The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame qualifications have been confusing for a while now. Dolly Parton was one of the classy few who declined the nomination, thinking it wasn’t an appropriate fit for her music. Then when she finally did accept the induction, she vowed to make good by releasing her first rock album. Rockstar came out in November and has become Dolly’s best-selling record to date. Cher will not be taking the same route. Cher released her first Christmas album, Christmas, in October (prompted by her manager, not from being inducted into the Christmas Hall of Fame). While chatting with Kelly Clarkson to plug the album, Cher commented that she has not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and that at this point, the Hall has lost their chance.
Cher is sounding off on her snub from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The music icon, during an appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” Friday, said the museum’s voting committee can “go you-know-what themselves.”
“You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars,” she told host Kelly Clarkson. “I’m never going to change my mind.”
Clarkson shared her disbelief as the audience gasped. “Wait, are you serious?” the “Stronger” singer said. “I’m not kidding you,” Cher responded.
In an email to USA TODAY, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame declined to comment.
The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in September included inductees Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners. While this year’s nominations were Crow’s and Nelson’s first, the two have been eligible since 2018 and the ‘80s, respectively. Elliott was the lone act to be inducted on her first year of eligibility.
Clarkson earlier shared how the 77-year-old singer recently made history.
“DJ Play a Christmas Song,” from Cher’s latest album, “Christmas,” topped Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart last week, which means the music legend now has had a No. 1 record in each of the last seven decades.
Cher and The Rolling Stones are the only two artists to reach that milestone, but as the “Believe” singer said with a laugh, “It took four of them to be one of me.”
Cher went on to tout more accolades, including the success of her best selling single and one of the biggest-selling singles ever.
“I changed music forever with ‘Believe,’” she said.
Clarkson said like the hit 1998 track, “DJ Play a Christmas Song” has the same quintessential Cher “vibe,” adding, “No one has that sound.”
Oh I love it — Cher bragging that she “changed music forever with ‘Believe,’” a song that was a pioneer for auto-tune. Then Kelly piling on with “No one has that sound.” And if you watch the clip, Kelly is trying to talk about “DJ Play a Christmas Song” when Cher interrupts with, “Can I just say one thing? I changed music forever.” She’s fabulous! She’s not wasting time with feigned humility or bashfulness. Icon’s don’t have time for that, snap out of it! The older I get the more I have unreserved enthusiasm for women with unshakable confidence. And bless all 5’ 7” inches of her, Cher is positively lousy with confidence. From telling the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame to go fly a kite, to snapping back that it took four Rolling Stones to match one Cher. As I’ve said here before, it’s Cher’s world, we’re just living in it.
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Every time Cher comes up I feel the need to remind people to go watch Mermaids. It’s JOY.
Yes ! Mermaids!
and Witches of Eastwick
Never heard of Mermaids, but it’s on Max (HBO?) that I seem to be subscribed to, so I’ve lined it up.
Love Witches of Eastwick!
Thanks for Mermaids tip. Never heard of it, but it seems I’m a Max (HBO?) subscriber, so it’s lined up!
Loved Witches of Eastwick!
Cher is only 5’7?!!!!!!
She seems so much taller on screen!
I had my wtf face when I read 5’7” too. I thought she was a tower of 5’10”! It’s like celine dion, she was tiny when I saw her
Maybe due to the years of seeing Sonny & Cher together. Sonny was only 5’5 though years later his shoemaker outed him for putting lifts in his shoes to get him a litte taller. She towered over him.
It’s called the rock and roll hall of fame and like Joe Walsh it should have only rock and roll singers and bands. Not country not rap not hip hop not easy listening and anything else that is not rock and roll. Cher never sang rock and roll she sang pop and she did it very well. I’m just old school and prefer rock and roll.
Cher did everything, including Rock’n Roll. She sang with Tina Turner (and could hold up her own), her 80s/90s era albums are by all means rock, including “Love and Understanding”.
The “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” is such a farce. So many deserve to be in it are ignored, yet other jamokes get voted in. Good for Cher for giving them a F-U!!
Jules strongly disagrees. She was a pop star not rock. Never was she doing anything rock and roll.
you dont know history. she did at least 2 rock cds, one with gregg & another one “black rose”. im sure an actual cher fan would know more……
O holy disdain for Cher!
Sounds like you’re ok with the genre-crossing Sheryl Crow, countrified Willy, and R&B The Spinners, as long as they’re not Cher. Speaking of, it was kinda amusing / annoying that Sheryl Crow bumped Willy’s hat over his eyes at his 90th birthday bash.
