We Are the World

This article is about the 1985 charity song. For other uses, see We Are the World (disambiguation).

"We Are the World"
An album cover with "We Are the World" spelled out across the left and bottom in cut-and-paste-style. To the top right of the cover is "USA for Africa" in blue text, under which names are listed against a white background
Single by USA for Africa
from the album We Are the World
B-side"Grace"
ReleasedMarch 7, 1985 (1985-03-07)
RecordedJanuary 28, 1985 (1985-01-28)
Studio
Genre
Length
  • 7:02 (album version)
  • 6:22 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"We Are the World" is a charity single recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World. With sales in excess of 20 million physical copies, it is the eighth-best-selling single of all time, meant to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.

Soon after the British group Band Aid released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in December 1984, musician and activist Harry Belafonte decided to create an American benefit single for African famine relief. With fundraiser Ken Kragen, he enlisted several musicians. Jackson and Richie completed the writing the night before the first recording session, on January 21, 1985. The event brought together some of the era's best-known musicians. One musician deliberately omitted was John Denver, who had asked to participate but was rejected despite his previous commitment to charity work. Ken Kragen said it was due to some people feeling that Denver's image would affect the credibility of the song as a pop-rock anthem. "I didn't agree with this assessment," Kragen said, but reluctantly turned Denver down.[1] Denver recalled the rejection in his 1994 autobiography "Take Me Home", stating that "It broke my heart not to be included."[2]

"We Are the World" was released on March 7, 1985, as the first single from the album by Columbia Records. It topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history. "We Are the World" was certified quadruple platinum, becoming the first single to be certified multi-platinum. Its awards include four Grammy Awards, one American Music Award, and a People's Choice Award.

"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a VHS, a special edition magazine, a simulcast, and several books, posters, and shirts. The promotion and merchandise helped "We Are the World" raise more than $80 million (equivalent to $222 million in 2023)[3] for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States.[4] Another cast of singers recorded a new version, "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", to raise relief following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

  1. ^ Grayeb, Mike (2005). "Behind the Song: "We Are the World"". HarryChapin.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Miller, Dan (October 12, 2004). "The Snubbing of John Denver". Dan Miller's Notebook.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Newstead, Al (February 1, 2024). "How pop's biggest names pulled a secret marathon all-nighter to create history's biggest charity single". ABC News Australia.