Influential Pop Diva Cher Returns To The Billboard 200 Top 50!

Cher's latest album returns to the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 whilst 'Buffalo News' recognises her influence on a quartet of pop divas.

The chart run of Cher's latest studio album, 'Closer To The Truth', on the Billboard 200 has been unpredictable, unusual and riveting with a string of comebacks - just like the ultra-talented lady herself. The 11-track collection débuted at #3 on the chart in September last year during a total of three weeks in the Top 10.

Since its initial appearance, the album has dropped off the Billboard 200 on four occasions and has rebounded each time - including this week's re-entry at #48 (chart run: 3/8/11/8/13/24/33/15/36/122/130/118/154/200/-/-/36/176/80/-/-/-/80/-/-/127/76/-/48).

The fresh placement on the chart - which showcases the United States' top-selling albums - marks the album's 21st week there, matching the number of weeks achieved by its Gold-certified predecessor 'Living Proof' in 2002.

Meanwhile, Cher's latest single 'I Walk Alone' has ascended 12 places on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart - which showcases the most popular songs played in U.S. dance clubs - to #35. An official MP3 remix package of the song, which was co-written by fellow outrageous songstress P!nk, is now available to pre-order on shopping website Amazon and its UK version. 'I Walk Alone - The Remixes', as it's fittingly entitled, will be released on 29 April.

Cher's third current appearance on the Billboard charts is her ballad 'I Hope You find It', which is at #20 on the music publication's Adult Contemporary chart this week (chart run: 24/20/22/18/17/18/20).

Ahead of her 23 April 'Dressed To Kill Tour' concert in Buffalo, New York, Jeff Miers of the city's news publication 'Buffalo News' has compiled a small list of "divas who owe a debt to Cher’s five decades of pop stardom":

In addition to her ability to forge an immensely successful and lengthy career as a woman in a male-dominated entertainment world, Cher has acted as a musical role model for several generations of pop music divas. Her music has changed with the times over the decades, rather than changing those times through groundbreaking work. But her influence in the areas of performance, concert presentation, fashion and on-stage charisma is vast.

Here are a few of the many divas who owe a debt to Cher’s five decades of pop stardom.

Cyndi Lauper
Lauper’s 1983 debut, “She’s So Unusual,” was an instant smash, and presented its creator to the world as a brash, fun-loving and sartorially extravagant free-thinker. Taking a page from the Cher playbook, Lauper endeared herself to millions with her charismatic stage presence. She would later become heavily involved as a LGBT activist. Fittingly, Lauper opens for Cher at the FNC show on Wednesday.

Madonna
The Cher parallels are plentiful here. With Madonna, it always has been as much about the show as the music. Bombast, plentiful costume changes, and the ability to make valid statements in a wide variety of trend-driven idioms have made Madonna her generation’s Cher. And like Cher, Madonna has a strong LGBT support among her fan base.

Christina Aguilera
Aguilera cites the first time she saw Cher’s “If I Could Turn back Time” video as a pivotal moment in her life. Combining a big voice with an ability to ease effortlessly between pop subgenres, Aguilera became her generation’s most prominent pop diva. She reportedly said she would “drink Cher’s bathwater” to act and sing alongside her. She got her wish with the film “Burlesque.” No clue what happened with the bathwater, though.

Lady Gaga
An avowed Cher disciple, Gaga combines exuberant showmanship with deep musicality, and an ability to shock without alienating her fans. Cher has been known to good-naturedly poke fun at Gaga during her own live shows, as if to say “Been there, done that.”