Q&A: Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora on New Solo Album: 'My Stuff Is Pretty Universal'

Richie Sambora performs with Jon Bon Jovi.

As the founding guitar-slinger in Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora has done everything he can to live up to his job description. He's shredded solos in stadiums across the planet, married and divorced a famous actress (Heather Locklear), been to rehab and experienced all the excesses, pitfalls and perks of international superstardom. As the song goes, he's seen a million faces and he's rocked them all.

However, Sambora is sometimes portrayed as the Robin to Jon Bon Jovi's Batman, the Watson to Jon's Sherlock. Now that Bon Jovi has some downtime between album and tour cycles, Sambora is stepping into his own well-deserved spotlight with his third solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown, out September 18th. For the first time in his 30-year career, Sambora signed with an independent label, Dangerbird, instead of sticking with the majors (Bon Jovi has stayed with Universal Music Group, home of Sambora's previous solo albums).

Sambora chatted with Rolling Stone about his master plan for his new album and asserting his independence while staying fully aligned with his legendary main band.

Aftermath is a totally different animal than your previous solo albums.
I'm very, very happy with this record. When you're making a record, you try to achieve stylistically what fits on you. Like a good old coat, you know what I mean? With this record, I've achieved that. I feel really very good. The reason I called it Aftermath of the Lowdown is because when you give somebody the lowdown, that's the truth. And when you tell somebody the truth, there's an aftermath to it. So the songs are the aftermath of my particular story, of my life experience over the past decade.

Bon Jovi recently came back from an incredible, extremely successful world tour.  You were selling out stadiums around the globe. At what point did you start getting material together that was specifically for a solo album?
I really didn't start writing until the tour was over. We did a mammoth 18-and-a-half month tour, 52 countries. The first 12 months was named the biggest tour on the planet; that was pretty amazing. Actually, you know, I got home, I took a 10-day vacation with my daughter, and I came back to my house and I was extremely energized and I knew that was going to be my window. So right then and there, I started. I didn't know what was going to happen. I just said, "You know what, I'm going to start writing some songs and see what happens." Once I started writing, I really liked the material and it was authentic, passionate and honest. And that's what makes a really good record. So there was a bit of magic happening right off the bat. Building the foundation of this record, obviously, was the writing process.

The lyrics are very heartfelt. You have, "Every heartache's a blessing/ Every knockdown was a start." I know you touched upon this with the album title, but did you intentionally set out to make a record that was so intensely personal?
What I found, interestingly enough, through the ups and downs of my life over the past decade since I made my other solo record, and all the stuff that I've gone through in my life over the past decade – this record is basically about my stuff. And what I really found out is that my stuff is pretty universal. The stuff that I've gone through isn't that alien. The stuff that I've gone through, anybody can go through in their lives and they probably will. Ups and downs and things like that. So I really felt like everybody can relate to these lyrics and make them their own. At the end of it, when I looked back on it, that's really what I've found.

You're exactly right except, perhaps, for "Seven Years Gone" because of the specific number of years. That one's about your ex-wife?
About seven years ago, life for me started to take kind of a little bit of a dip. I was getting divorced, my father was dying of cancer at that point in time, so things were definitely at a transformative period in my life. And then all of the sudden, I looked up, when I started writing this record, and I said, "Wow! Seven years gone!" It really went by very quickly. I started to think about the transference of time. My God, it's like, all of the sudden, I've been in this business for 30 years now and all the amazing stuff that's happened to me. So I guess it was kind of a reflection on all that kind of stuff, and I think anybody can relate to that.

You know what else I found during the making of the record? Pain and struggle are necessary, and challenging situations like that are necessary, for you to actually find your freedom and move on. The essential message of this record is freedom. A song like "Taking a Chance on the Wind" – about "Raising my flag/ And taking my chance on the wind" – it's all about risk. But, it's like, people ask me, "Why'd you make this record, Richie? Wasn't it a risk to make such a record?" And I say, "It would've been a risk not to make this record." I had to get this stuff out. It was a cathartic thing for me to do this album. And also, just to express my individuality away from the band.

I think that's probably why I went with an independent record company. That's why I went with Dangerbird. All this about "raising my flag" – independence. That's what I wanted, you know? I wanted independence from stuff that I knew before.

