How could anyone enjoy listening to "Hello?" by Lionel Ritchie or "Feelings" by Morris Albert?

Lionel Richie is a fantastic singer and his songs are always focused on love. I can relate to Hello. Have you ever been in school and the girl of your dreams walks in front of you and ignores you like an icecube? It happened here.

If it hasn’t happened to you,it will.

I remember those songs quite fondly from my high school days. I don’t believe they are insipid or fake, nor do they depress me or make me feel sickly.

To you perhaps, but given the number of countries Hello reached number one in, not for everyone. For many people these songs probably evoke wonderful memories of being in love with someone special. Each to their own. It isn’t my favourite love song but I don’t hate it either. There are plenty of others that are as sappy or much worse.

Similarly, while Feelings didn’t do so well in the charts, according to Wikipedia these are some of the top musicians who have recorded this song. “Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, José José, Caetano Veloso, Frank Sinatra, Engelbert Humperdinck, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, The O’Jays, Sarah Vaughan, Walter Jackson, Sergey Penkin, Dobie Gray and Johnny Mathis” (Wikipedia). Obviously they didn’t find it insipid or sappy either.

Would you like to tell us some of your favourite love songs? Just so we can get a sense of where your music taste lies?

I totally just bought Hello in an mp3 birthday binge. I was a kid when it came out and I am heartily amused by the cheesy music from my childhood. The video only makes it better.

I also acquired a bit more Hall & Oates. Oh yeah.

A local radio station used to play “Hits From Hell” on Friday the 13th. Ten songs that were just awful.
Those two songs were often on the list, as were You Light Up My Life by Debbie Boone and Muscrat Love by The Captain and Tennille.
My personal favorite awful song was Mike Douglas’ The Men In My Little Girls Life.
Listening to the 10 songs were nearly guaranteed to make your gag reflex kick in.

Lionel Ritchie was a member of The Commodores for those that do not know it. If you are familiar with Brick House, then its time to get Funky!!!. Time to get FUNKY!!!!

I would not ever place this song in the top ten cheezy songs of all time. Its great.

I didn’t know that JP! It’s hard to imagine Lionel Ritchie as one of the Commadors! Time to get Funky on Skates! Do da funk! Do da funk,funk! (that’s all the words to that song I remember guys-sorry!)

I love Hello in middle school—my girlfriends and I sang it nonstop. It’s not so much the song itself but the memories with the songs.

Only the middle-aged square guy can answer your question.

Never heard those. I don’t think so anyways. But to each his own and all that. People enjoy all sorts of songs for whatever reason, and although opinion has a lot to do with recognition, it still doesn’t define the essence of something that comes before the opinion. So I guess to answer the question, some people listen to those because they like it.

@Symbeline You should watch the video. It’s like Every Breath You Take. Once you start paying attention it gets really creepy.

They aren’t love songs, they’re creepy stalker songs.

What’s your idea of a great song, Kraig? Please name a singer/songwriter of equal talent in your opinion. Hello is a great song by a very talented guy, one of the best balladeers with whom I am familiar. I’ve listened to Lionel since he was with the Commodores who come from Tuskegee in my home state. He also went to Auburn which makes him like family. War Eagle!!

Richie is releasing a new album this year titled Tuskegee.

@fundevogel Oh man, I swear this is not intentional but…when I watched the video, I was reminded on how Puff Daddy liked to make music videos that looked like movies. And then you had to link The Police, which Puff Daddy made his own version of that Every Breath you Take song…‘ackin creepy.

But the video you linked, there must be some difference I’m not making in between it showing a blind girl, but having lyrics that seem to me like any regular love song I’ve ever heard. Not my style, but interesting. I believe I see your point.

Also it’s pretty funny in that one part of the video lol, where he phones her, and then doesn’t say anything when she answers, but finally starts singing with ’‘hello’’ while hanging up lol.

Also, The Police, FTW :D

@Symbeline I didn’t think it was creepy until I saw the video, but for me it was a bell I couldn’t unring. Not that I wanted to, I love that cheesy creeper video. I think the thing is it can be a love song and a creeper song simultaneously. I was too flippant in my previous comment. Honestly, I think there is a very fine line between sweet and creepy and it’s not one you can define by actions. The only difference between a creeper and would be suitor is often if the object of their affection is receptive. That’s it. If you’re into it it’s sweet that he coordinates his movements to cross your path. If you’re not into him it’s creepy.

Love is creepy and I need more Police in my itunes.

get more Police in your Itunes

Well yeah, it wouldn’t ever be creepy if you heard the song before seeing the video. I, however, am a horror fan, and often find myself quite one track minded the minute I see a clichéd potential. Like that video lol.
In that video’s defense, although she’s blind, the guy obviously loves her. He isn’t stalking, but I can indeed see how it may seem that way, in a kinda funny morbid way.

Plus she sculpted his face pretty accurately, so there’s some love thing I’m not seeing no pun intended lulz, probably about how like, feeling love is some kinda uni project that must just be felt. But then it doesn’t talk about Vikings and I never loved anyone, so what do I know. XD

either way, you can never be too flippant, I totally get what you mean :)

“In that video’s defense, although she’s blind, the guy obviously loves her. He isn’t stalking, but I can indeed see how it may seem that way, in a kinda funny morbid way.”

Who says stalkers can’t be in love? She may reciprocate his feelings but that is the only thing that makes it less creepy. If he did all of that and and she wasn’t into him he wouldn’t be any worse of a person, but we would probably think worse of him. I mean, he’s following around a blind girl who is also his student. That’s pretty creepy. It’s like the reverse of Don’t Stand So Close to Me to cite another Police song. Jesus the Police loved making creepy pop songs didn’t they?

The blind girl in the Richie video, when she touches his face so she can feel what he looks like, why didn’t she run out of the room screaming? The guy looks like an extra from planet of the apes.

hello

It’s in their genes man!

@fundevogel Head in hands. Poof. Middle school memories gone.

It’s like when I realized just what “She Bop” was about. Last week, at the basketball tournament, two developmentally disabled kids had a She Bops! sign to cheer on the girl’s team. I really, really wanted to tell their teacher…. but chose not to. Leave them in their innocence!

@Kraigmo – I hate you forever now. Those songs are stuck in my head and they will be all week. AUGH!!

So I will torture you with Kenny Rogers’: Lady which haunted me with it’s sappiness for years. I just recently found out Lionel Ritchie wrote it, so it’s no surprise there.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard “Feelings” sung anywhere except the Gong Show. So when I hear it in my head it’s always loud and offkey and eventually a loud gong interrupts it and stops it short. Edited to add an episode of the Gong Show where every single act sang Feelings

Love Lionel Richie, but after seeing the video, I have trouble enjoying the song. The sentiments are stalkerish, even if the blind girl reciprocates his feelings. What if she didn’t?

Thanks to everyone who answered my chip-on-the-shoulder musical question. I really like reading all your answers.

@MollyMcGuire and @Bellatrix thanks for asking me about my favorite love song. This one is representative of my favorite type due to: Ernestness while singing, Lack of pop du’jour background sounds, Doesn’t seem like the singer is being sappy. Love can be felt in the song. He’s aiming more at emotion than perfection. The lyrics by Robert Hunter are as if he’s crying with his pen. And the music by Jerry Garcia is as if he’s crying with his guitar. Standing on the Moon

Lonelydragon, I liked the video of Hello, but I like the CD better, just listening and letting my imagination go wild.