December 2023, “The Kelly Clarkson Show”
Cher’s in one of those moods. You know the type, right? When the past creeps up, and you’re staring down all those “almost’s” and “never-should-have-been’s”. She’s on Kelly Clarkson’s set, all smiles and sparkle, but when the topic of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame comes up, the smile fades.
“I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars,” she says. The audience gasps, and Kelly’s eyebrows shoot up. Cher’s not pulling punches.
We flash forward a few months, and the Hall’s brass finally pulls their heads out of the sand. They announce Cher as a 2024 inductee.
Cher, of course, has been eligible since 1990. Thirty-four years of waiting. Thirty-four years of the Hall looking the other way while she kept changing the game. She’s one of only two artists to chart hits in seven different decades. Seven. That’s not a career; that’s a legacy (The Independent) (WOSU).
Cher’s finally got her ticket, but she’s not about to let the Hall forget her earlier disdain.
“I changed music forever with ‘Believe’ (https://amzn.to/3yw08RD) she said on Clarkson’s show, and she was right. When the Dance-Pop hit was released in 1998, it became the first commercial single to feature Auto-Tune as a vocal effect, rather than just a pitch correction tool. Auto-Tune would go on to rule top forty production within a few short years.
And while worth mentioning… providing Auto-Tune to the masses is far from Cher’s greatest achievement. Not that you need convincing, but we’ve compiled a short list showcasing a few of her finest moments:
List Of Career Accomplishment’s (Excluding her “Sonny & Cher” Discography):
- Total Album Sales: Over 100 million records worldwide
- Number of Multi-Platinum Albums: 3
- Number of Platinum Albums: 4
- Number of Gold Albums: 9
- Awards:
- Grammy Awards: 1 win, 6 nominations
- Emmy Awards: 1 win
- Academy Awards: 1 win
- Golden Globe Awards: 3 wins
- Billboard Music Awards: 1 Icon Award
- American Music Awards: 2 wins
- Number One Singles: 5 on the Billboard Hot 100
- Chart Hits in Seven Decades: 1960s through 2020s
October 2024, The Induction
The induction ceremony is set for October. All eyes will be on Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Cher has indicated she’ll be there, hinting she has “a few words to say.” You can almost hear the anticipation. Will she take the stage with the same ferocity she brought to the Clarkson show?
Joining Cher is a line-up that reads like a who’s who of music legends. Ozzy Osbourne, the prince of darkness himself. Mary J. Blige, the queen of hip-hop soul. Dave Matthews Band, Peter Frampton, and Kool & the Gang, each with their own brand of magic. And don’t forget the late Jimmy Buffett and the often-overlooked MC5, each getting their due with the Hall’s Musical Excellence Award (Entertainment Tonight).
The Real Question:
So, here we are. Cher’s in the Hall. But it begs the question, what does it mean to be recognized so late in the game? How many more legends are out there, waiting for their overdue nod? And how does Cher’s begrudging acceptance reflect on the institution itself?
– Jay, The RockTone
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