On the Charts: Madonna and Lionel Richie Bring Back the Eighties

Madonna introduces Avicii as part of Day Two of Ultra Music Festival in Miami.

WINNER OF THE WEEK: The Eighties. Madonna's MDNA, which is perhaps not the world's best dance album, is still full of banging-enough anthems to remind Lady Gaga, David Guetta and Skrillex who started today's dance music craze in the first place. It sold 359,000 copies to notch the eighth Billboard Number One in Madonna's career. At a distant second, meanwhile, is Lionel Richie, who takes a sharp creative turn (covering country songs) on his new Tuskegee LP while still remaining in his middle-of-the-road comfort zone. Tuskegee sold 199,000 copies to earn Richie his best chart placing since 1986. Below that, the charts return abruptly to the present, with Adele's 21 at Number Three (selling 121,000 copies). Interestingly, Tuskegee hit Number One on iTunes while MDNA was just Number Three (Shinedown's Amaryllis was between them, although it came in at Number Four on the Billboard chart, selling 106,000 copies).

LOSER OF THE WEEK: The Hunger Games soundtrack. The album starring Taylor Swift, the Civil Wars, Arcade Fire, Kid Cudi, the Decemberists and more hit Number One last week, but sales dropped 64 percent this week with 64,000 copies sold. In further bad news, Swift's two singles from the album, "Eyes Open" and "Safe & Sound," have dropped off the iTunes Top Songs chart completely. On BigChampagne's new Ultimate Chart, which measures Internet criteria, "Eyes Open" is at Number Six and "Safe & Sound" jumped 25 places to Number 19 – leading us to believe a lot of Swift devotees are hearing those singles for free via YouTube or Spotify.

GOTYE GET YOU OUT OF MY LIFE: In order to have international success on the pop charts, it helps to have heritage from two different regions. And, of course, to make a killer single with a killer video. Gotye, the Belgian-Australian singer behind the irresistible AAA-radio fixture "Somebody That I Used to Know," is Number Two in France, Number One in the U.K., Number Seven in Canada, Number Eight in the Netherlands, Number Two in Italy, Number Three in Switzerland, Number One in Denmark and Number Three in the U.S. (where his single sold 244,000 copies this week, up 17 percent). Interestingly, though, Gotye is nowhere to be found on the digital-singles charts in either Belgium or Australia.

LAST WEEK: Sales are in 'The Hunger Games' Favor

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On the Charts: Madonna and Lionel Richie Bring Back the Eighties

Madonna introduces Avicii as part of Day Two of Ultra Music Festival in Miami.

WINNER OF THE WEEK: The Eighties. Madonna's MDNA, which is perhaps not the world's best dance album, is still full of banging-enough anthems to remind Lady Gaga, David Guetta and Skrillex who started today's dance music craze in the first place. It sold 359,000 copies to notch the eighth Billboard Number One in Madonna's career. At a distant second, meanwhile, is Lionel Richie, who takes a sharp creative turn (covering country songs) on his new Tuskegee LP while still remaining in his middle-of-the-road comfort zone. Tuskegee sold 199,000 copies to earn Richie his best chart placing since 1986. Below that, the charts return abruptly to the present, with Adele's 21 at Number Three (selling 121,000 copies). Interestingly, Tuskegee hit Number One on iTunes while MDNA was just Number Three (Shinedown's Amaryllis was between them, although it came in at Number Four on the Billboard chart, selling 106,000 copies).

LOSER OF THE WEEK: The Hunger Games soundtrack. The album starring Taylor Swift, the Civil Wars, Arcade Fire, Kid Cudi, the Decemberists and more hit Number One last week, but sales dropped 64 percent this week with 64,000 copies sold. In further bad news, Swift's two singles from the album, "Eyes Open" and "Safe & Sound," have dropped off the iTunes Top Songs chart completely. On BigChampagne's new Ultimate Chart, which measures Internet criteria, "Eyes Open" is at Number Six and "Safe & Sound" jumped 25 places to Number 19 – leading us to believe a lot of Swift devotees are hearing those singles for free via YouTube or Spotify.

GOTYE GET YOU OUT OF MY LIFE: In order to have international success on the pop charts, it helps to have heritage from two different regions. And, of course, to make a killer single with a killer video. Gotye, the Belgian-Australian singer behind the irresistible AAA-radio fixture "Somebody That I Used to Know," is Number Two in France, Number One in the U.K., Number Seven in Canada, Number Eight in the Netherlands, Number Two in Italy, Number Three in Switzerland, Number One in Denmark and Number Three in the U.S. (where his single sold 244,000 copies this week, up 17 percent). Interestingly, though, Gotye is nowhere to be found on the digital-singles charts in either Belgium or Australia.

