Alright so today I got curious about Cher in the 80s. Like, I hear Cher, right? I mean, the woman’s a legend, obviously. But besides “Believe” and knowing she dressed wild, my brain kinda went blank for her 80s stuff. Figured fans should know better than that, so gotta fix it.
Step One: Admitting Total Ignorance
Started real simple. Opened up my browser. Typed “Cher 80s” straight into the search bar. Felt kinda dumb, honestly. Like, I know she existed then, obviously she didn’t disappear, but specifics? Nope. Blank slate.
Step Two: Diving Into Wiki & Music Sites
Went straight to the obvious places. Started skimming her Wikipedia page. Holy heck, turns out she basically did everything that decade.
- First thing jumped out: Her rock phase! “Black Rose”? No clue she formed a rock band called that. 1980? Wild. Read reviews. Yeah… didn’t blow up. Commercial flop apparently. Okay, filed that away.
- Then hit her albums. “Prisoner” came after that? Okay. Saw her covering Janis Joplin. Okay, Cher rocking out. Cool. Then 1982’s “I Paralyze”? Barely made a dent? Why didn’t I know this stuff? Not exactly chart-topping material it seems.
- Big moment: Silkwood! Boom! 1983. Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Wait, what?! She was acting seriously too? Knew she was in films, but Oscar nom? Totally skipped my radar. Suddenly, way more interesting.
- Kept scrolling. “Moonstruck”! 1987! Won Best Actress! Mind blown. She beat Meryl Streep that year?! How did I forget that? That’s massive! Practically yelled “Shut up!” at my screen.
- Not done! Also saw she made Mask (with Eric Stoltz), had some Broadway flop (they can’t all be winners), and oh yeah, kept dressing completely nuts on every red carpet. Pictures confirmed: shoulder pads, black fishnets, wild hair, the works.
Step Three: Filling Gaps with Old Articles & Videos
Wiki felt thin for the feel of the time. Went hunting. Found archived interviews, reviews, old concert clips on video platforms.
Key takeaways:
- Music career was struggling at first. Lots of articles saying her sound was confused, record labels messed her about. Explains why the rock stuff and those albums sank. Even she slagged off her music later – found a quote saying “I Paralyze” was “dreadful.” Brutal.
- Her comeback was pure acting gold. Seriously, those movies saved her cool factor. “Moonstruck” especially cemented her as legit A-list actress material, not just a singer who acts. That statuette changed everything for her credibility.
- Style was always peak Cher: Larger than life, ridiculous, fabulous. Saw pics from the 1986 Oscars where she basically wore almost nothing but black netting and beads. No one else would dare. Iconic.
What Fans Gotta Remember
Okay, after cramming this all day? Here’s the vital bits:
The 80s weren’t just a Cher decade; it was her phoenix act. Music? Messy and rough at the start. But she pivoted big time. She re-invented herself through acting and became a Hollywood heavyweight, snagging that Oscar. And she did it all while looking like a total superstar freakazoid on the red carpet every chance she got. That decade proves Cher won’t be put in a box. Ever.
Bottom line for fans: Ignore the 80s, and you miss the massive, glittering chapter where she clawed back respect big time.