When I first heard some of these songs, they sounded like they came out of jams. There's this freshness and immediacy to it that feels like a bunch of guys in the studio playing from their hearts.
Thank you. That's what it was. At the end of the day, I was trying to capture my independence through this music. I love being in Bon Jovi and I'm going to obviously continue with that band and it's going to be fun. But when you can actually break free as an individual and have the great opportunity to go in and make a record like this, where, like you said, a guy like me... I don't really care about the press.  I don't mean to sound like an asshole but I don't care about the press. What I do care about is having an artistic opportunity like this.

It's a classic rock album in a sense. There's metal, there's rock, there's blues – the elements. It's a timeless kind of music. But I know you have a teenage daughter. Does she keep you updated with new music and new styles like, for instance, electronic stuff?
Ah, bro, check it out. This new record also definitely sounds modern. The guys that I play with are younger than me; I made sure of that. So we added very much of a younger flavor and my voice actually sounds younger than I am.

My daughter is an essential part of my listening process; she turns me onto stuff all the time. We went to Coachella this year together. I stayed for the whole three days and saw everybody. It was a blast. And to be honest with you, I had never really experienced this electronica stuff before. I really took a shining to this kid Madeon who's a DJ but he adds music and he really plays to the crowd. I thought he was really brilliant. I got a chance to talk to him afterwards.

But I'm the kind of guy [where] I buy two or three new records per week. I spend a lot of time on the treadmill staying in shape these days, so I like to listen to new records when I'm on the treadmill. And also I got a lot of friends that send me their Spotify playlists. The other musicians in my band and my producer, who did a stunning job on this record, is always giving me stuff to listen to. Always inspires me. Anything that's out new I like to pick up and listen to and then I've got my classic diet of old blues that I bring out of the closet too, you know?

This is a solo project, not a side project. You get to assume the role of dictator. In Bon Jovi, does Jon assume the dictator role or is it a democratic process that you all get to participate in?
At the end of the day, Jon has to be out there; he has to be the mouthpiece. So I mean, even from a writing standpoint, essentially, I'm really writing for Jon to actually sing those lyrics. But luckily, we grew up five miles away from each other, a couple years apart, in the same place, the same kind of blue-collar work ethic of New Jersey and stuff like that. We have a lot of common ground, so it's quite easy. But obviously when I'm making a record like this, like you said, the words for me are uncensored because I get a chance to tell my story here.

And also I think what was important to me as I'm growing up – because I always think I'm growing up and I still think of myself as a kid – [is that] I hope I'm going to be able to change people's perspective as to who I am. As a lead vocalist, as an artist in his own right, away from the band. Because I think that my music also has merit and I think that it has a lot to offer people.

I've had a very, very interesting view of the planet over the last 30 years, touring as excessively as I have. And music is the most evocative, transformative, connective force in humanity, man. I've seen it firsthand. I've seen it all over the world, how it connects people. I'm hoping that my music can be a part of that whole energy.

One last question, something I just have to ask: Alec John Such left Bon Jovi in 1994. Hugh McDonald has handled bass duties since then, but he's rarely in any of the official photos nor is he listed as an official member. Eighteen years into it, is he finally part of the brotherhood?
He's exactly where he is right now. It's exactly where he came in, but he's obviously a treasured piece of what the band is. I think that Jon just wants to keep the integrity of the five guys that started this unit and that's what it is.

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

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Q&A: Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora on New Solo Album: 'My Stuff Is Pretty Universal'

Richie Sambora performs with Jon Bon Jovi.

As the founding guitar-slinger in Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora has done everything he can to live up to his job description. He's shredded solos in stadiums across the planet, married and divorced a famous actress (Heather Locklear), been to rehab and experienced all the excesses, pitfalls and perks of international superstardom. As the song goes, he's seen a million faces and he's rocked them all.

However, Sambora is sometimes portrayed as the Robin to Jon Bon Jovi's Batman, the Watson to Jon's Sherlock. Now that Bon Jovi has some downtime between album and tour cycles, Sambora is stepping into his own well-deserved spotlight with his third solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown, out September 18th. For the first time in his 30-year career, Sambora signed with an independent label, Dangerbird, instead of sticking with the majors (Bon Jovi has stayed with Universal Music Group, home of Sambora's previous solo albums).

