Cher and Sonny: The Birth of an Iconic Duo and the Rise to Stardom
One of the most iconic American female singers, Cher has achieved a number-one single in seven consecutive decades.
Let’s take a look at her biggest tunes, starting with what brought her to fame: her duo with husband Sonny.
The two met in a Los Angeles coffee shop when Cher was just 16. Sonny, then 27, was working with Phil Spector. Two years later, they were married.
Cher’s first hits came as a backing singer on Be My Baby (The Ronettes, 1963) and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (The Righteous Brothers, 1964).
The first song the duo released that found some success was Baby Don’t Go (1964), followed by their debut album Look At Us (1965).
This album included covers of Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers), Then He Kissed Me (The Crystals), and You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me (Smokey Robinson).
It also featured an original song by Sonny that would propel the couple to worldwide superstardom: I Got You Babe.
The album reached #2 in the U.S. and #7 in the U.K., selling half a million copies. The single I Got You Babe sold twice as many in the U.S. alone.
More importantly, I Got You Babe reached the top 10 in 19 countries worldwide.
Changing the Tune: Cher’s Journey Beyond Sonny & Cher
The second album, The Wondrous World of Sonny & Cher (1966), wasn’t nearly as successful. It did include two well-known covers: Summertime (Gershwin) and Bring It On Home to Me (Sam Cooke).
The third album followed a similar pattern—no big hits, but more covers, most notably Stand By Me (Ben E. King) and Sunny (Bobby Hebb).
After this, the duo released several compilations, a live album, and two more studio albums—none of which produced major hits.
The final album, Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs (1973), had an ironic title, as it again mostly featured covers. Only the title track was written by Sonny. One standout cover here is I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash.
After a decade together—five studio albums and a couple of TV shows—Sonny and Cher divorced.
Cher immediately launched a solo career. Her first big hit came from her second solo album: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). Featuring a lavish production, it charted well—although Nancy Sinatra’s stripped-down version, arranged with just one guitar, became even more iconic.
This same album also included Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone.
Throughout the remainder of the ’60s, Cher continued releasing albums and singles, though none matched the success of her early duets with Sonny. Notable covers from this period include Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel), Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix), The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Bob Dylan), and (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding).
Decades of Dominance: Cher’s Hit-Making Career After the ’60s
Cher’s next wave of success came in the early ’70s with the title track of her 1971 album Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves.
Although the decade started strong, the ’70s weren’t her most successful era. She had two more number ones: Half-Breed and Dark Lady. A single titled Rescue Me failed to chart.
In the ’80s, she had a slow start but eventually scored a number one duet with Peter Cetera, After All. Then in 1989, one of her biggest hits arrived: If I Could Turn Back Time.
As the ’90s began, she followed up with another smash hit, The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss). In 1992, she released Love Hurts as a single—originally an album track from 1975. The song was first made famous by the Everly Brothers and later covered by Roy Orbison.
In 1993, she re-released I Got You Babe, this time as a novelty duet with Beavis and Butt-head!
Five years later, one of her most iconic hits arrived—Believe (1998). It topped the charts in 21 countries and sold 11 million copies worldwide. The song’s success was helped by its groundbreaking and controversial use of Auto-Tune, which became a major talking point.
Post-2000, Cher continued to deliver. She scored number ones with Song for the Lonely and A Different Kind of Love Song in 2002, followed by When the Money’s Gone in 2003.
In the 2010s, she returned to the top with You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me and Woman’s World. She also reached number two with Take It Like a Man and I Walk Alone, before releasing an album of ABBA covers.
Finally, in the 2020s, Cher scored yet another number one with DJ Play a Christmas Song (2023).
In addition to her music career, Cher found success on the silver screen. In the ’80s, she starred in Mask (1985), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and Moonstruck (1987). Her ’90s film work includes The Player (1992), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), and Tea with Mussolini (1999).
Post-millennium, she appeared in Stuck on You (2003) and Burlesque (2010), the latter alongside Christina Aguilera.
Though Cher didn’t write her biggest hits, her voice, image, and enduring appeal earned her the fitting nickname: the Goddess of Pop.
Cher Tunes | Related Pages
(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | B7 | C | A |
Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun, I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ comes…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Nancy Sinatra using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Fm Fmmaj7 | Fm7 Fm6 |
I was five and he was six we rode on horses made of sticks…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Nancy Sinatra) Guitar Lesson wtih TAB.
Be My Baby | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Be My Baby by The Ronettes using chords, lyrics, a backing track, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| E | E | F#m | B7 |
The night we met I knew I, needed you so…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Be My Baby – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Believe | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Believe by Cher using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | G | Gmaj7 | Gmaj7 |
No matter how hard I try, you keep pushing me aside.
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Believe (Cher) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Hey Joe | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| C G | D A | E7 | E7 |
Hey Joe, ah where you goin’ with that gun of your hand…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Like A Rolling Stone | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C Dm |
Once upon a time you dressed so fine…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Rescue Me | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Rescue Me by Fontella Bass using chords, lyrics, a backing track, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| A | D |
Rescue me, take me in your arms…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Rescue Me – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Stand By Me | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Stand By Me by Ben E. King using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| A | A | F#m | F#m |
When the night has come, and the land is dark…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Stand By Me (Ben E. King) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Summertime | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Summertime by Billie Holiday using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bbm7 F7b9/C | Db6 F7b9/C | Bbm7 F7b9/C | Db6 F7b9/C |
Summertime and the living is easy…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Summertime (Billie Holiday) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Sunny | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Sunny by Bobby Hebb using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Em7 | G9 | Cmaj7 | F#m7b5 B7 |
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Sunny (Bobby Hebb) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Cher on the web
