Tuesday, April 16, 2013

'Cher News' Presents Your All-Time Favorite Cher Albums 15-11

Whilst we wait for some Cher news, let's get back to our list of your all-time favorite Cher albums!

We've seen ten albums already - and it's been a real mixed bag! However, this next dose contains a somewhat-theme - studio albums from the 60's and 70's. So, if you love Cher's earlier material, you're going to love this!

Beforehand, shall we quickly go over what this list is all about? Yes, let's! 'Cher News' asked all you Cher 'lovelies' what five Cher albums are your all-time favorites, in order, to form a top 25 countdown of your all-time favorite Cher albums - and here's numbers 15-11:

15. Bittersweet White Light
Released in 1973
Tracklist: By Myself; I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good; Am I Blue; How Long Has This Been Going On?; The Man I Love; Jolson Medley - Sonny Boy, My Mammy, Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody; More Than You Know; Why Was I Born; The Man That Got Away

30 years before Cher appeared for a duet of 'Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered' on Rod Stewart's 2003 standards album 'As Time Goes By... The American Songbook Volume II', Cher had her own album of such material. Unlike Rod aforementioned album, and the others in his 'American Songbook' series, Cher's album went pretty much unnoticed - reaching a disappointing number 160 on the US charts. The album's sole single 'Am I Blue' didn't make the top 100 either, reaching number 111. Cher quickly rebounded with her late-1973 album 'Half-Breed' and its chart-topping title track.

14. Cher
Released in 1966
Tracklist: Sunny, Twelth of Never; You Don't Have To Say You Love Me; I Feel Something In the Air; Will You Love Me Tomorrow; Until It's Time For You To Go; Cruel War; Catch The Wind; Pied Piper; Homeward Bound; I Want You; Alfie

In August 1965, Cher's first ever album was released - 'Look At Us' by Sonny & Cher (none of their albums have made your top 25!). Just a little over a year later, in September 1966, Cher released her third solo album(!) - and fith overall including the two already with Sonny (...and Rihanna gets so much criticism these days for releasing one album every year!). Anyway, the quick-releases of Cher's albums meant that the sales of them was decreasing - regardless of how good they were. This one - the first of three self-titled studio albums so far in her discography - only reached #59 in the US, and was her first not to chart in the UK. It did however sell a not-so-bad 230,000 copies worldwide and contained three hits. They were: the US#32 'Alfie'; the UK#43 'I Feel Something In The Air'; and the European smash (Netherlands #2, Norway #2, Sweden #6, Denmark #7 etc) 'Sunny' - which was last year included on the UK hit various artists compilation album 'Be My Baby' which featured the best of sixties female vocalists. Combined, the singles sold around 450,000.

13. Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves / Cher
Released in 1971
Tracklist: The Way of Love; Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves; He'll Never Know; Fire and Rain; When You Find Out Where You're Goin' Let Me Know; He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother; I Hate To Sleep Alone; I'm In the Middle; Touch and Go; One Honest Man; One Honest Man

Here's another self-titled album. Released in late 1971, this album and its hit singles didn't only bring Cher's solo career back to the charts, it took it to heights it had never yet reached. First, let's clarify why the album has two name for those that don't know: it was initially titled 'Cher' but was renamed 'Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves' following the huge success of the single of the same name. About that single: well, to put it simply - it spent two weeks at number one in the US, sold around two million copies there, and sold about a million around the rest of the globe. Impressive! Its US#7 follow-up 'The Way of Love' was also very successful, selling almost a million copies altogether! With the success of its two singles, and Cher's appearances on 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour', the album was an enduring smash - spending 46 weeks on the US charts, peaking at number 16 and selling over 1.3 million copies worldwide. The album and singles altogether sold over 5 million copies worldwide!

12. Take Me Home
Released in 1979
Tracklist: Take Me Home; Wasn't It Good; Say The Word; Happy Was The Day We Met; Git Down (Guitar Groupie); Love & pain; Let This Be A lesson To You; It's To Late To Love Me Now; My Song (Too Far Gone)

Another 1970's hit album here. Before the release of this one, Cher had three complete flop albums, sales-wise (fans still love them - all three are in your top 25!). This, her first disco album, bought her back to the charts. It reached number 25 and spent five months on the charts in America, and was certified Gold there for 500,000 shipments (although by my calculations, it only sold around 440,000). It performed similarly on the charts in Canada. The title-track did even better. It reached number 8 in the US, spending an impressive 19 weeks on the charts - it too received a Gold certification as it sold a little over a million in the US. The follow-up single 'Wasn't It Good' didn't repeat its predeccesors success, reaching number 49 in the US and selling 130,000 copies worldwide. It should be noted that Cher wrote one of the songs on the album (it's not hard to guess which one!) - the autobiographical 'My Song (Too Far Gone)'.

11. 3614 Jackson Highway
Released in 1969 Tracklist: For What It's Worth; (Just Enough To Keep Me) Hangin' On; (Sittin' On) The Dock of The Bay; Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You; vI Threw It All Away; Walked On Guiided Splinters; Lay Baby Lay; Please Don't Tell Me; Cry Like A Baby; Do Right Woman, Do Right Man; Save The Children

...Rewind to a decade before, where Cher was making an album that was like a stripped-back, less-commercial, more-mature copy of its predeccesors. Like them, this one contained a whole bunch of covers with a hint of folk-rock. Unlike them, this one didn't have input from Sonny - so his (usually spot-on, it should be noted) Phil Spector wall-of-sound impressions were absent, giving Cher's voice a chance to shine through a little more. However, the whole 'Dusty In Memphis'-influenced project was a sales flop. It only reached number 160 in the US (although this was better than 1968's non-charting 'Backstage') and its singles had similar fate; 'Walk on Guilded Splinters' didn't chart (despite how great it is!) and 'For What It's Worth' just scraped the Billboard Bubbling Under Charts at number 25 - effectively number 125 on the US Hot 100 - and hit number 88 in Canada.

Now you've viewed the middle-lot in the countdown (I wish it took as quick to the write these articles as it does to read them) - what are your thoughts? Do you believe that all five of these albums are worthy of being included so high in the countdown? As '3614 Jackson Highway' was at number 11, above the other four here, is it your favorite out of this lot? Are you surprised that no Sonny & Cher albums have made the entire top 25?

Coming soon is the top ten! In numbers 10-6, we'll see albums from the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's!

3 comments:

  1. 3614 Jackson Highway is my favorite 60s Cher album, so I'm happy to see it so high in the list. It's been a while since I've listened to Bitter Sweet White Light, I need to give it another go.

    You never told us what your top 5 Cher albums were, Daniel ;)

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    1. yah really...what r ur top 5 or 10 Cher albums?

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    2. Aaww thank you for asking! My top 5 favorite Cher albums are 1. Heart of Stone 2. Cher ('87) 3. Love Hurts 4. I Paralyze 5. Not.commercial - I'm a big fan of Cher's rockier side. Of course there are loads more of hers that I love! One of my top 5 favorite albums didn't make the top 25...

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