Sambora chatted with Rolling Stone about his master plan for his new album and asserting his independence while staying fully aligned with his legendary main band.

Aftermath is a totally different animal than your previous solo albums.
I'm very, very happy with this record. When you're making a record, you try to achieve stylistically what fits on you. Like a good old coat, you know what I mean? With this record, I've achieved that. I feel really very good. The reason I called it Aftermath of the Lowdown is because when you give somebody the lowdown, that's the truth. And when you tell somebody the truth, there's an aftermath to it. So the songs are the aftermath of my particular story, of my life experience over the past decade.

Bon Jovi recently came back from an incredible, extremely successful world tour.  You were selling out stadiums around the globe. At what point did you start getting material together that was specifically for a solo album?
I really didn't start writing until the tour was over. We did a mammoth 18-and-a-half month tour, 52 countries. The first 12 months was named the biggest tour on the planet; that was pretty amazing. Actually, you know, I got home, I took a 10-day vacation with my daughter, and I came back to my house and I was extremely energized and I knew that was going to be my window. So right then and there, I started. I didn't know what was going to happen. I just said, "You know what, I'm going to start writing some songs and see what happens." Once I started writing, I really liked the material and it was authentic, passionate and honest. And that's what makes a really good record. So there was a bit of magic happening right off the bat. Building the foundation of this record, obviously, was the writing process.

The lyrics are very heartfelt. You have, "Every heartache's a blessing/ Every knockdown was a start." I know you touched upon this with the album title, but did you intentionally set out to make a record that was so intensely personal?
What I found, interestingly enough, through the ups and downs of my life over the past decade since I made my other solo record, and all the stuff that I've gone through in my life over the past decade – this record is basically about my stuff. And what I really found out is that my stuff is pretty universal. The stuff that I've gone through isn't that alien. The stuff that I've gone through, anybody can go through in their lives and they probably will. Ups and downs and things like that. So I really felt like everybody can relate to these lyrics and make them their own. At the end of it, when I looked back on it, that's really what I've found.

You're exactly right except, perhaps, for "Seven Years Gone" because of the specific number of years. That one's about your ex-wife?
About seven years ago, life for me started to take kind of a little bit of a dip. I was getting divorced, my father was dying of cancer at that point in time, so things were definitely at a transformative period in my life. And then all of the sudden, I looked up, when I started writing this record, and I said, "Wow! Seven years gone!" It really went by very quickly. I started to think about the transference of time. My God, it's like, all of the sudden, I've been in this business for 30 years now and all the amazing stuff that's happened to me. So I guess it was kind of a reflection on all that kind of stuff, and I think anybody can relate to that.

You know what else I found during the making of the record? Pain and struggle are necessary, and challenging situations like that are necessary, for you to actually find your freedom and move on. The essential message of this record is freedom. A song like "Taking a Chance on the Wind" – about "Raising my flag/ And taking my chance on the wind" – it's all about risk. But, it's like, people ask me, "Why'd you make this record, Richie? Wasn't it a risk to make such a record?" And I say, "It would've been a risk not to make this record." I had to get this stuff out. It was a cathartic thing for me to do this album. And also, just to express my individuality away from the band.

I think that's probably why I went with an independent record company. That's why I went with Dangerbird. All this about "raising my flag" – independence. That's what I wanted, you know? I wanted independence from stuff that I knew before.

When I first heard some of these songs, they sounded like they came out of jams. There's this freshness and immediacy to it that feels like a bunch of guys in the studio playing from their hearts.
Thank you. That's what it was. At the end of the day, I was trying to capture my independence through this music. I love being in Bon Jovi and I'm going to obviously continue with that band and it's going to be fun. But when you can actually break free as an individual and have the great opportunity to go in and make a record like this, where, like you said, a guy like me... I don't really care about the press.  I don't mean to sound like an asshole but I don't care about the press. What I do care about is having an artistic opportunity like this.

