* CoveredUp:
** His version of "Superstar", originally recorded by the Music/{{Carpenters}}.
** "The Closer I Get To You" with Music/{{Beyonce}}, which was a hit duet by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.
** "If This World Were Mine", his 1981 duet with Cheryl Lynn, was originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967.
** The 1991 medley "Power of Love[=/=]Love Power" contains a partial version, as "Love Power" was a minor hit by an obscure group called The Sandpebbles in 1968.
* HarsherInHindsight: "Dance With My Father" is about himself and his mother who wishes to be reunited with his father, Luther Vandross, Sr., who died due to complications from diabetes when Vandross, Jr. was only 7 years old at the time. On July 1, 2005, he passed away to the Great Beyond; a few years later on April 9, 2008, his mom would do the same.
* MisaimedFandom: "Dance With My Father" is a staple song for Quinceanera-esque [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_debut "debut parties"]] in the Philippines where the debutante shares a dance with their father to the tune of the song, apparently not realising the song's intended message about wishing to be reunited with one's father who ''passed away''.
* SignatureSong: "Here and Now", "Power of Love" and "Dance With My Father" are usual contenders for this.
* SpecialEffectFailure: The video for his 1986 hit "Give Me The Reason" from the ''Film/RuthlessPeople'' soundtrack is filled with it, especially at one point where he drinks the champagne from the film and you can see the primitive visuals from the time. It still doesn't take away from the popularity of the song or even [[NarmCharm the video itself.]]