Hans Worst Hits of the 80’s- Hello- by Lionel Richie. Actually I am just picking out a later day Lionel song- one of his many One word title big hits- none of them are really bad to be honest- but I just want to point out a bad trend in his music- too many glacially slow songs that were beginning to sound way too much the same. I liked for the most part Richie’s work with The Commodores in the late 70’s and his early solo work- my two favorites being Easy and Sail On- both mid tempo songs. Then there were the Richie- written and sung slow songs that went to #1- Three Times A Lady and Still -two songs that were so slow its a wonder they didn’t stall out. But I didn’t notice this trend until his solo career- Truly his first solo single- went to #1- another one word- incredibly slow ballad. Hello is the same. Richie did have some more uptempo hits but I think -although they were successful these slow songs began to sink his career. As hot as his solo career was at the start it stalled out in the mid 80’s a couple album in. Why? I think America grew tired sound-a-like ballads. I knew I was. Again- are any of those songs awful? No- Richie was a good songwriter- they were decent enough songs but enough is enough. Up the tempo Lionel.
slicethelife 
He had a successful formula for sure. He was on the bill for the one Bonnaroo I’ve attended–in 2014. He knocked it out of the park, by playing all of his slow songs and having fun with them. He introduced each one by setting the scene, such as, “Your girlfriend has left you and you are all alone. Who are you going to call? Lionel Richie!” And then would come the first notes of “Still” or “Hello”. You get the idea. He was such a hit that he was booked for Glastonbury 2015.
Is it me you’re looking for?
Take note John Legend. Btw, comedian Dwayne Perkins does a very funny bit about Richie that covers some of the same ground you did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j8Pqi-wanQ. Starts at 50 seconds.
Thanks I will check it out!
Kat, I just watched it. Funny stuff! Hans, maybe you don’t hate Lionel Richie as much as you think you do 🙂
Oh I don’t hate Lionel at all.. I just think he went too the well a few times too often on those slow- one word songs.
All true but then again Dancing on the Ceiling didn’t do much for me. Was that what it was called?
I have to admit…I was in junior high in the 80s and “in love” with a boy, and I loved that song.
Lionel fits a niche, for soft romantic music. Like runesweed said he said at the concert, “when you break up with your sweetie, who are you going to call?”
This song reminds me of Dan Fogelberg’s Same Old Lang Syne where basically, by the end of it, I just want to jump off a tall building. Even Muskrat Love might start to sound good at that point !!! 🙂
All Night Long was a good tempo…now being referred to in investment commercials.