The Music's No Good Without You

2001 single by Cher

"The Music's No Good Without You" is a song recorded by American singer Cher for her twenty fourth studio album, Living Proof. It was released in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2001, by WEA, while in the United States, it was released in 2002. The song reached the top 20 in many countries worldwide, expanding Cher's chart success into five decades.

After releasing her album Believe in 1998 and achieving significant success with its singles, particularly the lead single "Believe", Cher released her compilation, The Greatest Hits in 1999, and later released Not. com. mercial, in 2000, her first album not sold in stores but exclusively online. Later, in 2001, Cher reunited with the UK rooted production team of Taylor and Brian Rawlings, who helmed the single "Believe" and much of the ensuing album. Cher also collaborated with Rick Nowels, British musician/producer Chicane, and Norwegian team Stargate. Cher described the album, titled Living Proof, as "a record with a notably positive lyrical tone." She further added, "[ ] This had subconsciously become an album filled with love and warmth. It was a pleasant surprise, and it's certainly an appropriate time to put some positive energy out into the world." "The Music's No Good Without You" was released as the album's first British single on November 5, 2001. The single was also released as a double A side single, along with "A Different Kind of Love Song", on August 13, 2002. "The Music's No Good Without You" was written by Cher, James Thomas, Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, while production was done by Taylor, with co production by Thomas and Jeff Taylor. The song is drenched in hypnotic synth lines and computer savvy vocal effects. Tony Peregrin of PopMatters called it one of the album's imperfections, "where Cher’s voice has been manipulated to such an extent she sounds like the embodiment of a haunted extra terrestrial, whatever that is." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was more favorable, writing that, "Cher's voice is virtually unrecognizable on the French techno thumper that would have made a brave lead single here in the U. S. as well."

The song became a top 10 hit in Canada, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, while elsewhere, it became either a top 20 or top 40 hit. With a peak of number eight on the UK Singles Chart, Cher became the only female recording artist to have top 10 hits in every decade, beginning in the 1960s (her first top 10 hit was "All I Really Want to Do" in 1965). It was Cher's 12th consecutive and 33rd overall top 40 single in the UK and the last single released until "I Hope You Find It" in 2013. In the United States, the album Living Proof was not released until February 2002, and its lead single was "Song for the Lonely". By the time "The Music's No Good Without You", along with "A Different Kind of Love Song", was released as a single in the United States, Cher was already on tour, which led to a lack of promotion. "The Music's No Good Without You" was exclusively released as a club single in the US only; the song peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.