Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Cher's Nine Best-Selling Singles of the Nineties

Cher
Let's count down yet another decade of the best-selling singles of Cher's solo career!

The fourth decade of Cher's recording career saw the perennially popular superstar gradually transform from the rock star persona she debuted the decade before into a number one dance music diva that she's stuck with ever since.

As Cher's record sales famously declined in America during most of the 1990's – thanks in part to her infamous infomercials – her popularity grew more than ever in Europe kick-starting with the million-selling 'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)'. Notably, Cher experienced more success in the UK during the years of 1990-1999 than ever before, having a total of 16 top 40 hit singles which spent a total of thirteen weeks at number one.

Luckily, her 1998 smash 'Believe' saw the star regain her popularity in the US, becoming her biggest hit of all-time. So, let's see which of Cher's 1990's singles were her best-selling, predictably starting with that very song:

1. 'Believe'
Released in 1998, sold 7,886,272 copies

Clearly, Cher's number one selling single of the 1990's – and of all-time – is this 1998 dance hit. It topped the charts in most of the the world's top music markets – US, UK, Germany, France – paving the way for its identically-titled parent album to become a huge-seller. Of course, the song with its famous electronically-enhanced vocals has became a staple part of Cher's live shows, being the encore to each concert she has performed since the song's worldwide success.

2. 'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)'
Released in 1990, sold 1,698,991 copies

Whilst this song is celebrated as a classic movie track in territories such as the UK – where it spent five weeks atop the singles chart – for its inclusion on the soundtrack of the film 'Mermaids', the single failed to climb any higher than a moderate number 33 in America, matching the film's moderate success there. Thankfully, other countries in Europe and Australia joined the UK public in making this song a big hit.

3. 'Strong Enough'
Released in 1999, sold 1,098,281 copies

It would have taken a near-miracle for the follow-up to the smash-hit 'Believe' to match the success of its predecessor, though at the same time its follow-up was destined to be a hit. 'Strong Enough', a disco-influenced pop anthem kind of in the same vein as Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', was released as the second single from the album 'Believe' and became yet another million-seller for Cher when it was released ion 1999.

4. 'Love and Understanding'
Released in 1991, sold 668,472 copies

As the worldwide lead single of her 1991 pop-rock album 'Love Hurts', Cher was persuaded to release this track. Following the likes of 'I Found Someone', and 'If I Could Turn Back Time – the lead worldwide singles from her previous two albums – this song was also a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and elsewhere. However, it failed to reach as high on the charts or as high in sales as the two aforementioned tracks. However, it did gain top 30 positions on a dozen national charts. It was her last US top 20 hit for over seven years. It seems asif Cher isn't too fond of this track despite its popularity amongst fans – she has never performed the track live since her 'Love Hurts' tour in support of the album and failed to include its music video on her 2004 'The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection'.

5. 'Save Up All Your Tears'
Released in 1991, sold 368,898 copies

Sporting a couple of risqué outfits in its music video, Cher released this track as the second single from 'Love Hurts'. It coincidentally peaked at number 37 on both the UK and US charts, though its 20-week long stay on the latter chart ensured that it shifted a few hundred-thousand copies there.

6. 'Heart of Stone'
Released in 1990, sold 347,455 copies

This track was Cher's fourth-and-final American single release from her 1989 multi-platinum album of the same name. Like all three singles before it, it reached the US top 20, providing her with a sizeable hit. Elsewhere, the song failed to light up the charts but Cher has sometimes included the song in concert setlists, confessing it to be one of her favourite tracks from her lengthy back-catalogue.

7. 'Love Can Build A Bridge'
Released in 1995, sold 310,180 copies

Released to raise money for the UK-based charity 'Comic relief', this song featuring Cher, Chrissie Hynde and Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton on guitar shot to the top of the UK charts selling around 300,000 copies – nearly all of its final sales figure. The single's black-and-white music video, which featured a sisterly performance from the trio of female singers plus clips of those that would benefit from the single's earnings, highlighted the single's cause – to raise money for poor and disadvantaged people.

8. 'One By One'
Released in 1995, sold 272,662 copies

After 'Walking In Memphis' underperformed as the lead single to Cher's UK top ten 1995 album 'It's A Man's World' – with Cher later calling the single, referring to it's success (or lack of), “A major bomb” - Cher released this song as the album's second single. The UK and US versions of the song differ massively (with fan's usually siding with the original UK pop-rock version over the US pop/R&B remix version) and so did their chart positions; the song reached number 7 in the UK and number 52 in America, leaving fans wishing that the song remained untouched for the US release.

9. 'All or Nothing'
Released in 1999, sold 208,579 copies

Ultimately Gaining respectable chart positions around the globe and hot off the heels from the mega-hit 'Believe' and the million-selling 'Strong Enough', the now-53-year-old Cher released another dance track as the third single from the hit album 'Believe'.

And there we are - the final list of Cher's solo single sales! (There will not be one for the 2000's.)

And yes, I know what you're thinking - "7 million for 'Believe'?" - well, sorry to disappoint you but I searched and searched for those final three million singles to up it to ten million like what we've all heard that it sold over the years but I'm sure I disappoint you in saying... I don't think it did! Still, seven million is incredible!

5 comments:

  1. Keep up the good work!!! I believe in u

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now I Will Give u the Link were is write that Believe have Sold over 10 Milion Copies!
    Believe have sold 8.953 Milions Only During the 1999
    http://www.mediatraffic.de/countdown1999.htm reaching the number One in USA Year-End Chart
    And I Think Believe have already sold more than 2 Milions during the 1998 because it reach the number Nine in the 1998 Year-End Chart of the 1998 and Believe was released by only two months!!!!! http://www.mediatraffic.de/countdown1998.htm
    Now that are passed more than 13 Years it have sold more than 11 Milions that sold between the 1998 and 1999

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. While that website has largely accurate figures for the download era - when sales are very easy to track - I personally would not trust its figures for Cher's 1990's records. Yes, 'Believe' has 8.953.000 POINTS - whatever they mean - on that website's 1999 countdown but I'm not going to take those figures because I don't known what they've been based on. For a start, taking a peek around, it seems airplay charts are taken into consideration on the website - and airplay does not equal sales.

      I known EXACTLY where my figures for 'Believe' - and all her other singles - comes from because I personally took several months finding out her sales from certifications, chart-runs and sales reports on a country-to-country basis.

      All the biggest music markets in the world are accounted for in my total sum for 'Believe' - so while I would love to believe that it sold 10 million copies, I can't. And I can't just add 3 million sales for the sake of upping its total sales to 10 million.

      Delete
    2. But Media Traffic is the BEST Site for know the Sales of the Singles! So you must trust it because they know the certifications and they've saw the official certification by the RIIA and the other worldwide country SO they know more than you know! Because we not just Believe that Believe have sold 10 Milioni Copies but Cher have sold 9 Milion only during the 1999 and other 2 or 3 in the 1998 and now are passed 13 Years!

      Delete
  3. But Media Traffic is the BEST Site for know the Sales of the Singles! So you must trust it because they know the certifications and they've saw the official certification by the RIIA and the other worldwide country SO they know more than you know! Because we not just Believe that Believe have sold 10 Milioni Copies but Cher have sold 9 Milion only during the 1999 and other 2 or 3 in the 1998 and now are passed 13 Years!

    ReplyDelete