Endless Love is a song originally recorded as a duet between soul singers Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, who wrote the song. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross with R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by country music singer Kenny Rogers. The song also was featured in the movies Beethoven and Happy Gilmore.
Ross and Richie recorded the song for Motown, and it was used as the theme for the film Endless Love, starring Brooke Shields. Produced by Richie and arranged by Gene Page, it was released as a single from the film's soundtrack in 1981. While the film Endless Love was a success, the song became the second biggest-selling single of the year (first was Physical by Olivia Newton-John) in the U.S. and landed at number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, where it stayed for nine weeks from August 9 to October 10, 1981. It also topped the Billboard R&B chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, and landed at number 7 in the UK.
The soulful composition became the biggest-selling single of Ross' career and her 18th career number-one single (including her work with The Supremes), while it was one of several hits for Richie as the 1980s progressed. Ross recorded a solo version of the song for her first RCA Records album, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, but the famous version was her last hit on Motown. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Richie, and was the second song with which Ross was involved that was nominated for an Oscar. It also won a 1982 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.
Watch a video of Diana and Lionel singing the song.
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