Cher was 19 years old when “I Got You Babe” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. The song, credited to Sonny & Cher, began its three-week run at the top on the chart dated August 14, 1965.
Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946, so she had not yet turned 20 when the song became the duo’s signature breakthrough. Sonny Bono wrote and produced the record, which paired their contrasting voices with a deliberately simple, conversational love-song arrangement.
“I Got You Babe” was the first single from Sonny & Cher’s debut studio album, Look at Us. It helped turn the pair from television and nightclub performers into major pop stars. Another common mix-up is to treat the song as a solo Cher recording; its official performing credit is Sonny & Cher. Cher later returned to No. 1 with “Believe” in 1999, creating a remarkably long span between her first and later chart-topping successes.