Editing Cher (section)

=== 1979–1982: Second musical comeback—from disco diva to rock frontwoman ===
In 1979, Cher [[Name change|legally adopted]] her [[mononym]].<ref name=mononym>{{cite magazine |last=Viladegutt |first=Mauricio |title=Cher 'Shocked' to Discover Real Name After Birth Certificate Mistake |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |date=November 25, 2024 |url=https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/cher-discovers-her-real-name-birth-certificate-mistake-1991576 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref> Facing financial pressures as a single mother of two, she decided to steer her singing career toward greater commercial success. Temporarily setting aside her desire to be a rock singer, she signed with [[Casablanca Records]] and launched a comeback with the single "[[Take Me Home (Cher song)|Take Me Home]]" and the [[Take Me Home (Cher album)|album of the same name]], both of which capitalized on the [[disco]] craze.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=44}} The album and single became instant successes, remained bestsellers for more than half of 1979 and were certified gold by the RIAA.<ref name="RIAA" />{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=44}} The album's sales were likely enhanced by the image of a scantily clad Cher in a [[Viking]] outfit on its cover.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=44}}{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=124}}

[[File:Cher live 1981.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Cher sings into a microphone, wearing a wide-brimmed rhinestone-studded cowboy hat and a revealing outfit accented with large turquoise jewelry.|Cher performing on the [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]] in 1981]]

Encouraged by the popularity of ''Take Me Home'', Cher sought a return to rock with ''[[Prisoner (Cher album)|Prisoner]]'' (1979).{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=45}} The album cover, showing her naked and draped in chains, symbolized her struggle as a "prisoner of the press" amid intense [[Tabloid journalism|tabloid]] scrutiny.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=45–46}} The imagery drew criticism from [[Second-wave feminism|feminist groups]] for her perceived portrayal of a [[Sexual slavery|sex slave]], while critics found the album's mix of rock and disco tracks inconsistent, contributing to its commercial failure.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=45–46}} The single "[[Hell on Wheels (song)|Hell on Wheels]]", featured on the soundtrack of the film ''[[Roller Boogie]]'' (1979), reflected Cher's personal embrace of the late 1970s [[Roller skating|roller-skating]] craze, which she had helped popularize.<ref name=Danza/> Cher collaborated with [[Giorgio Moroder]] to write "Bad Love", her final Casablanca disco track, for the film ''[[Foxes (film)|Foxes]]'' (1980).{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=139}}

In 1980, Cher formed the rock band Black Rose with guitarist and then-partner [[Les Dudek]]. To blend in and avoid overshadowing the group with her celebrity status, she adopted a [[Punk fashion|punk-inspired look]], cutting her signature long hair. Although she was the lead singer, she chose not to take top billing to present the band as equal. Despite TV appearances, the band struggled to book concerts.{{sfn|Berman|2001|pp=46–47}} Their album, ''[[Black Rose (Cher album)|Black Rose]]'', received poor reviews; Cher told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', "[Critics] didn't attack the record, they attacked me. It was like, 'How dare Cher sing rock & roll?'"<ref name=Johnson-2002/> Black Rose disbanded in 1981.{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=143}}

During Black Rose's run, Cher was also performing a residency at [[Caesars Palace]], Las Vegas, with two shows nightly, seven days a week,<ref>{{cite news |last=Egan |first=Elisabeth |title=Cher Can, and Does, Turn Back Time |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/books/cher-memoir.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 17, 2024 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217163124/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/books/cher-memoir.html |url-status=live}}</ref> earning $300,000 weekly.{{sfn|Berman|2001|p=47}} Beginning in June 1979 and running until 1982, the residency evolved into Cher's first solo tour, the [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]], with dates in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia.{{efn|name=takemehometour|Cher's 1979–1982 concert series had no official name but was promoted under various titles, such as "Cher",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-ad-cher-caesars-tahoe/163816768/ |title=June 16–22: Cher – Caesars Tahoe |newspaper=[[Oakland Tribune]] |date=July 12, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> "Cher in Concert",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pottsville-republican-cher-in-concert/163815585/ |title=Calendar |newspaper=[[Republican Herald]] |date=June 30, 1979 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> "The Cher Show"<ref>{{cite news |last=Schall |first=Ted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-of-atlantic-city-the-cher-show/163817172/ |title=Center Stage |newspaper=[[The Press of Atlantic City]] |date=August 21, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> and "The Cher Tour".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-the-cher-tour-has-been/163818560/ |title=The Cher Tour has been cancelled indefinitely |newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]] |date=February 17, 1980 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> It later became known as the [[Take Me Home Tour (Cher)|Take Me Home Tour]], a name adopted by Cher{{sfn|Cher|2024|p=396}} and biographers.{{sfn|Howard|2014|pp=230–231}} The tour had dates in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia, with extended stays in venues including [[Caesars Palace]] in Las Vegas.{{sfn|Howard|2014|pp=230–231}} Though combining elements of both [[Concert tour|tours]] and [[Concert residency|residencies]], the media often called it a Vegas residency, referring to shows outside Las Vegas as extensions of her "Vegas act".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-breeze-cher-brings-las-vegas-t/163817482/ |title=Cher brings Las Vegas to L.A. |last=Kreiswirth |first=Sandra |newspaper=[[Daily Breeze]] |date=June 9, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> At the time, Vegas residencies were seen as signs of career decline, influencing public perception and Cher's career choices.<ref name=iheart/> Consequently, the concert series is also listed among her residencies.}} Described by ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'' as "the biggest [[cabaret]] act ever seen on any stage",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-of-atlantic-city-cher-has-assembl/163817125/ |title=Cher May Give Her Regards&nbsp;... to Broadway |last=Spatz |first=David J. |newspaper=[[The Press of Atlantic City]] |date=August 7, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> the concert series yielded two TV specials: ''[[Standing Room Only: Cher in Concert]]'' (1981)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-adams-transcript-standing-room-onl/163874278/ |title=TimeOut: Specials |newspaper=[[North Adams Transcript]] |date=February 6, 1981 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> and ''[[Cher... A Celebration at Caesars]]'' (1983),<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |title=Picks and Pans Review: ''Cher... A Celebration at Caesars'' |date=April 4, 1983 |url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-cher-a-celebration-at-caesars-vol-19-no-13/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221121/http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-cher-a-celebration-at-caesars-vol-19-no-13/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> the latter earning her the [[CableACE Award|CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Variety Program]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-sinatra-cher-win/163871998/ |title=Sinatra, Cher win cable-TV awards |newspaper=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=December 13, 1983 |access-date=January 25, 2025 |agency=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> In 1981, Cher collaborated with [[Meat Loaf]] on the duet "[[Dead Ringer for Love]]", which peaked at number five on the UK singles chart and was praised by AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco as "one of the more inspired rock duets of the 1980s".<ref>{{cite web |last=Guarisco |first=Donald A. |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/dead-ringer-for-love-mt0004520252 |title='Dead Ringer for Love' – Meat Loaf |access-date=January 17, 2016 |work=[[AllMusic]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126032701/http://www.allmusic.com/song/dead-ringer-for-love-mt0004520252 |archive-date=January 26, 2016}}</ref> The following year, Cher released the [[New wave music|new wave]] album ''[[I Paralyze]]'', a commercial failure and her only album under [[Columbia Records]].{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=159}}