[Won't Slow Down] -- Six years ago this week, I lost my mother. So, for the latest Flashback post, I am featuring one of her favorite solo artists: Lionel Richie. And forty years ago this week, he dropped his second solo album: Can't Slow Down. Most sources pin the release date as October 11, 1983, but for some reason, Wikipedia lists it as being released on October 14, 1983. Either way, we can celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release today.
And what a release it was. Of Can't Slow Down's eight tracks, five were released as singles between August 1983 and September 1984. Now, releasing multiple singles over the course of a year is not so unusual. However, the fact that all five went on to be at least Top 40 hits nearly everywhere, with all of them reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100? You have to admit that is quite a feat for an artist.
It seems like Richie was making a play for all kinds of music lovers as this album featured the sounds of adult contemporary, dance, (slight) funk, mainstream pop, and even country. This paid off as Can't Slow Down peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 and spent nearly 60 consecutive weeks within that chart's top 10. It was the third best selling album of 1984 and it won a Grammy.
I already mentioned the top 10 status of the singles, but two of them – "Hello" and "All Night Long (All Night)" – peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. If pressed, my mom would have probably said she preferred Richie's debut album, and she owned that record, but I recall that she could sing along to all these hits, too.
How many can you sing along to?
Flashback: Can't Slow Down (October 1983)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
I'll see you in seven!
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