When Lionel Richie and Diana Ross had the whole world swooning at the Oscars with 'Endless Love'

26 February 2025, 10:32

'Endless Love' wasn't a classic movie, but its title song made the film more than worthwhile.

As well as being a chance to admire beautiful frocks and stylish suits, the Academy Awards are first and foremost a celebration of cinema.

And as well as the scripts, directing and acting, a major part of any movie is its score and soundtrack.

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So alongside the teary speeches, a highlight of every Oscars ceremony is the musical performances.

One of the very best came in 1982 at the 54th Academy Awards when Diana Ross and Lionel Richie gave an absolutely stunning performance of their duet 'Endless Love'.

The track was the title song from 1981's Endless Love. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, the film starred Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray and Richard Kiley.

Lionel Richie & Diana Ross Endless Love 1982 (Audio Remastered)

It also was Tom Cruise's debut. But while the film was ultimately forgettable, 'Endless Love' the song was a stone cold classic.

Written by Lionel Richie and performed as a duet with Diana Ross, it spent a whopping nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and got to number 7 in the UK.

It picked up five Grammy nominations and nods at the Golden Globes and Oscars for Best Original Song.

It missed out on the night to Christopher Cross's 'Best That You Can Do' from Arthur, but the live performance from Lionel Richie and Diana Ross meant that it stole the whole show anyway.