"Hello," Lionel Richie

From “Endless Love” to “Say You, Say Me,” Lionel Richie cornered the market on ballads in the 1980s.  With “Hello,” Richie extended his sentimentality to his music videos with unintentionally hilarious results:

Richie plays Mr. Reynolds, an acting teacher who’s fallen for Laura, his blind student. He spends most of the video following Laura around campus. (Apparently his job includes a lot of free time that he can dedicate to stalking.) He somehow tracks down her phone number and calls her at home.  When she answers, he hesitates – and then says, “Hello, is it me you’re looking for” and hangs up.  Not creepy at all, right?  

The next day, a student comes into Mr. Reynolds class and tells him there’s “something going on in the sculpture class” that he should check out.  It turns out Laura is just as crazy as Mr. Reynolds!  She says she has wanted him to see her sculpture many times, but now she thinks it’s finally done.  And wouldn’t you know it – it’s a sculpture of Mr. Reynolds that hilariously looks nothing like him.  But, of course, he is flattered and shows his appreciation by asking her once again if he's the one she's looking for. (I guess the fact that she had started touching him all over his face wasn't a good enough answer for him.)

Though he doesn't get MTV or radio airplay like he once did, Richie continues to record his famous ballads and remains successful in Europe.  He finished a concert tour in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.  

Want more cheesy 80s videos?  Check out our throwbacks on Phil Collins' "Easy Lover" and David Bowie and Mick Jagger's "Dancing in the Street."