Forbes declared Cher as "the most famous chanteuse and performer of our time".
According to Goldmine magazine's Phill Marder, Cher "has been and remains today one of the Rock Era's most dominant figures".
He described her as the leader of an effort in the 1960s to "advance feminine rebellion in the rock world [and] the prototype of the female rock star, setting the standard for appearance, from her early hippie days to her later outlandish outfits, and her attitude—the perfect female punk long before punk even was a rock term."
Billboard's Joe Lynch described Cher as "a woman who pioneered an androgynous musical identity in the mid '60s", and who by doing so "teed things up for people like Bowie and Patti Smith".

Billboard's Keith Caulfield wrote that "There's divas, and then there's Cher."
The New York Times's Matthew Schneier stated, "[Cher] has earned her mononym.
Her star power is such that she has spored an entire industry of imitators, both figurative and literal."
Dazed magazine's Shon Faye elaborates: "If Madonna and Lady Gaga and Kylie and Cyndi Lauper were playing football, Cher would be the stadium they played on, and the sun that shone down on them."
According to Jeff Miers from The Buffalo News, "Her music has changed with the times over the decades, rather than changing those times through groundbreaking work"; however, he felt that subsequent female pop singers were heavily inspired by Cher's abilities to combine "showmanship with deep musicality ... to make valid statements in a wide variety of trend-driven idioms ... to ease effortlessly between pop subgenres [and] to shock without alienating her fans", as well as by her charismatic stage presence and the strong LGBT support among her fan base.

Cher is commonly referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop."
Her work in music, film, television, and fashion has influenced artists including Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Betsy, Beyoncé, Bonnie McKee, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Cleo, Cyndi Lauper, Drew Barrymore, Dua Lipa, Gwen Stefani, Helena Vondráčková,Jennifer Lopez,Kanye West,Katy Perry,Lil' Kim,Lizzo,Paulina Rubio,Pink,
Madonna,Marc Jacobs,Ralph,Rihanna,Rita Ora,RuPaul,Sarah Paulson,Shirley Manson,Taylor Swift,Tina Turner,Tracy Chapman,Troye Sivan, and
Lady Gaga.
Gaga studied Cher's performance in Moonstruck in preparation for her role as Ally in the 2018 film A Star Is Born.

Cher has repeatedly reinvented herself through various personas, for which Professor Richard Aquila from Ball State University called her "the ultimate pop chameleon".
According to Entertainment Weekly's
Marc Snetiker, "Cher has floated through generation after generation, scooping up new fans, thrilling old ones, reinventing her own myth and glittering splendidly through it all."
Billboard magazine's Brooke Mazurek credited Cher as having "revolutionized the idea of what a pop star could visually accomplish, the way they could create multiple personas that live on and off-stage."
James Reed from The Boston Globe elaborates: "Along with David Bowie, she is one of the original chameleons in pop music, constantly in flux and challenging our perceptions of her[.]"
The New York Times declared Cher as the "Queen of the Comeback".
According to author Lucy O'Brien, "Cher adheres to the American Dream of reinvention of self: 'Getting old does not have to mean getting obsolete.'"

Author Craig Crawford, in his book The Politics of Life: 25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World (2007), describes Cher as "a model of flexible career management", and relates her career successes to a constant reshaping of her image according to the evolving trends of popular culture.
He further explains that she billed "each dramatic turnaround of style as another example of rebellion—an image that allowed her to make calculated changes while appearing to be consistent."
Author Grant McCracken stated, "The term 'reinvention' is now often used to talk about the careers of American celebrities.
But in Cher's case, it is particularly apt [because she] is inclined to lock on to each new fash
Forbes declared Cher as "the most famous chanteuse and performer of our time". According to Goldmine magazine's Phill Marder, Cher "has been and remains today one of the Rock Era's most dominant figures". He described her as the leader of an effort in the 1960s to "advance feminine rebellion in the rock world [and] the prototype of the female rock star, setting the standard for appearance, from her early hippie days to her later outlandish outfits, and her attitude—the perfect female punk long before punk even was a rock term." Billboard's Joe Lynch described Cher as "a woman who pioneered an androgynous musical identity in the mid '60s", and who by doing so "teed things up for people like Bowie and Patti Smith".
Billboard's Keith Caulfield wrote that "There's divas, and then there's Cher." The New York Times's Matthew Schneier stated, "[Cher] has earned her mononym. Her star power is such that she has spored an entire industry of imitators, both figurative and literal." Dazed magazine's Shon Faye elaborates: "If Madonna and Lady Gaga and Kylie and Cyndi Lauper were playing football, Cher would be the stadium they played on, and the sun that shone down on them." According to Jeff Miers from The Buffalo News, "Her music has changed with the times over the decades, rather than changing those times through groundbreaking work"; however, he felt that subsequent female pop singers were heavily inspired by Cher's abilities to combine "showmanship with deep musicality ... to make valid statements in a wide variety of trend-driven idioms ... to ease effortlessly between pop subgenres [and] to shock without alienating her fans", as well as by her charismatic stage presence and the strong LGBT support among her fan base.
Cher is commonly referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop." Her work in music, film, television, and fashion has influenced artists including Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Betsy, Beyoncé, Bonnie McKee, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Cleo, Cyndi Lauper, Drew Barrymore, Dua Lipa, Gwen Stefani, Helena Vondráčková,Jennifer Lopez,Kanye West,Katy Perry,Lil' Kim,Lizzo,Paulina Rubio,Pink,
Madonna,Marc Jacobs,Ralph,Rihanna,Rita Ora,RuPaul,Sarah Paulson,Shirley Manson,Taylor Swift,Tina Turner,Tracy Chapman,Troye Sivan, and
Lady Gaga. Gaga studied Cher's performance in Moonstruck in preparation for her role as Ally in the 2018 film A Star Is Born.
Cher has repeatedly reinvented herself through various personas, for which Professor Richard Aquila from Ball State University called her "the ultimate pop chameleon". According to Entertainment Weekly's
Marc Snetiker, "Cher has floated through generation after generation, scooping up new fans, thrilling old ones, reinventing her own myth and glittering splendidly through it all." Billboard magazine's Brooke Mazurek credited Cher as having "revolutionized the idea of what a pop star could visually accomplish, the way they could create multiple personas that live on and off-stage." James Reed from The Boston Globe elaborates: "Along with David Bowie, she is one of the original chameleons in pop music, constantly in flux and challenging our perceptions of her[.]" The New York Times declared Cher as the "Queen of the Comeback". According to author Lucy O'Brien, "Cher adheres to the American Dream of reinvention of self: 'Getting old does not have to mean getting obsolete.'"
Author Craig Crawford, in his book The Politics of Life: 25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World (2007), describes Cher as "a model of flexible career management", and relates her career successes to a constant reshaping of her image according to the evolving trends of popular culture. He further explains that she billed "each dramatic turnaround of style as another example of rebellion—an image that allowed her to make calculated changes while appearing to be consistent." Author Grant McCracken stated, "The term 'reinvention' is now often used to talk about the careers of American celebrities. But in Cher's case, it is particularly apt [because she] is inclined to lock on to each new fash
Cher