The ultimate Lionel Richie playlist

Before Richie ventured into a solo career, he was the lead singer of '70s soul group the Commodores. One of the band's biggest hits, "Easy" finds Richie singing an open letter about giving his all in a relationship and deciding to move on.

In 1982, Richie decided to break away from the group and try his hand at a solo career. His first solo single "Truly" gives the essential Richie prowess as a balladeer and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

On Richie's second solo album "Can't Slow Down," the singer started to experiment more with his sound. The album's first single "All Night Long (All Night)" incorporated Caribbean and Latin influences for a heavy dance vibe. 

On the Commodores' self-titled fifth album, one of the standouts was "Zoom." From the lyrics, "Zoom" could be a dreamer's theme song as Richie fantasizes about living in a free world and accomplishing things beyond his imagination. 

While Richie was a member of the Commodores, he started venturing with other projects. He teamed up with Diana Ross for the theme song of the 1981 film, "Endless Love." The song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

One of Richie's biggest singles to date is the 1984 hit, "Hello." If Richie is known for any famous lyric, it would be, "Hello, is it me you're looking for?" The song tells the story about finding his true love and hoping the feeling is mutual.

When Richie was a member of the Commodores, he earned writing and production success behind the 1980 Kenny Rogers hit, "Lady." The song became Rogers' biggest hit to date and Richie decided to release his own version of the track in the mid-'90s.  

The Commodores released their fourth album "Hot on the Tracks" in 1976, and one of the standout singles was "Just To Be Close To You." The song became one of the band's biggest singles to date. Richie's songwriting shined brightly as he sang about having material things but saw life to be more worthwhile as long as he spent it with his favorite lady.

On Richie's third album, he continued to try sounds that were different from his norm. On "Say You, Say Me," he blends soft rock with R&B that helped to enhance his image as a one-man show. 

Richie released "You Are" as the second single of his debut album. Although the song sounds like a Richie ballad at first, it becomes more of a mid-tempo groove for fans who appreciated the singer for his early band days. 

The Commodores' discography consisted of many ballads, but when they released "Lady (You Bring Me Up)," it showcased their sound versatility. The song became a massive dance hit as Richie sang about finding his true love who brought happiness to his life. 

Richie is a master at creating love songs, and he proved he could continue winning fans over. His 1984 single "Penny Lover" beamed with an early "quiet storm" type of sound with influences from his Commodores days. 

In the 1980s, the synth-pop sound started to take over the airwaves. Richie experimented with his sound to change with the times, and "Dancing on the Ceiling" was a dance-pop hit that proved he could cater to different audiences. 

By the time Richie decided to release his sophomore album, he was under a lot of pressure to follow up his massive debut. Not only did he continue a successful run with singles such as "Can't Slow Down," but his songs became a soundtrack to life in the '80s. 

After a brief music stint in the '90s, Richie started to release more albums in the following decade. His 2006 album "Coming Home" featured production from artists such as Raphael Saadiq, Jermaine Dupri and Dallas Austin. His hit single "I Call It Love " was produced by Stargate, and the music video featured his daughter, Nicole Richie.