It's a classic rock album in a sense. There's metal, there's rock, there's blues – the elements. It's a timeless kind of music. But I know you have a teenage daughter. Does she keep you updated with new music and new styles like, for instance, electronic stuff?
Ah, bro, check it out. This new record also definitely sounds modern. The guys that I play with are younger than me; I made sure of that. So we added very much of a younger flavor and my voice actually sounds younger than I am.

My daughter is an essential part of my listening process; she turns me onto stuff all the time. We went to Coachella this year together. I stayed for the whole three days and saw everybody. It was a blast. And to be honest with you, I had never really experienced this electronica stuff before. I really took a shining to this kid Madeon who's a DJ but he adds music and he really plays to the crowd. I thought he was really brilliant. I got a chance to talk to him afterwards.

But I'm the kind of guy [where] I buy two or three new records per week. I spend a lot of time on the treadmill staying in shape these days, so I like to listen to new records when I'm on the treadmill. And also I got a lot of friends that send me their Spotify playlists. The other musicians in my band and my producer, who did a stunning job on this record, is always giving me stuff to listen to. Always inspires me. Anything that's out new I like to pick up and listen to and then I've got my classic diet of old blues that I bring out of the closet too, you know?

This is a solo project, not a side project. You get to assume the role of dictator. In Bon Jovi, does Jon assume the dictator role or is it a democratic process that you all get to participate in?
At the end of the day, Jon has to be out there; he has to be the mouthpiece. So I mean, even from a writing standpoint, essentially, I'm really writing for Jon to actually sing those lyrics. But luckily, we grew up five miles away from each other, a couple years apart, in the same place, the same kind of blue-collar work ethic of New Jersey and stuff like that. We have a lot of common ground, so it's quite easy. But obviously when I'm making a record like this, like you said, the words for me are uncensored because I get a chance to tell my story here.

And also I think what was important to me as I'm growing up – because I always think I'm growing up and I still think of myself as a kid – [is that] I hope I'm going to be able to change people's perspective as to who I am. As a lead vocalist, as an artist in his own right, away from the band. Because I think that my music also has merit and I think that it has a lot to offer people.

I've had a very, very interesting view of the planet over the last 30 years, touring as excessively as I have. And music is the most evocative, transformative, connective force in humanity, man. I've seen it firsthand. I've seen it all over the world, how it connects people. I'm hoping that my music can be a part of that whole energy.

One last question, something I just have to ask: Alec John Such left Bon Jovi in 1994. Hugh McDonald has handled bass duties since then, but he's rarely in any of the official photos nor is he listed as an official member. Eighteen years into it, is he finally part of the brotherhood?
He's exactly where he is right now. It's exactly where he came in, but he's obviously a treasured piece of what the band is. I think that Jon just wants to keep the integrity of the five guys that started this unit and that's what it is.

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

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Q&A: DJ Richie Hawtin on Skrillex's 'Mind-Blowing' Sound, the Evolution of EDM

Richie Hawtin has been at the forefront of the electronic music scene for much of his life – from his early DJ sets in Detroit at age 17 to his groundbreaking work as Plastikman, which remains influential to live electronic shows today.

Today, Hawtin remains a musical innovator, even if the current crop of EDM stars enjoy a different level of mainstream fame from his. However, Hawtin has no envy or ill will for the new generation; he gets it. "What does it sound like to get in the middle of a dance floor at EDC and hear Skrillex for the first time?" he asks. "That's gotta be absolutely fucking mind-blowing if you've been brought up on rock & roll and hip-hop."

As Hawtin explained to Rolling Stone, he's very content to be the next level of EDM: the music these fans come to after entering the scene.

I spoke to [DJ] Erick Morillo recently and he was very much invigorated because he never thought dance music would take off in the U.S. the way it has. How do you feel about it?
For sure. It's like a give-and-take... I don't believe electronic music is for everybody, especially what I do, but I definitely feel a greater number of people in the population should hear and have a chance to identify with it. We've actually been building the foundation that gives this bubble life.

