[5] The song was subject to a lawsuit by songwriter Marjorie Hoffman White, who accused Richie of plagiarizing her 1978 composition "I'm Not Ready to Go".

[6] Cash Box said that the song "is as melodic and heartwrenching as anything [Ritchie] has done previously and that’s saying something.

[9] The music video for "Hello", directed by Bob Giraldi, features the story of Richie as a theater and acting teacher having a seemingly unrequited love for a blind student (Laura Carrington) until he discovers she shares the feeling as demonstrated by the discovery that she is sculpting a likeness of his head in clay.

The phrase started the song's composition, as when James Anthony Carmichael visited Richie, the singer greeted him that way, to which Carmichael replied, "Finish that song."

"[10] Several publications have commented on similarities in the theme of the song and accompanying video with that of "Hello" by British singer Adele.