After 80 years, it's clear there will never be another Cher

Even 61 years after its original release, the song has a way of sticking with you.It's sweet and endearing.Even if you've heard it thousands of times — as Bill Murray's character did in the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day," the tune retains its charm.The song, "I've Got You Babe" was the debut single from the pop duo Sonny and Cher. It was written by Sonny Bono, one half of the group.But it was the first time Cherl Sarkisian — just 19 years old at the time — made the charts.It wouldn't be the last.Cher — often referred to as the "Goddess of Pop" — turned 80 last week.It's safe to say that in her first 80 years, there has been no one quite like her.And, it's also safe to say that in the next 80 years, there won't be anyone like her, either.When I was a child in the late 1980s, Cher was already an icon. She'd been a pop star with Bono, her then-husband. She also hosted a popular variety show with him in the early 1970s.The marriage between Sonny and Cher ended, but Cher's popularity did not.Over the decades, she achieved 34 top 40 hits, 12 that made the top 10, and four No. 1 songs.In the '80s, when lots of artists from the early days of rock were making (or attempting to make) comebacks, Cher never seemed out of place on the charts.My early memories of Cher were watching her music videos on VH1.Perhaps her most famous one was in 1989, when she performed for service members on the USS Missouri.In the video, Cher sings for enthusiastic Midshipmen while wearing a black fishnet bodysuit, which was beneath a one piece bathing suit.It was topped off with an unzipped leather jacket.Cher was 43 at the time.As a kid who consumed music videos, I remember being confused by Cher's look.But the thing is, she approached the performance — like almost everything she's done — with boldness.That — along with her thick alto voice — is what has set her apart.Cher has also proven herself to be an impressive actress, winning an Oscar for her leading role in the film "Moonstruck."Her ability to adapt in popular culture and music has aided her staying power. In 1999, she released "Believe" a song that featured auto-tune and other then-modern techniques.It was a No. 1 hit.Cher wasn't the only one who adapted. Bono left the music business, and eventually got elected as a congressman in California.It was quite the conversion.On an episode of "The Simpsons," a news crew is reporting on a man who woke up from a 25-year coma."Do Sonny and Cher still have that stupid show?" the man asks the reporter."No," he answered. "He's a congressman and she won an Oscar.""Good Night!" the man exclaims before flat-lining. Her popularity and her image as an eccentric diva — as well her being open about having plastic surgery — left her ripe for jokes and parody.But she has persevered.In December of last year, Cher released a new single, "Christmas is Here."The cover photo features a blonde Cher in a silver, sequin bodysuit and angel's wings.Only Cher.Though my enjoyment of Cher's songs is hit and miss, I can't deny — no one can deny — her impact on our culture and our music.Here's to another 80 iconic years. Zach Baker is sports editor and music columnist for The Courier.