The Very Best of Cher is the eighth compilation album by American singer-actress Cher, released on April 1, 2003. The album includes many of Cher's most popular songs, such as "If I Could Turn Back Time", "Believe", "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and "Take Me Home". The original North American edition contains 21 tracks, while international reissues featured expanded track lists and alternate song selections.
Released during Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, the compilation received favorable reviews from music critics, who praised its broad overview of the singer's career and its collection of hits spanning multiple decades. Commercially, the album became one of Cher's most successful compilations, reaching number four on the Billboard 200 and remaining on the chart for fifty-one weeks. By 2011, it had sold 2.8 million copies in the United States.
Album information
The Very Best of Cher was released by Warner Bros. Records, MCA, and Geffen Records. The original US edition features 21 tracks, while the various later editions typically feature more songs or different selections.
The album originally coincided with the Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. The album cover picture is also seen on the DVD The Farewell Tour and was originally planned to be the DVD cover of The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection as well, but was changed at the last minute.
Critical reception
AllMusic considered the album "closer than any previous collection" to offering "a fully rounded portrait" of Cher's career, praising the inclusion of major hits from different eras, although criticizing the "bewildering" sequencing that "hurts the general listenability of the record". The Gazette described the album as "loaded with kitsch and a surprising number of hook-laden hits".
Commercial performance
The commercial success of The Very Best of Cher, combined with the Farewell Tour, consolidated one of the most profitable periods of Cher's career in 2003. The compilation debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 albums chart and later reached number four on the issue date of May 17, it spent a total of fifty-one weeks on the chart. By November 2011, it had sold 2.8 million copies in the United States. The compilation generated approximately US$31.2 million in album sales in 2003,
Track listing
;Notes
- "Believe" features writing contribution by Cher who remains uncredited.
Personnel
- Producers: Sonny Bono, Peter Asher, Michael Bolton, Desmond Child, Bob Esty, Snuff Garrett, Steve Lipson, Giorgio Moroder, Brian Rawling, Guy Roche, Bob Rock, Mark Taylor, Diane Warren, Richie Zito
- Executive producer: Cher
- Compilation producer: David MacLees
- Remastering: Bill Inglot, Dan Hersch
- Remixing: Junior Vasquez
- Editorial supervision: Sheryl Farber
- Annotation: Steve Woolard
- Art direction: Jeri Heiden
- Art direction: Hugh Brown
- Design: Barrie Goshko
- Photography: Sonny Bono
- Photography: Norman Seeff
- Photography: Harry Langdon
- Photography: Kevyn Aucoin
- Project assistant: Leigh Hall
- Project assistant: April Milek
- Project assistant: Randy Perry
- Project assistant: Tim Scanlin
- Liner notes: Kurt Loder
Charts
Weekly charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+2003 weekly chart performance for The Very Best of Cher
!Chart (2003)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
|-
|align="left"|Canadian Albums (Billboard)
|align="center"|18
|-
|-
|-
|align="left"|European Albums (Top 100)
|align="center"|45
|-
|align="left"|French Compilations (SNEP)
|align="center"|25
|-
|align="left"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
|align="center"|31
|-
|-
|-
|align="left"|Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)
| style="text-align:center;"|41
|-
|-
|-
|align="left"|Quebec Albums (ADISQ)
|align="center"|45
|-
|-
|align="left"|South African Albums (RISA)
|align="center"|1
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+2008 weekly chart performance for The Very Best of Cher
!Chart (2008)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|US Billboard Catalog Albums
|align="center"|50
|}
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+2003 year-end chart performance for The Very Best of Cher
!Chart (2003)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Australian Albums (ARIA)
|align="center"|89
|-
|align="left"|Danish Albums (Hitlisten)
|align="center"|89
|-
|align="left"|Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
|align="center"|16
|-
|align="left"|UK Albums (OCC)
|align="center"|127
|-
|align="left"|US Billboard 200
|align="center"|28
|-
|align="left"|US Billboard Internet Albums
|align="center"|8
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+2004 year-end chart performance for The Very Best of Cher
!Chart (2004)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|UK Albums (OCC)
|align="center"|184
|}
Certifications and sales
Release history
{|class="wikitable"
! Region
! Date
! Label
! Format
! Catalog
|-
|rowspan="2"| United States
| April 1, 2003
|rowspan="2"| Warner Bros.
| CD
| R2 73852
|-
| August 26, 2003
| 2CD
| R2 73956
|-
| Germany
| August 29, 2003
| Warner Music
|rowspan="3"| 2CD
| 25646 0864 2
|-
| Canada
| September 1, 2003
| Warner Bros.
| WTVD 60864
|-
| Australia
| September 2003
|rowspan="4"| Warner Music
| 25646 0864 5
|-
| France
| September 22, 2003
| CD
| 50466 8588 2
|-
| United Kingdom
| November 24, 2003
| CD
| 50466 8586 2
|-
| Japan
| January 21, 2004
| 2CD
| WPCR-11751-2
|}