LAST WEEK: Sales are in 'The Hunger Games' Favor

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Lionel Richie Moves 20,000 CDs in One Hour on HSN

Lionel Richie performs new music from his 'Tuskegee' country duets album during the HSN LIVE concert series in St. Petersburg, Florida

Lionel Richie hasn't gone so far as to don a cowboy hat – yet – but that hasn't kept him from feeling the love from the country music world: the R&B singer and Eighties pop star sold a whopping 20,000 copies of his new LP, Tuskegee, in a single hour during his live concert event on HSN last Friday night.

"To do this album was very eye-opening," the five-time Grammy winner told Rolling Stone just before the start of the show, which broadcast live from St. Petersburg, Florida to the 24-hour shopping network's TV, Web and Facebook audiences. "I didn't realize that all of country knew all of my songs anyway."

Tuskegee, named for the 62-year-old's Alabama hometown and featuring countrified covers of some of his biggest hits (including "Say You, Say Me," "Stuck on You," and "Easy"), teams Richie with a host of country superstars, including Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker (a country crossover artist himself) and Willie Nelson. The album also features the first new recording from Shania Twain in seven years, as she replaces Diana Ross on a new version of "Endless Love." In fact, Richie said Twain was so nervous to record with him, they had to fly to her house in the Caribbean to make it happen and wound up placing microphones in her bedroom just to get her comfortable enough to sing.

For Richie, the crossover to country had been decades in the making. "Conway Twitty wanted me to come years ago and 'be country,'" Richie said, "but I was too busy being a Commodore. Then Kenny Rogers wanted me to go country, but I was too busy being the 'pop' Lionel Richie. Then all of a sudden we went into an area where it was, 'Can Lionel Richie rap?' No!" he said with a laugh. "Trust me. I can do it, but you don't want to hear me. Flava Flav said, 'Don't try it! If you want somebody to rap, you call me. I'll rap. You just sing!"

Finding himself caught in a country craze that's embracing singers and songwriters from just about any genre these days, Richie finally felt ready to make the leap. "The beautiful part about it is, once I started talking to Tim McGraw and to Kenny Chesney and all of them, it became clear: These songs (of mine) have already been country," he said. "So Lionel Richie's not 'going country.' I'm just joining the songs that are already there. I just have to show up next to 'em and go, 'That's mine.'"

While Kenny Rogers was the only guest to join him onstage for the launch event (singing "Lady"), Richie sounded better than ever on twanged-out solo versions of "Dancing on the Ceiling," "All Night Long," "Hello," and more – in front of an live studio audience that included celebrity chefs Todd English and Curtis Stone, as well as fashion icon Twiggy.

The HSN Live concert, along with Richie's SXSW appearance last week, were precursors to an upcoming world tour. "My kids are old enough where I can leave home," says the father of three, who admits to loving his role as a grandfather to his daughter Nicole Richie's two kids far more than expected. "I gotta tell ya, I thought it was not going to be sexy at all, (but) I'm having the best time."

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Lionel Richie Moves 20,000 CDs in One Hour on HSN

Lionel Richie performs new music from his 'Tuskegee' country duets album during the HSN LIVE concert series in St. Petersburg, Florida

Lionel Richie hasn't gone so far as to don a cowboy hat – yet – but that hasn't kept him from feeling the love from the country music world: the R&B singer and Eighties pop star sold a whopping 20,000 copies of his new LP, Tuskegee, in a single hour during his live concert event on HSN last Friday night.

"To do this album was very eye-opening," the five-time Grammy winner told Rolling Stone just before the start of the show, which broadcast live from St. Petersburg, Florida to the 24-hour shopping network's TV, Web and Facebook audiences. "I didn't realize that all of country knew all of my songs anyway."

Tuskegee, named for the 62-year-old's Alabama hometown and featuring countrified covers of some of his biggest hits (including "Say You, Say Me," "Stuck on You," and "Easy"), teams Richie with a host of country superstars, including Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker (a country crossover artist himself) and Willie Nelson. The album also features the first new recording from Shania Twain in seven years, as she replaces Diana Ross on a new version of "Endless Love." In fact, Richie said Twain was so nervous to record with him, they had to fly to her house in the Caribbean to make it happen and wound up placing microphones in her bedroom just to get her comfortable enough to sing.

