It’s good to remember a great song, created by many, many talented artists to help alleviate the famine that had spread through parts of Africa in 1985. “We Are the World” is a charity single originally recorded by the super group USA for Africa in 1985.
The idea for the creation of the single for African famine relief came from Harry Belafonte. The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian. The duo completed writing the song only one night before “We Are the World’s” first recording session, on January 21, 1985. The historic event brought together some of the most well-known music industry artists of the time.
The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the first single from the album by Columbia Records. It topped music charts throughout the world and was the first ever single to be certified multi-platinum. “We Are the World” had sales of more than 20 million copies and raised over $63 million (equivalent to $147 million ++ today) for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US. Enjoy!