In the 70s, Cher recorded for Kapp/MCA. Her trilogy of trash (Gypsies Tramps & Thieves, Half-Breed, and Dark Lady) are here, but not the top 10 Way Of Love (where Cher sounds like a man) or her hits with Sonny (All I Ever Need Is You, A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done). Her lone Casablanca hit from the 70s, the disco fave Take Me Home, is here, hinting at Cher's future as a dance diva.

In the 80s, Cher made a major comeback on Geffen Records singing power ballads like Heart Of Stone, I Found Someone, Just Like Jesse James, and If I Could Turn Back Time and the wedding fave After All with Peter Cetera. The one major recording left off from this era is my theme song: We All Sleep Alone.

Major comeback number two, with Cher as the ultimate dance diva on Warner Brothers, is well-represented by her hits Believe, Strong Enough, Song For The Lonely, and Different Kind Of Love Song (the latter improved in a faster-paced mix).

Even if you have Cher's strong collection If I Could Turn Back Time, you should get this for the added Warner Brothers dance hits and 60s Liberty singles, plus The Beat Goes On. It would take two discs to get all of Cher's hits collected and until someone does, this Rhino set is clearly the best sampler


Finally! Cher's Best Greatest Hits Album!   April 1, 2003
 23 out of 29 found this review helpful

Out of an uncountable number of Greatest Hits collections, this is the one we certainly can count upon. Unlike the previous TGH-Album, its not just released for sales promotion of her current album.

Definitely the biggest features of this CD are- BELIEVE, SONG For The Lonely, HALF Breed, ONE By One, HEART Of Stone, IF I could Turn Back Time, GYPSIES Tramps & Thieves, I GOT You Babe and her most recent no.1 (THIS Is)A DIFFERENT Kind Of Love Song - alongwith many others.

Totally spanning her entire carreer right from the 60's, this album is of the biggest help to discover Cher's glorious past for her newest fans. Offering a string of 21 melodies, this CD doesn't lets you take your ears off it! I need not explain why!

Presenting most of the genres, this CD also features 3 of her best duets, two with former hubby Sonny Bono, and one with Peter Cetera alongwith a remixed version of "DKOLS". I would've been even happier, if they'd have included her duet "Piu Che Puoi" with Eros Ramazzotti. Anyways, the new songs from 'Believe' and 'Living Proof' albums only make the CD tougher

The multitalented, Oscar winning actress and Grammy winning singer Cher with her tallest position in the music world is still reigning high while almost all other divas are facing the earth. No one compares to her. Wishing her luck for future, I'd hugely recommend this CD with all my heart not only to her fans worldwide but to everyone intrested in good music. Hail to the true Queen of Music.


Best compilation so far   May 27, 2003
 19 out of 20 found this review helpful

There have been several Cher "Greatest Hits" compilations over the years, but this one is the best. While I would have preferred they dropped the 2 songs with Sonny and included a few more of her hits (e.g., "The Way of Love," "Love and Understanding," "We All Sleep Alone," "Living in a House Divided" and "Train of Thought"), and put in the original version of "A Different Kind of Love Song" (far better than the remix version on this CD), I nitpick. This is still a good representation of her songs from the 60's to today. The range of music is pretty amazing, and only Cher can carry it off. She's not technically the best singer, but her voice is distinctive and sounds appropriate for rock, country, pop, and dance. Everyone I know that has listened to this CD has loved it.


Cher is timeless!!!   June 11, 2003
 19 out of 20 found this review helpful

There is no way the very best of Cher can be offered on one disc. Her five-decade career has truly been amazing and her triumphant comebacks are always anticipated. While this CD certainly contains a lot of the 'very best,' it is still missing a number of brilliant tracks that should have been included. Didn't anyone think a two-disk woud have been more appropriate for this timeless diva, who--along with Madonna--is the best of the best?

Thankfully "Dark Lady," "Half-Breed," "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "If I Could Turn Back Time, " "Just Like Jesse James", "After All," "Heart of Stone," "And the Beat Goes On," and of course, "I Got You Babe" are all included here.

Tracks that should have been included are "You Better Sit Down Kids"; "Where Do You Go"; "Alfie"; "Living in a House Divided"; "The Way of Love"; "All I Ever Need Is You"; "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"; "Train of Thought"; "We All Sleep Alone"; and "Love and Understanding," plus a few more, which would have made for a terrific second disk. I'm sure every fan wouldn't have minded paying more for that.

Rodney Jerkin's remix of "Different Kind of Love Song" is inferior to the original album version, which should have been included but unfortunately is not. However, "The Very Best of Cher" gets bonus points for including the phenomenal track "All Or Nothing," from the "Believe" album, an underrated and overlooked flop single that's just as good as "Believe," if not better. This CD makes for an addicting guilty pleasure from one of the most fabulous female entertainers around.

Her newer fans should definitely pick this up. It is still a pretty good representation of her songs from the 60's to today. The range of music is pretty fantastic, and only Cher can carry it off. Her voice is distinctive and amazing, able to carry all types of beats-- from folk, pop, disco, rock, country, and house. The queen continues to reign. Let the beat go on!


5 Decades of Great Pop Music   April 3, 2003
 18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Back in the 60's if one was to say that the young, dark-haired hippie chick of the duo Sonny and Cher would have one of the longest careers in pop music history, they probably would've been laughed off the face of the earth. But it's true. Cher's career has lated through 5 decades. Always evolving, she's kept up with the times. This collection represents that evolution magnificently. You get 60's Cher as part of "Sonny and Cher." You have story-song/ disco Cher for the 70's. Then there's 80's rock chick Cher followed by 90's surprise comeback Cher. Then finally new millennium dance/club Cher.

This collection kicks off with the biggest hit of her career, the astounding 1999 #1 hit "Believe" *which was also the biggest single of that year. You then get her successful 80's rock/pop material ranging from the #3 power-ballad "If I Could Turn Back Time" to the top 10 "I Found Someone." And who can resist her duet with Peter Centura "After All" *which hit #6.* Also featured is the minor hit "One By One" followed by two 90's dance hits "Strong Enough" and the very catchy "All Or Nothing." "Song For the Lonely" is on here also from her 2001 release "Living Proof" as is one of my personal Cher favorites "A Different Kind of Love Song." Then you het her old-school 60's/ 70's hits including the #1's "Half Breed," "Gypsies Tramps and Theives," and "Dark Lady." Also her #1 signature duet with Sonny "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On." Another one of my Cher preferences is included which is "All I Really Wanna Do" *which unfortunately was not included on her previous "If I Could Turn Back Time" compilation.

The question is, was this collection really necesarry considering she just had a "Greatest Hits" come out in '99. Well, you do get the hits from her last two releases "Believe" and "Living Proof" which were not included. There are also a few that were left off on "If I Could Turn Back Time" including "One By One," "All I Really Wanna Do," and "The Beat Goes On." So, if you're looking for these songs, don't hesitate! This isn't totally up to perfection seeing how "The Way of Love" and "Love and Understanding" were left off, but oh well. Still, a great career retrospective.