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Kenny Loggins, Foreigner To Perform on ABC’s ‘Greatest Hits’ — First Three Night’s Performers Announced

By Jeffrey Totey
Published on: 12:19 PST, Jun 27, 2016

Kenny Loggins, Rick Springfield, and Ray Parker Jr. headline the talent represented on the premiere of the limited summer TV series, Greatest Hits hosted by Arsenio Hall and country singer Kelsea Ballerini. The show debuts on June 30. Each week, the series will focus on a 5-year period of music from the ’80s to the 2000s, with special music performances by the people who made them famous as well as tributes being sung my today’s hit makers like Meghan Trainor, Jason Derulo, and Pitbull.

Greatest Hits sounds like a promising venture, as it is being produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, the people responsible for the Grammy Awards presentations since 1980. The show will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC. The network has also announced the first three night’s performers as follows.

June 30:
This week’s kickoff of Greatest Hits will feature top songs from 1980-1985 that includes a nice tie-in with one of summer’s most anticipated movies. Ray Parker Jr. will get the audience up on their feet to chant “Ghostbusters!” Other musical performances include REO Speedwagon performing “Keep on Loving You,” Kenny Loggins (“Footloose”), Kim Carnes (“Bette Davis Eyes”), Rick Springfield (“Jessie’s Girl”), and Kool & The Gang (“Celebration”). The night will also include a special tribute to Michael Jackson with Jason Derulo singing “Human Nature,” and a duet between REO Speedwagon and Pitbull performing “Messin’ Around.”

July 7:
Featuring the Greatest Hits from 1995-2000, John Legend will perform Lauryn Hill’s “Ex Factor” and “Doo Wop (That Thing).” Other performances include a duet between Backstreet Boys & Meghan Trainor singing “I Want It That Way,” another duet featuring Coolio & Ceelo Green (“Gangsta’s Paradise,”) Jewel & Tori Kelly (“You Were Meant for Me”) LL Cool J & Wiz Khalifa (“Loungin’/We Dem Boyz”) Hanson (“Mmbop”) and Backstreet Boys (“Everybody”).

July 14:
Kenny Loggins returns to Greatest Hits to celebrate the music from 1985-1990 with Tawny Kitaen taking a look back at her performance in White Snake’s “Here I Go Again” music video. Music performances include Kenny Loggins (“Danger Zone”), Bret Michaels (“Nothin’ But a Good Time” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” Miguel singing Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love,” Grace Potter singing Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bag Name,” Chicago & Aloe Blacc (“Look Away”/ “You’re The Inspiration”), Foreigner & Nate Ruess (“I Want To Know What Love Is”) and Wilson Phillips (“Hold On”).

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With Greatest Hits’ big starring line up, it will only add to ABC’s early summer ratings success. Ratings for Sunday night’s new “Fun and Games night” had a very strong opening for the network with the top broadcast series of the night for adults 18-49. Celebrity Family Feud brought in 8.8 million viewers, The $100,000 Pyramid brought in 9 million, and Match Game followed up with a slightly lower 7.5 million; however, Match Game managed to be ABC’s largest audience for a 10 p.m. on a summer Sunday in over 9 years. Pyramid was the night’s #1 broadcast series.

While hosting duties are nothing new for Arsenio Hall, it will be a new experience for 22-year-old Ballerini. But, the singer shouldn’t have too much trouble. She has two gold-certified songs “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Dibs” from her album, The First Time, and she appeared in one episode of ABC’s Nashville last season. Arsenio Hall made headlines last month when singer Sinead O’Connor accused him of supplying drugs to Prince. Hall followed up the allegations with a lawsuit set at “not less than” $5 million, directed at O’Connor for defamation.

[Photos courtesy of ABC]

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