For Richie, the crossover to country had been decades in the making. "Conway Twitty wanted me to come years ago and 'be country,'" Richie said, "but I was too busy being a Commodore. Then Kenny Rogers wanted me to go country, but I was too busy being the 'pop' Lionel Richie. Then all of a sudden we went into an area where it was, 'Can Lionel Richie rap?' No!" he said with a laugh. "Trust me. I can do it, but you don't want to hear me. Flava Flav said, 'Don't try it! If you want somebody to rap, you call me. I'll rap. You just sing!"

Finding himself caught in a country craze that's embracing singers and songwriters from just about any genre these days, Richie finally felt ready to make the leap. "The beautiful part about it is, once I started talking to Tim McGraw and to Kenny Chesney and all of them, it became clear: These songs (of mine) have already been country," he said. "So Lionel Richie's not 'going country.' I'm just joining the songs that are already there. I just have to show up next to 'em and go, 'That's mine.'"

While Kenny Rogers was the only guest to join him onstage for the launch event (singing "Lady"), Richie sounded better than ever on twanged-out solo versions of "Dancing on the Ceiling," "All Night Long," "Hello," and more – in front of an live studio audience that included celebrity chefs Todd English and Curtis Stone, as well as fashion icon Twiggy.

The HSN Live concert, along with Richie's SXSW appearance last week, were precursors to an upcoming world tour. "My kids are old enough where I can leave home," says the father of three, who admits to loving his role as a grandfather to his daughter Nicole Richie's two kids far more than expected. "I gotta tell ya, I thought it was not going to be sexy at all, (but) I'm having the best time."

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Lionel Richie Duets With Kenny Rogers at SXSW

Lionel Richie performs at the Billboard Showcase during SXSW at ACL Live in Austin, Texas.

Lionel Richie may not be a typical SXSW buzz band, but the R&B icon used his set at ACL Live’s Moody Theater – where he anchored Billboard’s showcase – to remind the music industry just exactly who he is and where he’s been. The performance proved he’s still got some of the magic that made him one of the most successful male solo artists of the 1980s, following his stint in one of Motown’s most successful acts, the Commodores.

"Why has it taken me this long to make it to South By Southwest?" he asked at the beginning of his hit-heavy set, before launching into a series of Commodore classics including "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)" and, later, "Brick House." Shortly after coming on strong, he told the crowd that he was going to change his set around for an unplanned solo piano segment. "In fact, I think I want the band to leave the stage," he said. "Just me; just you." He then tickled the ivories for a stirring renditions of "Still" and "Oh No."

Other bits of the night appeared to be either spontaneous, or at least unexpected, such as when the band launched into a jam of Van Halen’s "Jump" in the middle of Richie’s own "Dancing on the Ceiling."

But the true highlight came when Richie invited Kenny Rogers to the stage. "I’m about to bring out one of my dearest friends and we made many records together," said Richie. Turning to Rogers, he said, "Kenny, having you up on this stage is about the best thing that could happen to either of us." He then recalled that the first time he met Rogers, he told the music legend that one day he wanted to be as big as him. "I’m still not there," he joked – kinda. The pair performed "Lady," after which they embraced.

Richie has a new album coming out later this month, Tuskegee, but chose to dig deep into his Commodores catalog, as well as pull out crowd pleasers from his solo career including an encore of "All Night Long (All Night)."

Nonetheless, he made his purpose at this relatively intimate show at his first SXSW clear: "We’re about to go on a world tour," he said. "And this is a warm-up to the warm-up to the warm-up."

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Lionel Richie Duets With Kenny Rogers at SXSW

Lionel Richie performs at the Billboard Showcase during SXSW at ACL Live in Austin, Texas.

Lionel Richie may not be a typical SXSW buzz band, but the R&B icon used his set at ACL Live’s Moody Theater – where he anchored Billboard’s showcase – to remind the music industry just exactly who he is and where he’s been. The performance proved he’s still got some of the magic that made him one of the most successful male solo artists of the 1980s, following his stint in one of Motown’s most successful acts, the Commodores.

"Why has it taken me this long to make it to South By Southwest?" he asked at the beginning of his hit-heavy set, before launching into a series of Commodore classics including "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)" and, later, "Brick House." Shortly after coming on strong, he told the crowd that he was going to change his set around for an unplanned solo piano segment. "In fact, I think I want the band to leave the stage," he said. "Just me; just you." He then tickled the ivories for a stirring renditions of "Still" and "Oh No."

