Ok so I am going to start with the Cher Equal Playlist after all. I still have about 8 chapters left of the Cher memoir.

In other Cher news there has been a fire raging near Malibu and Cher’s house.  The Franklin Fire was stopped apparently but not before Cher was said to have evacuated with her pets. Cher Universe on Twitter forwarded a tweet from Elijah’s wife where flames could be seen from inside the house!

I think the buried lead here is that Elijah’s wife has been allowed back in Cher’s house!

Anyway, Cher published the link to this playlist on her Instagram on Monday, October 14, 2024. It was up for a week or two.

Bizarrely, the song order kept changing from my phone Spotify to my computer Spotify and even from different times checking my phone.

Periodically for the last few years Spotify has beeen picking a female “EQUAL US Ambassador” who then picks a playlist “that celebrates her favorite female artists.”

I had a sinking feeling Cher’s playlist wasn’t going to be permanent so I spent part of my trip to Tucson, Arizona, sitting on a hotel room bed hand-writing the list down into a notebook. The list below is the snapshot from that day. As soon as it was the next artists’ turn, Cher’s playlist did indeed disappear. It seems silly to remove old playlists as fans could have discovered these songs liked by their favorite artists for years to come.

From the program page: “Spotify’s EQUAL program supports women creators by providing a space for them to share their content with the world.”

Why limit the discovery when the whole program is about discovery? It’s not like streaming playlists take up any room.

I think it’s important to give this list some time and a good lookover. It’s always interesting to hear what songs the people we listen to listen to. Cher has been, at turns, hesitant to list out her favorites (for fear of excluding other good artists) and happy to tell you who she thinks is currently pretty good. This list was full of new female artists and songs I didn’t know, plus some iconic chestnuts we all know and some attention Cher gives to old friends.

I lost count and didn’t finish figuring out all the categories, but there were Godlike and spirit songs, badass sentiments, I Love You songs, suffering in love songs, persevere songs, Cher-like songs, songs about depression (at least 3). There was what seemed like a precious hour of girl pop, a clustering of rap songs and the end and a sprinkling of country throughout. There was much less rock music than I would have expected. But many more songs in Spanish.

The whole thing was 4 hours and 22 mins (72 songs) and I listened to the whole playlist on a drive from Albuquerque to Tucson. I have highlighted my new favorites.

  1. Song for the Lonely – Cher (persevere)
  2. True Colors – Cyndi Lauper (spirit)
  3. The Best – Tina Turner (lurve)
  4. Walking on Broken Glass – Annie Lennox (love suffering)
  5. Sisters are Doin It For Themselves – They Eurythmics with Aretha Franklin (badass)
  6. The Boss – Diana Ross (suffering)
  7. Freedom – Beyonce (badass)
    I had actually not heard this song yet because apparently I’ve been living in a hole: “Winners don’t quit on themselves!”
  8. Something to Talk About – Bonnie Raitt (Cher-like)
    Who else but Cher gives people something to talk about her boyfriends?
  9. Try– P!nk (persevere)
    “You gotta get up and try”
  10. Respect – Aretha Franklin (badass)
  11. When We Were Young – Adele (Cherlike)
  12. My Love is Your Love – Whitney Houston (lurve)
    Where have I been that I didn’t know this song better? I love it!!
  13. XXX’s and OOO’s – Trisha Yearwood
  14. Me & Mr. Jones – Amy Winehouse
  15. Valerie – Amy Winehouse, Live at BBC Radio
  16. You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin (an old favorite)
  17. Pushing It Down and Praying – Lizzy McAlpine
  18. Little Bug – The Army, The Navy
  19. Driver – Soccer Mommy
  20. Aint No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross (another old favorite)
  21. Anything for You – Jordana
  22. Inconsolable – Katie Gavin (country)
  23. feels like home – Fourshee (repeated at the very end)
  24. Clueless – Beach Bunny
  25. Slugger – SASAMI (dance, depression)
  26. Wanted – WILLOW (Cher like, performing)
  27. Reach Out, I’ll Be There – Diana Ross (another old favorite)
  28. Sweet Dreams Are Made of This – The Eurythmics
  29. Proud Mary – Ike & Tina Turner
  30. Saving All My Love For You – Whitney Houston
  31. I’d Miss the Birds – Joy Oladokun (loved this one)
  32. Easy on Me – Adele (Cher life, one of my favorite Adele songs)
  33. August – Noeline Hofman (country)
  34. She’s In Love with the Boy – Trisha Yearwood (Cherlike, all the boyfriends she’s had to explain)
  35. Flowers – Samanta Ebert (Godlike) (love it!)
  36. Sirens – Aly & AJ
  37. Love Come Through – LP Giobbi, Panama (dance)
  38. Soltera – Shaikira (español)
  39. Steamy Windows – Tina Turner (lurve)
  40. How Do I Live – Trisha Yearwood (love suffering)
  41. So What – P!nk (Cherlike, being a rock star)
  42. Rich – Cecily (Cherlike, fame)
  43. I already dug your grave – Alemeda
  44. Two Things – Kelsea Ballerini (country, the paradox of love, this song made me look up Hemmingway poems) 
  45. AGORA – Maria Becerra (español)
  46. HOLLON – GloRilla  (rap)
  47. Raise Your Glass – P!nk (Cherlike)
  48. Bye Bye Bye – Dasha (country, even though the video creeps me out)
  49. Me Lo Merezio – Elena Rose (español)
  50. Chrome – Samara Lyn (rap)
  51. Different Color Stone – Tia Lorine (hip hop)
  52. Flush Em – Monaleo, Kaliii (popular rap song with everybody in the car)
  53. WONDER – Me n u (dance)
  54. FEEL IT – ALLEY CUT
  55. It is the Way – Saweetie (rap)
  56. Joseph – METRUTH
  57. Golden Child – Meghan Patrick (Cherlike, country, stardom)
    Cher & drugs: “The same thing that takes the edge off takes the shine off after a while”
  58. How’s the Weather – Ashley Kutcher (country)
  59. Los Fin De – De La Rose (español)
  60. Kiss My (Ah) – Zoe Ko (Cherlike, badass)
  61. X Las Nubes – Paopao (español)
  62. To Tell You The Truth – Shayen (country)
  63. BI – Sofia Reyes (español)
  64. Once – Hanna Ellis (Cherlike, country, harsh but catchy)
  65. God Who Sees You – Iveth Luna (country, spirit, love it!!)
  66. Thank You – Bonnie Raitt
  67. Here Comes the Rain Again – The Eurythmics (depression)
  68. Tears Dry on Their Own – Amy Winehouse
  69. Private Dancer – Tina Turner (I love Tina but this is the only song I skipped)
  70. Dawning – Yasmin Williams (spirit)
  71. I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt  (old favorite 😭)
  72. feels like home – Fourshee (second time)

While I was in the car the order had 67-69 coming much earlier in the mix. Not sure why.

Here are the artists that appeared more than once.

  • Adele – 2
  • Whitney Houston – 2
  • Diana Ross – 2
  • Amy Winehouse – 3
  • Bonnie Raitt – 3
  • Pink – 3
  • Trisha Yearwood – 3 (I do love “Walkaway Joe” but that’s the only Yearwood song I knew before this)
  • Annie Lennox/ The Eurythmics – 4
  • Tina Turner – 4

Keep the playlists coming please.