Cher reveals huge career mistake over mega-hit Believe that cost her $200,000

Superstar singer Cher has achieved astronomical success in her career, but one expensive mistake she made along the way has always haunted the star.

Cher stars in her Believe music video in 1998.

Despite selling 100 million records and being one of the most successful singers of all time, Cher has one big regret – over mega-hit Believe.

More than two decades after releasing the song — which spent seven weeks at number 1 — the singer says she was so worried about rocking the boat that she didn’t dare to ask for a writing credit, reports The Sun.

The error means she’s lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars after the 1998 track sold more than 11 million copies.

To make matters worse, recording the song was so stressful that she stormed out of one session after being told her vocals weren’t up to scratch,

Cher said: “You can’t even imagine — about 30 people wrote on it. And I was so stupid. I didn’t ask. I didn’t even get a writer’s credit.

“I wrote, ‘I’ve had time to think it through, and maybe I’m too good for you.’

“It sold 11 million copies. I could have got a lot of money.”

Cher stars in her Believe music video in 1998.

It’s safe to say, though, Cher hasn’t done too badly since — she is worth an estimated $608 million.

Cher can be heard on UK Radio 2’s Tracks Of My Years with Vernon Kay, where she tells the host about how fraught recording sessions were for the song.

Laughing, she says: “The verse was so bad I couldn’t make it good.

“We, the songwriters and I, got into a big fight over it. I walked out after they said I had to sing it better.

“Then in the morning I said, ‘What, [use] a vocoder?’ and they said, ‘No, you’ve got to do it at the time.’”

Cher performs on stage in Germany on November 25. Picture: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

However, after the track was digitally tinkered with, she fell in love with it and the rest is music history.

“My favourite thing was that you didn’t know it was my voice at the beginning,” she adds.

Cher’s latest project is her debut festive album, which includes her first original music since 2013.

The decision has sparked speculation that self-declared Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey is “furious”, but Cher insists she doesn’t want to steal her crown.

The singer channelled her early days at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Picture: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

She said: “I don’t want people to think of me and Christmas as one with this album.

“What I wanted to do was make an album that would make people feel happy,

“I wanted it to be joyous. I just wanted to pick songs that even if it doesn’t go together it makes you feel better.”

Cher, who has never shied away from a public spat, says of the infamous diva: “Mariah is a great vocalist.

“She can do amazing things with her voice. It’s unbelievable.

“All I Want For Christmas is on my playlist.

“When you hear what she can do with her voice . . . it’s such a thrill to hear someone who sings so well.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission