"We Are the World" is acharity single recorded by thesupergroupUSA for Africa in 1985. It was written byMichael Jackson andLionel Richie and produced byQuincy Jones andMichael Omartian for the albumWe 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 the1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.

"We Are the World"
Single by USA for Africa
from the albumWe Are the World
B-side	"Grace"
Released	March 7, 1985 (1985-03-07)
Recorded	January 28, 1985 (1985-01-28)
Studio	A&M (Hollywood) Lion Share (Los Angeles)
Genre	Pop gospel
Length	7:02 (album version) 6:22 (single version)
Label	Columbia CBS
Songwriter(s)	Michael Jackson Lionel Richie
Producer(s)	Quincy Jones Michael Omartian

Soon after the British groupBand Aid released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in December 1984, musician and activistHarry Belafonte decided to create an American benefit single for African famine relief. Mega-agentKen Kragen enlisted several musicians for the project. Jackson and Richie completed the writing the night before the first recording session, on January 28, 1985. The event brought together some of the era's best-known recording artists, includingBruce Springsteen,Cyndi Lauper,Paul Simon,Stevie Wonder, andTina Turner. Some major artists, such asPrince, did not participate.

"We Are the World" was released on March 7, 1985, as the first single from the album byColumbia Records. It topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history. "We Are the World" was certifiedquadruple platinum, becoming the first single to be certified multi-platinum. Its awards include fourGrammy Awards, oneAmerican Music Award, and aPeople's Choice Award.

"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a VHS, a special edition magazine, asimulcast, and several books, posters, and shirts. The promotion and merchandise helped "We Are the World" raise more than $80 million (equivalent to $229 million in 2024)^[1] for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States.^[2] Another cast of singers recorded a new version, "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", to raise relief following the2010 Haiti earthquake.

In 1985, inspired by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in the UK, the American entertainer and activistHarry Belafonte decided to organize a US equivalent. He planned to have the proceeds donated to a new organization, United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa). The organization would provide food and relief aid for the1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia,^[3][4] which killed about one million people.^[5][6] Belafonte also planned to set aside money to help eliminate hunger in the United States of America.^[3]

Belafonte contacted the entertainment manager and fundraiserKen Kragen, who enlisted his clientsLionel Richie andKenny Rogers. In turn, they enlistedStevie Wonder, to add more "name value".^[3]Quincy Jones was drafted to co-produce, taking time out from his work on the filmThe Color Purple.^[3][7] Jones also telephonedMichael Jackson, who had just concludeda tour withhis brothers.^[3]

Jackson told Richie that he wanted to help write the song.^[3][8] The songwriting team originally included Wonder, but his time was constrained by his song-writing for the filmThe Woman in Red. Jackson and Richie wrote "We Are the World"^[8] atHayvenhurst, theJackson family home inEncino, California. They sought to write a song that would be easy to sing, memorable and anthemic. For a week, they spent every night working on lyrics and melodies in Jackson's bedroom. Jackson's older sisterLa Toya recounted the process: "I'd go into the room while they were writing and it would be very quiet, which is odd, since Michael's usually very cheery when he works. It was very emotional for them."^[8] She said later that Jackson had written most of the lyrics.^[7]

Richie recorded two melodies for "We Are the World", to which Jackson added music on the same day. Jackson said, "I love working quickly. I went ahead without even Lionel knowing. I couldn't wait. I went in and came out the same night with the song completed: drums, piano, strings, and words to the chorus."^[9] Jackson presented his demo to Richie and Jones, who were both shocked; they did not expect him to complete the structure of the song so quickly. The next meetings between Jackson and Richie were unfruitful; they produced no additional vocals and got no work done. On the night of January 21, 1985, the night before the first recording session, Richie and Jackson completed the lyrics and melody.^[9]

The first night of recording, January 22, 1985, had tight security on hand, as Richie, Jackson, Wonder, and Jones started work on "We Are the World" at Kenny Rogers'Lion Share Recording Studio. The studio, onBeverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, was filled with session musicians, technicians, video crews,retinue, assistants, and organizers as the celebrity musicians entered. Jones hired session musicians to lay down the backing tracks:John "JR" Robinson on drums,Louis Johnson on bass, and pianistGreg Phillinganes. (These three first played together on "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" produced by Jones for Jackson.) Richie sat down at the piano to teach everyone the song. When it was time to roll tape, Robinson cleared the room of non-musicians, and the backing tracks were recorded.^[10] After this, a vocal guide of "We Are the World" was recorded by Richie and Jackson, mixed with the instrumental tracks, and duplicated on tape for each of the invited performers. The guide was recorded on the sixthtake, as Jones felt that there was too much "thought" in the previous versions.^[11]

Following their work on the vocal guide, Jackson and Jones began thinking of alternatives for the line "There's a chance we're taking, we're taking our own lives". The pair was concerned that line would be considered a reference to suicide. As the group listened to a playback of the chorus, Richie declared that the last part of the line should be changed to "We're 'saving' our own lives". Jones also suggested altering the former part of the line. "One thing we don't want to do, especially with this group, is look like we're patting ourselves on the back. So it's really: 'There's achoice we're making.'"^[12] Around 1:30 am, the four musicians ended the night by finishing a chorus of melodic vocalizations, including the sound "sha-lum sha-lin-gay".^[12] Jones told the group that they were not to add anything else to the tape, and said: "If we get too good, someone's gonna start playing it on the radio."^[12]

On January 24, 1985, after a day of rest, Jones shipped Richie and Jackson's vocal guide to all the artists who would be involved the recording. Enclosed in the package was a letter from Jones imploring the artists not to share the tape or make copies. He wrote: "In the years to come, when your children ask, 'What did mommy and daddy do for the war against world famine?', you can say proudly,this was your contribution."^[12]

Ken Kragen chaired a production meeting at a bungalow offSunset Boulevard on January 25, 1985. There, his team discussed where the recording sessions should take place. Kragen was concerned that a leak of the location would trigger a paparazzi frenzy and drive the celebrities away.^[12] Jones was concerned about assigning performers to sing solos, saying that so much talent on hand made the task like "putting a watermelon in a Coke bottle".^[12] The following evening, Richie held a choreography session at his home, where it was decided who would stand where.^[12]

The final night of recording was held on January 28, 1985, at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood.^[13][12] Jackson arrived at 8 p.m., earlier than the others, to record his solo section and record a vocal chorus alone.^[12] He was joined by the remaining USA for Africa artists, who includedRay Charles,Billy Joel,Diana Ross,Cyndi Lauper,Bruce Springsteen andTina Turner, and Jackson's siblingsJackie,La Toya,Marlon,Randy andTito.^[14] Many of the participants came straight from anAmerican Music Awardsceremony that had been held that night.^[7]

Prince, who would have had a part in which he and Michael Jackson sang to each other, did not attend.^[15] One newspaper said that Prince did not want to record with other acts;^[16] another report, from the time of "We Are the World"'s recording, suggested that he did not want to partake because the organizer,Bob Geldof, called him a "creep".^[17] During the session, Richie spoke with Prince on the phone, and declined Prince's offer to play a guitar solo in a separate room.^[18] Instead, Prince donated an exclusive track, "4 the Tears in Your Eyes", to theWe Are the World album.^[16] Wonder askedEddie Murphy to participate, but Murphy declined because he was busy recording his single "Party All the Time". Murphy later said after he "realized what it was, [he] felt like an idiot".^[19]John Denver 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.^[20] Denver recalled the rejection in his 1994 autobiography "Take Me Home", stating that "It broke my heart not to be included."^[21]

More than 45 of America's top musicians participated,^[15][22] and another 50 had to be turned away.^[7] A sign taped to the studio door read: "Check your ego at the door."^[23] Wonder greeted the musicians as they entered, and said that if the recording was not completed in one take, he and Ray Charles, two blind men, would drive everybody home.^[24]

Each performer took their position at around 10:30 p.m. and began to sing. Several hours passed before Wonder announced that he would like to substitute a line inSwahili for the "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound,^[25][26] causingWaylon Jennings to leave.^[25][26] A heated debate ensued, in which several artists also rejected the suggestion. The "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound ran into opposition as well and was removed. Jennings returned and participated in the recording. The participants eventually decided to sing something meaningful in English. They chose to sing the new line "one world, our children", which most of the participants enjoyed.^[25]

In the early hours of the morning, two Ethiopian women, guests of Wonder, were brought in.^[26][27] They thanked the singers on behalf of their country, bringing several artists to tears.^[26][27] Wonder attempted to lighten the mood, by joking that the recording session gave him a chance to "see" Charles, saying, "We just sort of bumped into each other!"^[24] Under the circumstances, the solo parts presented a variety of challenges, but were all successfully recorded that night.^[28][27] The final version was completed at 8 a.m.^[27][29]

"We Are the World" is sung from a first-person viewpoint, allowing the audience to "internalize" the message by singing the wordwe together.^[30] It has been described as "an appeal to human compassion".^[31] The first lines of the chorus are: "We are the world, we are the children / we are the ones who make a brighter day / so let's start giving".^[31]

Lionel Richie,Stevie Wonder,Paul Simon,Kenny Rogers,James Ingram,Tina Turner andBilly Joel sing the first verse;^[32]Michael Jackson andDiana Ross sing the first chorus;^[32]Dionne Warwick,Willie Nelson andAl Jarreau sing the second verse;Bruce Springsteen,Kenny Loggins,Steve Perry andDaryl Hall sing the second chorus;^[32] Jackson,Huey Lewis,Cyndi Lauper, andKim Carnes sing the bridge.^[32] "We Are the World" concludes withBob Dylan andRay Charles singing a full chorus, Wonder and Springsteen duetting, andad libs from Charles and Ingram.^{[citation needed]} The structure is said to "create a sense of continuous surprise and emotional buildup".^[13]

The following people sang in the chorus:Dan Aykroyd,Harry Belafonte,Lindsey Buckingham,Mario Cipollina,Johnny Colla,Sheila E.,Bob Geldof,Bill Gibson,Chris Hayes,Sean Hopper,Jackie Jackson,La Toya Jackson,Marlon Jackson,Randy Jackson,Tito Jackson,Waylon Jennings,Bette Midler,John Oates,Jeffrey Osborne,Anita Pointer,June Pointer,Ruth Pointer, andSmokey Robinson.^[32]

On March 7, 1985, "We Are the World" was released as a single, in both7-inch and12-inch formats.^[33][34] The song was the only one released from theWe Are the World album and became a chart success around the world. In the U.S., it was a number-one hit on theR&B singles chart, theHot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, and theBillboard Hot 100, where it remained for a month.^[35][36] The single had debuted at number 21 on the Hot 100,^[31] and it took four weeks for the song to claim the number one spot, half the time a single would normally have taken to reach its charting peak.^[37] On the Hot 100, the song moved from 21 to 5 to 2 and then number 1. "We Are the World" might have reached the top of the Hot 100 chart sooner, were it not for the success ofPhil Collins' "One More Night", which received support from both pop and rock listeners.^[37] "We Are the World" also enteredBillboard's Top Rock Tracks and Hot Country Singles charts, where it peaked at numbers 27 and 76 respectively.^[35] The song became the first single sincethe Beatles' "Let It Be" to enterBillboard's Top 5 within two weeks of release.^[34] Outside the U.S., the single reached number one in Australia, France, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The song peaked at number 2 in two countries: Germany and Austria.^[38][39][40]

The single was also a commercial success: the initial shipment of 800,000 "We Are the World" records sold out within three days of release.^[33] The record became the fastest-selling American pop single in history.^[41] AtTower Records inWest Hollywood, 1,000 copies of the song were sold in two days.^[42] Store worker Richard Petitpas commented, "A number one single sells about 100 to 125 copies a week. This is absolutely unheard of."^[42] By the end of 1985, "We Are the World" had become the year's best-selling single.^[43] Five years later it was revealed that the song had become the biggest single of the 1980s.^[44] "We Are the World" was eventually cited as the best-selling single in U.S. and pop music history.^{[nb 1][46][47][48]} The song became the first single to be certified multi-platinum; it received a 4× certification by theRecording Industry Association of America.^[36][49][50] The estimated global sales of "We Are the World" are said to be 20 million.^[51]

"We Are the World" received mixed reviews. American journalistGreil Marcus felt that it sounded like aPepsi jingle.^[52] He wrote that "the constant repetition of 'There's a choice we're making' conflates with Pepsi's trademarked 'The choice of a new generation' in a way that, on the part of Pepsi-contracted song writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, is certainly not intentional, and even more certainly beyond the realm of serendipity."^[52] Marcus added, "In the realm of contextualization, 'We Are the World' says less about Ethiopia than it does about Pepsi—and the true result will likely be less that certain Ethiopian individuals will live, or anyway live a bit longer than they otherwise would have, than that Pepsi will get the catch phrase of its advertising campaign sung for free by Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and all the rest."^[52] Professor and activistReebee Garofalo agreed, calling the line "We're saving our own lives" a "distasteful element of self-indulgence".^[52] He asserted that the artists of USA for Africa were proclaiming "their own salvation for singing about an issue they will never experience on behalf of a people most of them will never encounter".^[52]

In contrast,Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times praised the phrase "There's a choice we're making, We're saving our own lives".^[13] He wrote that the line assumed "an extra emotional dimension when sung by people with superstar mystiques".^[13] Holden wrote that the song was "an artistic triumph that transcends its official nature".^[13] He noted that unlike Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas", the vocals on "We Are the World" were "artfully interwoven" and emphasized the individuality of each singer.^[13] Holden concluded that "We Are the World" was "a simple, eloquent ballad" and a "fully-realized pop statement that would sound outstanding even if it weren't recorded by stars".^[13]

The song proved popular with both young and old listeners.^[31] People inColumbia, Missouri, reported they bought more than one copy of the single, some buying up to five copies of the record at one time.^[53]

According to the music critic and Springsteen biographerDave Marsh, "We Are the World" was not widely accepted within the rock music community.^[54] Marsh said it was dismissed as it was not "a rock record, a critique of the political policies that created the famine, a way of finding out how and why famines occur, an all-inclusive representation of the entire worldwide spectrum of post-Presley popular music".^[54] Though Marsh agreed with some of the criticisms, he felt that, despite its sentimentality, "We Are the World" was a large-scale pop event with serious political overtones.^[54]

"We Are the World" was recognized with several awards following its release. At the1986 Grammy Awards, the song and its music video won four awards:Record of the Year,Song of the Year,Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal andBest Music Video, Short Form.^[55] The music video was awarded two honors at the 1985MTV Video Music Awards. It collected the awards for Best Group Video and Viewer's Choice.^[56][57]People's Choice Awards recognized "We Are the World" with the Favorite New Song award in 1986.^[55] In the same year, the American Music Awards named "We Are the World" "Song of the Year", and honored organizer Harry Belafonte with the Award of Appreciation. Collecting his award, Belafonte thanked Ken Kragen, Quincy Jones, and "the two artists who, without their great gift would not have inspired us in quite the same way as we were inspired, Mr. Lionel Richie and Mr. Michael Jackson".^[55] Following the speech, the majority of USA for Africa reunited on stage, closing the ceremony with "We Are the World".^[55][58]

"We Are the World" was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame in 2021.^[59]

1. "We Are the World" (USA for Africa) – 4:51
2. "Grace" (Quincy Jones) – 4:30

"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a video cassette, and several other items made available to the public, including books, posters, shirts and buttons.^[60][61] All proceeds from the sale of official USA for Africa merchandise went directly to the famine relief fund. All of the merchandise sold well; the video cassette—titledWe Are the World: The Video Event—documented the making of the song, and became the ninth-best-selling video of 1985.^[60] All of the video elements were produced byHoward G. Malley and Craig B. Golin along with April Lee Grebb as the production supervisor.The music video showed the recording of "We Are the World", and drew criticism from some. Michael Jackson was reported to have joked before filming, "People will know it's me as soon as they see the socks. Try taking footage of Bruce Springsteen's socks and see if anyone knows who they belong to."^[33]

The song was also promoted with a special edition of the American magazineLife. The publication had been the only media outlet permitted inside A&M Recording Studios on the night of January 28, 1985. All other press organizations were barred from reporting the events leading up to and during "We Are the World"'s recording.Life ran a cover story of the recording session in its April 1985 edition of the monthly magazine. Seven members of USA for Africa were pictured on the cover: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Willie Nelson. Inside the magazine were photographs of the "We Are the World" participants working and taking breaks.^[60]

"We Are the World" received worldwide radio coverage in the form of an international simultaneous broadcast later that year. Upon spinning the song on their local stations, Georgia radio disc jockeys Bob Wolf and Don Briscar came up with the idea for a worldwide simulcast.^[62] They called hundreds of radio and satellite stations asking them to participate. On the morning of April 5, 1985 (Good Friday of that year) at 3:50 pm GMT, over 8,000 radio stations simultaneously broadcast the song around the world.^[63] As the song was broadcast, hundreds of people sang along on the steps ofSt. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.^[53][64] A year later, on March 28, 1986 (Good Friday of that year), the simultaneous radio broadcast of "We Are the World" was repeated over 6,000 radio stations worldwide.^[36]

"We Are the World" gained further promotion and coverage on May 25, 1986, when it was played during a major benefit event held throughout the US.^[65][66]Hands Across America—USA for Africa's follow-up project—was an event in which millions of people formed ahuman chain across the US.^[67] The event was held to draw attention to hunger and homelessness in the United States.^[68] "We Are the World"'s co-writer, Michael Jackson, had wanted his song to be the official theme for the event. The other board members of USA for Africa outvoted him, and it was instead decided that a new song would be created and released for the event, titled "Hands Across America".^[55] When released, the new song did not achieve the level of success that "We Are the World" did, and the decision to use it as the official theme for the event led to Jackson—who co-owned the publishing rights to "We Are the World"—resigning from the board of directors of USA for Africa.^[55][69]

Four months after the release of "We Are the World", USA for Africa had taken in almost $10.8 million (equivalent to $31 million today).^[70][71] The majority of the money came from record sales within the US.^[70][71] Members of the public also donated money—almost $1.3 million within the same time period. In May 1985, USA for Africa officials estimated that they had sold between $45 million and $47 million worth of official merchandise around the world. Organizer Ken Kragen announced that they would not be distributing all of the money at once. Instead, he revealed that the foundation would be looking into finding a long-term solution for Africa's problems.^[70] "We could go out and spend it all in one shot. Maybe we'd save some lives in the short term but it would be like putting a Band-Aid over a serious wound."^[70] Kragen noted that experts had predicted that it would take at least 10 to 20 years to make a slight difference to Africa's long-term problems.^[70]

In June 1985, the first USA for Africa cargo jet carrying food, medicine, and clothing departed for Ethiopia andSudan. It stoppeden route in New York, where 15,000 T-shirts were added to the cargo. Included in the supplies were high-protein biscuits, high-protein vitamins, medicine, tents, blankets and refrigeration equipment.^[72] Harry Belafonte, representing the USA for Africa musicians, visited Sudan in the same month. The trip was his last stop on a four-nation tour of Africa. Tanzanian Prime MinisterSalim Ahmed Salim greeted and praised Belafonte, telling him, "I personally and the people ofTanzania are moved by this tremendous example of human solidarity."^[73]

One year after the release of "We Are the World", organizers noted that $44.5 million had been raised for USA for Africa's humanitarian fund. They stated that they were confident that they would reach an initial set target of $50 million (equivalent to $143 million in 2025).^[74] By October 1986, it was revealed that their $50 million target had been met and exceeded;CBS Records gave USA for Africa a check for $2.5 million, drawing the total amount of money to $51.2 million.^[75] USA for Africa's Hands Across America event had also raised a significant amount of money—approximately $24.5 million for the hungry in the US.^[75]

Since its release, "We Are the World" has raised over $80 million (equivalent to $229 million today) for humanitarian causes.^[2] Ninety percent of the money was pledged to African relief, both long and short term.^[75][76] The long-term initiative included efforts in birth control and food production.^[76] The remaining 10 percent of funds was earmarked for domestic hunger and homeless programs in the US.^[75][76] From the African fund, over 70 recovery and development projects were launched in seven African nations. Such projects included aid in agriculture, fishing, water management, manufacturing and reforestation. Training programs were also developed in the African countries of Mozambique, Senegal, Chad, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Mali.^[75]

FollowingJackson's death in 2009, Elias Kifle Maraim Beyene, who grew up in Ethiopia and was a beneficiary of the aid provided by the single, related:

I won't ever forget Michael Jackson because his contribution to the song We are the World had a very significant effect on my life. I am 50 now but 25 years ago I was living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which at that time was suffering from a long drought and famine. It was a terrible situation. Lots of people became sick and many more died. Around one million people in all were killed by the famine. In 1984 Michael Jackson, along with a number of other leading musicians, made the song We are the World to raise money for Africa. We received a lot of aid from the world and I was one of those who directly benefitted from it. The wheat flour that was distributed to the famine victims was different to the usual cereal we bought at the market. We baked a special bread from it. The local people named the bread after the great artist and it became known as Michael Bread. It was soft and delicious.When you have been through such hard times you never forget events like this. If you speak to anyone who was inAddis Ababa at that time they will all know what Michael Bread is and I know I will remember it for the rest of my life.^[77]

"We Are the World" has been performed live by members of USA for Africa on several occasions both together and individually. One of the earliest such performances came in 1985, during the rock music concertLive Aid, which ended with more than 100 musicians singing the song on stage.^[78][79] Harry Belafonte and Lionel Richie made surprise appearances for the live rendition of the song.^[80] Michael Jackson would have joined the artists, but was "working around the clock in the studio on a project that he's made a major commitment to", according to his press agent, Norman Winter.^[81]

An inaugural celebration was held for US President-electBill Clinton in January 1993.^[82] The event was staged by Clinton's Hollywood friends at theLincoln Memorial and drew hundreds of thousands of people.^[82]Aretha Franklin,LL Cool J,Michael Bolton andTony Bennett were among some of the musicians in attendance.^[82][83] Said Jones, "I've never seen so many great performers come together with so much love and selflessness."^[84] The celebration included a performance of "We Are the World", which involved Clinton, his daughterChelsea, and his wifeHillary singing the song along with USA for Africa's Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.^[82]The New York Times'Edward Rothstein commented on the event, stating, "The most enduring image may be of Mr. Clinton singing along in 'We Are the World', the first President to aspire, however futilely, to hipness."^[85]

As a prelude to his song "Heal the World", "We Are the World" was performed as an interlude during two of Michael Jackson's tours, theDangerous World Tour (1992–1993) and theHIStory World Tour (1996–1997), as well as Jackson's performance at theSuper Bowl XXVII halftime show in 1993. Jackson briefly performed the song with a chorus at the 2006 World Music Awards in London, which marked his last live public performance. Jackson planned to use the song for hisThis Is It comeback concerts atthe O2 Arena inLondon from 2009 to 2010, but the shows were cancelled due to his sudden death.

Michael Jackson died in June 2009, after suffering a cardiac arrest.^[86]His memorial service was held several days later on July 7, and was reported to have been viewed by more than one billion people.^[87] The finale of the event featured group renditions of the Jackson anthems "We Are the World" and "Heal the World".^[88] The singalong of "We Are the World" was led by Darryl Phinnessee, who had worked with Jackson since the late 1980s.^[88][89] It also featured co-writer Lionel Richie and Jackson's family, including his children.^[88][89] Following the performance, "We Are the World" re-entered the US charts for the first time since its 1985 release. The song debuted at number 50 onBillboard'sHot Digital Songs chart.^[90]

On January 12, 2010, amagnitude-7.0earthquake struckHaiti, the island's most severe earthquake in over 200 years.^[91] The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian capitalPort-au-Prince.^[92] The Haitian government confirmed the deaths of over 230,000 civilians because of the disaster and the injuries of around 300,000. Approximately 1.2 million people were homeless and the lack of temporary shelter may have led to the outbreak of disease.^[93][94]

To raise money for earthquake victims, a new celebrity version of "We Are the World" was recorded on February 1, 2010, and released on February 12, 2010. Over 75 musicians were involved in the remake, which was recorded in the same studio as the 1985 original.^[95] The new version features revised lyrics as well as a rap part pertaining to Haiti.^[95][96] Michael Jackson's younger sisterJanet duets with her late brother on the track, as per a request from their motherKatherine. In the video and on the track, archival material of Michael Jackson is used from the original 1985 recording.^[97] This version is also infamous for the way Wyclef sings towards the end of the song, fluctuating his voice in a manner that sounds like, as a music writer for theSan Francisco Chronicle called it, "Not unlike a cross between a fire siren and the sound of Wyclef giving himself a hernia."

On February 20, 2010, a non-celebrity remake, "We Are the World 25 for Haiti (YouTube edition)", was posted to the video sharing website YouTube.Internet personality and singer-songwriterLisa Lavie conceived and organized the Internet collaboration of 57unsigned orindependent YouTube musicians geographically distributed around the world. Lavie's 2010 YouTube version, a cover of the 1985 original, excludes the rap segment and minimizes theAuto-tune that characterizes the 2010 celebrity remake.^[98] Another 2010 remake of the original is the Spanish-language "Somos El Mundo". It was written byEmilio Estefan and his wifeGloria Estefan, and produced by Emilio, Quincy Jones andUnivision Communications, the company that funded the project.^[99]

"We Are the World" has been recognized as a politically important song, which "affected an international focus on Africa that was simply unprecedented".^[52] It has been credited with creating a climate in which musicians from around the world felt inclined to follow.^[52] According toThe New York Times' Stephen Holden, since the release of "We Are the World", it has been noted that movement has been made within popular music to create songs that address humanitarian concerns.^[100] "We Are the World" was also influential in subverting the way music and meaning were produced, showing that musically and racially diverse musicians could work together both productively and creatively.^[54]Ebony described the January 28 recording session, in which Quincy Jones brought together a multi-racial group, as being "a major moment in world music that showed we can change the world".^[101] "We Are the World", along withLive Aid andFarm Aid, demonstrated that rock music had become more than entertainment, but a political and social movement.^[102] Journalist Robert Palmer noted that such songs and events had the ability to reach people around the world, send them a message, and then get results.^[102]

Since the release of "We Are the World", and the Band Aid single that influenced it, numerous songs have been recorded in a similar fashion, with the intent to aid disaster victims throughout the world. One such example involved a supergroup of Latin musicians billed as "Hermanos del Tercer Mundo", or "Brothers of the Third World". Among the supergroup of 62 recording artists wereJulio Iglesias,José Feliciano, andSérgio Mendes. Theirfamine relief song was recorded in the same studio as "We Are the World". Half of the profits raised from the charity single was pledged to USA for Africa. The rest of the money was to be used for impoverished Latin American countries.^[103] Other notable examples include the 1989 cover of theDeep Purple song "Smoke on the Water" by a supergroup of hard rock, prog rock, and heavy metal musicians collaborating asRock Aid Armenia to raise money for victims of the devastating1988 Armenian earthquake,^[104] the 1986 all-starOPM single "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo", which talked about the optimism the Filipinos needed after thePeople Power Revolution,^[105][106] the 1997Star Records all-star recording "Sa Araw ng Pasko", the 2003 all-starOPM recording "Biyahe Tayo" which promotedPhilippine tourism^[107] and its subsequent 2011 remake "Pilipinas, Tara Na!"^[108] and the 2009 all-starOPM recordings "Star ng Pasko" and "Kaya Natin Ito!" as a means to provide hope to the survivors ofTyphoon Ketsana (locally known as Ondoy).^[109][110] SeveralGMA Network personalities also recorded another inspirational ballad, "Bangon Kaibigan" in 2013 to provide hope to the survivors ofTyphoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda).^[111]

The 20th anniversary of "We Are the World" was celebrated in 2005. Radio stations around the world paid homage to USA for Africa's creation by simultaneously broadcasting the charity song. In addition to the simulcast, the milestone was marked by the release of a two-disc DVD calledWe Are the World: The Story Behind the Song.^[112] Ken Kragen asserted that the reason behind the simulcast and DVD release was not for USA for Africa to praise themselves for doing a good job, but to "use it to do some more good [for the original charity]. That's all we care about accomplishing."^[112] Harry Belafonte also commented on the 20th anniversary of the song. He acknowledged that "We Are the World" had "stood the test of time"; anyone old enough to remember it can still at least hum along.^[113]

On January 29, 2024, a documentary titledThe Greatest Night in Pop, was released onNetflix. The documentary, which was directed byBao Nguyen, chronicles the obstacles and the behind-the-scenes stories that led to the creation of the song. The documentary features new interviews with Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper and others involved with the song who reflect on the song and its legacy.^[114]

Reflecting on the song's cultural and artistic legacy forty years later, BritishtheoristJason Barker asserts that "the USA For Africa anthem is the birth of postmodern tragedy" and "marks the beginning of the so-called Disaster Appeal".^[115]

• Band Aid (band)
• "Cantaré, cantarás"
• "Chiquitita", an ABBA song, sales of which benefit humanitarian relief for children
• Hear 'n Aid
• Music for UNICEF Concert
• "Tears Are Not Enough", a 1985 charity single recorded by asupergroup ofCanadian artists, under the name Northern Lights, to raise funds for relief of the1983–85 famine in Ethiopia
• The Greatest Night in Pop, documentary about the making of "We Are the World"
• "Tomorrow Will Be Better"
• "We Are One" (global collaboration song)
• We Con the World

• Official website of USA for Africa
• Official website for "We Are the World 25 for Haiti"
• Official music video of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" onYouTube