Penny Lover

"Penny Lover" is the title of the fifth and final single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum 1983 album, Can't Slow Down. The song was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie.

"Penny Lover"
North American 7" 45 RPM
Single by Lionel Richie
from the album Can't Slow Down
B-side	"Tell Me"
Released	September 1984
Recorded	1983
Genre	Pop
Length	3:46 (single version) 5:35 (album version)
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Lionel Richie Brenda Harvey Richie
Producer(s)	Lionel Richie James Anthony Carmichael
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"Stuck on You" (1984) "Penny Lover" (1984) "Say You, Say Me" (1985)
Music video
"Lionel Richie - Penny Lover (Official Music Video)" on YouTube

As with all the other singles taken from Can't Slow Down ("All Night Long (All Night)", "Running with the Night", "Hello" and "Stuck on You"), "Penny Lover" was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending two weeks at No. 8 in December 1984.^[1] The song reached an identical No. 8 peak position on the Billboard R&B chart, while on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the song logged four weeks at No. 1.^[2] On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 18.^[3] In Canada, it peaked at No. 12 on the RPM singles chart.

In a song review printed in Billboard by an anonymous writer in 1984, "Penny Lover" was described as "another of his unfailingly effective universal-appeal ballads".^[2][4]

Music video

The music video was directed by Bob Giraldi, who had also directed "Running with the Night" and "Hello".

Track listings

7" single

1. "Penny Lover" – 3:46
2. "Tell Me" – 4:06

12" single

1. "Penny Lover" – 5:33
2. "You Are" – 5:03
3. "My Love" – 4:05

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Penny Lover" Chart (1984–1985) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 73 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 10 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 12 Germany (GfK)[8] 37 Ireland (IRMA)[9] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 14 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 30 UK Singles (OCC)[13] 18 US Billboard Hot 100[14] 8 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 8

Year-end charts 1984 Year-end chart performance for "Penny Lover" Chart (1984) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 90 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 77 1985 Year-end chart performance for "Penny Lover" Chart (1985) Position US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[19] 96 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[20] 35

Other versions

Jamaican reggae duo Sly and Robbie covered the song in 1997, from their album Friends. It features singer Ambelique, and the song also appears on his 1997 album Sings the Classics. The single reached No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3]

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1984 (U.S.)

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 529.
2. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 288.
3. "Penny Lover | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.
4. "Singles Reviews". Billboard. October 6, 1984. p. 62. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 252. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. "Lionel Richie – Penny Lover" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9610." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
8. "Lionel Richie – Penny Lover" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Penny Lover". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
11. "Lionel Richie – Penny Lover" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
12. "Lionel Richie – Penny Lover". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
14. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
15. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
16. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
17. "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
18. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
19. "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. December 28, 1985. p. T-21.
20. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2021.

External links

• "Penny Lover" on YouTube
• Single release info at Discogs
• MetroLyrics See History