Forgive me if I’m a little confused. This week’s Billboard album chart features top-10 debuts by Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, and the Mars Volta, but also by Bob Seger and Lionel Richie (pictured), who haven’t hit the upper reaches of the chart in exactly 20 years. (And nestled in between those two is the new Bob Dylan CD.) I marvel at Seger’s return, since he sounded old, cranky, and nostalgic even when he was young. (”Call me a relic, call me what you will/Say I’m old-fashioned, say I’m over the hill.”) As for Richie, maybe the kids are into him only because he’s Nicole’s dad. You can only coast on your daughter’s coattails for so long, Lionel, but sooner or later, you’ll actually have to prove yourself as a musician.
Sep 21
2006
10:00 AM ET
Billboard 200: What decade is this?
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Welcome back Lionel!
He’s done what few old school artist has done,get back into the top ten. No offense to the late great Luther Vandross and others, they haven’t been able to evolve and adapt to the teenybopper audience. His new song is incredible! I didn’t know that was him on the radio. Wow! Kudos to the producers. Show these young whippersnappers that old school rules!
Welcome back to music–welcome back to Lionel and Bob. Maybe there are more people listening to music than kids? Maybe adults have actually come out of hiding and decided to participate again? Maybe Paris Hilton was enough to make people want to hear music again before it was killed off entirely?
How can you even imply that Lionel is riding on Nicole’s coattails? Nicole who??
Mr. Richie is an Oscar and Grammy winning singer and songwriter. I’ve loved him since I was a kid in the 70s. Please don’t assume we like him because of his daughter.
She is the one who is famous because of her father.
I can’t believe you said Lionel was riding on Nicole’s coattails. Do you realize how many wonderful hits Lionel has had? He’s the reason Nicole has the money to put herself in the public eye.
I’d rather SEE Lionel getting his daughter some desperatly needed food & help, than HEAR his music.
Um Gary . . . are you seriously implying that Lionel has to prove himself as a musician??? Lionel is a legend, an incredible songwriter and has proven himself with hit after hit. Including a hit song “Angel” just a few years back.
Lionel Richie is a great songwriter. Not only for the songs he wrote for his band, but he also wrote songs for other artists.
His daughter is a malnourished girl who needs sleep and food. This article is laughable.
Um…I think that “you can only coast on your daughter’s coattails for so long” was meant to be tongue-in-cheek people. Sheesh, lighten up.
Umm guys… I’m pretty certain you were to read the last sentence of the article having known what the word “sarcasm” means. More or less a diss to Nicole riding on the coattails of Lionel – not the other way around.
Wow…have people completely lost their ability to detect and enjoy sarcasm?
It’s obvious that the “your daughter’s coattails” comment was just snark…everyone knows that Lionel is a legendary musician with nothing to prove.
The line about him coasting on his daughter’s popularity is just tongue-in-cheek.
However, I don’t doubt that with radio being the way it is, and with the media machine the way it is today (in an age in wghich not even Madonna can get arrested on radio airplays), Nicole Richie’s celebrity and notoriety has probably made some youngsters be curious about her dad.
grow some sense of humor people! It was wonderfully snarky comment.
Love it!
Sorry I got touchy about that comment. Usually I can read sarcasm; I must be losing my touch.
Thrilled for Lionel. Have been a big fan since his days with the Commodores.
My cousin told me that Lionel was back with a new song on KOST (for those in the West Coast, LA area). It’s funny but I think Lionel has an untouched resource – she’s 28. I grew up with Lionel in the 80′s, Endless Love, that video with the blind girl and ugly bust of himself and eventually his greatest hits. I’m glad to see that he’s back in action despite his daughter.
Per the pharcyde’s soulflower song, these cats be “smooth on the vynyl like Lionel Ritchie”. My man’s had game forever, and the only thing that bugged me about him was how long it took for the follow up to “dancing on the cieling”.
Seger? That does throw me for a loop. All I remember about him is that old fashioned rock&roll song that Tom Cruise danced around to in Risky Business. Wasn’t that back in 1980? Where’s Seger been for the last 25 years?
And don’t bring up Nicole too much, she may want to try and duet with her pops…
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