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Cher and Madonna have similar public images, but their songs are usually completely different. Despite this, the Material Girl once released a track that might be a little too similar to a Sonny & Cher hit. Interestingly, Madonna worked on her song with two other icons.

Madonna released a retro throwback to Cher and disco music

During the 2000s, Madonna remained relevant by collaborating with younger artists like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Timbaland. These collaborations were usually designed to keep her hip, but one of them was decidedly retro. She made a song called “Beat Goes On” with Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. 

The tune is a disco track and disco wasn’t a relevant genre when “Beat Goes On” came out in 2008. The track’s title was even more old-fashioned. It recalled Sonny & Cher’s “The Beat Goes On,” a horn-heavy pop hit from 1967. Madonna’s song also resembles Sonny & Cher’s in another critical way: both have a message, which is unusual for pop songs. “The Beat Goes On” is about the way the world remains the same while superficial elements of it change while “Beat Goes On” is a reminder to carpe diem.

Madonna only had 4 hours to complete ‘Beat Goes On’ with Kanye West

While Madonna’s “Beat Goes On” is passable, it doesn’t compare to the 1960s hit. West and Williams are great producers but they did not bring their A-game to the track’s production. Meanwhile, Sonny & Cher worked with The Wrecking Crew, a legendary group of session musicians, to craft “The Beat Goes On.” During an interview, the “Express Yourself” star seemed to confirm that “Beat Goes On” was a slapdash collaboration.

According to Today, Madonna told Interview Magazine in 2008 that her “Beat Goes On” was rushed. “There was a big sense of urgency [with that song],” the “Like a Prayer” singer said. “Kanye only had four hours. I had to finish it before he had to catch an airplane. But you know what? Right now, I’m operating in the mode of ‘live every day like it’s your last day.’ So there’s a sense of urgency in everything I do.”

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Cher had the bigger song but the Queen of Pop had the bigger album

Sonny & Cher’s “The Beat Goes On” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 11 weeks. Today, it’s probably Sonny & Cher’s most famous song besides their sole No. 1 single, “I Got You Babe.” “The Beat Goes On” appeared on the record In Case You’re in Love. That album reached No. 45 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 29 weeks. Britney Spears covered “The Beat Goes On” for her debut album, …Baby One More Time, cementing her status as pop’s newest princess.

Meanwhile, Madonna’s “Beat Goes On” was never a single and never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Madonna included the tune on Hard Candy, her last album with any commercial relevance. Hard Candy peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a single week and lasted on the chart for 30 weeks in total. Hard Candy performed better than all of the singer’s subsequent albums.

Regardless of who released the better song, Cher and Madonna will always be two of the most influential pop stars of all time.

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