,000 copies.
She released her eleventh album Dark Lady in 1974. The album had moderate success. It peaked at number 69 on the charts. It features the singles “Dark Lady,” “Train Of Thought,” “I Saw A Man and He Danced with His Wife” and “Rescue Me.” She released several albums that didn’t do well on the charts until she released her fifteenth album Take Me Home in 1979. The album peaked at number 25 on the charts. It features the singles “Take Me Home,” “Wasn’t It Good” and “It’s Too Late (To Love Me Now).” The album sold over 500,000 copies.
She released a couple of albums that didn’t fare well on the charts. She took a break from singing to pursue her acting career. She starred in the movies Silkwood, Mask, and Suspect. She won the Cannes Film Festival Award for the movie Mask. She released her eighteenth album Cher in 1987. The album peaked at number 32 on the charts. It features the singles “I Found Someone,” “We All Sleep Alone,” “Skin Deep,” “Bang-Bang” and “Main Man.” This album sold over one million copies.
Cher is just as known for her personal life as well as her professional life. She has been linked to celebrities such as Val Kilmer, Eric Stolz, Tom Cruise, Ron Duguay, Gene Simmons, Josh Donen, and Ritchie Sambora. She released her nineteenth album Heart of Stone in 1989. This is one of the biggest albums of her career. It reached number 10 on the charts. It is her first solo album to reach number 10 on the charts. It features the singles “After All,” “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Just Like Jesse James,” “Heart of Stone” and “You Wouldn’t Know Love.” The album sold over four million copies.
Fresh off the success of Heart of Stone, she starred in the movie Mermaids in 1990. It was a box office hit. She recorded the hit single “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)” for the soundtrack. She released her twentieth album Love Hurts in 1991. It peaked at number 48 on the charts. It features the singles “Love and Understanding,” “Save Up All Your Tears,” “Love Hurts,” “Could’ve Been You” and “When Lovers Become Strangers.” The album sold over one million copies.
In 1996, Cher released her twenty-first album It’s a Man’s World. It peaked at number 64 on the charts. It features the singles “Walking in Memphis,” “One by One,” “Not Enough Love in the World,” “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” and “Paradise.” The album sold over one million copies. She released her twenty-second album Believe in 1998. The album received mixed reviews. It peaked at number four on the charts. “Believe” is one of the best selling singles of all time. The album features the singles “Believe,” “Strong Enough” and “All or Nothing”
She released her twenty-fourth album Living Proof in 2001. It peaked at number nine on the charts. It features the singles “The Music’s No Good Without You,” “Song for the Lonely,” “Alive Again,” “A Different Kind of Love Song.” “When the Money’s Gone” and “Love One Another.” The album sold over one million copies. She released her twenty-fifth album Closer to the Truth in 2013. The album peaked at number three on the charts. It received positive reviews. It features the singles “Woman’s World,” “I Hope You Find It,” “Take It Like a Man” and “I Walk Alone.” The album sold over 500,000 copies.
Cher is a multi-talented artist who was able to sustain success through the 60’s and beyond. There aren’t too many acts that were able to accomplish this feat. She was able to make it in a male dominated industry and thrive. This Top 10 Cher Songs list will feature her hit singles. Do you think you know what will be number one on the list?
# 10 – Love and Understanding
The first song on our Top 10 Cher Songs list is the pop-friendly “Love and Understanding” from the Love Hurts album. This song has a pop and rock sound. This is an emotional song about needing love. It doesn’t matter if you have material things if you don’t have love in your life. It’s the type of song Diane Warren would write for other artists.
The song has a good, socially conscious message. The lyrics are poignant without sounding sappy. The music is melodic and energetic. It has impressive orchestral synths and guitar riffs. You don’t hear too many socially conscious songs with rock beats. Cher’s vocals are sincere and convincing. She doesn’t sing this in her signature deep contralto voice. She uses a higher register when she sings the pre-chorus. She shows control in her voice because she’s able to switch octaves effortlessly.
# 9 – I Found Someone
The next song on our Top 10 Cher Songs list is the cathartic “I Found Someone” from the Cher album. This is a therapeutic song about her telling her ex that she has found someone to replace him. The new guy she’s with has taken away the pain that her ex caused. This song is relatable to anyone who wants to prove that they can move on from a bad relationship to a good one. It’s hard to believe that this song is a remake because she sings the song as if it were written for her personally.
Cher is famous for having an active love life so it could have easily been about one of her own relationships. The song starts off slowly in the first verse and then soars in the hook. Cher sounds really passionate in this song. She is noticeably shouting in the hook once the music gets louder, but it doesn’t take away from the song.
# 8 – If I Could Turn Back Time
This remorseful song is on the Heart of Stone album. This has a pop rock and soft rock sound. This is a regretful song about regretting the pain she has caused someone. This is Cher’s comeback song. She had a lot of pitfalls in her career and this is one of the songs that help put her back on the charts. Here is some trivia about the song. Cher didn’t want to sing this song at first. Songwriter Diane Warren had to beg her to sing the song. Cher eventually changed her mind and sang the song. It’s a good thing Cher changed her mind because the song would go on to be one of her biggest hits in her career.
