Ballerina Girl

1986 song written and recorded by Lionel Richie

"Ballerina Girl"

Single by Lionel Richie
from the album  Dancing on the Ceiling
B-side| "Deep River Woman"
Released| November 1986
Recorded| Winter 1985
Genre| Soul
Length| 3:36
Label| Motown
Songwriter(s)| Lionel Richie
Producer(s)| Lionel Richie
James Anthony Carmichael
Lionel Richie singles chronology
| "Love Will Conquer All"
(1986)  | "Ballerina Girl"
(1986)  | "Se La"
(1987)

|
|

Audio
"Ballerina Girl" on YouTube

"Ballerina Girl" is a song written and recorded by Lionel Richie, from his 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling. The song was written for Lionel's daughter, Nicole.[1][2][3] In the US and Canada, the song was released as a double A-side, with "Deep River Woman" entering the charts in January 1987.

"Ballerina Girl" peaked at number five on the soul charts.[4] The song was also the last of Richie's eleven number ones on the Adult Contemporary charts, spending four weeks on top. "Ballerina Girl" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100[5] in early 1987.
The song became Richie's thirteenth (and last) career single to simultaneously reach the top ten on the pop, R&B and AC charts, still the most by a male artist. Artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey would surpass his numbers with 16 and 14 simultaneous top ten hits on the three charts respectively.

## Music video

[edit]

In the music video, Richie plays the song on a piano in a ballet school, while young ballet students dance.[6]

## Reception

[edit]

Mat Snow of NME said, ""All Night Long" is amongst the most justly infectious floor-fillers ever. Unfortunately, his subsequent output would make Nana Mouskouri cringe, and this richly moustachioed ballad alters this regrettable situation not one whit."[7]

## Track listings

[edit]

7" Single

1. "Ballerina Girl" - 3:36
2. "Deep River Woman" - 4:35

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Ballerina Girl"  Chart (1986–1987)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 43
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] | 22
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[10] | 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] | 10
France (SNEP)[12] | 18
Germany (GfK)[13] | 66
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] | 35
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 39
South Africa (Springbok SA Top 20)  | 24
UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 17
US Billboard Hot 100[17] | 7
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[18] | 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19] | 5

### Year-end charts

[edit]

1987 year-end chart performance for "Ballerina Girl"  Chart (1987)  | Position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] | 79
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[21] | 90
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[22] | 95

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Lionel Richie reflects on his life, career and new album". MSNBC on NBC News. 10 May 2004. Deborah Norville Tonight - May 10, 2004.
2. ^ "25 Things You Don't Know About Me: Nicole Richie". Us Weekly. September 22, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
3. ^ "Paris Hilton's Birthday Message to Nicole Richie Will Make You Yearn for The Simple Life". People.
4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 492.
5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 204.
6. ^ "Lionel Richie - Ballerina Girl". Youtube. 17 October 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
7. ^ Mat Snow (3 January 1987). "45". NME. p. 30.
8. ^ 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.
9. ^ "Lionel Richie – Ballerina Girl" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
10. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8025." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0781." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
12. ^ "Lionel Richie – Ballerina Girl" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
13. ^ "Lionel Richie – Ballerina Girl" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Lionel Richie" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
15. ^ "Lionel Richie – Ballerina Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
16. ^ "Lionel Richie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
17. ^ "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
18. ^ "Lionel Richie Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
19. ^ "Lionel Richie Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
20. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12\. Library and Archives Canada. 26 December 1987. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
21. ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987 > Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 34. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
22. ^ "1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52\. December 26, 1987.

* v
* t
* e

Lionel Richie

Studio albums|

* Lionel Richie (1982)
* Can't Slow Down (1983)
* Dancing on the Ceiling (1986)
* Louder Than Words (1996)
* Time (1998)
* Renaissance (2000)
* Just for You (2004)
* Coming Home (2006)
* Sounds of the Season (2006)
* Just Go (2009)
* Tuskegee (2012)

Live albums|

* Encore (2002)

Compilation albums|

* Back to Front (1992)
* Truly: The Love Songs (1997)
* The Definitive Collection (2003)
* Gold (2006)

Singles|

* "Endless Love" (with Diana Ross) (1981)
* "Truly" (1982)
* "You Are" (1983)
* "My Love" (1983)
* "All Night Long (All Night)" (1983)
* "Running with the Night" (1983)
* "Hello" (1984)
* "Stuck on You" (1984)
* "Penny Lover" (1984)
* "Say You, Say Me" (1985)
* "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986)
* "Love Will Conquer All" (1986)
* "Ballerina Girl" (1986)
* "Deep River Woman" (1987)
* "Se La" (1987)
* "Do It to Me" (1992)
* "My Destiny" (1992)
* "Don't Wanna Lose You" (1996)
* "Angel" (2000)
* "Don't Stop the Music" (2001)
* "Tender Heart" (2001)
* "I Forgot" (2001)
* "Cinderella" (2001)
* "To Love a Woman" (2003)
* "Just for You" (2004)
* "Long, Long Way to Go" (2004)
* "I Call It Love" (2006)
* "What You Are" (2006)
* "Why" (2006)
* "Reason to Believe" (2007)
* "Good Morning" (2008)
* "Just Go" (2009)

Songwriting|

* "Lady" (1980)
* "Missing You" (1984)
* "We Are the World" (1985)
* "I Like It" (2010)

Tours|

* All the Hits, All Night Long
* All the Hits Tour

Related articles|

* Awards and nominations
* Discography
* Commodores

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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