Other bits of the night appeared to be either spontaneous, or at least unexpected, such as when the band launched into a jam of Van Halen’s "Jump" in the middle of Richie’s own "Dancing on the Ceiling."

But the true highlight came when Richie invited Kenny Rogers to the stage. "I’m about to bring out one of my dearest friends and we made many records together," said Richie. Turning to Rogers, he said, "Kenny, having you up on this stage is about the best thing that could happen to either of us." He then recalled that the first time he met Rogers, he told the music legend that one day he wanted to be as big as him. "I’m still not there," he joked – kinda. The pair performed "Lady," after which they embraced.

Richie has a new album coming out later this month, Tuskegee, but chose to dig deep into his Commodores catalog, as well as pull out crowd pleasers from his solo career including an encore of "All Night Long (All Night)."

Nonetheless, he made his purpose at this relatively intimate show at his first SXSW clear: "We’re about to go on a world tour," he said. "And this is a warm-up to the warm-up to the warm-up."

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Kelly Clarkson and Lionel Richie to Star in 'Duets'

Kelly Clarkson and Lionel Richie to star in 'Duets'Jeff Neira/Katherine Bomboy-Thornton/ABC

Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie, Robin Thicke and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles will star in Duets, a new singing competition show for ABC. The show, which is set to air this summer, will have the celebrity vocalists searching for undiscovered talent, and each will choose two duet partners for weekly performances. At the end of the season, one winner will get a recording contract with Hollywood Records.

Duets is the latest in what is becoming a very crowded market for televised singing competitions. In addition to American Idol, The Voice and The X Factor, Jennifer Lopez's Latin American talent search Q'Viva is coming to Fox, and the CW is about to launch The Star Next Door with Gloria Estefan and John Rich.

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Kelly Clarkson and Lionel Richie to Star in 'Duets'

Kelly Clarkson and Lionel Richie to star in 'Duets'Jeff Neira/Katherine Bomboy-Thornton/ABC

Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie, Robin Thicke and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles will star in Duets, a new singing competition show for ABC. The show, which is set to air this summer, will have the celebrity vocalists searching for undiscovered talent, and each will choose two duet partners for weekly performances. At the end of the season, one winner will get a recording contract with Hollywood Records.

Duets is the latest in what is becoming a very crowded market for televised singing competitions. In addition to American Idol, The Voice and The X Factor, Jennifer Lopez's Latin American talent search Q'Viva is coming to Fox, and the CW is about to launch The Star Next Door with Gloria Estefan and John Rich.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Lionel Richie Preparing Duets Album With Country Stars

Lionel Richie and Darius Rucker perform together at the 45th annual CMA Awards.

Lionel Richie will go back to his roots in Alabama with Tuskegee, a new album due March 27th that will reprise 13 of the singer's biggest hits in duets with country stars including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and more.

The album will feature new versions of "Say You, Say Me," "You Are," "Sail On," "Hello" and other highlights of the singer's multi-platinum career. Other stars set to appear include Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Shania Twain, as well as veterans Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett. Richie and friends will also tape a concert special on April 2nd in Las Vegas, and it will air at a later date on CBS. 

Richie clearly loves Tuskegee, his hometown; he said in a statement, "[The city] is where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries." Richie is already something of a fixture in the country world, with his frequent appearances on the Country Music Association Awards programs. His songs having been covered by stars such as Kenny Rogers and Conway Twitty.  

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Lionel Richie Preparing Duets Album With Country Stars

Lionel Richie and Darius Rucker perform together at the 45th annual CMA Awards.

Lionel Richie will go back to his roots in Alabama with Tuskegee, a new album due March 27th that will reprise 13 of the singer's biggest hits in duets with country stars including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and more.

The album will feature new versions of "Say You, Say Me," "You Are," "Sail On," "Hello" and other highlights of the singer's multi-platinum career. Other stars set to appear include Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Shania Twain, as well as veterans Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett. Richie and friends will also tape a concert special on April 2nd in Las Vegas, and it will air at a later date on CBS. 

Richie clearly loves Tuskegee, his hometown; he said in a statement, "[The city] is where I learned about life and love and the power of music, and the place I built a musical foundation that knows no genres or boundaries." Richie is already something of a fixture in the country world, with his frequent appearances on the Country Music Association Awards programs. His songs having been covered by stars such as Kenny Rogers and Conway Twitty.  

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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