User:Cherreparator/Cultural impact of Cher

At the height of Sonny & Cher's 1965 breakthrough, 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]].{{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}} As a solo artist, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (1971) was the first single by a solo artist to rank number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time as on the [[Canadian singles chart]].{{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}} "[[Dark Lady (song)|Dark Lady]]" (1974) became her fourth ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one, 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.{{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}}

At the height of Sonny & Cher's 1965 breakthrough, 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]].{{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}} As a solo artist, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (1971) was the first single by a solo artist to rank number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time as on the [[Canadian singles chart]].{{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}} "[[Dark Lady (song)|Dark Lady]]" (1974) became her fourth ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one, 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.{{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}}

''[[Believe (Cher album)|Believe]]'' (1998) became her biggest global commercial success: the album sold 11 million copies worldwide, earning quadruple platinum certification in the US and gold, platinum or multi-platinum status in 39 countries.{{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}} Its [[Believe (Cher song)|title track]] 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]]. ''Believe''{{'s}} second single, "[[Strong Enough (Cher song)|Strong Enough]]" (1999), reached number one in Hungary and entered the top five in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.{{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}} ''[[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".{{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}}

''[[Believe (Cher album)|Believe]]'' (1998) became her biggest global commercial success: the album sold 11 million copies worldwide, earning quadruple platinum certification in the US and gold, platinum or multi-platinum status in 39 countries.{{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}} Its [[Believe (Cher song)|title track]] 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]]. ''Believe''{{'s}} second single, "[[Strong Enough (Cher song)|Strong Enough]]" (1999), reached number one in Hungary and entered the top five in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.{{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}} ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' emphasized the album's 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".{{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}}

In 2003, Cher's [[Living Proof: The Farewell Tour]], promoted as her [[farewell tour|final concert tour]], became the [[List of highest-grossing concert tours|highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist]] at the time, grossing $145 million from 200 shows with 2.2 million atendees.{{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}} The [[NBC]] special ''[[The Farewell Tour (video)|Cher: The Farewell Tour]]'' (2003), which granted Cher the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special]],{{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}} drew 17 million viewers,{{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}} becoming the highest-rated network concert special of the year.{{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}} In 2026, ''[[Pollstar]]'' ranked Cher seventh on their list of "The Millenium's Most Popular Women in Touring".{{cite magazine|last=Allen|first=Bob|date=March 25, 2026|title=The Millennium's Most Popular Women In Touring |magazine=[[Pollstar]] |url=https://news.pollstar.com/2026/03/25/deep-data-cuts-supreme-sisterhood-the-millenniums-most-popular-women-in-touring/ |access-date=April 6, 2026}}

In 2003, Cher's [[Living Proof: The Farewell Tour]], promoted as her [[farewell tour|final concert tour]], became the [[List of highest-grossing concert tours|highest-grossing concert tour by a female artist]] at the time, grossing $145 million from 200 shows with 2.2 million atendees.{{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}} The [[NBC]] special ''[[The Farewell Tour (video)|Cher: The Farewell Tour]]'' (2003), which granted Cher the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special]],{{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}} drew 17 million viewers,{{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}} becoming the highest-rated network concert special of the year.{{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}} In 2026, ''[[Pollstar]]'' ranked Cher seventh on their list of "The Millenium's Most Popular Women in Touring".{{cite magazine|last=Allen|first=Bob|date=March 25, 2026|title=The Millennium's Most Popular Women In Touring |magazine=[[Pollstar]] |url=https://news.pollstar.com/2026/03/25/deep-data-cuts-supreme-sisterhood-the-millenniums-most-popular-women-in-touring/ |access-date=April 6, 2026}}