Cher Scores No. 1 Song on a Billboard Chart In Seventh Decade With ‘DJ Play a Christmas Song’

For a seventh straight decade, Cher has earned a new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart, as her latest hit, “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” jingles 3-1 on the Dec. 2-dated Dance/Electronic Song Sales survey. The track is the lead single from the pop diva’s first holiday album, Christmas.

Cher joins the Rolling Stones with at least one new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s (excluding any Bubbling Under rankings).

Cher scored her first No. 1 as half of Sonny & Cher, when “I Got You Babe” topped the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 14, 1965.

In the 1970s, she logged a trio of Hot 100 No. 1s of her own: “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” in 1971, “Half-Breed” in 1973 and “Dark Lady” in 1974. She also claimed another No. 1 with Sonny, “All I Ever Need Is You,” on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart in 1971.

In the 1980s, Cher landed a pair of No. 1s on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1989 with “After All,” with Peter Cetera, and “If I Could Turn Back Time.” In the next decade, Cher returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Believe” in 1999, and it also crowned the Dance Club Songs tally. She notched two more No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs list that decade: “Strong Enough” and “All or Nothing.” (Cher additionally topped other Billboard rankings that decade, such as the now-defunct Hot Singles Sales and Dance Singles Sales charts.)

In the 2000s, Cher achieved three more No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs chart with “Song for the Lonely” (it also topped the Dance Singles Sales list) and “A Different Kind of Love Song” in 2002, and “When the Money’s Gone” in 2003. The following decade, she racked up further No. 1s on Dance Club Songs with “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” in 2011 and “Woman’s World” in 2013.

The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, began their streak of No. 1 songs in seven straight decades just a month before Cher, when “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated July 10, 1965. They most recently led a songs survey with “Living in a Ghost Town,” which ruled the Rock Digital Song Sales chart dated May 9, 2020.

Keith Caulfield

Billboard