Dancing on the Ceiling is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on August 5, 1986.[2] The album was originally to be titled Say You, Say Me, after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it was renamed to a different track's title after Richie rewrote several songs on the album. The album was released to generally positive reviews and it made No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 4 million copies. The album was Richie’s second with session guitarist Carlos Rios. Following this album's release, Richie went on a long hiatus, not releasing an album of entirely new material for another ten years.
Lionel Richie had risen to prominence as a member of the Commodores during the late 1970s, but after tensions arose in the band, he left in 1982. His first two solo albums, Lionel Richie (1982) and Can't Slow Down (1983), were runaway successes: Lionel Richie sold 4 million copies, while Can't Slow Down sold 10 million copies, and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.[3]
During early production, the album was intended to be titled Say You, Say Me[3] and released in December 1985.[5] However, Richie found that he did not "want to do those songs" owing to the social conditions he saw, and as such he began rewriting it "to express what [he] felt the world was boxing itself into".[5] Ultimately, the album's title was changed to Dancing on the Ceiling, as the titular song was Richie's next single.[3] Recording for the album took over a year and a half,[6] and Richie later stated that he tried to include a mixture of sounds.[5]
Dancing on the Ceiling has generally received positive reviews. Anthony Decurtis, reviewing in Rolling Stone, gave the album a positive review, writing that it "sets an impressive standard for mainstream pop craft", encompassing Richie's "finest qualities".[10] He especially praised the track "Say You, Say Me", but found "Ballerina Girl" a "virtual anthology of Richie's worst saccharine excesses".[10]Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn found that "We Are the World" had left Richie "with a deeper sense of social purpose, and his attempts to infuse that sense into his traditional approach brings a tension to the new album that makes Dancing on the Ceiling his most satisfying collection."[11]
Music critic Robert ChristgauofThe Village Voice ranked the album a B+. He found that it provided "lulling, almost mantralike entertainment" with "a knack for tune that puts [Richie] over the fine line between lulling and boring". His criticism centered on "Ballerina" for its mawkishness and lack of interest in some of the faster songs.[8] Meanwhile, Stephen Thomas ErlewineofAllMusic retrospectively gave Dancing on the Ceiling four out of five stars, summarizing that, overall, the album was "a solid, enjoyable affair". He considered, however, it a "comedown" after Richie's previous albums, with its songs generally longer than necessary and the lyrics mixing "silliness ... and sappiness".[7]
Dancing on the Ceiling was released on August 5, 1986.[5] The album sold 4 million copies in the US[3] and it became the first album to be simultaneously certified gold, platinum, double platinum, and triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America since the institution established double platinum in 1984.[12] In South Africa initial shipments were 60,000 prerelease units.[13] To promote the album Richie went on an Outrageous 40-city concert tour, entitled "Outrageous". The first concert was in Phoenix, Arizona.[6]
Dancing on the Ceiling peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 200. The title track was the second biggest single from the album, reaching No. 2 in the US and No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart, falling behind "Say You, Say Me"'s earlier performance. Other Top 10 singles from the album include "Love Will Conquer All" (US No. 9, UK No. 45) and "Ballerina Girl" (US No. 7, UK No. 17). Meanwhile, "Deep River Woman" reached No. 10 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart.[14]
Following the success of Dancing on the Ceiling, Richie withdrew almost entirely from the music industry for six years, a move which Steve Huey of AllMusic suggests was "quitting while he was ahead".[3] He released a compilation album – with some new material – entitled Back to Front in 1992, with his first all-new release, Louder Than Words, following in 1996. As of 2013[update], none of his successive albums have been as successful as Lionel Richie, Can't Slow Down, and Dancing on the Ceiling.[3]Aremastered edition of Dancing on the Ceiling was released in 2003, featuring four bonus tracks.
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