Has it motivated you to create new music?
I haven't been doing as much music as I did in the past. [In the] last years, I've been touring, I've been running my label and I want to get back to work on new music so I can continue the Plastikman project. Now is the time that Plastikman and my type of music needs to come back because this new generation needs to hear my take on what electronic music should be. And if I don't do that, and other people in my position don't do that, then perhaps electronic music will truly become pigeonholed into this sound that's popular right now. And that can't happen because electronic music, as soon as it gets pigeonholed and there's no innovation and no development, will just fizzle out. It needs to innovate and move forward. And that's happening again now: it's another development. There's another kid just like I was, 25 years ago, coming into a room, hearing music that sounds like it's from the future. Like what does it sound like to get in the middle of a dance floor at [Electric Daisy Carnival] and hear Skrillex for the first time? That's gotta be absolutely fucking mind-blowing if you've been brought up on rock & roll and hip-hop.

What was your equivalent of hearing Skrillex, the thing that got you on your path?
I had a number of different experiences. I found Autobahn [by Kraftwerk] in my dad's record collection; I put that on and listened to this 30-minute piece of music and was just like, "What the hell is this?" And then my early days in Detroit, going to see and hear Derrick May play was absolutely mind-blowing. He was playing records that I didn't know what kind of blend or sonic blend he was putting them through, what he was doing on this machine, this mixer with an EQ and making it high where my ears were going to bleed and then bass that was pummeling through me. It was physical, it was demanding, it was undeniable.

Are there any older artists that you feel warrant a closer listen by new EDM fans? 
There needs to be that counterbalance and I also think it's very important that kids, as they start to dig deeper, find artists they identify with that show this long foundation building of electronic music. Autechre is a great example; they just had another album coming out. Carl Craig is kind of the second or third generation from Detroit; he was inspired, as I was, by Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson. I wanna see Carl teach these kids what's going on.

So there are a lot of people – there are thousands of really active artists who've been around for a long time, especially over in Europe, and I hope more of those guys take a step up and try to make a step towards America and what's going on here. There are a lot of us who spent a lot of time in Europe, who want to see this explosion in a positive way. We've kind of all had chances to go more popular or commercial but we've all steered clear; we've just stayed to our guns and built up a long career with hopefully integrity and momentum. We're not gonna preach to people, we're gonna be there, and there are gonna be some kids who turn their heads and are like, "What's that coming from left over there or right?" We wanna be that.

What advice would you give to the young DJs being swept up by the bubble?
It's about a long, slow burn. If you really believe in what you're doing and you feel you're really good, then don't take the easy way out. If you're good and you're dedicated, you're gonna have plenty of opportunities over the next five or 10 or 15 or 20 years and if you don't take a long-term approach, then this music won't have the possibility of a long-term approach. If you're only short-term, this bubble will be short-term, so build up your integrity, pace it out and also try to keep control. This is your life, this is your art; don't relinquish control for a quick paycheck or a bigger gig.  

Have you seen any young artists blinded by the hype?
I saw it at the EMbiz conference, just the people out there. There are so many people in business and artist development; everyone wants a piece of the pie, people who haven't had anything to do with this music. They're making decisions, grabbing artists, trying to be the next messiah of electronic music. Everybody is just chomping at the fucking bit right now. It's pretty sad in that way.

What do you think will happen if the bubble bursts?
We spent the last 25 years building a foundation that is way stronger than this bubble. If this bubble bursts, there's gonna be a hell [of a] lot of people still here doing our thing 'cause we don't need this bubble to survive. We are on a long, slow, steady path. When I started, I was worried [and asked], "How long is this music gonna be around?" But I stopped asking that question a long time ago.

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

Amazon MP3 Download Center

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Q&A: DJ Richie Hawtin on Skrillex's 'Mind-Blowing' Sound, the Evolution of EDM

Richie Hawtin has been at the forefront of the electronic music scene for much of his life – from his early DJ sets in Detroit at age 17 to his groundbreaking work as Plastikman, which remains influential to live electronic shows today.

Today, Hawtin remains a musical innovator, even if the current crop of EDM stars enjoy a different level of mainstream fame from his. However, Hawtin has no envy or ill will for the new generation; he gets it. "What does it sound like to get in the middle of a dance floor at EDC and hear Skrillex for the first time?" he asks. "That's gotta be absolutely fucking mind-blowing if you've been brought up on rock & roll and hip-hop."

