In 1984, Lionel Richie scored one of the biggest hits of his career.
We’re obviously talking about the classic ballad Hello, which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed there for two straight weeks.
In fact, it topped three music charts, finding its way to the R&B chart for three weeks and the Adult Contemporary Chart for six weeks.
The song followed Richie’s first hit single, Truly, becoming the second U.S. solo number-one single for the ‘80s artist.
Hello was released as part of his album Can’t Slow Down, which also saw plenty of its own success.
As for why it became one of the defining tracks of the decade that still holds up 40 years later, it had an instantly recognizable piano intro, along with the iconic lyrics, “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?" tapping into emotions of yearning, vulnerability and insecurity.
Showcasing Richie’s soothing, soulful vocals, the emotional ballad style became a trademark for Richie, blending pop, soul and soft rock sounds.
The single became a global success, reaching number one in many other countries, including the UK.
And it came at the perfect time, as he was in the midst of his solo career following his success with the Commodores.
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In 2017, Richie told CBS This Morning that the classic hit started as a joke before becoming a timeless love ballad, stating, “It was a joke. My producer, James Anthony Carmichael, was coming to the house. I came walking around the corner and I said, ‘Hello, is it me you’re looking for?’ He said, ‘Finish that.’”
The song was also fueled by the music video, which scored plenty of airtime on MTV, though many have called it out in recent years. Richie starred as a professor who falls for a young blind student in his pottery class, who later reveals mutual feelings for him by showing him a large, sculpted clay model of his head and telling him, “This is how I see you.”
Despite the controversy, it’s recognized as an iconic moment in pop culture, particularly the clay head reveal, with the YouTube upload from five years ago amassing 131 million views.
At the height of the song’s success, Richie was also hit with a lawsuit by songwriter Marjorie White, who claimed the song was based on her 1978 song, “I’m Not Ready to Go.”
Shortly after the release of Hello, Richie became one of the world’s best-selling artists with hits spanning All Night Long (All Night) and Say You, Say Me.
But whenever you think of Richie, even decades later, Hello remains the song that’s top of mind, a signature hit and one of the most recognizable ballads of the 1980s.
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