Why Take Me Higher didn't catch on in U.S.

[smallworld]

I agree that the material wasn't strong enough. "Take Me Higher" was a strong lead but dance pop wasn't the dominant force in North America by 1995. Diana needed foolproof material. A couple of years later, Cher got it with "Believe." Wiki suggests that Cher's 1998 album was mixed to poor in terms of critical reception but it nevertheless sold three and a half million. The title track put it over the top.

[Nitro2015]

I agree that the material wasn't strong enough. "Take Me Higher" was a strong lead but dance pop wasn't the dominant force in North America by 1995. Diana needed foolproof material. A couple of years later, Cher got it with "Believe." Wiki suggests that Cher's 1998 album was mixed to poor in terms of critical reception but it nevertheless sold three and a half million. The title track put it over the top.

I remember that Cher's Believe album debuted really low in the Billboard 200 chart. It didn't even cracked the Top 100 in the first week, as Diana's 90's albums. But something happened and a few weeks later the album became a best seller. Cher's career in U.S., as Diana's, was at a really low point before the phenomenon that was Believe [[the single). In UK, it was another story. The single debuted already at #1. But this type of thing only happens once in a lifetime. Even having the biggest single of 1998/1999, Cher couldn't score another Top 40 single in U.S. Her follow up singles from the same album were met with indifference by the U.S. mainstream public.

[Nitro2015]

An example: Patti Labelle's 1997 "Flame" album peaked at #39 in the Billboard 200 and achieved platinum status in U.S. and Patti wasn't a mainstream pop artist. She achieved that with right strategies and her music being played in the adult formats.

[reese]

An example: Patti Labelle's 1997 "Flame" album peaked at #39 in the Billboard 200 and achieved platinum status in U.S. and Patti wasn't a mainstream pop artist. She achieved that with right strategies and her music being played in the adult formats.

But it should also be remembered that although Diana and Patti were the same age, Patti never had the consistent sales success that Diana did until fairly late in her career. Once she finally broke through as a solo artist in 1983 and then really 1985, it was almost as if she was an exciting new artist. As such, she had quite a bit of success from 1985 to 1997. But after FLAME, I don't think she had another major hit single or another gold album.

[Nitro2015]

But it should also be remembered that although Diana and Patti were the same age, Patti never had the consistent sales success that Diana did until fairly late in her career. Once she finally broke through as a solo artist in 1983 and then really 1985, it was almost as if she was an exciting new artist. As such, she had quite a bit of success from 1985 to 1997. But after FLAME, I don't think she had another major hit single or another gold album.

I hear you. Something similar happened with Tina, although Tina was much more successful than Patti between those years. And Tina, as Diana, was a global superstar. But in the 1990's she was somewhat still contemporary because her mega stardom came so late in her career. In the 1990's Diana was already seen as a icon from another era.