I'd Rather Believe in You is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in September 1976 by Warner Bros. Records. This album was a commercial failure and failed to chart.
Because Stars was such an abysmal financial failure, Cher was put back with narrative pop songs on her next album. Initially, Cher discussed with Mo Ostin, president of Warner Bros. Records, the choice of producer for the album, proposing that Gregg Allman take on the role, while the executive preferred producer Steve Barri. After some resistance, the singer agreed to enter the studio with Barri but continued advocating for a collaboration with Allman. Subsequently, Allman took part in the initial sessions, entering the studio with four musicians from Macon, Georgia, where they recorded four demo singles.
Besides the songs included on the album, two other songs, "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knockin' Everyday)" (a duet with Harry Nilsson) and "Pirate", were also recorded during 1976. The latter, while being officially included in her subsequent album, Cherished (1977), and released as its lead single, was also included in some editions of this album. Cher recorded all the songs while she being pregnant with Elijah Blue Allman, her second child. She wrote a dedication to him on the back-sleeve of the album: And a special thanks to Elijah for waiting until the day after I finished my album. Cher.
The album was released in September 1976. Only one single was released, "Long Distance Love Affair" (b/w "Borrowed Time"). It was performed twice on her TV show, but charted nowhere. "I'd Rather Believe In You" was planned as the second single from the album, but it was cancelled after the first single failed. A different version of the song, in which the lyrics are directed toward God instead of a lover, was recorded by the contemporary Christian singing group The Imperials for their 1980 album Priority, which was also produced by Omartian.
The album has never been released on CD, and the only CD versions in circulation are bootlegs. According to Billboard, Cher owned this album's master rights and Warner had no right to reissue. On 30 July 2021, it was announced that a restored and remastered version of the album would be available exclusively on Cher's official YouTube channel on 6 August 2021. On September 20, 2024, the title track was released as part of Cher's eleventh greatest hits album Forever Fan.
I'd Rather Believe In You received mostly positive reviews from music critics. On September 25, Record World included the album on its "Album Picks" list, highlighting Cher's "typically resonant voice" and the songs "Long Distance Love Affair", "Early Morning Strangers", "Silver Wings & Golden Rings" and "Flashback" as all having "that immediately recognizable Cher imprint, known to record, radio and television fans". Billboard praised the album and considered Cher's collaboration with producers Steve Barri and Michael Omartian highly entertaining, commercial and a smart move, and described the album as a fun, up-tempo album. The songs "I Know (You Don't Love Me)", "Flashback", "It's A Cryin' Shame" and "Knock on Wood" were highlighted.
However, in a negative review, Mark Shipper, from Phonograph Record, expressed his disappointment with Cher's performance on the album, especially, on the song "It's A Cryin' Shame", which he compared to the one done by its original singer, Gayle McCormick.
I'd Rather Believe In You didn't manage to enter any chart anywhere. Producer Michael Omartian attributed this to "a lack of promotion."