We Are the World
On January 28, 1985, more than 45 of the era’s most popular singers and songwriters gathered to record a song to raise funds for the charity USA for Africa. The song, “We Are the World,” released on March 7 that year, was an immediate media sensation. It sold an astonishing 800,000 copies in three days and ultimately raised more than $60 million for African famine relief and inspired other musician-driven charitable efforts.
The idea
The idea for “We Are the World” originated with American singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte, who was inspired by “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” That single, which was released in 1984 and featured a number of popular singers, among them Bono, Boy George, Phil Collins, George Michael, and Sting, aimed to raise money for individuals affected by famine in Ethiopia. Belafonte approached American singer, songwriter, and producer Lionel Richie about organizing a similar fundraising effort for Africa more broadly. Richie reached out to Quincy Jones, who agreed to produce the project. Richie was originally supposed to pair up with Stevie Wonder to write the song, but Wonder was deeply involved in the production of an album. Instead, Richie connected with singer Michael Jackson, and the two began to write the song, which they hoped would become an anthem.
Making the project work
The project required a large cast of well-known performers to succeed. Ken Kragen, who managed a number of singers, including Richie, made it his mission to recruit an all-star chorus. Recording took place at A&M Studios in Los Angeles immediately following the American Music Awards, which Richie had hosted that evening in L.A. When the performers arrived, they were greeted by a sign stating, “Check your ego at the door.”
Many of the singers knew one another, making the event a sort of social gathering, in addition to a recording session. Recording the song was challenging, as individual singers and duos were given specific lines to sing. In addition, with so many performers involved, the recording took several hours. A documentary titled We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song (1985), hosted by Jane Fonda, captured the making of the song.
Success and legacy
A second documentary about the recording session, The Greatest Night in Pop, directed by Bao Nguyen, was released on Netflix in 2024. The film takes viewers behind the scenes of the event and includes snippets of sound recorded by journalist David Breskin, who was present at the event on behalf of Life magazine.
“We Are the World” became one of the best-selling singles in music history. It was number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for four consecutive weeks, was certified quadruple platinum, and won Grammy Awards for record of the year and song of the year. The success of “We Are the World” inspired other charitable music endeavors. In September 1985, for example, the music festival Farm Aid debuted, having been organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young (who had participated in the recording of the album We Are the World) and John Mellencamp to help struggling farmers in the United States. Another example was the 1986 hit song “That’s What Friends Are For,” performed by Wonder, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Dionne Warwick, money from which supported AIDS research.