As Hawtin explained to Rolling Stone, he's very content to be the next level of EDM: the music these fans come to after entering the scene.

I spoke to [DJ] Erick Morillo recently and he was very much invigorated because he never thought dance music would take off in the U.S. the way it has. How do you feel about it?
For sure. It's like a give-and-take... I don't believe electronic music is for everybody, especially what I do, but I definitely feel a greater number of people in the population should hear and have a chance to identify with it. We've actually been building the foundation that gives this bubble life.

Has it motivated you to create new music?
I haven't been doing as much music as I did in the past. [In the] last years, I've been touring, I've been running my label and I want to get back to work on new music so I can continue the Plastikman project. Now is the time that Plastikman and my type of music needs to come back because this new generation needs to hear my take on what electronic music should be. And if I don't do that, and other people in my position don't do that, then perhaps electronic music will truly become pigeonholed into this sound that's popular right now. And that can't happen because electronic music, as soon as it gets pigeonholed and there's no innovation and no development, will just fizzle out. It needs to innovate and move forward. And that's happening again now: it's another development. There's another kid just like I was, 25 years ago, coming into a room, hearing music that sounds like it's from the future. Like what does it sound like to get in the middle of a dance floor at [Electric Daisy Carnival] and hear Skrillex for the first time? That's gotta be absolutely fucking mind-blowing if you've been brought up on rock & roll and hip-hop.

What was your equivalent of hearing Skrillex, the thing that got you on your path?
I had a number of different experiences. I found Autobahn [by Kraftwerk] in my dad's record collection; I put that on and listened to this 30-minute piece of music and was just like, "What the hell is this?" And then my early days in Detroit, going to see and hear Derrick May play was absolutely mind-blowing. He was playing records that I didn't know what kind of blend or sonic blend he was putting them through, what he was doing on this machine, this mixer with an EQ and making it high where my ears were going to bleed and then bass that was pummeling through me. It was physical, it was demanding, it was undeniable.

Are there any older artists that you feel warrant a closer listen by new EDM fans? 
There needs to be that counterbalance and I also think it's very important that kids, as they start to dig deeper, find artists they identify with that show this long foundation building of electronic music. Autechre is a great example; they just had another album coming out. Carl Craig is kind of the second or third generation from Detroit; he was inspired, as I was, by Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson. I wanna see Carl teach these kids what's going on.

So there are a lot of people – there are thousands of really active artists who've been around for a long time, especially over in Europe, and I hope more of those guys take a step up and try to make a step towards America and what's going on here. There are a lot of us who spent a lot of time in Europe, who want to see this explosion in a positive way. We've kind of all had chances to go more popular or commercial but we've all steered clear; we've just stayed to our guns and built up a long career with hopefully integrity and momentum. We're not gonna preach to people, we're gonna be there, and there are gonna be some kids who turn their heads and are like, "What's that coming from left over there or right?" We wanna be that.

What advice would you give to the young DJs being swept up by the bubble?
It's about a long, slow burn. If you really believe in what you're doing and you feel you're really good, then don't take the easy way out. If you're good and you're dedicated, you're gonna have plenty of opportunities over the next five or 10 or 15 or 20 years and if you don't take a long-term approach, then this music won't have the possibility of a long-term approach. If you're only short-term, this bubble will be short-term, so build up your integrity, pace it out and also try to keep control. This is your life, this is your art; don't relinquish control for a quick paycheck or a bigger gig.  

Have you seen any young artists blinded by the hype?
I saw it at the EMbiz conference, just the people out there. There are so many people in business and artist development; everyone wants a piece of the pie, people who haven't had anything to do with this music. They're making decisions, grabbing artists, trying to be the next messiah of electronic music. Everybody is just chomping at the fucking bit right now. It's pretty sad in that way.

What do you think will happen if the bubble bursts?
We spent the last 25 years building a foundation that is way stronger than this bubble. If this bubble bursts, there's gonna be a hell [of a] lot of people still here doing our thing 'cause we don't need this bubble to survive. We are on a long, slow, steady path. When I started, I was worried [and asked], "How long is this music gonna be around?" But I stopped asking that question a long time ago.

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

Amazon Music and MP3 Center

Read more »

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.  

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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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