Gotta love that Braggadocious attitude. At 77 I dare say Cher has earned it. That’s what’s missing from the music industry outrageous personalities that are super FUN and engaging!
I’m all for women putting it out there that they are the sh*t in their area of expertise. I’m in my mid-40s and I love how competent and respected I am in my field. And the more I feel that way, the more people just absorb that energy and think so too!l, even when I f* up, which inevitably happens. If Cher isn’t Uber-confident about herself at 77, when will she have a chance to be?
Exactly.
I think plain old-fashioned misogyny plays a major role, also. Let’s face it, Cher is too much for the “Rock and Roll HOF” to handle.
Hell, it took took them until 2014 to induct Linda Rondstadt. Joni Mitchell also has some choice words in this interview:
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/revisiting-joni-mitchells-lead-balloon-a-kiss-off-to-jann-wenner-and-rock-misogyny/
Thanks for the link to interview.
“Old Lady of the Year.” Wenner 🤮
Thanks for the Pitchfork link to Joni Mitchell interview.
“Old Lady of the Year.” Wenner 🤮
Does she even have a say?
They’ve inducted a lot of artists who refused to be there or even asked not to be, like Axl Rose and The Sex Pistols.
In my mind’s eye “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame” = “a bunch of old white guys struggling to stay relevant” anyway. (May not be factual, but that’s the image for me.)
(Posted by AmB, why am I Anonymous?)
The same old white guys who came up with Rolling Stone; I’m not saying specifically Jann Wenner had anything to do with it (he may have?), but that white male gatekeeper attitude of his no doubt is part of it.
Cher has always been the talent, but for the beginning of her career, is was Sonny & Cher. I bet they never would have let her on the radio if a man hadn’t been involved. So yeah, women of her accomplishment, age, and generation, we know men are still the gatekeepers for pretty much everything. So that’s who she’s talking to at the ‘Rock & roll’ hall of fame. All of the butt hurt, fragile ego men, who couldn’t succeed, when one woman could, even after her ‘man’ was gone.
1000% agree!
I want Cher & Dolly to come to my house for tea!
💯%
And Stevie Nicks. I still love her story about some festival show where she saw some rock n rollers arrive by helicopter & she thought to herself, that’s what I want, too! I want to arrive by helicopter!
Wait, I’m missing why. Is it because she wasn’t nominated? Or wasn’t immediately voted in? Seems like sour grapes to me.
Seeing that world famous misogynist and racist Jann Wenner was removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s board. I hope Cher accepts it one day. She is a living Icon and deserves her place in it.
Cher is not Rock ‘n Roll. Never has been. Her music is Pop.
Cher is talented as an actor more so than her music, IMO.
She is very wealthy and has a decades long career, she has no reason to get offended by not being in the RnR HoF.
She will forever be my hero and absolute favorite and honestly not because of her music
Never mind the RnR HoF.
Cher has said the most pro female statement in the history of the US.
Her own Mother, fgs, at one time told Cher “You need to find a rich man and hold onto him.”
Cher responded: “Mom, I AM a rich man.”
Say it! Again until the end of time.
Cher has lived an interesting life. Under her own talent, her own decisions.
Dammit, raise your children to be strong, live the life of their choosing, make mistakes but keep carrying on.
Cher and Dolly should both have statues in the Womens Lib Hall of Fame!
The RnR HoF has more Pop stars in it vs. RnR stars.
George Michael in RnR HoF?
He is Pop music, damn good Pop music but Pop not Rock.
George Michael should be in the Songwriters HoF tho, certainly.
A million dollars is chump change to Cher. She is a multi-talented and iconic singer/actress and everything else. LOOOOOOVE her forever!
Just dropping in to say ==> KELLY LOOKS FABULOUS.
Not saying that losing weight makes you better looking, at all. She just looks…. HAPPY. Light of spirit. Full of joy. Relaxed. For a while there she was looking peaky and puffy and kinda like she wasn’t feeling well. A shit husband will suck the life out of you. Girl is absolutely glowing!
And yes, Cher is a Goddess.
I love Cher. I don’t care how brash her confidence is. She is the real deal and a kind hearted person. That’s all I care about.
Find myself wanting to “love,” “high five,” & “this” all these rad comments!! Kismet is right, the induction criteria is all over the place which is THE hallmark of an org devoted to propping up the ego of a few weak and unremarkable people. HoF induction adds nothing to her star.