Lady (Kenny Rogers song)
Encyclopedia
"Lady" is the title of a song written by Lionel Richie
and recorded by American country
artist Kenny Rogers
. It was released in September 1980 as the only single from the album, Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits.
It is listed at #47 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-50.shtml
, and ranks among Rogers' biggest hits. Recorded in 1980, Rogers once told an interviewer, "The idea was that Lionel would come from R&B and I'd come from country, and we'd meet somewhere in pop."
The success of "Lady" also proved instrumental to Richie's career. The production work on the song was his first outside the Commodores
and foreshadowed his success as a solo act during the 1980s. Rogers was also a featured vocalist on "We Are the World
," co-written by Richie. Lionel also covered the song on his 1998 album, Time
.
chart (prior to the release of "Lady"), plus several Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
and Adult Contemporary Singles
charts.
"Lady," according to music historian Fred Bronson, would prove to be an important record for both Richie and Rogers. It became the first record of the 1980s to chart on all four of Billboard magazine's singles charts - country, Hot 100, adult contemporary and Top Black Singles
.
It reached No. 1 on three of those charts in late 1980, including a six-week run on the Hot 100 and one week on the Hot Country Singles chart. "Lady" also peaked at number forty-two on the Top Black Singles
chart.
As a country entry, "Lady" was Rogers' 10th chart-topping hit in a career that saw him collect 20 No. 1 songs between 1977 and 2000. On the Hot 100, it was his only solo chart-topping song, although Rogers would have a duet No. 1 three years later (1983
's "Islands in the Stream
" with Dolly Parton
). On the Adult Contemporary Singles chart, "Lady" was Rogers' second (of eight) songs that reached the chart's summit.
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
and recorded by American country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
. It was released in September 1980 as the only single from the album, Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits.
It is listed at #47 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-50.shtml
Song history
The song was written and produced by Lionel RichieLionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, and ranks among Rogers' biggest hits. Recorded in 1980, Rogers once told an interviewer, "The idea was that Lionel would come from R&B and I'd come from country, and we'd meet somewhere in pop."
The success of "Lady" also proved instrumental to Richie's career. The production work on the song was his first outside the Commodores
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
and foreshadowed his success as a solo act during the 1980s. Rogers was also a featured vocalist on "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
," co-written by Richie. Lionel also covered the song on his 1998 album, Time
Time (Lionel Richie album)
Time is Lionel Richie's fifth studio album, which was released on June 23, 1998. It was a commercial disappointment, selling far fewer copies than any of his previous material.-Track listing:#"Zoomin'" – 4:23#"I Hear Your Voice" – 4:00#"Touch" – 5:08...
.
Chart success
Since his breakup with the First Edition, Rogers had tasted considerable success as a solo act, with nine No. 1 entries on the Billboard magazine Hot Country SinglesHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart (prior to the release of "Lady"), plus several Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Adult Contemporary Singles
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
charts.
"Lady," according to music historian Fred Bronson, would prove to be an important record for both Richie and Rogers. It became the first record of the 1980s to chart on all four of Billboard magazine's singles charts - country, Hot 100, adult contemporary and Top Black Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
.
It reached No. 1 on three of those charts in late 1980, including a six-week run on the Hot 100 and one week on the Hot Country Singles chart. "Lady" also peaked at number forty-two on the Top Black Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart.
As a country entry, "Lady" was Rogers' 10th chart-topping hit in a career that saw him collect 20 No. 1 songs between 1977 and 2000. On the Hot 100, it was his only solo chart-topping song, although Rogers would have a duet No. 1 three years later (1983
1983 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1983.-Events:* March — In a span of two days, two major cable networks signed on the air. Country Music Television went on-the-air March 5, while The Nashville Network came on two days later on March 7...
's "Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream
"Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton...
" with Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
). On the Adult Contemporary Singles chart, "Lady" was Rogers' second (of eight) songs that reached the chart's summit.
Chart performance
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 6 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 6 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 12 |
| Australian Kent Music Report | 16 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 24 |