It’s hard to believe that she didn’t want to sing this song because the song is really catchy and upbeat. The song has an appealing chorus and is easy to sing. She proved that a female could do a rock song in a male dominated genre. The music is amazing. The guitar riffs are incredible and make the song sound even better. Cher sings in time with the music. Her tone is perfect for the track. She sings with full-throated glory. She even belts throughout the song. She proves that women with deep voices can belt.
# 7 – One By One
This love song is from the It’s a Man’s World album. This song has a pop rock and r&b sound. This is an emotional song about loving one another. This has a deep and meaningful message about loving one another. Cher sounds different in the verses. She sings in a higher octave than her other songs. She sings the verses softly and sensually. She sounds more like herself when she sings the chorus. She’s a little hard to understand in some of the lyrics so you might want to look at the lyrics to know what she is saying. Despite that little flaw, her vocals are on point with the rhythmic music. The music is perfect for moving around in your seat or on the dance floor.
# 6 – Strong Enough
This liberating song is from the Believe album. This song has a disco sound. This is a strong-willed song about her wanting to end a bad relationship. She wants to be free from the toxic relationship. This song is relatable to people in bad relationships who want to be free. This sounds like an updated version of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” because they have the same message. The music is very dance-friendly. It starts off with a slow piano beat and then soars into a bouncy disco beat. This beat is guaranteed to get you out of your seat. The music is jubilant and irresistible. Cher’s vocals are very strong. You can feel the anger and bitterness in her voice while she is singing. “Believe” overshadows this song, but it’s just as good as that song.
# 5 – Believe
This bittersweet song is from the album of the same name. This song has a dance pop sound. This is an anthemic song about moving on from a painful relationship. This is another one of Cher’s comeback songs. This song earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. This is a different type of song for her because she didn’t use Auto-Tune for her voice in the past. This is the first big hit to use Auto-Tune. She didn’t need to use Auto-Tune because her voice is fine on its own. This song is perfect for the club scene. The beat is fire and great for dancing. The verses of the song are bittersweet while the chorus is uplifting. You probably thought this song was going to be number one on this Top 10 Cher Songs list because it’s one of the biggest hits of her career. It’s a great song, but other songs came before it on the list.
# 4 – The Shoop Shoop (It’s In His Kiss)
This passionate song is from the Mermaids soundtrack. This has a pop and soul sound. This is an energetic song about how to tell when a man loves a woman. It’s in his kiss. This is a cover song. It has an old school Motown vibe to it. The music is uplifting and powerful. It has a 60’s vibe to it. She cleverly combined 60’s and 90’s music to get this sound. There’s no way to sit still through this song. Cher’s vocals are fire in this song. Her voice is so strong and powerful throughout the song. She sings in time with each beat change. She impressively belts throughout the song. Everything about this song is flawless from the catchy music to her amazing vocals.
# 3 – After All ft. Peter Cetera
This optimistic song is from the Heart of Stone album. It is also featured in the movie Chances Are. This song has a pop and adult contemporary sound. This is a soulful song about people in topsy-turvy relationships finding their way back to each other. The music is soft and romantic. The melody is very loving. It is perfect for slow dancing. It can make the perfect wedding song. Cher and Peter have great vocal chemistry with each other. Their voices blend well with each other. They bring out the best in each other. She sings in a higher octave in the hook. This song is in Peter’s comfort zone because he usually sings songs like this. Cher is out of her comfort zone because she didn’t sing songs like this. They manage to make the unlikely pairing work. This is a great pop rock love song. It’s too bad they didn’t sing more songs together.
# 2 – Save Up All Your Tears
This anthemic song is from the Love Hurts album. This song has a pop rock and soft rock sound. This is a bitter song about her telling the guy who hurt her that he would want her when she’s gone. The music is incredible. It’s a very guitar-driven rock track that is sure to please rock music fans. The guitar solo clearly stands out in the song. Cher’s vocals are aggressive and sassy. She sings this in a higher octave than she does in her other songs. Her vocals are heartfelt and passionate. She takes a lot of amazing vocal risks in this song. She holds a lot of notes, and she belts throughout the song. Everything about this song works and could have easily been number one on this list.
# 1 – Take Me Home
The number one song on our Top 10 Cher Songs list is the sexy “Take Me Home” from the album of the same name. This song has a disco sound. This is a seductive song about her wanting her lover to take her home. The melody of this song is spectacular. It sounds like something Donna Summer would have done. The music is funky and beautifully arranged. It was perfect for its disco genre. It’s a very dance friendly song. Cher sings this song is Donna Summer fashion. She sings the song with a lot of soul. She sings this in a higher octave. She belts throughout the song. She also holds notes throughout the song. This is an old school song, but it still works today. It is flawless and deserves to be number one.
Read More: Complete List Of Cher Albums And Discography
Make sure to check it our Sonny & Cher articles below
Top 10 Cher Songs Of All Time article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2025
